Damn it, if you've got any guts, try not keeping Mew right next to you!
Proton and Petrel stared at the little Riolu on Articuno's back, glaring like a predator, and could only seethe in silence.
They were terrified that if they tried anything sneaky, it would immediately lock onto them. If they fought a proper, above-board battle and actually managed to win, maybe Grey would really let them off.
But if they tried a sneak attack…
They were genuinely afraid that the next second Riolu would just teleport behind them and then a massive Fire Blast would come roaring down on their heads!
Just imagining that possibility made chills run down Proton and Petrel's spines.
Forget it—better to just have a proper battle.
The problem was, Team Rocket usually played dirty in back-alley brawls.
Suddenly having to do a formal, straight-up battle like this… they really weren't used to it.
"All right already, you're supposed to be Team Rocket, yet you're still dithering around like this. If you don't make a move, I'm going to start first."
Grey swept his arm out in a wide arc, the Aura bursting from him kicking up a gust that made the hem of his coat flutter.
"Riolu, Coaching! Gallade, wait until after Riolu's move, then use Psycho Cut!"
"Rio!"
Riolu was the first to unleash its aura, raising a paw toward Gallade as if giving pointers.
In Gallade's eyes, Riolu suddenly looked like some legendary master swordsman from around the world, offering endless guidance and honing its swordsmanship.
A reddish enhancement glow flashed over Gallade's entire body, and its Attack and Defense both rose!
It had been powered up!
"So fast?"
Petrel, who'd been about to blurt out his commands, froze. Clearly Grey's Riolu didn't have Prankster as its Ability, so how was its move going off that quickly?
But there was no time to dwell on it. The blades at Gallade's elbows were already blazing with dazzling pinkish-purple light as two arcs of sword energy whipped out from its arms with a shriek!
A Psychic-type Psycho Cut!
At the same Elite-level as their Pokémon, and now further boosted by Riolu, this Psycho Cut already had enough power to seriously injure both Ariados and Muk.
Facing the twin slashes tearing through the air, Proton and Petrel naturally didn't dare hold back. Each immediately pulled out their specialties, hoping to block the pair of attacks outright!
"Shadow Punch!"
"Pin Missile!"
Both moves hit Psychic-types for super effective damage—clearly this pair had specifically prepared these nasty tricks for fighting Grey.
"Muuk!"
The sword wind grazed past, and Muk's writhing body suddenly surged upward. From its rotting sludge erupted a gigantic fist wrapped in Ghost-type energy!
That mass of sludge that should've been soft and formless now crashed down like a battering ram toward the Psycho Cut!
Boom!
The instant Shadow Punch collided with Psycho Cut, the explosion of force gouged a huge crater into the ground around them!
On Ariados's side, its silver, venomous fangs crossed in front of its mouth. As a cold flash of light flickered, a storm of needle-like energy shots blasted toward Psycho Cut, the impacts ringing out in a chain of explosions!
Bzzzz~
Psycho Cut shattered, and the violent wind it kicked up mixed with the lingering mist, spreading outward and making it hard to see what was happening.
"Quick Attack!"
Grey ordered Riolu to launch a surprise strike.
"Rio!"
At his command, Riolu drove power into its legs, a white light flashing sharply across its body. The speed it unleashed in that instant was beyond what the naked eye could track!
Even a predator like Ariados could barely follow its movements!
Fast.
Ridiculously fast.
Almost as fast as Extreme Speed itself!
Proton and Petrel couldn't even predict who Riolu was going to attack, so they could only shout at the same time:
"Gunk Shot!"
"Cross Poison!"
This time, both were same-type moves.
Two completely different kinds of attacks flared out.
On one side, a ball of toxic junk condensed out of poison energy; on the other, a cross-shaped slash of poisonous blades shot forward, both rushing to intercept Riolu.
Where the venom passed, the stench was overwhelming!
But Riolu, now nothing more than a streak of white light, weaved with precise steps through the gaps between the two attacks. Each footfall left behind a fading afterimage, and in the blink of an eye it had already broken through the barrage!
"Rio!" (If you haven't eaten dinner yet, feast on this punch!)
Riolu chose Ariados as its target. White light flared around its fist as it swung, the force of the blow pressing down on Ariados's body and making it hard for the spider to move, its legs stumbling under the pressure!
"Muk, help Ariados—use Disable!"
"Ariados, Fell Stinger!"
The two finally started coordinating instead of fighting their own separate battles.
However…
"Only now you decide to team up and try to take down Riolu first? Don't you think it's a little too late?"
Grey smiled faintly.
Every time he showed that expression, Petrel knew for sure that things were absolutely not as simple as they looked.
That bastard Grey was setting them up again!
In a split second, Petrel realized Gallade had disappeared from sight.
He remembered what Grey had said earlier, and Petrel's pupils shrank at once.
"Muk, use Sludge Wave, quick! Forget that useless Disable crap!"
Petrel shouted at the top of his lungs, not forgetting to toss in a swear for emphasis.
"Muuuk!"
Muk had no idea what its Trainer was freaking out about, but it still obeyed, canceling the half-charged Disable. Its sludge-like body began to glow with a deep, ominous purple.
Splurt!
With a dull, wet boom, a tidal wave of poisonous sludge erupted from within it, sweeping outward in a fan-shaped surge!
"Your thinking as a commander isn't bad, but Mr. Petrel… you really don't understand Psychic-type Pokémon at all."
Grey raised one hand, his fingers flicking lightly in front of Petrel's eyes. "Psycho Cut!"
The moment Grey finished speaking, Gallade finally appeared.
It was positioned above the Sludge Wave, the blades at its elbows brewing a terrifying finishing move. Psychic power surged and spread out, forming a barrier-like field that held the shower of venom at bay!
"Gallade!" (Take this!)
Slash!!!
Gallade swung its arms down in a heavy chop, Psychic energy condensing into solid blades at the tips of its elbow swords, ripping through the air with overwhelming force!
Swish! Swish!
Two crossing Psycho Cuts intersected into an X-shape and drove Muk's massive body straight into the ground!
The remaining sword energy plowed into the steel floor, carving a cross-shaped trench half a meter deep, purple psychic sparks crackling along the edges!
"What?!"
Even Petrel was stunned by the impact of that strike.
"Mr. Petrel, your strength really is just not up to par. Sigh… fighting strong opponents really is more interesting."
Grey glanced at the fallen Muk, then turned his attention back to Riolu's battlefield and gave a fresh command:
"Riolu, Ice Punch!"
"Rio!"
Riolu's left fist slammed straight into Ariados's face just as its right fist finished charging, a brilliant blue chill blazing to life around it!
Frost shot out along the path of its punch, racing toward Ariados's horn, where Bug-type energy was vibrating violently at the tip. The two forces collided head-on!
Ice Punch versus Fell Stinger!
The two attacks pushed against each other, the opposing energies forming a line in midair that split the fighters' silhouettes.
Seeing this, Grey once again had Gallade move in to assist.
"Gallade, Aqua Cutter!"
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