The underground entrance, a vast thirty-meter-wide space, had become an unspoken no-man's-land.
This was the battlefield of an Elite Four.
Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Machamp, and Primeape stood side by side, their towering trainer, Elite Four Bruno, narrowing his eyes at his opponent.
Pokémon captured with Dark Balls experienced a temporary surge in power, pushing their strength beyond natural limits at the cost of their lifespans.
Their battle instincts became hyper-aggressive, and the more they were injured, the more violently they retaliated.
But with that power came a severe price, none of the Pokémon Kaiser captured had survived beyond a year.
To him, Pokémon were nothing more than expendable tools.
"Rhydon, Aggron, Nidoking- Hyper Beam!" Kaiser commanded.
Three massive beams of orange energy burst forth, scorching the floor beneath them, leaving deep, cratered scars in the concrete. Even the residual shockwaves radiated enough force to devastate the battlefield.
Before Bruno could even give an order, Machamp and Primeape had already moved.
Two shimmering green barriers flared up as both Pokémon activated Protect, absorbing the brunt of the triple assault.
Meanwhile, Hitmonchan, using its incredible burst speed, launched a surprise attack from the flank.
In an instant, it closed the distance with Rhydon , its fist glowing with an intense azure light before smashing straight into the towering beast's gut.
A Fighting-type mastery move: Focus Punch.
At the same time, Hitmonlee planted its left foot into the ground, coiling its right leg like a spring.
Without any Fighting-type energy coating it, the kick seemed deceptively ordinary. But against Nidoking, a Pokémon resistant to Fighting-type moves, this was the most effective technique Bruno had in his arsenal.
A Normal-type finishing move: Mega Kick.
The walls trembled as both Nidoking and Rhydon were blasted backward, embedding into the concrete like ragdolls. The impact was so intense that, for a brief moment, silence swept through the entire underground hideout.
Team Rocket members felt a chill crawl down their spines, their morale plummeting in an instant.
On the other hand, the League trainers, who had been on the defensive all night, erupted in cheers. The shift in momentum was undeniable ,Team Rocket was beginning to crumble.
"Not done yet! I'm Kaiser, damn it!" the Rocket Admin roared. "Aggron, Dragon Rush!"
Despite the usual cooldown period following Hyper Beam, Aggron shook off the exhaustion and charged forward with terrifying momentum.
It barreled toward Bruno, a massive force of destruction.
"Rhydon, Nidoking, Giga Impact! Crush these League pests!"
The two Pokémon, still lodged in the walls, pushed themselves free.
Even after suffering such powerful blows, they barely seemed fazed. Instead, their eyes burned even brighter with crimson fury.
Kaiser's laughter was maniacal. "HAHAHAHA! Keep pushing, you worthless grunts, take 'em down with you!"
"Block it." Bruno's deep voice was steady, unshaken.
A battle between Elite Four-level trainers carried terrifying stakes, every move could level a battlefield. Kaiser's Pokémon, corrupted by the Dark Balls, fought with suicidal intensity, completely ignoring their injuries.
Meanwhile, Bruno's team held firm. Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Primeape engaged their respective opponents in brutal one-on-one clashes.
And standing behind them all, Bruno's strongest partner, Machamp, remained motionless.
It had yet to make a single move.
Sato, hidden among the League forces, watched the battle unfold, his fists trembling with excitement. The sheer display of power from both sides sent adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Forcing himself to stay focused, he pulled his gaze away from the fight. The battle between Bruno and Kaiser would determine the fate of this mission, but Sato had his own objectives.
Using the chaos to his advantage, he quietly slipped away from the crowd and dashed deeper into the hideout.
A League officer approached him from the shadows, matching his movements seamlessly. Without breaking stride, Sato nodded.
Zoroark had already changed disguises.
"Did you find it?" Sato whispered.
"Zor," came the affirmative response.
Through a maze of corridors, twisting paths, and hidden doors, Zoroark led him straight to their target.
And there, on the floor, tossed aside like trash, lay a powered-down computer. The key to uncovering Team Rocket's secrets.
Sato ordered Haunter to keep watch outside while he plugged the computer back in. Within the local network, he quickly found a trove of Team Rocket data that had yet to be destroyed.
Pulling out a portable hard drive he had prepared in advance, Sato immediately began copying everything.
At the same time, he accessed Team Rocket's internal system, bypassing their security measures with ease.
In his past life, Sato had specialized in password decryption, and now, with thirty years of technological advancement on his side, Team Rocket's security system was practically obsolete.
It was like pitting a fully armed soldier against a toddler just learning to walk, not even a fair contest.
Outside, the battle was still raging, but Sato could do nothing except patiently wait for the transfer to complete.
Meanwhile, Kaiser appeared to be locked in an all-out fight to the death with Bruno, but in reality, he was biding his time, waiting for his subordinates to report in.
The moment he confirmed all computers were destroyed, he would either lead his direct subordinates in retreat or, if things took a turn for the worse, he would ensure every last Team Rocket member perished alongside him.
Aggron was sent crashing into the ground once again by Hitmonchan.
This time, it didn't get back up. Its armor was shattered, its horn snapped clean off by Hitmontop's relentless kicks, and its life force was rapidly depleting.
Aggron became the first to fall.
"Damn it! Rhydon, hit Hitmonchan with Hyper Beam! Nidoking, Giga Impact!"
With Aggron out of the fight, Nidoking and Rhydon struggled to hold their ground, one relying on its Fighting-type resistance, the other on its durable pseudo-legendary physique.
They barely managed to slow down Primeape and the others, but that was it.
They had no strength left to counterattack.
Their defeat was only a matter of time.
"Lord Kaiser, all computers have been destroyed. However..."
"What do you mean 'however'?" Kaiser barked, issuing another command before turning sharply, his lips moving rapidly as he questioned his subordinate.
"It's just... one computer vanished before we could destroy it."
A massive purple figure crashed into Kaiser. Instinctively, he rolled out of the way, his heart pounding as he saw Nidoking flying backward. Completely defeated.
"You're getting sloppy, Kaiser. You used to be better than this,"
Bruno advanced, his four Pokémon at his side, eyes locked on the now half-kneeling Rocket Admin.
"Hah! Like I care what you think," Kaiser spat, his eyes flashing with madness. "I'm done playing with you! Rhydon , Earthquake! Bury this place Hahaha!"
As Kaiser erupted into maniacal laughter, steel wings unfurled behind him.
A Skarmory swooped down, gripping onto a harness attached to Kaiser's back, and with a powerful flap, it carried him deeper into the base, away from the collapsing battlefield.
"Stop Rhydon!" Bruno shouted. "Machamp, Smack Down!"
Three of Bruno's Pokémon lunged at Rhydon in unison. Hitmontop's spinning kick struck first, but it failed to halt Rhydon 's rampage.
Shockwaves of Ground-type energy radiated from Rhydon 's position, shaking the already fragile underground base. The foundation, which had barely withstood the first Earthquake, now gave way completely.
The entire facility began to collapse.