The moment Kashiwagi and Otsuka spotted the Jackal Gang members, the feeling was mutual. Thanks to observers perched on the upper floors, the Jackal scouts had already confirmed that the two figures despite their uniforms were intruders.
Yet, they didn't move.
The uncertainty held them back. They had no idea how many more men were lurking behind these two, or how devastating a reinforcement strike might be if they opened fire. Since the power station had been blown, many of the building's internal systems were dead. They felt like survivors on a sinking island.
They couldn't reach their comrades or the Underdome. They didn't dare send their Pokémon into the air for fear of getting picked off, so they were reduced to relaying messages by word of mouth.
Had there been no traitors, they might have tried to force the low-level civilians into the fray as human shields. But at this point, those civilians were likely just waiting for an excuse to surrender.
To be honest, many of the peripheral members felt the same way. The only things stopping them were a fiercely loyal squad leader on the top floor and the lingering fear that if the Jackal Gang somehow repelled the invasion, they'd be executed for treason. They were stalling, hoping for a miracle that wasn't coming.
Team Snagem, however, had no intention of letting them wait. While they were prepared for a long siege, every hour spent was money down the drain. If they could end this quickly, everyone from the High Executives down to the grunts would be thrilled.
Unaware of the silent prayers of the defenders, Kashiwagi and Otsuka launched their assault.
Thick smoke suddenly billowed from the corner of the street, expanding rapidly. Then came a thunderous roar. A massive, rounded boulder tore through the fog at a terrifying speed, hurtling toward the makeshift barricades.
"Stop it!"
"Mightyena, use Snarl!"
"Poochyena, Mud-Slap!"
"Houndour! Ember!"
The Jackal members panicked, leaping out from their hiding spots. They emerged from behind cover and shattered windows, accompanied by an array of Dark-type hounds. Most of their Pokémon were hovering around level 20 and some hadn't even evolved yet. They were the very definition of small fry.
Despite the barrage of attacks, the "boulder" didn't deviate. It plowed through the barricades like a wrecking ball before coming to a sudden halt.
In the next heartbeat, the boulder emitted a blinding white light.
BOOM!!
The ground groaned and buckled. Shards of stone flew like shrapnel as a titanic wave of Normal-type energy erupted, blasting the nearest Pokémon and Jackal members backward. Windows shattered across the street, showering those hiding behind them in a rain of ash.
As acrid smoke blanketed the building's entrance and screams echoed through the air, Kashiwagi and Otsuka charged forward.
Passing the fainted Golem, Otsuka winced as he recalled it into its Poké Ball. Explosion caused immense pain to the user; it was a desperate, double-edged sword. Otsuka usually hated using it, but he knew this was his chance to prove his worth. If he kept playing second fiddle, he'd be a grunt forever.
"Magnet Rise! Baton Pass!"
Kashiwagi released Mawile, who immediately transferred the floating effect to Aggron.
The massive steel beast hit the air with an aura of pure intimidation. Like a heavy-duty tank, Aggron smashed through the first-floor doors. Inside, they were greeted by the sight of terrified civilians and a few Jackal grunts fleeing into the depths of the building.
"There are so many civilians! What do we do?" Otsuka stammered.
"Ignore them. Get over here!" Kashiwagi ignored the fleeing crowd, grabbing Otsuka with one hand and Aggron's back-plate with the other. "Double-Edge! Straight up!"
"Wait, what?"
Before Otsuka could process the words, his feet left the floor. A deafening crash erupted above them. Dust and debris rained down, choking him until he couldn't stop coughing.
CRASH!
BOOM!!
Explosions of concrete echoed near his head, and the dust made it impossible to open his eyes. But even through the haze, he was stunned.
They were literally smashing through the floorboards to climb the building.
Was this something a Pokémon could do so casually? Otsuka remembered the Lairon from a few months ago, the one that couldn't even beat three of his Pokémon. He found it impossible to connect that memory with the monster before him. Had Kashiwagi secretly swapped his Pokémon for a different one?
If his own ally was shocked, the Jackal members and civilians were paralyzed. They stood frozen in the dust, staring at the ceiling as if the sky itself was falling.
"An Executive?"
"It has to be an Executive-level trainer!"
"A Snagem High Executive is here! Run!"
Panic turned into a chorus of screams. Outside, the Jackal members who had survived the Golem's blast looked at each other and trembled. As official members, they knew exactly how terrifying a High Executive could be, both in terms of power and authority.
As they looked at the massive hole Aggron had punched through the ceiling, they began to pray for the squad leader upstairs.
The building was seven stories tall, and the squad leader was stationed at the top.
When the Golem exploded below, he had frantically ordered his men to block the stairwells with Pokémon and civilians. He never expected the intruders to ignore the stairs entirely.
Before he could receive a report from below, the floor beneath his feet shuddered violently. It felt as if the entire structure was about to collapse. The tremors grew stronger by the second, and he began to fear that Team Snagem intended to bring the whole building down on their heads.
But then, the floor erupted.
A massive silhouette burst through the solid concrete, sending concrete shards flying like bullets. The sheer violence of the entry sent everyone in the room scrambling for the exits; some were so terrified they simply threw themselves down the stairs.
Then, a voice cut through the dust.
"This is where the crowd is. Who's the leader?"
Before anyone could answer, a blue light flared within the smoke. Telekinesis took hold of everyone in the room, pinning them in place. The speed was so blinding that the squad leader had only just touched his Poké Ball.
"Attack! Attack him!" he screamed, his voice cracking.
But no counterattack came from his men. Instead, they saw a gargantuan beast holding a swirling, teal orb of light. Aggron slammed the Water Pulse into the floor, sending a literal tidal wave crashing across the room.
ROAR!
The beast let out a blood-curdling howl and swung its trunk-like tail at the Pokémon trying to stand up in the wake of the wave.
Thwack! Thwack!
One by one, the enemy Pokémon were swatted away, losing consciousness the moment they hit the walls.
Suddenly, a hysterical cry drifted up through the massive hole in the floor.
"Executive! It's an Executive!"
"A Snagem Executive has broken through!"
The squad leader, dangling helplessly in the air under Chansey's Telekinesis, felt his heart sink. His face went pale as death.