Just when the situation turned grim for Mallow, Lana appeared at the last second, standing in front of her along with her Primarina. Dakim and his Mega Swampert were exceedingly tough, despite Mallow's advantage over them. That was precisely why Mallow couldn't hide her smile as her best friend made her timely arrival. "Lana…!"

"Are you okay?" Lana turned back to glance at Mallow.

"Mhm…" Mallow nodded slowly. Even though Tsareena and Shaymin weren't KO'ed, it was hard for her to not consider this battle as a loss. "Thanks to you."

Lana gave a nod, issuing Primarina to make a command. It was silent, but Primarina created a large bubble for Mallow and her Pokémon to seek refuge in. A battle between water types was about to ensue, and she wanted to ensure her friend was protected from the impending raging waves.

"Ha!" Dakim couldn't help but laugh. It was almost insulting that this tiny girl believed she could take him on! The large man took a few steps forward, and to his surprise, Lana did as well. "You're really gonna take me on, pipsqueak!?"

"Yes." Lana looked up at Dakim without a single trace of fear in her eyes. In fact, all you could see was determination in her blue gaze. Despite the fact that Dakim was more than twice her size, she had no fear. "You're bringing danger to Alola and most importantly, you tried to hurt my best friend. I can't let either of those acts go unpunished as an Ultra Guardian."

"Is that so!? Hah! We'll crush your tiny size easily! Our strength is in our size and you'll regret standing up to me, little girl!" Dakim looked down at Lana with a condescending sneer. Stepping on small bugs was a fun pastime of his. The silence between the two of them remained tense, both trainer and Pokémon staring one another down until…

"Ice Punch!"

"Aqua Jet!"

Water erupted around Primrina and it used this to propel itself forward at high speeds, gunning to slam Swampert in its chest. In turn, Swampert reared its large arm back as ice appeared around it. The two attacked at the same time, causing a clash of powers. In terms of raw strength, Swampert was the victor, pushing through the Aqua Jet to strike Primarina square in the face, forcing it backwards. "Once again!" Lana commanded, unfazed that Primaina took damage as she knew it could withstand it. Primina did as commanded, circling around the room as it spotted an opening, then dove in to attack!

"Barrier!" Dakim shouted. Just as Primarina closed in, Swampert turned. While it was unable to physically retaliate, it was able to create a barrier in front of its body, using this to protect itself from Primarina's Aqua Jet. It was a fierce stalemate for a few moments before Primarina was forced backwards. "Hah! What's the matter? I thought you were gonna stop us!"

Lana kept a stern expression. Now she was beginning to understand how Mallow had such a hard time combating Dakim; strength truly was his asset. But that wasn't grounds for her to give up. "Icy Wind!" Primarina exhaled, releasing a frigid blast of air in Swampert's direction.

"That won't faze us!" Dakim smirked as Swampert simply used its bulky arms to block the attack. Parts of it arms froze over slightly, but it wasn't enough to cause any lasting damaging. "Is that the best you got, pipsqueak!?"

Lana didn't respond, instead she issued another attack since it appeared that Dakim didn't notice the trap she laid out for him. "Now, use Sparkling Aria!" Primarina stood up on its tail and began to sing, creating a large orb of water over its head. It then threw this orb of water towards Swampert, where it turned into multiple bubbles, all of them set to explode!

"Dodge it!" Dakim knew his Swampert's speed. Such an attack was easily avoidable! Swampert jumped to move, but found that it couldn't! "What?!" Dakim's eyes widened as he looked down at Swampert's legs, only to notice that its legs were covered in ice! "What the!?" It was from Icy Wind! "No way!" And right as the disbelief struck, Sparkling Aria hit its mark, blowing Swampert backwards from the sheer number of explosions! "Gah!"

"Nice work, Lana!" Mallow cheered.

Swampert took the attack rather well, but even so, it still did take some damage from Mallow's Pokémon, so it was slowed just a little bit. "Ha…not bad, shrimp. You're giving more of a fight than the weaker one over there."

