While Aoki and Akobi were engaged in a fierce battle, the clash between Lance and Bass had also reached its climax.
Bass, worthy of being the heir to the royal family, possessed considerable talent. However, despite his skill, his age was more than twice that of Lance, making his current strength hardly surprising. His ace Pokémon, the pseudo-legendary Goodra from the Kalos region, clashed fiercely with Lance's Dragonite. Though not as overwhelmingly powerful as Dragonite, Goodra's exceptional defensive capabilities allowed it to hold its ground without much difficulty.
Yet, at this moment, Bass's expression darkened. He had underestimated Lance's strength, never expecting the younger Trainer to match him blow for blow. Even more shocking was the appearance of a Champion-level opponent fighting alongside Lance—Slowking, accompanied by two pseudo Champion Pokémon, successfully holding back Akobi's two Champion-level Pokémon.
Worse still, they were slowly gaining the upper hand.
When Akobi had first approached Bass to discuss their alliance, Bass had personally tested her strength. Her Haxorus was formidable, and her Diggersby, with its deceptive playstyle—using its Ability, Huge Power ability, alongside Swords Dance—could unleash devastating attacks. Even Bass had been forced to retreat temporarily when faced with its full-powered strikes.
But now?
The once-cunning Diggersby was being mercilessly pummeled, its face swollen and bruised, truly living up to its "digging" namesake. Meanwhile, Haxorus, though maintaining its usual composed demeanor, was being outmaneuvered by Slowking's tactics.
Haxorus excelled in physical combat but lacked strong ranged attacks. Slowking, leveraging its teleportation abilities, avoided direct confrontation entirely, repositioning itself and its allies—Gengar and Florges—with ease.
If Diggersby could speak, it would likely rant for days about the sheer unfairness of this battle.
Why me?! it would scream internally. What did I ever do to deserve this?!
Its companion, Haxorus, remained composed, creating a stark contrast between the two.
Oh, don't act all dignified just because you're blushing! And don't think being a dragon will make you invincible!
But no amount of internal complaints could save Diggersby now. Under Akobi's furious gaze, the battered Normal-type finally collapsed.
By this point, Akobi had pieced together Aoki's strategy—Politoed and Horsea had been summoned solely to activate Rain Dance and Swift Swim, bolstering their team's mobility.
Now, with Diggersby down, Slowking, Gengar, and Florges turned their attention to Haxorus.
Heard you were chasing us earlier? Gengar sneered, its grin widening. Florges, more refined, covered her mouth with a delicate hand, though her eyes remained locked onto Haxorus.
The once-proud Dragon stiffened.
Without Diggersby to draw their aggression, could it withstand their combined assault?
The answer was obvious.
Haxorus swallowed hard, the sound audible even from a distance.
Akobi's expression darkened further. She had come under Lysandre's orders to assist Bass in retrieving an artifact from the Incense Hall—one that Lysandre himself needed. But now, all their efforts had been thwarted by this interloper.
Bass, too, wore a scowl. He had bitten off more than he could chew, and now, even with Akobi's aid, they had failed.
The heirs of the Incense Hall, standing behind Aoki with umbrellas in hand, nearly cheered as Diggersby fell. A collective sigh of relief swept through them.
"Ms. Akobi," Aoki called out, his tone light. "Care to continue?"
Akobi's only response was a sharp hmph before she turned to Bass. Their gazes met, neither pleased with the other.
Akobi blamed Bass for his poor reconnaissance. Bass, in turn, resented Akebi's inability to handle a single Slowking and its allies.
Internal conflicts make us weak. External battles expose our flaws.
Her Haxorus and Diggersby had seemed unstoppable when sparring against him. Yet now, faced with a Champion-level Slowking and two pseudo-champion tier Pokémon, they had crumbled.
One of her Pokémon had already fallen.
"Enough," Akobi snapped. "We won't protect you forever. Retreat!"
With that, Bass signaled his team to withdraw. Lance, bound by his principles, could only watch as they departed.
Only Akobi and her red-suited subordinates remained.
"Fall back," she ordered coldly, sparing Aoki one last glare before turning to leave.
Stopping Bass had been impossible, but Akobi? That was a different matter.
"Leaving so soon, Ms. Akobi?" Aoki mused. "You should at least leave something behind."
She ignored him, but before she could take another step, Gengar—moving at blinding speed—darted into her shadow.
Akobi instinctively lashed out, but Gengar was faster, snatching the oversized black sunglasses from her face before she could react.
She recoiled, Haxorus immediately stepping between her and the Ghost-type.
Gengar, chuckling, retreated to Aoki's side, presenting him with the stolen shades.
Aoki smirked. Perfect.
"Trace the signal. Lock onto their base's location," he commanded internally.
These weren't ordinary sunglasses—they were a high-tech communication device linked directly to Team Flare's network.
His real objective hadn't been to attack Akobi but to seize these. The feigned aggression afterward had merely been misdirection.
A faint current, invisible to the naked eye, surged through the glasses as Aoki's system hacked into them. Within seconds, it had infiltrated their systems, pinpointing the origin of their transmissions.
Lance approached, Dragonite and Gyarados at his side, watching as Akobi and her forces retreated at full speed.
"Well done, Aoki," Lance praised, clapping him on the shoulder. "I didn't expect your three Pokémon to overpower two Champion-level opponents."
Aoki merely smiled.
Information superiority and strategic flexibility—that was his battle philosophy.
If your opponent outmatches you, drag them down to your level, then crush them with experience.
Simple. Effective.
As they spoke, a voice echoed in Aoki's mind:
"Target locked."