Down in the courtyard, the reality of the second spatial tear finally broke the paralysis of the aristocratic heirs.
Panic exploded. Young masters and socialites who had spent their entire lives shielded by wealth and status shrieked as hundreds of armored invaders plummeted from the sky.
The true prodigies, however, reacted differently.
Blue's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Blastoise, Hydro Pump! Swat those flies out of the air!"
Red simply adjusted his cap, his expression turning terrifyingly calm as the flame on Charizard's tail burned brighter.
Iris was cautious as she released Honchkrow and Pawniard.
Kai maintained his flawless 'League Officer' persona, ushering a few paralyzed heirs behind a marble pillar, while his mind rapidly calculated the most efficient escape routes.
Green, ever the opportunist, had already slipped to the outer edges of the courtyard, her hand resting on her Poké Balls as she analyzed the enemy's formation for weak points.
"Silence the rabble," a commanding voice echoed from the descending vanguard.
An Elite-level commander in silver-plated armor stepped forward, releasing a Poké Ball that hit the ground with a heavy thud. An ancient, withered-looking Alakazam materialized. The spoons in its hands bent instantly as an overwhelming, King-level psychic pressure washed over the estate.
"Scatter them as planned," the commander ordered.
The Alakazam's eyes glowed with a blinding blue light. A massive, unavoidable wave of teleportation energy surged outward, aiming to transport the defending prodigies directly into pre-prepared ambushes across the island.
"Not on my watch!"
Sauras, the Williams family's elderly head butler, stepped out from the manor's grand double doors. With a flick of his wrist, a Slowbro with a remarkably dull expression appeared.
Despite its lazy gaze, the sheer density of its psychic aura marked it as a King-level powerhouse.
Slowbro let out a slow, echoing yawn. A wave of pink psychic energy pulsed outward, violently colliding with Alakazam's blue teleportation field.
Sauras was an Elite, but his Slowbro was slightly weaker than the invader's Alakazam. He couldn't entirely cancel the massive spatial displacement.
However, the collision of the two King-level psychic domains fractured the teleportation coordinates, turning a coordinated trap into complete, randomized chaos.
The air warped. In a flash of blinding light, the prodigies vanished from the courtyard.
Only the veteran bodyguards and chaperones, who were protected by their Pseudo-Elite Pokémon, managed to resist the spatial displacement.
"Find the kids!" Sauras roared, pointing toward the sprawling estate. "Do not let them die on our soil!"
Eric stumbled as he barely came to a stop, using a tree trunk to stabilize himself.
He was alone.
The lawns and marble fountains of the courtyard were gone, replaced by the dense, untamed forestry of the island's outer perimeter.
"Was I teleported away?"
"Haunter."
The shadow beneath his boots shifted, and Haunter's red eyes gleamed in the darkness, confirming that the area in their immediate vicinity was clear.
Eric exhaled slowly, calming his racing heart. He didn't know the exact layout of the island, nor did he know if anyone else was nearby. But he knew one thing for certain: survival meant staying completely hidden and striking only when necessary.
He carefully made his way, moving silently.
On a rocky plateau overlooking the ocean, a flash of blue light deposited Belle squarely in the middle of a jagged clearing.
She blinked, looking around with wide eyes while taking another lick of her half-melted chocolate ice cream.
"Target acquired," a gruff voice echoed.
An invader in heavy, dark armor stepped out from behind a boulder. The sheer pressure radiating from him marked him as a Pseudo-Elite.
He looked at the tiny, 12-year-old girl in the Pikachu hoodie and scoffed, clearly amused by the absurdity of the situation.
"A child?" The invader laughed, resting his hand on his belt. "They sent an Advanced team to clear this sector, but it looks like I get an easy kill."
Belle's eyes lit up. She pointed her ice cream cone directly at the armored man.
"Ah! You must be one of the evil generals! Prepare yourself, villain! The Great Belle Pirates have arrived to crush you!"
The invader stared at her for a second, then threw his head back and laughed. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, little girl? Allow me to show you true despair."
He tossed a Poké Ball.
With an earth-shattering roar, a massive, heavily armored Aggron crashed onto the rocky plateau. Its metallic body gleamed with a terrifying, Pseudo-King level aura. The ground literally cracked beneath its weight.
The invader smirked, expecting the girl to fall to her knees and scream.
Instead, Belle's eyes sparkled.
