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Judging purely by strength, Combusken and Metang weren't particularly powerful at the moment only around the level of an average Trainer's Pokémon. Against Team Magma's elite grunts, that alone clearly wasn't enough to secure an advantage.
But Kai wasn't fighting alone.
Ash sent out not only Pikachu, but also released Corphish. Misty deployed Politoed and Starmie, while Curator Nanmu's Sealeo was already on the field. Whether in terms of numbers or overall combat power, their side no longer lagged behind Team Magma in the slightest.
One person may be limited but united, their strength became impossible to ignore.
Under their combined commands, the Pokémon launched a coordinated assault. In an instant, attacks of every color streaked in from multiple directions toward the Mightyena.
Faced with such overwhelming pressure, the Mightyena had no room to evade. Even when they countered incoming moves head-on, there were always blind spots they couldn't cover. After just a few exchanges, several of them were already on the verge of collapse.
Just as everyone thought victory was within reach, a loud whirring echoed from above.
A helicopter appeared in the sky.
The unmistakable emblem on its body made it obvious at a glance that it belonged to Team Magma.
"They've got reinforcements?" Curator Nanmu frowned. After a brief moment of consideration, he called out to Kai and the others, "They've brought backup. We should withdraw for now!"
From his perspective, the box had already been recovered. As long as they left safely, Team Magma wouldn't be able to do anything further. Once back in the city, he could simply report the incident to the authorities and let the police handle it.
Hearing this, Ash and Misty both turned to look at Kai.
They understood Nanmu's concerns perfectly.
But… was retreat really necessary?
If it were just them, facing additional enemies might indeed force them to pull back and avoid unnecessary risk.
But this man was here.
No one present understood better than they did just how terrifying Kai truly was—and what kind of hidden strength he still hadn't revealed.
At the same time, Kai lifted his gaze toward the helicopter, unable to help but marvel at the sheer resources of these regional criminal organizations.
Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua—each of them possessed vast wealth, countless members, and advanced equipment of every kind. Their operations were practically military-grade. Even the International Police likely couldn't match them in sheer firepower.
Unfortunately for them… none of that would change the outcome.
Kai knew it was time to get serious.
His fingers brushed across his belt before he drew out two more Poké Balls and tossed them onto the battlefield.
With twin flashes of blue light, Dragonite and Scizor appeared.
Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut wasn't necessary. Against opponents like these, there was no need for Gardevoir, Gengar let alone Raikou or Suicune. Dragonite and Scizor were more than enough.
With a wave of his hand, Dragonite took flight, surging straight toward the helicopter. Scizor, meanwhile, joined the assault on the remaining Team Magma grunts below.
Seeing reinforcements arrive, the Team Magma members rallied, each releasing another Pokémon to join the fight. But Scizor's presence changed nothing. Its bladed arms flashed again and again, and one Pokémon after another was swiftly taken down.
"How can this be…?!" The Team Magma captain stared at Scizor, then at the Trainer standing calmly behind it, completely unable to understand how a simple retrieval mission had turned into a disaster of this scale.
This was a catastrophic intelligence failure.
Someone like this should have been handled by an executive or even the leader himself.
Looking skyward, he saw the helicopter they had pinned their hopes on now trailing smoke under Dragonite's relentless assault, looking moments away from crashing.
Despite firing back desperately, the people on board couldn't land a single effective hit on the Dragonite, which was weaving effortlessly through the air.
Gritting his teeth, the captain knew the operation had failed.
But at least… he still had one last trick.
Exchanging glances with the others, the Team Magma members simultaneously pulled out smoke bombs and hurled them to the ground. Thick, choking black smoke instantly engulfed the area.
"So predictable," Kai muttered, shaking his head.
"Scizor—Air Slash!"
Scizor swung its bladed arms, sending crescent-shaped blades of compressed air slicing into the smoke. The dense black cloud was torn apart, dispersing rapidly.
Through the gaps, they clearly saw the Team Magma members recalling their Pokémon and slipping away.
Trying to escape?
Kai stepped forward, ready to give the pursuit order but Curator Nanmu suddenly stopped him.
"Let it go," he said quietly.
Kai paused, then nodded in understanding.
Unlike them, Nanmu's livelihood was rooted here. If Team Magma were truly provoked, retaliation would come after they left—and his museum would suffer the consequences.
Sometimes, life really was like a vast web. Tugging on one thread shook countless others. No one could act entirely as they pleased; everyone carried their own burdens and compromises.
In that brief delay, the Team Magma members vanished completely. Even the damaged helicopter was allowed to retreat. Kai let out a whistle, calling Dragonite back.
Though confused, Dragonite obeyed, abandoning its target and returning to Kai's side.
The smoking helicopter soon disappeared into the distance.
Silence fell.
If not for the wrecked ground and lingering traces of battle, it would have seemed as though nothing had happened at all.
"Thank you… truly."
Curator Nanmu broke the silence, expressing his gratitude before taking the box back from Max.
But the moment he opened it, his expression changed—and Max cried out in shock.
"What?! How is this possible?!"
Kai, Misty, and Ash hurried over, only to find the box empty.
The stone was gone.
Max removed his glasses and wiped them again and again, but no matter how many times he checked, the box remained empty.
"That's impossible!" he protested, face flushed. "I never let go of it! When did the stone disappear?!"
Nanmu sighed softly. "Looks like we were played."
Seeing Max blaming himself, Nanmu smiled and shook his head. "It's alright. I already cut off a fragment earlier—there's still enough left for my research."
"It's obvious now," Kai said calmly. "We were deceived. Their acting made us all believe the stone was still in the box, when it had already been taken."
Even so, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
If they had pressed the attack earlier, this might not have happened.
Still, Nanmu remained surprisingly composed. From his pocket, he produced a small black fragment—no larger than a fingernail.
"At least this survived," he said with a wry smile. "With this much, I can continue my work."
His mindset was admirable.
If Kai were in his place, he'd already be halfway through a pursuit.
But perhaps this outcome wasn't entirely bad.
Now that Team Magma had obtained the stone, their trail would become much clearer.
And Kai would finally get the chance…
to witness the majestic form of the super-ancient Pokémon Groudon with his own eyes.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!