Those words made Mallow frown. "Ah…"

Lana, however, wasn't hearing it. Before she spoke, Primaina created an air bubble around her head. "Mallow is strong, too. If she needs to lean on me for help, then that's fine! We've been friends forever and that's no sign of weakness! Use Surf!" Any insult aimed at her friend would not be tolerated. Primarina let out another cry with its beautiful voice, summoning a tidal wave within the small room. The wave crashed down, filling the room with water! Mallow and her Pokémon were fine due to the bubble they were in, and Lana was accustomed to these conditions since she swam all the time like this! She forced Dakim into an awful situation and if she were lucky, she could make him concede! "Aqua Jet!"

Dakim was forced to hold his breath. Swampert didn't have any tricks like Primarina…but that didn't stop Dakim from smirking. Obviously Lana knew what she was in for, dragging a water type into the water, but she was about to learn that she bit off more than she could chew. Dakim needed to say nothing; as Primarina drew near with Aqua Jet, Swampert showcased a sudden, superior burst of speed, swimming ahead and slammed Primarina with an Ice Punch, much to Lana's surprise.

"What!?" Lana gasped from this outcome. Her plan backfired; Mega Swampert's ability was Swift Swim! Not only that, but Dakim and Swampert were able to work without verbal commands. "That's fine…even if it's faster than us, we can still hit it. Use Sparkling Aria!" Primarina did as commanded, releasing numerous bubbles towards Swampert, all of them set to explode.

Dakim pointed his hand forward, commanding Swampert to use Mud Bomb!" Swampert spat out an equal amount of muddy spheres as bubbles, causing an explosion within the water! The water was filled with mud, turning it murky and obscuring sight.

"I can't see them…" Lana said while looking around. They could strike from any angle!

Mallow noticed them. "Lana, behind you!"

Just as Mallow turned, she saw a Hydro Pump slam into Primarina's body, throwing it for a loop within the water. Just before Primarina could recover, the blue blur that was Swampert sped past Lana, assaulting Primarina with a series of Ice Punches that all hit their mark; the final one slamming Primarina into the ground with enough force to cause a crack in the floor! As a result, the water in the room slowly began to drain away. There was enough room for Dakim to lift his head up from the water and take a breath. "Ah ha! How'd you like that!?"

"We have to slow it down…If he wants to keep striking with Ice, then…" The water was draining, but Lana had a plan. "Icy Wind!" Primarina exhaled, releasing frigid air into the water as Swampert drew closer for another Ice Punch.

"We ain't falling for that again! Dodge it!" Dakim exclaimed. Swampert did as told; evading the Icy Wind, but it was odd how Primarina wasn't stopping. "What the hell…" Not only was the water getting uncomfortably cold, but what was worse was that Swampert was slowing down! "Huh!? No way…!"

Just as Lana planned! Icy Wind made the water cold, thus slowing down Swampert's speed. While it was having difficulty moving around, Primarina was fine! "Now, Aqua Jet!" Water exploded around Primarina and it rushed forward, slamming into Swampert to knock it backwards! Just as this happened all of the water finally drained and the room was back to how it was.

"Go Lana!" Mallow cheered. Lana was fighting on even ground with Dakim!

"Huh. So you're smart, too…" Dakim scratched his head. Brute force was the only strategy he knew, so he couldn't help but slightly respect, and feel annoyed by Lana's tactics. "But too bad that won't matter in the end. Our strength will crush you, ain't that right, Swampert?" Swampert was beginning to show signs of exhaustion, but clearly it wasn't down yet.

"Ngh…" Lana narrowed her eyes. Swampert was handling the punishment it was receiving quite well…on the other hand; Primarina was looking more exhausted than it was. "You're strong, I admit…but I can't let you win." She held her arms up, her Z-ring shining.

"Oh no you don't!" Dakim knew exactly what Lana was attempting and he wouldn't stand for it! "Ice Punch!" Swampert slammed its frozen arms onto the ground, its raw power not only creating a tremor, but also sent icy spires along the ground towards Primarina! "No Z-moves allowed here! That trump card won't work on us!"

"Ah! Watch out!" Lana shouted worriedly but these frozen spires struck Primarina, causing it to stagger back after receiving more damage than either Pokémon or trainer would have liked. "He won't let me use the Z-move…!"

"Ah…!" Mallow gasped as the spires even popped the bubble she and her Pokémon were inside of. They were unharmed, but now Mallow was exposed to the potential raging waters again. "I'm fine…!" She told Lana immediately so she could focus on the battle. "She can't use her Z-move…!" Mallow grit her teeth. When she glanced at Shaymin and Tsareena, they were still recovering from their injuries.

