The noise of the stadium increased exponentially as crowds of people jostled and scurried out of their seats in different directions. Kenta touched his ear again, which if one were to inspect closer, contained a custom-made mini communication device, courtesy of Bill.
"This will be a meaningless skirmish if we don't show everyone what they need to see, while they're looking. We may even be able to avoid battle completely, if we hurry. Go, Dragonite! Get to the Elite Four HQ! Extremespeed!"
Once more, as Dragonite sped off, the scoreboard screen featured a distant pokemon center surrounded by cobalt mountains, drawing closer, closer, closer-
Then suddenly, the feed froze. The screen blinked out for a second, and to the horror of all watching, returned to the face with the blue and green eyes.
"I've got it!" a male voice shouted triumphantly in the background audio. "Sorry, Bill, but now I'm the new-"
"Shut up, C!" Jenn shouted angrily, looking to the right of her screen for a moment. Her gaze returned to the camera, eyes alight with fury. "You insolent little- how DARE you cut off my feed! Of course, now you realize that your well-being is in my hands, don't you? Try a stunt like that again, and I'll make sure that arrest is the least of your problems!"
The din of the stadium was finally dying down, now that the remaining trainers from the crowd were finally forming up. A voice spoke out, which had hardly uttered a word since the tournament had turned into a ground zero for trainer civil war.
"Jenn . . . what do you mean that our well-being is in your hands?" asked Steven. His voice no longer carried the meek astonishment of an indecisive person. His tone was now cold and stern, like a soldier talking to an enemy.
"Oh! Steven." The edge in Jenn's voice grew softer. "I don't include you, of course. But it means exactly how it sounds. That force headed your way? It's mine to command."
"What?" Now Rosette spoke, befuddled. "Are you the head of G.R.I.P.?"
Jenn just smiled.
"No she's not," said Blue, an edge of irritation in his voice. "I don't believe for a second that G.R.I.P. would show its director's true face. Even if the approaching military police do follow her orders, she is still only the washed-up has-been that I took down all those years ago."
The sounds of military vehicles from outside the stadium were now loud enough to hear. Within the walls, trainers were letting out pokemon in pairs, before running out with them. A group of teenagers in capes seemed to feature dragon pokemon like Gabite and Altaria. A different faction, standing in a circle, were handing out evolites to their Vigoroth, Grovyle, Lairon, and other stage-two Hoenn-themed pokemon. Some other trainers put some distance between themselves and the main crowd before releasing pokemon of substantial size, the most stand-out being Onix and Rapidash. The focus of Jenn's eyes shifted for a moment from the camera, as if she was viewing the live feed of the pokemon trainers preparing to defend the stadium. Then she let out a spiteful laugh.
"Congratulations. Without me on the field, I think you have us slightly outnumbered. That's about the full extent of your advantage, but I suppose you'll grasp whatever false hope you can get your hands on." Jenn extended an arm out towards the camera, as if reaching toward the stadium remnants in gesture. "For the record, I meant what I said about us needing to stop abusing pokemon. At least for me, that has always been what this was about."
From outside the walls, a megaphone squealed to life, causing Kenta and several other masters to turn their heads. Kenta's eyes widened at the sound of the voice on the other end.
"This is Captain Arcada of the Silhouette Military Police. All camera crews recording live in the vicinity are to shut down their devices at once. You have ten seconds to comply. Upon discovery of any footage from this moment onward, you will be charged with co-conspiracy and treated similarly to the perpetrators."
A few moments of silence passed, and then Arcada spoke again.
"I speak now to Kenta Nyna, and any Pokemon Masters cooperating with him. It's not too late for surrender- call off your subordinates. As of now, the most you will be accountable for are eight police officers and disrupting a public event. Resist, and you may be responsible for the pointless injury and deaths of hundreds more people and pokemon- and you'll still lose. You know this is not an idle boast. You know better than anyone, the kind of pokemon firepower we have. Step outside now, place your pokeballs on the ground, and nobody has to get hurt."
