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Crash... boom...
Tall trees around them toppled one after another.
Under the relentless assault of the corrupted Dragonite, Clair's stamina was rapidly depleting. The trees she had used to evade attacks were all being destroyed, and it was getting harder and harder for her to dodge. Several times, she narrowly escaped being hit.
Fortunately, her Charizard, sensing her peril, returned just in time, ramming the corrupted Dragonite in mid-air and knocking it away. The crisis was temporarily averted.
.
-
.
On the mechanical spider, the Iron-Masked Marauder pulled another empty Dark Ball from his waist pouch. His gaze was locked onto the battlefield, ready to capture another Pokémon at any moment.
But the situation was far too chaotic. With both sides' Pokémon dashing wildly across the field, a poorly timed throw would only result in the Dark Ball missing its mark and wasting a precious resource.
From a distance, Kai observed all of this. He knew he had to act now.
The greatest threat left was the Iron-Masked Marauder's Dark Balls. As long as those remained in play, the battle couldn't be won. But if they were destroyed, the Marauder would be like a toothless tiger, fierce in appearance but powerless in action.
As for the mechanical spider beneath him?
With so many Pokémon surrounding it, once the corrupted Dragonite was freed, it would rip the machine apart with ease.
Kai, voice low and steady, gave his command:
"Gengar, it's your time."
From Kai's shadow, Gengar emerged only half its head poking out. Aside from Sabrina, no one noticed.
"Yo, I've been waiting. What's the plan?"
Gengar's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Kai narrowed his eyes toward the Marauder and laid it out:
"The Dark Balls are the key to this battle. Any Pokémon that gets close to him is either intercepted or captured. That's why you have to sneak in quietly, unseen and strike from the shadows. Smash those Dark Balls before he even has time to react."
"Hehehehehe..." Gengar chuckled darkly. "Got it. Stealth and sabotage that's my speciality."
As Gengar prepared to move, Kai added one more caution:
"Be extra careful. If you get caught by a Dark Ball... we're doomed. And make sure you shatter the balls. We need those controlled Pokémon released!"
"Relax." Gengar patted its chest. "If I don't want to be caught nobody can catch me."
With that, Gengar dove into the ground, slipping through shadows toward the mechanical spider.
At the frontline, Lance was still searching for an opening.
He pointed at a newly exposed gap in the enemy formation.
"Aerodactyl, dive through there!"
As a savage Pokémon from prehistoric times, Aerodactyl was long believed to be extinct after a meteor wiped out its kind. But recent discoveries suggested otherwise sightings in deep caverns and remote cliffs hinted that the species had survived.
With its rough grey body and jagged wings, Aerodactyl looked like something straight out of a sci-fi film. Its Mega Evolution form was especially fierce. Sadly, Kai had never had a chance to catch one and didn't know where Lance had found his.
Hearing the command, Aerodactyl soared in a steep dive, dodging Beedrill and Ursaring, closing in fast on the Iron-Masked Marauder from the left flank.
As it neared, the Marauder didn't panic because this was exactly what he wanted!
You think you've found a weakness?
Fools. That's the bait I left just for you.
Aerodactyl will soon be mine!
As Aerodactyl flew within range, and just before it could attack, the Marauder raised his arm, Dark Ball in hand ready to capture it.
But what he envisioned never happened.
Just as he threw the ball a dark shadow flashed before his eyes.
So swift. So silent. So close.
It nearly scared the soul out of him.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept past him. He looked down his hand was empty.
"What!?"
Looking up, the Iron-Masked Marauder saw Gengar floating above his head, smiling sinisterly. And in Gengar's hands the stolen Dark Balls.
"My Dark Balls!!"
Panic exploded in the Marauder's chest.
Whose Pokémon is that!?
When did it get here!?
How did it get so close!?
He quickly turned and shouted to his corrupted Pokémon:
"Stop it! Get those balls back! At all costs!!"
"Kehehehe..."
But before they could react, Gengar let out a sinister laugh, baring its white fangs. On the one hand, it gathered energy a Shadow Ball formed with a menacing black aura.
With a wicked grin, Gengar hurled it straight at the Dark Balls in its other hand.
BOOM!
The Shadow Ball detonated on impact shattering the Dark Balls to pieces!
"NOOOOO!!"
The Iron-Masked Marauder screamed in despair.
Ever since Mewtwo awakened and destroyed its lab, these were the last Dark Balls remaining in Team Rocket's arsenal.
Grunts could be replaced. Pokémon could be recaptured But Dark Balls they were irreplaceable.
And now… they were gone.
At the same time, freed from their mind control, including the corrupted Dragonite, the black glow in the Pokémon's eyes faded.
Their bodies stiffened briefly… and then their consciousness returned.
Lance and Clair finally realized what had happened.
They looked at Gengar, still floating in the air, and then at Kai, calm as ever.
Both of them let out a deep sigh.
"Nice work!!"
On the other side, seeing his corrupted Pokémon all regaining their sanity, the Marauder knew the battle had turned.
Gritting his teeth, he slammed a button on the spider's control panel.
In the next instant, thick black smoke erupted from the machine, blanketing the area in darkness.
Amidst the smoke, jet boosters extended from the underside of the mechanical spider flames burst forth, lifting the Iron-Masked Marauder into the sky!
"He's escaping!" Lance's face darkened.
"Hold this position I'll go after him! We can't let him get away!"
He waved to summon his Dragonite, just about to leap onto its back—
But Kai's voice cut in sharply:
"Don't chase him."
Lance stopped in his tracks.
"They say never pursue a cornered enemy. He definitely has more Dark Balls hidden. If you go alone… you'll fall right into his trap."
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