"Sparkles, look! It's a giant metal dinosaur!"
"Pika!"
Sparkles matched Belle's excitement. But the other Pikachu on her shoulder, Captain Sparky grew tense and leapt to the ground, standing protectively in front of Belle.
Electricity crackled violently around his cheeks, his small eyes narrowed with dead-serious, lethal intent. Sparky knew exactly what kind of monster that Aggron was.
"Aggron, crush the rat," the invader ordered lazily.
Before the Aggron could even take a step, the sky above them turned a blinding, burning red.
ROOOOOOOAR!
A massive column of spiraling fire crashed down from the sky, slamming into the earth directly between the Aggron and Belle.
From the center of the inferno, a colossal Charizard landed with a booming thud, its Pseudo-King level aura completely neutralizing the Aggron's pressure.
And, jumping off the Charizardy, landing perfectly on the scorched earth in front of Belle, was Blaire Williams.
She slowly stood up, adjusting her dark cat-eye sunglasses. Her leather jacket fluttered in the hot wind as she stared down the invader.
"Big Sis Blaire!" Belle shouted. "You're stealing my boss fight!"
"Sorry, kid," Blaire smirked, her voice dripping with dangerous confidence. She turned her gaze to the armored man, her smile vanishing into a look of absolute, fiery disdain.
"You really think you can touch my little sister in front of me?" Blaire cracked her knuckles. "Charizard. Burn him to ash."
Deep within the island's coastal caves, away from the prying eyes of the League Police and the aristocratic bodyguards, Kai stood alone in the dark.
His polite, mild-mannered expression was completely wiped clean, replaced by the cold, calculating efficiency of a high-ranking Team Rocket operative. He reached into the inner lining of his suit and pulled out a small, heavily encrypted phone.
Very few individuals within Team Rocket possessed the clearance to bypass the Executives and contact the absolute top of the hierarchy. Kai was one of them.
He pressed the receiver.
The holographic audio wave stabilized on the screen. From the speaker, the faint, rhythmic purring of a Persian could be heard.
"Report," Giovanni's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable weight.
"Sir, there has been a massive complication at the Williams Estate,"
Kai reported swiftly. "An unknown army has invaded the island. They emerged from spatial tears in the sky, bypassing League radar entirely. They wear archaic, crimson and silver armor. The leader is mounted on a giant Corviknight."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. The soft clinking of a wine glass being set down echoed through the speaker.
"The Ancient Kingdom," Giovanni said, his voice laced with mild amusement.
"You know of them, Sir?"
"They are pawns who think they are players," Giovanni replied dismissively. "Remnants of a forgotten era, clutching onto the ghosts of their past. They can try and weaken the League with these grand, theatrical invasions. Let them bleed each other dry."
"What are my orders, Sir?" Kai asked.
"Survive. Observe," Giovanni instructed. "In the end, it is Team Rocket who will take advantage of them. Gather intel on their spatial technology and the League's response capabilities. Do not expose yourself."
"Understood."
The line went dead. Kai pocketed the communicator, his eyes narrowing as he adjusted his cuffs. Team Rocket would play the long game. For now, he just needed to survive the crossfire.
In the heart of the estate's sprawling garden maze,
Green sighed in sheer annoyance.
The spatial displacement had dropped her directly into the path of an enemy squadron. While the grunts had rushed past to find other targets, their commander, an Advanced-level trainer in heavy silver armor, had stayed behind, blocking her only exit.
"A little girl, wandering alone," the commander sneered, drawing two Poké Balls. "This will be quick. Go, Scyther! Houndoom!"
The two Pokémon materialized, snarling as they locked onto Green.
Green's innocent, playful persona vanished like smoke. Her brown eyes turned icy and perfectly calculating.
"You guys really ruined my networking,"
Green muttered, slipping her hands into the hidden pouches of her skirt.
She didn't hesitate. She threw two Poké Balls into the air.
"Let's make this quick."
With a dual flash of white light, two massive, terrifyingly strong Pokémon crashed onto the manicured grass of the maze.
A towering Venusaur roared, thick, powerful vines whipping the ground around it. Beside it, a massive Blastoise lowered its heavy stance, its twin steel cannons locking directly onto the enemy commander.
The commander grew a little serious. Both these Pokemon were at the advanced-level
Green smiled wickedly. "Let's get this party started, shall we?"
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