Kenta's body trembled with fury. "Arcada came after all," he whispered. "'Nobody has to get hurt,' my ass. I go out there, and he gets a second chance to do what he couldn't do the first time."
There was a bright burst of light from outside the stadium walls, as though someone had just snapped the world's biggest flash camera. It was quickly followed by a rumble that shook the ground.
"What's happening out there, Red?" cried Blue, fighting to keep his balance.
"I can see it all from here," Red replied, his voice still magnified by the stadium loudspeaker. "They're moving to surround the place. About twenty Steelix just got released, and they've burrowed under us. A bunch of Gengar and other ghost pokemon are poised to walk through the walls and attack. In a few seconds, you'll be able to look up and see flying pokemon from overhead. Half of them are Dragon-types!"
"I know what's going on," muttered one of the nameless masters, who wore a trim beard and blonde hair. "This is the tactic of Snagem members from Orre. They incapacitate the trainer instead of going for his pokemon, then take advantage of the following confusion."
"This is what I was afraid of, Kenta," Brendan groaned, looking tense and edgy. "This is why I tried to warn you. It's not a pokemon battle they'll give, it's overkill."
Kenta closed his eyes, breathed in once through his nose, and let it puff out of his mouth. "It begins," he said quietly. Then- "ZAPDOS! FLASH!"
In a second, Zapdos rocketed into the clouds like a reverse lightning bolt, then let off a yellow surge of light. The burst intensified into a photon blast, surrounding the local area with such sudden brightness that no shadows could exist- not that anyone could have seen the phenomenon. Those who did not immediately close their eyes, then cover their faces with both arms suffered temporary blindness, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how directly they had beheld Zapdos a moment earlier.
"Hostile engagement!" Arcada cried. "Move in! Take them into custody!"
Several things happened in the next few seconds, each event so quickly following the next that they might have seemed simultaneous. Steven's voice bellowed, giving his Metagross the order to use Earthquake. The ground shook, causing all trainers in the vicinity to lose balance, and Kenta, to tumble off his safety platform. Bolt swooped in to catch him mid-fall. The heads and necks of multiple steel serpents arose from the arena floor, like a mechanical hydra from under the earth. Most of the stadium Masters writhed upon the ground, still too blind and shaken to react. Meanwhile, the yellow light from Zapdos had started to fade, but it was suddenly replaced with a warm and golden light. A large sack dropped to the ground beside Kenta and his Salamence, and a birdlike shriek filled the air, as if trumpeting for war. Then came an incredible wave of heat, as a circle of fire surrounded the stadium inner walls, lighting the Steelix a brilliant orange color. The ground shook again and again as the overheated Steel-types fell unconscious, unable to handle the strain of the heat. Then all eyes that were able looked up.
Above their heads soared a phoenix, Ho-oh, who had answered summons in the form of a Zapdos beacon. She wheeled in a circle, flashing a rainbow every time her wings flapped, and gave off another echoing scream like a great eagle. Every Gengar, Dusknoir, Misdreavus, and other ghost pokemon poised in the walls turned and fled, both in terror of the fire, and the spectacle of a deathless phoenix in her wrath. Overhead, most Silhouette flying pokemon also fell back in retreat, giving a wide berth to the bird that easily dwarfed them all. With one last screech, Ho-oh burst into flame and disippated, vanishing as suddenly as she had come.
Blue, who had been covering his head, managed to recover his speaking ability first. "What in the . . . what was that-?!"
"A sign of hope," Kenta replied, kneeling and undoing the strings on his sack. "Just a one-time thing, I'm afraid, because Belle wasn't really supposed to get involved in the affairs of mortals. Don't worry, though. She's gone now, but she delivered this."
The sack's top popped open, and spheres of white and purple glistened inside.