It was time for a different approach. "Aqua Jet!" Primarina once again soared forward, but this time it was moving about in the air, circling around Swampert with its superior speed. "I'll find an opening and strike!" It was a tense few seconds, Dakim and Swampert both attempting to keep up with Primarina as it sped around room. She'd exploit a use of Barrier and hit them with a point blank Surf! "Now!" Primarina dove down at the unsuspecting Swampert, intend on baiting out a Barrier when…

Swampert grabbed Primarina by the throat, just before Primarina could strike! "Gotcha." Dakim smirked.

"Ah!" Lana's eyes widened in horror. With Swampert's grip it was as though it were using a Throat Chop and sealed Primarina's voice. "Primarina!"

"Ice Punch." Swampert reared its free hand back, slamming it into Primarina's body. This blow was incredibly strong and Primarina flew into the nearest wall.

"AH!" Lana immediately made a beeline to her partner. "Are you okay?!" Primarina's damage was reaching its limit. It wasn't down, but it was heavily damaged and struggled to get up.

"Lana…!" Mallow started to rush ahead, but she was stopped when Swampert stood in her path. "Oh no..!"

Dakim reached out, gripping Lana by her left arm, raising her into the air. Since he was bigger and stronger, this was an easy feat and all she could do was squirm around in her grip. "See, pipsqueak? It doesn't matter how strong you think you are. Against someone like me, you're just a small fry. That's why strength will always win out in the end. You can't even fight back, can you?"

"Ngh…!" Lana was really squirming around. Unfortunately, due to her size, she couldn't even try and reach out for Dakim. She was a ragdoll in his possession.

"Now, I'm not above hurting kids. So I'll make you a deal. Hand over your Pokémon and you and your friend can go." Dakim was giving Lana an easy way out. Unlike in Kalos, he didn't know what made these Alolans tick.

"No." Lana shook her head.

"Figured." Dakim shrugged. "Then I guess I'll have to just…" And before Dakim could say anymore, Sandy called itself out of Lana's other Pokeball! The Eevee slammed its tiny body into Dakim's face. Since he wasn't prepared for it, he staggered back and released Lana, annoyed. "What the hell?!"

"Sandy!" Lana held a smile on her face while rubbing her wrist. "Thank you!" Sandy nodded and moved to attack Swampert while it was off guard, putting all of its momentum into a Double Edge! It was slightly effective and Swampert stumbled…only to retaliate with an Ice Punch that would make Hammer Arm jealous. The downward swing crushed Sandy into the floor and KO'ed it instantly. "Sandy…!"

"Sandy!" Mallow placed her hands over her mouth.

"And just what was that tiny little thing supposed to do? It had no strength at all." Dakim shook his head. "All it did was annoy me! You tiny kids are just like Durant! You may have numbers, but it doesn't mean much against someone twice your size."

"…." Lana clenched her hand into a fist. "You go on about the strength of one's size…and it's true, you're bigger than us, and stronger, too. But there's one thing you should never underestimate." She thought back to how, despite being backed into a corner numerous times, how Ash fought his way out. Not just Ash, but Moon as well. Even though Moon felt so small and meaningless around them, there was no denying that when they watched her battle, it was with all her might. Even though Mallow was outmatched, she didn't give up. That was the strength Lana was looking for at this moment.

"Huh…?" Dakim lifted a brow.

"And that….IS THE SIZE OF OUR STRENGTH!" As Lana shouted that, Primarina stood back up, a blue aura flashing as veil of water exploding around its body. This was Torrent activating! When in a pinch, water type moves were empowered!

"Primarina!" Mallow's green eyes lit up with hope. "It'll be so strong now, but…it's also at its limit. Come on, Lana. I know you can finish this!"

"Shaymin!" Shaymin added its cheers along with Tsareena.

"Kch…" Dakim grit his teeth. "Hydro Pump! We don't have time for this!" Swampert fired off a large Hydro Pump towards Primarina, intent on finishing off its foe!

"Sparkling Aria!" Primarina stood up on its tail once more, creating a bubble in front of it. The Hydro Pump struck the bubble and the volume of water only made it that much bigger!

