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"That appearance, and that Charizard!"
"He's the man that all three executives are searching for!"
"It's him—the one who completely wiped out our Rainbow City branch, Eddie!!"
"Why? Why is he here at the Twin Islands of all places!"
"Oh no, we're finished. I heard that he single-handedly destroyed the entire group stationed at the Rainbow City branch. We're doomed this time."
The Team Rocket members' reactions were immediate and visceral. After the Rainbow City incident, every member had Eddie's appearance and his iconic Charizard burned into their memory.
After all, they could see Eddie's face plastered on wanted posters throughout their bases, and his exploits had even made it onto the news broadcasts.
So at this point, it was fair to say that virtually every Team Rocket member already knew who Eddie was.
"Roar!!" *12
However, before they could panic for too long, a total of twelve Pokémon from Eddie's Team One and Team Two materialized on the battlefield and roared threateningly at all the assembled Team Rocket members.
"Twelve Gym Leader-level Pokémon! How could this guy possibly be so powerful!?"
Harley was genuinely shocked when he witnessed the twelve Pokémon standing before Eddie, each one radiating the unmistakable aura of Gym Leader-level strength.
As someone who held the position of Team Rocket's seventh-ranking officer, with status second only to the three executives, Harley had access to relatively detailed intelligence reports about Eddie.
Following the Rainbow City incident, Team Rocket had thoroughly compiled Eddie's information and distributed it to all members at the executive level and above.
According to their records, Eddie had been an Elite-level trainer not long ago when he destroyed the Team Rocket branch. The Pokémon he commanded were basically all at the Elite level, and they possessed the remarkable ability to battle multiple opponents simultaneously.
After some time had passed, Team Rocket had upgraded their assessment and now classified Eddie as a Gym Leader-level trainer. After all, given his demonstrated strength and extraordinary growth rate, it was perfectly reasonable to assume he'd reached that level.
Harley had thought the same way. He believed it would be quite easy for someone like Eddie to advance to the Gym Leader level.
During the planning phase of this operation, Harley had actually considered the possibility of encountering Eddie, so he had already formulated specific countermeasures for dealing with him if they crossed paths.
He had prepared his strategy while anticipating Eddie as a Gym Leader-level trainer, and his entire plan had been arranged according to that expected level of strength.
"But why are there twelve Gym Leader-level Pokémon! This is equivalent to facing two full teams at once, and each Pokémon is extremely powerful! What in the world is going on!?"
Harley was roaring internally, his mind racing in panic. His carefully prepared plan had only accounted for Eddie possessing six Gym Leader-level Pokémon, but now, faced with twelve such powerful creatures, he had absolutely no viable strategy for victory!
"No, I must report this to Lord Koga immediately!"
While Eddie hadn't launched his attack yet, Harley quietly maneuvered to a blind spot where Eddie couldn't observe him and quickly retrieved his communicator.
"Master Koga! This is terrible! That Eddie has appeared at the Seafoam Islands!!"
Harley kept telling himself to remain calm, but when he actually began reporting, he couldn't stop himself from yelling nervously into the communicator.
"What!? You're saying Eddie?! That bastard actually came to the Seafoam Islands?"
"Wait, isn't this actually a good thing? You have so many operatives gathered there. Even if he's broken through the Elite level and become a Gym Leader, you should be able to handle him with your numbers. Why are you panicking?! Go and eliminate him right now!"
Upon hearing the report, Koga's voice came through even louder than Harley's. After all, he desperately wanted nothing more than to kill Eddie with his own hands.
"But Master Koga, he has twelve Gym Leader-level Pokémon! We can't possibly defeat him!!"
Harley's voice began to stutter as he spoke, and he couldn't help but sound like he was on the verge of tears by the end.
"You're all making such a commotion, but you don't dare to fight or even retreat. What exactly do you want to accomplish?"
