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Outside Cipher's Base of Operations
The sun beat down on the baking sand, causing the air to shimmer. Across the sands, the mountains loomed ominously into the sky, casting shadows onto the sand as they blotted out the sun. Vast, and impenetrable.
Except for a small opening of a canyon where, as they closed the distance, they could see the first of the fortifications around the immediate area. The first line of defense.
According to Rixor, this was operated by mostly the unscrupulous recruits from the Wastes, along with what was referred to as an Anti-Infantry Blastoise Type Mech. They also expected some fire to come from an Artillery Torterra Type from the second line of defense. Neither of them sounded too pleasant.
And the Blatoise type didn't look all that much better through Michael's visor. He wasn't sure whether to thank Doctor Kaminko for keeping the feature or chew him out for letting him see the large mech that was just barely in the shape of its namesake in full detail. The likeness was there, but the colors were muted and anything that resembled an organic being was replaced with sharp edges and pure steel.
Looking away from the mech, Michael spied on the rest of the defenses. The peons were manning their posts along with their Pokemon, hiding behind sandbags. And behind that were a trio of parked jeeps, probably acted as some kind of fallback in case the position fell. He took quick note of the Pokemon they had out. A couple of Crobats, a Weezing, and a Hounchcrow. Not exactly a stacked defense.
"Looks like they're pretty light on the defense Justy," Michael said into the mic attached to his visor. "I don't know if they're going to lure you in or get ready to fall back."
An image of the Pre-Gym leader came up on his visor. "Understood. We'll try and hold back until we know what we're dealing with. Try to see if you can a better visual."
Nodding, Michael adjusted his place on Lugia's back. "You catch any of that? Just bring us in for a closer look. Try not to get within range of anything."
Understood, the titan said as he began to furl his wings to descend.
Given that Michael was in access to a massive flier in the form of Lugia, and had the visor that allowed him to see across great distances in high definition, he was chosen to scout out the immediate enemy position. The hope was the duo could stay out of immediate conflict to reserve their strength for the real battle with Greevil, but it wouldn't stop them from lending a hand whenever possible.
Looking to his sides, Michael could also see he wasn't the only one in the air today.
Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno flew alongside their master, awaiting the first order. Together, they formed a sort of honor guard for the Guardian and their trainer. If the circumstances were a little different, Michael probably would've been embarrassed to essentially have an escort of legendaries.
But it was also for practical reasons. Somebody had to watch the militia's most powerful ally's back. And to provide air support when need be.
Michael leaned downed to Lugia. "Just let them know to stay by and keep close. Only engage when I give the signal."
The dragon nodded as he relayed the message through a series of psychic pulses and undulating cries. In response, the birds responded with their own acknowledgments with their cries and auras of power, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Another reason for the birds to stick close. Lugia could relay messages to the titans at long distances. That way Michael could direct them while focusing on an unfolding situation as it happens.
Right now, Michael was focused on the first wave of the militia's Pokemon marching across the desert, kicking up a plume of dust. Zooming in with his visor, he could see Eagun's Pikachu riding on the head of his Snorlax, snagged back at Citadark Isle. The rodent's cheeks sparked with anticipation, ready to intercept the first Hydro Blast from the Blastoise mech.
Covering his left and right flanks was Gonzap's Venusaur and Lovrina's Meganium, trudging along at a steady pace. Behind them was the group's main attack force (including Wes's Sceptile and Eldes's Tauros), followed by Justy's Gliscor, Sandslash, Flygon, and several Pokemon who would act as diggers to attack from below the lines.
And behind them were the pickup trucks Snagem had provided, carrying the trainers and their Pokemon in reserve. The open air where the trainers sat meant they could give orders and switch out Pokemon when need be.
Speaking of Snagem, Michael looked to his left and saw the new head of the gang seated at the base of Ho-Oh's neck, Rui holding her hands on his shoulders. Somewhere to the very far of their flanks, Michael knew that the beasts were screening their flanks, waiting for the phoenix to give the signal to attack at a moment's notice. Just like Lugia and the birds.
Wes gave the thumbs up, wondering if everything was okay.
Michael took a deep breath. Espeon, who was sitting by his side clinging to his leg, looked up at him with concern. Up front, Lugia's eyes wandered back. Is everything all right? he asked.
The teen's eyes closed for a moment, before nodding to himself and nodding, his cerulean eyes hard as iron.
"Let's do it."