Outside the stadium, trainers and pokemon were in semi dissaray. A wall of military police pokemon had begun to advance upon the trainers of the stadium crowd, consisting of powerhouses like Electivire, Feraligator, Garchomp, Pinsir, Porygon-Z, Heracross, Kangaskhan, and so on. They had not yet attacked while their masters were still rubbing blindness from their eyes, and they were somewhat cowed by the sudden and unexpected appearance of the legendary Ho-oh. This pause would only be temporary, but for the moment, both attackers and defenders were equally distracted in wonder at what they had seen above Indigo Plateau.
Before anyone had completely regained their bearings, a harsh voice rang through the late-morning cool.
"Now, Team Rocket! Take them! And if you can, take their pokemon!"
Up from the ground rose an ambush of men in black uniforms, donned with a red "R" logo. They had somehow kept themselves undetected when the Silhouette mobile task force initially rolled through. Now they were positioned behind the convoy, at their southernmost flank. Instantly, a Silhouette officer was suddenly seized in the coils of an Arbok, and missiles containing nets shot through the air, trapping a Tauros and Gallade.
"Watch your six!" shouted Arcada, pointing and shouting into his megaphone. "They're trying to flank us! Send in the Flying-types, and don't let them near the vehicles!"
Even as the military police remobilized, another group emerged from the trees, dressed in what could only be described as pirate getup. Upon each member's head was a blue bandana with an "A" logo, written, as if in bones. They gave no rallying calls, but instead threw pokeballs, roaring in unison. In a second, a school of piranha-like fish pokemon lay flopping in the grass. A nearby Silhouette Lieutenant stood watching them in bemused disbelief, his hands on his hips.
"Really, Team Aqua? You too? And what are those, level twenty-something Carvanha? What are they gonna do- flop us to death?"
In response, several more Aquas drew out from the cover of the trees, bearing the same Rocket missile launchers containing capture nets of heavy-duty mesh. The Lieutenant clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Oh, for f- Torterra! Sceptile! Take them down!"
The two grass starters plunged through the sea of flopping Carvanha to reach the Aquas. They never made it. The accumulation of Carvanha Rough Skin dropped them before they were even halfway there.
Reports of rogue teams were now coming from everywhere, including the other side of Indigo Stadium. Here, a bunch of robed idiots were riding their Camerupt in trample formation; there, some fresh hellions from the Herron region were deliberately having their pokemon Selfdestruct while their comrades cast Protect. A bunch of girls who looked more like a coven of witches were whittling down their section of the front lines with nothing but Shedinja and Fury Cutter. At large, these efforts were having little effect on the superior trained pokemon of Japan's finest trainers, but the waves of resistance continued, ceaseless, unrelenting.
"Sir."
Captain Arcada lowered his radio and glanced irratably at the officer addressing him. Sergeant Daisuke Shin stood in stiff salute, his face unreadable. The Captain glared at him. "What?"
"Something is disrupting the pokeball transport signal. Our current pokemon are slowly beginning to wear down, and we can't gain access to fresh reinforcements, nor take away the perps'."
Arcada's face went red, but he spoke in a voice so calm and quiet that Shin could barely hear him over the noise of battle. "What do you mean, 'something' is disrupting the teleport? This is not the time for being vague, Sergeant."
Shin shook his head. "I don't know, sir. I merely reported the anomaly as soon as it came to my attention."
Arcada looked hard at him, then looked away, wiping a hand across his mouth. "If I find out that this is another conveniently-timed incident of your incompetence, I'll do more than demote you again . . . so what are you suggesting?"
"I'm not trying to suggest anything. But if the event should arise that we are forced to retreat-"
"Out of the question! Use as many Revives and Elixers as you must, but we will NOT lose to a schoolyard of third-rate teenage upstarts with Rattatas and Zubats!"
Shin swallowed. "Sir, the Rockets have already captured two of the trucks containing our emergency supplies."