"Well then, since you've all decided to stay, I'll assume you're prepared to battle. So let's begin the fight right now!"
"Charizard, Sceptile, Lucario, Garchomp, Tyranitar, Gengar, Gardevoir—Mega Evolve!!"
At that very moment, Eddie's undisguised battle cry echoed across the valley. Not only did Harley, who was hiding in his concealed position, hear it clearly, but even Koga heard it through the communicator.
"Wait, he has two pseudo-legendary Pokémon now?! And including those two, a total of eight Pokémon can Mega Evolve?!"
Koga couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief when he heard that announcement. As a Gym Leader himself and someone approaching the Elite level, he only had one Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution, not to mention any pseudo-legendary Pokémon at all.
Of course, this was partly because there weren't any pseudo-legendary Pokémon with the Poison-type attribute that he specialized in.
"Harley! Quickly open the package I gave you before the mission! Inside are two of my personally trained substitute Pokémon!"
"Both of them are Pokémon that have just reached the quasi-Heavenly King level—specifically, a Weezing and a Muk. Use them immediately to deal with that guy!"
"But there's one thing you absolutely must remember. No matter what situation develops, you must not lose these two Pokémon. Otherwise, when you return to base, well... haha!"
Koga was reluctant to have Harley deploy the two Pokémon he had personally trained. After all, when facing Eddie, his two Pokémon would likely get severely beaten, and they would almost certainly—no, they would definitely—be defeated by Eddie's twelve powerful Pokémon.
"But Lord Koga, even with those two, I don't think I can hold him off!"
Harley understood perfectly well that two quasi-Heavenly King level Pokémon wouldn't make much difference in the current situation. They would be more than sufficient against a normal trainer, but when facing an opponent like Eddie who was clearly operating far beyond standard parameters, having only two quasi-Heavenly King level Pokémon would be completely inadequate.
He would need at least five Pokémon at that level before Eddie would actually feel any real pressure or consider the possibility that he might not achieve an easy victory.
"Don't be ridiculous! I understand how powerful that guy is better than you do! Two quasi-Heavenly King level Pokémon aren't nearly enough for him to even break a sweat!"
"But you're not alone out there. Mobilize everyone you have and do everything in your power to hold him back. Reinforcements from our headquarters will arrive soon!"
"Most of Team Rocket's forces in this region are already gathered at the Twin Islands. If you can't even hold him off for an hour or two, you might as well all quit the organization!"
Koga abruptly hung up the communicator right after finishing his statement. He had just heard the agonized screams of several Team Rocket members in the background. It was painfully obvious that Eddie had begun his assault on Team Rocket's forces.
Therefore, he didn't want to waste any more time talking with the clearly terrified Harley. He needed to report this critical information to the boss immediately and request that emergency support orders be issued for the Seafoam Islands operation.
Harley stared at the communicator that had just been disconnected, his face still etched with panic.
However, he at least understood that he couldn't afford to simply panic right now, so he immediately retrieved the package that Koga had entrusted to him before the mission.
Just as Koga had described, there were two Ultra Balls inside, and Harley quickly released the Pokémon contained within them.
A Weezing and a Muk materialized before him. The quasi-Heavenly King level aura emanating from these two Pokémon helped Harley feel somewhat more reassured.
"Aaaaaah!!!"
"Run away!!"
"Don't run! There are so many of us—why would you run away?"
At that moment, he suddenly heard the terrified screams and panicked cries of Team Rocket members echoing across the battlefield.
Upon hearing this commotion, he quickly rushed back with Weezing and Muk to their previous position, which was now the battlefield where Eddie was cutting through their forces like a scythe through wheat.
In that instant, Harley finally understood exactly how Eddie had managed to single-handedly wipe out the entire Rainbow City branch.
Because he was simply far too powerful!
Eddie stood confidently atop his Mega Charizard Y, skillfully commanding his Pokémon as they devastated the opposition on all fronts.