Down below, the digger Pokemon had burrowed under the earth as the group began to close the distance to the first wave. A two-pronged assault essentially. Michael leaned over and looked into the visor to get another visual, just to be on the safe side. He saw a few peons put together some kind of device that…didn't look like any weapon he was familiar with. His finger wandered as he clicked on the communicator. "Justy, I'm seeing some kind of device being put together. Any idea what-"
As he said that, he saw a shockwave blast through the earth, a surge of energy ripping open cracks as it traveled. Justy's Pokemon rapidly burst out of the ground to avoid the blast, but a number of the larger diggers were caught by the wave just as they left the earth. The Onix cried out as he was pushed violently out of the earth by the force.
Justy's voice came through the communicator. "Michael! I've read about that in the database! That's a Seismic Charge Launcher! They can use Earthquake!"
The gears began to turn together. The usage of fliers and those that didn't touch the ground. They could get away with a good defense against Dig without any casualties to themselves. As for the Blastoise mech, a shield of energy appeared around it, protecting it from the shock of the Earthquake. Must've been its form of Protect.
Once the shield fell, the mech's cannons lowered to aim at the diggers, aquatic power beginning to build up with the barrels of the cannons. Onix was just able to right himself up when the Hydro Cannon fired, leaving him only enough time to curl his body up to weather the barrage.
The strike never hit home though. At the last moment, Snorlax managed to will his large body into leaping over the great worm and place his body as a shield against the Hydro Cannon, grunting as the attack struck his belly. From the bear's head, Pikachu's electric cheeks let forth a Thunderbolt, countering the Hydro Cannon and taking the edge off the assault.
When the geysers pulled back, the attack having been exhausted, Meganium and Venusaur stampeded forward to Snorlax's side, letting forth Razor Leaves across the field and towards the mech. The robotic Blastoise just lowered its cannons and fired another Hydro Cannon, knocking the sharpened leaves right out of the air.
Michael was so focused on the battle below, that he almost missed the barrage of rockets streaking through the air towards the slowed assault.
The three bruisers barely had enough time to set up their defenses to shield themselves from the strike. Meganium and Venusaur released a thick cloud of pollen while Snorlax turned around, spreading his arms to shield the Pokemon behind him from the barrage. The Pokemon behind dashed towards their bulky brethren (or in Pikachu's case, cling to Snorlax's chest) to seek shelter in their Protects.
Just in time too. The rockets smashed into the group, sending up plumes of dust and sand with each strike. Anybody who was caught out in the open faced a merciless assault from the high-powered projectiles.
Zooming in with his PDA, Michael spied the culprit. At the second line, he could make out the shape of the Torterra Artillery unit, the barrels of the back-mounted cannons billowing smoke from the barrage.
To make a bad situation even worse, Cipher's Pokemon immediately went on the counterattack, the Crobats, the Honchcrow, and the Weezing flying (or floating in Weezing's case) across the battlefield, circling the larger Pokemon and beginning to lob attacks from afar into the unprotected flanks of the smaller ones. The second group of the vanguard tried to fight back, firing off whatever special attacks they could, but they couldn't leave the protection of their guardians, lest they come into range of either of the mecha's barrage. It didn't help that the Crobats and Honchcrow were able to narrowly dodge the sporadic attacks, while the Weezing belched forth a Smokescreen into the pinned group.
With a choking smog engulfing the Pokemon and rendering them effectively blind, they were vulnerable to another Earthquake coming from the Seismic Launchers. Venusaur, Meganium, and Snorlax set up another Protect just in time to weather the furious earth, the Pokemon taking whatever shelter they could behind their protectors. As their defenses were lowered though when the Earthquake faded, they were unable to react to another Hydro Pump bursting through the smog, along with a salvo of missiles fired from the Mecha Blastoise's fingers. All three of the big Pokemon were pummeled by a combination of high-powered water and ballistics, only being able to stand against it with their natural bulk.
"We're getting slaughtered down here! Between that Blastoise mech and the bombardments, we're practically sitting Duckletts!" cried Justy's voice out from the radio. It sent shivers down Michael's back. He knew the Pre-Gym leader long enough to know he didn't panic easily. Just looking down at the cloud of dust and smoke from the ballistics and Smokescreen more than confirmed his worry.
"Don't worry! I'll send some support!" The teen responded into the PDA. Already his mind took note of the two mechas, the typing of their organic counterparts, and the titans flying alongside him. "Lugia! Tell Moltres and Articuno to harass that Torterra while Zapdos handles the Blastoise. We need something to get their attention so our line can move up! Just try not to get banged up too much!"