Arcada glanced behind him with a start. "They w-"
An explosive roar caught the attention of both men. In the distance, standing in the main entrance of the burning coliseum, stood Kenta, Red, and Brendan. Kenta's Salamence cast a shadow over the pokemon just in front of him, dropping their physical power with his Intimidate. At the same time, Zapdos set up a Light Screen, protecting them against special-type attacks. Red's Venusaur had just shot a Blissey with Leech Seed, and his Charizard slashed an enemy Flygon with Dragon Claw. Brendan's Swampert was locked in arm-to-arm combat with a Machamp, while Arturia the Gardevoir powered up with Calm Mind. Most of their tactics appeared to be a stall for time, but as Arcada continued to watch, Kenta touched a purple pokeball to his arm, causing it to glow. He threw, and suddenly, one of the Silhouette Lapras was gone, sucked into the ball. Kenta caught the ball as it flew back, and tossed it to a nearby trainer who ran off with it. Arcada's face went white with horrified recognition, as Kenta loaded another purple ball.
"It can't be. It can't be! Kenta Nyna with a Snag Machine and MULTIPLE Master Balls? How did he do it? How?!"
Shin shrugged, a subtle smile playing about the corners of his mouth. "He's Gold."
Arcada must not have seen or heard him, but he fumbled for his radio even as Kenta captured a Elite-level Magnezone. The lesser pokemon of the common trainers littered the field, yet their defeat was irrelevant. As long as the Master force maintained defensive lines around Kenta, Silhouette uber pokemon would ultimately fall under his side's control. All of them- assuming Kenta didn't run out of Master Balls. To fight him would be like fighting fire with napalm. But neither could Arcada withdraw his forces. The whole reason he had been sent was to stop Kenta's momentum before he could blow the whistle on G.R.I.P.'s plan. Kenta had been minutes away, if that. Realizing he was out of options, Arcada gripped his radio hard.
"Alright, assholes, you took my guns, and now I'm about to lose all my force's pokemon. You're seeing what I'm seeing, right? Well, you're the ones who let him get this far, so here's your last chance to fix this. It's time for the nuclear option."
"This will be a meaningless skirmish if we don't show everyone what they need to see, while they're looking. We may even be able to avoid battle completely, if we hurry. Go, Dragonite! Get to the Elite Four HQ! Extremespeed!"
Once more, as Dragonite sped off, the scoreboard screen featured a distant pokemon center surrounded by cobalt mountains, drawing closer, closer, closer-
Then suddenly, the feed froze. The screen blinked out for a second, and to the horror of all watching, returned to the face with the blue and green eyes.
"I've got it!" a male voice shouted triumphantly in the background audio. "Sorry, Bill, but now I'm the new-"
"Shut up, C!" Jenn shouted angrily, looking to the right of her screen for a moment. Her gaze returned to the camera, eyes alight with fury. "You insolent little- how DARE you cut off my feed! Of course, now you realize that your well-being is in my hands, don't you? Try a stunt like that again, and I'll make sure that arrest is the least of your problems!"
The din of the stadium was finally dying down, now that the remaining trainers from the crowd were finally forming up. A voice spoke out, which had hardly uttered a word since the tournament had turned into a ground zero for trainer civil war.
"Jenn . . . what do you mean that our well-being is in your hands?" asked Steven. His voice no longer carried the meek astonishment of an indecisive person. His tone was now cold and stern, like a soldier talking to an enemy.
"Oh! Steven." The edge in Jenn's voice grew softer. "I don't include you, of course. But it means exactly how it sounds. That force headed your way? It's mine to command."
"What?" Now Rosette spoke, befuddled. "Are you the head of G.R.I.P.?"
Jenn just smiled.
"No she's not," said Blue, an edge of irritation in his voice. "I don't believe for a second that G.R.I.P. would show its director's true face. Even if the approaching military police do follow her orders, she is still only the washed-up has-been that I took down all those years ago."
