"All Water-type Pokémon, listen to my command! Use Water-type moves to smash the sandstorm!"
As a member of Team Aqua, Izumi (Shelly) naturally knew how to command them in group battles.
At this time, the combined power of various moves was quite considerable.
Upon hearing Izumi's command, a large amount of water gushed out from the mouths of different Pokémon.
It was as if it had become a raging river, crashing against the sandstorm.
The raging sandstorm was immediately soaked, and even with Tyranitar's control, the sand was wetting much faster than it was appearing.
"Retreat!" Sensing the change in the sandstorm, Aoki whispered.
Tyranitar and the others, along with Steven's Pokémon, slowly retreated.
When the numerical advantage is too obvious, it will affect the quality.
With Izumi and Tabitha in charge of the front line, Aoki and Steven lost the opportunity to catch them off guard.
However, as Tyranitar and the others retreated, they did not stop releasing moves, constantly impacting Team Aqua's front line formation.
The sandstorm subsided, but the fierce attack from Tyranitar and his companions briefly halted the progress.
"What a stubborn resistance!
Camerupt! Torkoal! Flamethrower!" A hint of anger flickered across the seemingly cute and chubby face of Tabitha.
His Camerupt and Torkoal charged to the front.
Two blazing flames instantly engulfed the entire tunnel, significantly raising the temperature within.
Aoki and Steven didn't have a particularly good solution against the flames in the short term, and could only retreat slowly, fighting as they went.
However, the enemy had abandoned their regular attacks; Tabitha and Izumi were at the forefront, leaving Aoki and Steven with only the ability to parry, no chance to counterattack.
But they had already significantly slowed the enemy's advance.
If they could hold out until the main League force arrived, that would be enough.
A slight spatial ripple appeared, and Slowking, having seen everyone off, reappeared beside Aoki.
Instantly, Aoki's power increased dramatically.
He placed his hand on Slowking's back, and his psychic powers stacked.
Slowking combined its psychic power with Water Pulse, preventing Fire Village from advancing any further.
Just when the two thought they had held on, with a long tunnel ahead and plenty of room to maneuver,another unexpected event occurred. Two Pokémon charged out from behind Izumi and Homura:a Crobat with a cold, sharp gaze and a Sharpedo enveloped in a jet of water.
Upon seeing these two Pokémon, Aoki's expression changed drastically.
"Retreat again! Maxie and Archie have made their move!"
Hearing Aoki's words, Steven's expression also turned serious.
Maxie and Archie were far too powerful for the two of them to handle.
Seeing Crobat and Sharpedo appear, Homura and Izumi were not pleased; instead, their expressions grew even more grim.
The leader's intervention indicated dissatisfaction with the army's advance speed.
Therefore, disregarding the potential damage to their Pokémon from a forced charge, Homura and Izumi almost simultaneously commanded their Pokémon to launch another attack on Aoki and Steven.
This time, with the help of Crobat and Sharpedo, Tyranitar and the others sustained considerable injuries. Their retreat speed increased rapidly.
"This won't do! That Crobat and Sharpedo are too strong; the Pokémon can't handle it!" Steven's voice echoed in Aoki's mind through telepathy.
Aoki, of course, knew they were already struggling.
But the main League force hadn't arrived yet.
Retreating a little further would lead to a vast cave, which could become the main battleground for the League and Team Magma versus Team Aqua.
But they couldn't let Team Magma and Team Aqua reach that cave first.
Otherwise, they could simply block several tunnels, like Aoki and Daigo were now, leaving no chance of breaking through.
The League would then be in a completely passive position.
They could either sacrifice a large number of trainers to force a breakthrough, but such losses were unacceptable for the League at its current state.
Or they could only cede that large cave to Team Magma and Team Aqua, forcing the League's defensive route to retreat again.
But what if there were Indigo Orbs and Crimson Orbs in that cave...?
Then the League's presence there would be meaningless, a wasted effort.
Therefore... the most acceptable outcome would be for the League to arrive at the cave just as Team Magma and Team Aqua enter, allowing for a full-scale battle.
The best-case scenario would be for Aoki and Drake to hold them off, allowing the League to arrive before Team Magma and Team Aqua enter and establish defensive lines.
In that case, Team Magma and Team Aqua would be on the defensive.
Genji, Normam, and Bonnie stood at the tunnel entrance, ready to handle any number of enemies that came their way. Even if Maxie and Archie joined forces, they couldn't break through the defenses formed by three Elite Four level powerhouses.
"They can't hold on any longer. Let's recall their Pokémon. They can't fall here; we'll need them for the upcoming battle," Aoki said to Stevem.
Hearing this, Steven was taken aback.
"Are we just going to give up like this? If they get through first, the League will be in big trouble,"
Aoki smiled mysteriously.
"Don't worry, I have another plan. Judging by the speed of Drake and the others, they should be here soon."
Even with Aoki's words, Steven was still somewhat uncertain.
In that instant, his Aerodactyl was rendered incapable of battle by Maxie's Crobat attack.
Aoki knew that Steven wouldn't give up unless he saw his trump card. He carefully took down the Friend Ball that had been sitting at his waist for a while.
Through the Friend Ball, he saw the Pokémon lazily inside its Poké Ball.
He said softly, "This is my first battle, I'll have to trouble you."
As if hearing Aoki's words, the Pokémon in the Poké Ball slowly stood up, its eyes sharpening.
Aoki smiled and threw the Poké Ball.
"Go, Kommo-o! Give it a good beating!"
As the Poké Ball opened, a Pokémon, glowing with golden light and looking incredibly strong and imposing, appeared in the tunnel.
"Roar—"
Clang—clang—clang—
After appearing, Kommo-o roared at Team Magma and Team Aqua, then began its battle dance!
Having not battled for so long, its body was practically rusty.
The scales of varying sizes on its body collided and rubbed against each other, producing the unique battle song melody of Kommo-o.
Seeing Kommo-o's appearance, Tyranitar and the others immediately understood Aoki's meaning.
They glanced reluctantly at the Pokémon that had just been battling them.
They had finally encountered such a powerful opponent.
However, they still obediently returned to Aoki's side.
But when Steven saw Kommo-o appear, he was stunned, and even Phoebe,Wallace, standing opposite him, were taken aback.
What...what kind of Pokémon is that?
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(End of this chapter)