On it. Lugia sent out a low call through the air, relaying the orders to the titans. Bursts of their respective elements and their cries was the reply, Articuno and Moltres racing on ahead to the distant second line. Zapdos on the other hand folded his wings and let out a crackle of thunder as he dived towards the entrenchment. The thunderbird's feathers came to life as a Thunderbolt snaked through the air and struck the Blastoise mecha on the hardened back.
He dived further to close the distance, hoping to get a better angle at a more vulnerable part. That massive metal shell would be a problem for a direct aerial assault.
So focused was he on the descent, that his mind took a second to acknowledge the laser points beginning to pepper his face.
Unfortunately for him, the source was a barrage of rockets from below. Zapdos cried out as he pulled up quickly, flapping his wings to rapidly gain altitude. But not before a pair of rockets smashed into his chest, letting out plumes of smoke with each explosion. His lightning-infused feathers absorbed the brunt of the impact, but he didn't want to stick around to find out how much he could take.
The other laser-guided rockets followed, homing in on their target. This time, however, the titan of lightning was ready for them. Letting out a warcry, Zapdos spread his wings and let loose a Shockwave, sending streaks of electricity through the air. With the air alive with power, the rockets veered off and exploded harmlessly into the air. No doubt their onboard computers were messed with by the electrical discharge.
Zapdos didn't escape unscathed though. The detonation of the rockets still caused a few pulses of energy to buffet his ascending form. Zooming in on the thunderbird, Michael could see that the Electric Pokemon escaped serious damage, but his slackened ascent indicated his escape was pretty narrow.
Training his visor downward, Michael cursed as he saw the source. Several peons were holding rocket launchers, no doubt with lasers that guided the rockets to their target. A similar story was repeated further ahead, as Moltres and Articuno veered off their attacks as they narrowly dodged similar attacks.
The only upside was that the charging Pokemon down below were able to progress slightly towards the first line, but even then the mad dash was temporary and brief. Another Earthquake buffeted the tanks, causing them to stop in their tracks again.
Michael's mind was racing, trying to find a solution to Cipher's well-entrenched problem when Ho-Oh pulled up alongside him with Wes and Rui on the bird's back. "Michael! I'm gonna send Suicune in to create a little bit of cover for the assault team! Have Zapdos follow after him so he can get in close!" Wes yelled over the high winds.
The teen nodded, giving the thumbs up to Lugia who turned around to see what was going on. Having been given the OK, Lugia called out to Zapdos. Sparks of lightning were seen from a distance, an acknowledgment from the titan about his orders. He flapped his wings as he rapidly made a u-turn, coming around from the direction the assaulting Pokemon were charging.
His yellow wings began to level out as he lost altitude. Zapdos narrowed his eyes on a distant figure, rapidly approaching. He'd need to time this just right…
Ho-Oh called out to that distant figure, and instantly it began to move at an alarming speed. A plume of dust began to follow in its wake, picked up by a tempest of wind that carried the beast along to its destination. The figure quickly took on a blue and purple form as it approached, Suicune becoming visible to the eye.
Zapdos flapped his wings as he began to pick up speed. If this was gonna work, he needed to meet Suicune at the exact right moment. Otherwise, the rocket-wielding peons would have more time to draw their bearings on him.
As he raced across the sands, he began to fly overhead of the Pokemon assault team. Once again they'd been stalled, the lighter Pokemon taking shelter behind Snorlax, Venusaur, and Meganium, who were doing their best to weather the assault. But Cipher's fliers weren't making it easy for them, taking cheap shots from their flanks while using the smoke and dust as cover. There was little the second rank and the besieged diggers could do aside from trying to make a lucky shot at their more nimble attackers.
The thunderbird snorted. It was high time to even the odds.
Flying overhead the shrouding cloud, Zapdos flapped his mighty wings, kicking up air that pushed away the smog and dust. The air crackled as his wings flapped, a Thunderbolt being thrown from the bird towards the Honchkrow. Surprised by the sudden appearance of the legendary bird, the Big Boss Pokemon let out a startled squawk before being blasted by the lightning.
The other fliers were quick to react, however. Seeing their fainted comrade plummet from the sky, they reformed their group and aimed at Zapdos's unprotected flank-
ZAP!
Another Thunderbolt from behind took one of the Crobats completely by surprise, knocked out the super-effective attack. The other Crobat quickly ducked behind Weezing, who used his body as a shield from a DragonBreath fired by Justy's Flygon with Protect.