The sounds of military vehicles from outside the stadium were now loud enough to hear. Within the walls, trainers were letting out pokemon in pairs, before running out with them. A group of teenagers in capes seemed to feature dragon pokemon like Gabite and Altaria. A different faction, standing in a circle, were handing out evolites to their Vigoroth, Grovyle, Lairon, and other stage-two Hoenn-themed pokemon. Some other trainers put some distance between themselves and the main crowd before releasing pokemon of substantial size, the most stand-out being Onix and Rapidash. The focus of Jenn's eyes shifted for a moment from the camera, as if she was viewing the live feed of the pokemon trainers preparing to defend the stadium. Then she let out a spiteful laugh.
"Congratulations. Without me on the field, I think you have us slightly outnumbered. That's about the full extent of your advantage, but I suppose you'll grasp whatever false hope you can get your hands on." Jenn extended an arm out towards the camera, as if reaching toward the stadium remnants in gesture. "For the record, I meant what I said about us needing to stop abusing pokemon. At least for me, that has always been what this was about."
From outside the walls, a megaphone squealed to life, causing Kenta and several other masters to turn their heads. Kenta's eyes widened at the sound of the voice on the other end.
"This is Captain Arcada of the Silhouette Military Police. All camera crews recording live in the vicinity are to shut down their devices at once. You have ten seconds to comply. Upon discovery of any footage from this moment onward, you will be charged with co-conspiracy and treated similarly to the perpetrators."
A few moments of silence passed, and then Arcada spoke again.
"I speak now to Kenta Nyna, and any Pokemon Masters cooperating with him. It's not too late for surrender- call off your subordinates. As of now, the most you will be accountable for are eight police officers and disrupting a public event. Resist, and you may be responsible for the pointless injury and deaths of hundreds more people and pokemon- and you'll still lose. You know this is not an idle boast. You know better than anyone, the kind of pokemon firepower we have. Step outside now, place your pokeballs on the ground, and nobody has to get hurt."
Kenta's body trembled with fury. "Arcada came after all," he whispered. "'Nobody has to get hurt,' my ass. I go out there, and he gets a second chance to do what he couldn't do the first time."
There was a bright burst of light from outside the stadium walls, as though someone had just snapped the world's biggest flash camera. It was quickly followed by a rumble that shook the ground.
"What's happening out there, Red?" cried Blue, fighting to keep his balance.
"I can see it all from here," Red replied, his voice still magnified by the stadium loudspeaker. "They're moving to surround the place. About twenty Steelix just got released, and they've burrowed under us. A bunch of Gengar and other ghost pokemon are poised to walk through the walls and attack. In a few seconds, you'll be able to look up and see flying pokemon from overhead. Half of them are Dragon-types!"
"I know what's going on," muttered one of the nameless masters, who wore a trim beard and blonde hair. "This is the tactic of Snagem members from Orre. They incapacitate the trainer instead of going for his pokemon, then take advantage of the following confusion."
"This is what I was afraid of, Kenta," Brendan groaned, looking tense and edgy. "This is why I tried to warn you. It's not a pokemon battle they'll give, it's overkill."
Kenta closed his eyes, breathed in once through his nose, and let it puff out of his mouth. "It begins," he said quietly. Then- "ZAPDOS! FLASH!"
In a second, Zapdos rocketed into the clouds like a reverse lightning bolt, then let off a yellow surge of light. The burst intensified into a photon blast, surrounding the local area with such sudden brightness that no shadows could exist- not that anyone could have seen the phenomenon. Those who did not immediately close their eyes, then cover their faces with both arms suffered temporary blindness, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how directly they had beheld Zapdos a moment earlier.
"Hostile engagement!" Arcada cried. "Move in! Take them into custody!"