"What!?" Dakim took a step back. "It can do that!?"

"Fire!" Lana pointed her hand forward. Primarina fired off the Sparkling Aria, now much stronger thanks to Torrent and Swampert's aid! The multiple bubbles exploded around Swampert, causing it to cry out in pain as it was overwhelmed from the numerous attacks. "Don't let up! Aqua Jet!" The impending Aqua Jet was far stronger than the previous ones! Primarina rocketed forward to slam its body into Swampert's!

"Barrier! Don't let that thing break through!" Swampert held its ground, creating another barrier in front of it as Primarina drew near. It was a fierce stalemate, but this time Primarina shattered the barrier, slamming into Swampert full force. "Tch! Mud Bomb!" Primarina wasn't getting away with this free hit, however! Just as it was struck, Swampert spat out a large bomb of mud that erupted in Primarina's face, throwing it backwards. By this point, both Swampert and Primarina were reaching their absolute limit.

"Let's end this!"

"Aqua Jet!"

"Ice Punch!"

Primarina and Swampert collided with each other, creating a fierce shockwave that boomed our throughout Cipher's base. It was a fierce stalemate, on that Primarina seemed to be losing, as ice slowly started to cover its body from Swampert's attack. This is where Dakim smirked, feeling as though the battle had been won. "Give it up, kid!"

"Never!" Lana shouted. If Cipher had their way like this…then her mother, father, sisters, Moon, Mallow, and all her other friends would be in danger. Even though she had yet to see a Shadow Pokémon herself, the strength of Dakim alone told her that Alola would be in huge trouble if Cipher won here. "There's too much at stake for me to give up! Swampert's size and strength have already hit their apex, but Primarina and I haven't released our full power yet!" That's when Lana crossed her arms, the Waternium-Z shining brightly. "In this moment, Primarina and I are fighting as one!"

"What the?!" Dakim glanced at the Z-ring. He couldn't have Swampert stop attacking now! If it let up on Primarina, Was this her plan!? Rendering him unable to do anything as she used a Z-move!

"It's time! The ocean's wrath is now upon you!" Lana moved her arms in a wave like motion, finishing the pose to send Z-power flooding into Primarina. "And now, we'll bring you under! HYDRO VORTEX!" Water erupted around Primarina, even more so than before! It used this water to break the ice surrounding it, using the surge of power to overpower Swampert, circling around it while entrapping it within a strong vortex of water that it couldn't escape from!

"This can't be! Swampert, get out of there!" Dakim yelled at the top of his lungs, but was no use. Swampert was at Primarina's mercy until the vortex of water dispersed, violently throwing it into wall! Swampert's eyes had swirls in them. It was defeated and reverted back to normal. "…."

"YOU DID IT!" Mallow jumped for joy, immediately hugging her best friend after the narrow victory.

"Ah…yeah…we did." Lana leaned against an exhausted Primarina, who nearly collapsed on the spot. "Thank you, Primarina. You too, Sandy. You both fought so hard, you deserve a rest."

"…." Dakim furrowed his brows. He was fuming! He couldn't believe he lost to…that small girl! She was barely even his size. "…Damn. You got me…this time…" Dakim returned Swampert and started to walk off.

"Hey, come back!" Mallow shouted.

"We're not done…!" Lana did take a step forward, only to shake her head. The priority right now was helping their injured Pokémon.

Even if Mallow and Lana wanted to pursue, they couldn't. Their Pokémon were too injured to give chase, and even Dakim knew when to retreat. "I didn't think I'd need a Shadow Pokémon against them…! That girl…her strength was admirable…" And that respect for Lana was the reason he didn't get physical with her or Mallow. He'd fall back…for now.

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Team Rocket's hot air balloon finally arrived on Ula'Ula Island. They didn't stop to land, however. They only had one destination in mind. "This is where those twerps were going, right?" Meowth asked his partners in crime.

"That's right! They were flying off towards Mt. Lanakila!" James confirmed. "And if that's the case, that must mean that Cipher is hiding away somewhere on that mountain!"

Jessie then pointed her index finger forward, a wide grin creeping onto her lips. "Watch out, Cipher. Team Rocket's going to take you down a second time! In the name of Team Rocket and Giovanni, there won't be any mercy!"

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Next Time: Pillar of Flame.