Pikachu hopped up on Snorlax's head as he let forth another Thunderbolt as Weezing's defense slackened from the DragonBreath, forcing the duo back. With clear air and the element of surprise lost, the Weezing and Crobat quickly retreated towards the front line to avoid any more damage.
The little rodent smirked as his tormentors fell back, only for Snorlax to quickly placed Pikachu on his back before another Hydro Pump from the Mecha Blastoise fired.
Up ahead, Zapdos's eyes narrowed as he closed in for the attack. He could already see the peons moved up with their rocket launchers, painting their target with lasers. It was gonna be close…
His fears were dashed when Suicune rocketed across the battlefield, coming in at an angle to avoid the line itself. The Gust from the North Wind picked up a massive plume of dust that sailed high into the air, blocking the lasers being pointed. Startled by the sudden movement, the peons along with the Blastoise mecha fired blindly into the dust, hoping to nail their target. Rockets and bullets punched holes through the cover to find their mark.
Not one of them did.
Zapdos charged out of the plume, dust billowing from his golden wings. The thunderbird cried out as he reached the lines, letting forth a Thunderbolt which sent the peons ducking for cover. He found his mark regardless. The Seismic Charge Launcher was shocked by the intense electricity, exploding as a result of the impact.
With one major headache out of the way, the Electric Pokemon turned towards the bigger headache. Furling his wings together, Zapdos spun his body rapidly, driving a Drill Peck right into the mech's hard chassis. All he got for his efforts was a dull clang and the mech being pushed slightly back a quarter of an inch.
But that wasn't the end of it. Zapdos's feathers sparked with lightning, heralding a powerful onslaught. Acting on reflex, the pilot immediately brought up the robot's shields in the form of Protect. Just in time too, as the Thunderbolt discharged just as the shields were pulled up, the electric currents smashing harmlessly against the barrier.
Zapdos's eyes were focused as the Protect faded, snapping his wings to build up more charge. The Thunderbolt was just a prelude. A feint. And now the mech was wide open for a fully powered Thunder-
His thoughts went white as a barrage of missiles shot from the Blastoise's fingertips smashed right into his chest, sending the thunderbird straight to the ground. Zapdos cawed out weakly, trying to fight off both disorientation, and smoke filling his vision from the missiles' detonation. Eventually, his sight managed to get back into focus, only to see the merciless steel visage of the mech beginning to bring its heavy foot down on his downed figure…
-only for a Machoke to come out of nowhere and tackled the robotic Pokemon's stable leg with Submission Hold, wrapping his muscular arms around the ankle. It managed to get the Blastoise to lower its foot on sand rather than avian flesh, but the mech just swung a heavy arm, smacking the Fighting-type away with a heavy smash from its metal fist. Smashing into the ground, the Machoke was just able to pull itself up before the robot trained its arm right at him, missiles at the ready.
That was before a pair of tentacles wretched the arm away to fire the missiles harmlessly into the sky. A Tentacruel latched on, restraining the arm with Wrap. The Blastoise mech turned to look at the jellyfish in surprise, only to get a douse of Acid right into its cameras. Trails of steam and sparks erupted from the impact, the Acid beginning to eat away at the cameras in the head, rendering it blind. Shaking himself away, Machoke quickly rushed forward and smashed a Cross Chop into the mech's chest, his powerful arms punching dents into the metal.
Zapdos looked on in shock. There wasn't a Machoke and a Tentacruel on the assault team. Where did-?
His answer came when several peons in the embarkment released their Pokemon on a duo in Cipher garb directing the Pokemon at the mech. A girl and a boy from the looks of it.
The titan shook himself awake. Didn't matter what uniform they wore. He wasn't going to let his newfound allies get themselves killed.
Not that they would get the chance, to begin with.
As Cipher's Pokemon turned against the traitors, Snorlax, Meganium, and Venusaur came charging into their now exposed flanks. Snorlax batted away a Golem with a meaty arm while Body Slammed onto a surprised Weezing, crushing the Poison-type under his immense weight. A Mightyheena darted to assist its comrade but was batted away by a Vine Whip by Venusaur. Wes's Sceptile proceeded to leap off Venusaur's back, slicing a Leaf Blade into the last Crobat. Meganium just barreled into the battle, her petals beginning to shine with an ominous glow…
As the attacking Pokemon began to weave their way through Cipher's ranks, the diggers came up from below, scattering their cohesion with Dig. Gliscor and Sandslash went on the offensive, clearing the area with an onslaught of Slashes and Poison Jabs while Onix came in from behind to secure the foothold they made with his sheer bulk. Flygon erupted from his hole, firing a DragonBreath right into the mecha Blastoise's damaged face. Its shields being overheated from using Protect so many consecutive times, the robot took the attack head-on.