Several things happened in the next few seconds, each event so quickly following the next that they might have seemed simultaneous. Steven's voice bellowed, giving his Metagross the order to use Earthquake. The ground shook, causing all trainers in the vicinity to lose balance, and Kenta, to tumble off his safety platform. Bolt swooped in to catch him mid-fall. The heads and necks of multiple steel serpents arose from the arena floor, like a mechanical hydra from under the earth. Most of the stadium Masters writhed upon the ground, still too blind and shaken to react. Meanwhile, the yellow light from Zapdos had started to fade, but it was suddenly replaced with a warm and golden light. A large sack dropped to the ground beside Kenta and his Salamence, and a birdlike shriek filled the air, as if trumpeting for war. Then came an incredible wave of heat, as a circle of fire surrounded the stadium inner walls, lighting the Steelix a brilliant orange color. The ground shook again and again as the overheated Steel-types fell unconscious, unable to handle the strain of the heat. Then all eyes that were able looked up.
Above their heads soared a phoenix, Ho-oh, who had answered summons in the form of a Zapdos beacon. She wheeled in a circle, flashing a rainbow every time her wings flapped, and gave off another echoing scream like a great eagle. Every Gengar, Dusknoir, Misdreavus, and other ghost pokemon poised in the walls turned and fled, both in terror of the fire, and the spectacle of a deathless phoenix in her wrath. Overhead, most Silhouette flying pokemon also fell back in retreat, giving a wide berth to the bird that easily dwarfed them all. With one last screech, Ho-oh burst into flame and disippated, vanishing as suddenly as she had come.
Blue, who had been covering his head, managed to recover his speaking ability first. "What in the . . . what was that-?!"
"A sign of hope," Kenta replied, kneeling and undoing the strings on his sack. "Just a one-time thing, I'm afraid, because Belle wasn't really supposed to get involved in the affairs of mortals. Don't worry, though. She's gone now, but she delivered this."
The sack's top popped open, and spheres of white and purple glistened inside.
Outside the stadium, trainers and pokemon were in semi dissaray. A wall of military police pokemon had begun to advance upon the trainers of the stadium crowd, consisting of powerhouses like Electivire, Feraligator, Garchomp, Pinsir, Porygon-Z, Heracross, Kangaskhan, and so on. They had not yet attacked while their masters were still rubbing blindness from their eyes, and they were somewhat cowed by the sudden and unexpected appearance of the legendary Ho-oh. This pause would only be temporary, but for the moment, both attackers and defenders were equally distracted in wonder at what they had seen above Indigo Plateau.
Before anyone had completely regained their bearings, a harsh voice rang through the late-morning cool.
"Now, Team Rocket! Take them! And if you can, take their pokemon!"
Up from the ground rose an ambush of men in black uniforms, donned with a red "R" logo. They had somehow kept themselves undetected when the Silhouette mobile task force initially rolled through. Now they were positioned behind the convoy, at their southernmost flank. Instantly, a Silhouette officer was suddenly seized in the coils of an Arbok, and missiles containing nets shot through the air, trapping a Tauros and Gallade.
"Watch your six!" shouted Arcada, pointing and shouting into his megaphone. "They're trying to flank us! Send in the Flying-types, and don't let them near the vehicles!"
Even as the military police remobilized, another group emerged from the trees, dressed in what could only be described as pirate getup. Upon each member's head was a blue bandana with an "A" logo, written, as if in bones. They gave no rallying calls, but instead threw pokeballs, roaring in unison. In a second, a school of piranha-like fish pokemon lay flopping in the grass. A nearby Silhouette Lieutenant stood watching them in bemused disbelief, his hands on his hips.
"Really, Team Aqua? You too? And what are those, level twenty-something Carvanha? What are they gonna do- flop us to death?"
In response, several more Aquas drew out from the cover of the trees, bearing the same Rocket missile launchers containing capture nets of heavy-duty mesh. The Lieutenant clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Oh, for f- Torterra! Sceptile! Take them down!"
The two grass starters plunged through the sea of flopping Carvanha to reach the Aquas. They never made it. The accumulation of Carvanha Rough Skin dropped them before they were even halfway there.