Mega Garchomp and Mega Tyranitar served as Eddie's primary pseudo-legendary Pokémon, and they were functioning as the perfect partnership at this moment.
Mega Tyranitar's Ability was Sand Stream, which would normally transform the weather into a sandstorm. However, since Eddie was currently utilizing Mega Charizard Y's Drought Ability to maintain harsh sunlight, he had specifically instructed Tyranitar not to activate its Ability at full strength, but rather to control it within a limited range.
Although Mega Tyranitar was somewhat dissatisfied with this restriction, it still followed Eddie's instructions and suppressed its Ability, essentially turning itself into a small mobile sandstorm generator.
Mega Garchomp was thoroughly pleased by the localized sandstorm, because its Ability after Mega Evolution was Sand Force. With this Ability active, the power of Rock-type, Steel-type, and Ground-type moves used within a sandstorm was increased by fifty percent.
Therefore, it was now fighting in perfect coordination with Mega Tyranitar. The two pseudo-legendary Pokémon positioned themselves at the front lines and continuously unleashed Rock Slide, Iron Tail, and Stone Edge to sweep through the enemy ranks.
For several moments, the sheer number of Pokémon defeated by these two powerhouses actually exceeded the combined total of Eddie's other ten Pokémon.
As expected of pseudo-legendary Pokémon! Moreover, the two of them were now working together in seamless harmony. The Team Rocket members were on the verge of complete collapse watching these two juggernauts tear through their forces. Many of them simply fled without saying a word.
Mega Charizard Y, serving as Eddie's mount, didn't rush directly into the battlefield this time. Instead, it continuously used Fire Spin to trap Team Rocket members who attempted to escape the area.
Occasionally, it would use Solar Beam on weakened Pokémon at tremendous speed, and thanks to the harsh sunlight from Drought, it didn't need to charge up before firing Solar Beam.
Of course, nobody knew what was really going through its mind, but it appeared to be stealing kills from Mega Garchomp and Mega Tyranitar whenever possible.
Every time Mega Charizard Y sniped a target that Mega Garchomp or Mega Tyranitar was about to finish off, they would roar at Mega Charizard Y to express their clear dissatisfaction.
Well, this was probably just Mega Charizard Y, acting as the big brother, giving a subtle reminder to these two upstarts who were attempting to challenge its position.
After all, every time those two defeated several enemies, they would glance provocatively at Mega Charizard Y, so it seemed perfectly reasonable for Mega Charizard Y to mess with them occasionally.
Eddie noticed that they were playing around more than actually arguing, so he didn't intervene. He simply smiled and continued commanding his Pokémon to press the attack.
The combined efforts of Mega Tyranitar and Mega Garchomp had sparked competitive spirits among Eddie's other Pokémon. They were now actively seeking out partners to coordinate attacks with.
Mega Lucario and Snorlax, both specialists in close-quarters combat, were continuously overwhelming opposing Pokémon in a direction separate from the two pseudo-legendary Pokémon.
Mega Lucario wielded Thunder Punch in its left fist and Ice Punch in its right, smashing super-effectively against Pokémon with type disadvantages and sending them crashing to the ground in single strikes. Then it would launch Aura Sphere and Focus Blast at distant Pokémon, knocking multiple targets to the ground simultaneously.
Snorlax, with its considerably larger body mass, employed a straightforward and brutal strategy using Heavy Slam, charging directly into large clusters of Team Rocket's Pokémon. When the attack concluded, numerous Pokémon had been knocked to the ground or sent flying into the air.
The close-combat group wasn't limited to just these fighters—there were also two adorable powerhouses who rushed toward the enemy with equal determination.
Pikachu and Flareon—the former directly unleashed the Electric-type ultimate technique Volt Tackle, while the latter employed Flare Blitz. The golden and crimson figures constantly weaved back and forth through the enemy formation.