Reports of rogue teams were now coming from everywhere, including the other side of Indigo Stadium. Here, a bunch of robed idiots were riding their Camerupt in trample formation; there, some fresh hellions from the Herron region were deliberately having their pokemon Selfdestruct while their comrades cast Protect. A bunch of girls who looked more like a coven of witches were whittling down their section of the front lines with nothing but Shedinja and Fury Cutter. At large, these efforts were having little effect on the superior trained pokemon of Japan's finest trainers, but the waves of resistance continued, ceaseless, unrelenting.
"Sir."
Captain Arcada lowered his radio and glanced irratably at the officer addressing him. Sergeant Daisuke Shin stood in stiff salute, his face unreadable. The Captain glared at him. "What?"
"Something is disrupting the pokeball transport signal. Our current pokemon are slowly beginning to wear down, and we can't gain access to fresh reinforcements, nor take away the perps'."
Arcada's face went red, but he spoke in a voice so calm and quiet that Shin could barely hear him over the noise of battle. "What do you mean, 'something' is disrupting the teleport? This is not the time for being vague, Sergeant."
Shin shook his head. "I don't know, sir. I merely reported the anomaly as soon as it came to my attention."
Arcada looked hard at him, then looked away, wiping a hand across his mouth. "If I find out that this is another conveniently-timed incident of your incompetence, I'll do more than demote you again . . . so what are you suggesting?"
"I'm not trying to suggest anything. But if the event should arise that we are forced to retreat-"
"Out of the question! Use as many Revives and Elixers as you must, but we will NOT lose to a schoolyard of third-rate teenage upstarts with Rattatas and Zubats!"
Shin swallowed. "Sir, the Rockets have already captured two of the trucks containing our emergency supplies."
Arcada glanced behind him with a start. "They w-"
An explosive roar caught the attention of both men. In the distance, standing in the main entrance of the burning coliseum, stood Kenta, Red, and Brendan. Kenta's Salamence cast a shadow over the pokemon just in front of him, dropping their physical power with his Intimidate. At the same time, Zapdos set up a Light Screen, protecting them against special-type attacks. Red's Venusaur had just shot a Blissey with Leech Seed, and his Charizard slashed an enemy Flygon with Dragon Claw. Brendan's Swampert was locked in arm-to-arm combat with a Machamp, while Arturia the Gardevoir powered up with Calm Mind. Most of their tactics appeared to be a stall for time, but as Arcada continued to watch, Kenta touched a purple pokeball to his arm, causing it to glow. He threw, and suddenly, one of the Silhouette Lapras was gone, sucked into the ball. Kenta caught the ball as it flew back, and tossed it to a nearby trainer who ran off with it. Arcada's face went white with horrified recognition, as Kenta loaded another purple ball.
"It can't be. It can't be! Kenta Nyna with a Snag Machine and MULTIPLE Master Balls? How did he do it? How?!"
Shin shrugged, a subtle smile playing about the corners of his mouth. "He's Gold."
Arcada must not have seen or heard him, but he fumbled for his radio even as Kenta captured a Elite-level Magnezone. The lesser pokemon of the common trainers littered the field, yet their defeat was irrelevant. As long as the Master force maintained defensive lines around Kenta, Silhouette uber pokemon would ultimately fall under his side's control. All of them- assuming Kenta didn't run out of Master Balls. To fight him would be like fighting fire with napalm. But neither could Arcada withdraw his forces. The whole reason he had been sent was to stop Kenta's momentum before he could blow the whistle on G.R.I.P.'s plan. Kenta had been minutes away, if that. Realizing he was out of options, Arcada gripped his radio hard.
"Alright, assholes, you took my guns, and now I'm about to lose all my force's pokemon. You're seeing what I'm seeing, right? Well, you're the ones who let him get this far, so here's your last chance to fix this. It's time for the nuclear option."