Wherever they passed, chaos and devastation followed. Team Rocket's Pokémon and even some of their trainers were either launched into the sky or slammed into the ground.
However, while Pikachu and Flareon's offensive power was devastating, both moves had recoil damage as a side effect. They had to return to Eddie's position periodically and allow Mega Gardevoir, who was providing ranged support from the rear, to use Life Dew to restore their stamina.
There was no need for Eddie to reveal his Power of Viridian abilities at this point, so it was perfectly acceptable to have Mega Gardevoir serve as a part-time healer during the battle.
These six Pokémon essentially comprised the entire melee group, and next came the Pokémon specializing in ranged attacks.
Mega Gengar and Mega Gardevoir—the former possessed a demonic appearance and would continuously use Night Shade and Shadow Ball to drag back fleeing opponents and pummel them mercilessly.
The latter wore what resembled an elegant black evening gown, looking as enchanting as a fairy, and constantly employed Psychic and Dazzling Gleam, functioning much like Mega Gengar.
They would pull back escaping enemies and systematically defeat them.
The final group consisted of Greninja and Dragonite. This pair was considerably calmer, or perhaps more tactical, compared to Eddie's other Pokémon. They didn't compete for attention but simply focused on supporting their teammates.
Rather than saying they were defeating enemies, it would be more accurate to say they were controlling the battlefield.
After all, Team Rocket's numbers were genuinely substantial this time. Even though Eddie commanded many powerful Pokémon, there would inevitably be some attacks that couldn't be avoided.
During such moments, Greninja and Dragonite would use Ice Beam to freeze enemies who were about to strike their partners.
They specifically targeted these threatening opponents. Naturally, they would occasionally use Blizzard to freeze enemies en masse, then allow their teammates to deliver the finishing blows.
This duo could genuinely be considered the best support team in this battle. Without them, Eddie could still defeat Team Rocket in this confrontation, but his own Pokémon would likely sustain more serious injuries.
"Excellent work! Everyone has found their own partner and they're helping each other. I'm very proud of all of you."
Eddie observed that each of his Pokémon had formed bonds with friends and partners, supporting one another and fighting together, and he suddenly felt deeply satisfied with how harmoniously his team functioned.
"Jukain~" (I don't have any teammates though...)
Just as Eddie was reflecting on this with satisfaction, a slightly melancholy voice called out.
When Eddie heard this, he didn't quite know how to respond.
Mega Sceptile stood alone at the rear position, silently using Dragon Pulse and Solar Beam to defeat enemies.
However, there were no other Pokémon around it—or more accurately, it hadn't found a partner to coordinate with.
After all, Eddie had released twelve Pokémon total. Since he was currently riding Mega Charizard Y, that left eleven Pokémon on the battlefield. If they paired up in groups of two, there would inevitably be one left over.
"Ahem! Mega Sceptile, don't feel discouraged. You and Mega Charizard Y are in the same group. Look, Mega Charizard Y's Ability is working perfectly with you. You can use Solar Beam without needing to charge it up first, right?"
As a responsible trainer, Eddie naturally had to comfort this lonely teammate. When Mega Charizard Y heard Eddie's words, it nodded enthusiastically at Mega Sceptile, indicating that they were indeed partners and encouraging it not to feel down.
"sceptile~" (Really?)
Eddie & Mega Charizard Y: "Really, truly!"
Whether it was forcing itself to accept the comfort or genuinely believing that it formed a pair with Mega Charizard Y, Mega Sceptile suddenly roared with renewed excitement. Then it joined the close-combat group, continuously using Leaf Blade and Dual Chop to overwhelm enemies.
"I get the feeling it still doesn't quite believe us. It's probably just throwing itself into battle to distract itself now."
Eddie muttered to Mega Charizard Y, who didn't know how to respond to Eddie's observation either, so it could only imitate what Eddie had done before and shrug its shoulders in a remarkably human-like gesture to indicate that it didn't know either.