Even still, the tough mech remained standing.
The mecha Blastoise shook its body, throwing off both Machoke and Tentacruel before firing a Hydro Pump blindly into the fighting Pokemon. Flygon managed to skillfully evade the vortex of water at the last minute. Snorlax and Onix on the other hand weren't as lucky. The blasts found their mark, sending both giant Pokemon down to the ground. Worn down from the mad charge to get here and a never-ending stream of attacks, two of the vanguard's heaviest fighters were effectively knocked out.
Meganium, Venusaur, Sceptile, and the other Pokemon paled as the mecha readied its armament. Sensors from within its body must've been still working. And if it packed enough firepower to bring down two of their heavy hitters and stand up to Zapdos…
A slight drizzle began to fall on their heads, further worrying the Pokemon as they began to back up. Rain Dance was in effect, which only meant the already powerful robotic Water-type just got more powerful. Meganium in particular was frustrated. Her Solar Beam was almost ready to fire, but she wasn't sure if she could fight back against an empowered Hydro Pump. And the pilot knew it as they lowered the cannons to aim for the disadvantaged Pokemon.
They never got to fire.
The mech's only warning was the sound of thunder from the heavens above.
Lightning flashed, silhouetting Raikou's form as he leaped into the air and right on the mech's back. His fangs sparked with lightning, piercing the steel of the cannons. Whatever attack was readying was immediately cut off to avoid further damage as the cannons began to seize up from the Thunder Fang.
All the mech could do was throw the legendary to the ground and ready its finger missiles to follow up-
A Thunderbolt from nowhere threw off its aim before it could fire. Turning around, the pilot saw Pikachu standing defiantly, his cheeks sparking with power. Zapdos also picked himself up as his wings were charged with power, followed by Raikou getting up on his feet and his purple mane surging with energy.
It was then that the truth became clear. The Rain Dance was never to the mech's advantage. Not with three Electric types staring you down.
Pikachu, Zapdos, and Raikou all let forth their Thunders, the electrical onslaught carving through the air. The mech quickly brought up Protect once more, but even its shield could hardly stand up to the firepower of three supercharged electric attacks. Alarms blared from the generator overworking itself to keep the attacks at bay.
Strong as the shield was though, it couldn't stand up to four powerful attacks.
Meganium stamped the earth as Solar Beam fired from her maw, smashing into the Protect and shattering the shield. All four attacks struck the mecha, lightning and solar energy pouring into the chassis, not letting up for a second.
Eventually, though, their strength faded as the attacks petered out. Up above, the skies began to clear as Rain Dance ran out. They held their breath as the smoke began to clear…
…the mech was still standing…
…until it toppled over, its body smoking and chassis blackened from the assault.
Michael was high above the carnage, but he could feel the tension plummeting. The mech didn't look damaged to the point that the pilot was killed, but it wasn't getting up any time soon, that was for certain. And the other peons knew that as well. Everyone made a mad dash to the jeeps, piling in and clambering over one another to be the first out there. The ones closest to combat stayed engaged, hoping to give their comrades enough time to escape.
It was…admirable. Almost. Michael was no fan of Cipher, but he certainly could appreciate one standing his ground and sacrificing themselves to cover your friends' retreat. Though it made him wonder just how Greevil was able to inspire such courage in his men.
Indeed, it was a one-sided affair. Not counting that duo that just turned on the whole group, only four were left to deal with the vanguard, while the rest raced across the desert in their jeeps to the second line of defense. With their forces tied down on the first line and exhausted from the slog, it would be pretty difficult to chase after the retreating squad across the desert.
Luckily, the resistance had prepared for such a maneuver.
The trucks that carried the trainers moved up, closing the distance between their starting point and the first line. Already the trainers were getting out their Pokeballs, getting ready to release the second wave. They weren't going to slow down their momentum and give Cipher breathing room to recover.
There was just one problem.
They had come into range of the artillery piece.
The Artillery Torterra Type Mech loomed menacingly through Michael's visor, its cannons beginning to aim at the trainers. Like the Blastoise, it too only had a vague resemblance to its namesake in body shape and color. Aside from that though, it was easier to call it a robot than you could reasonably describe a Pokemon.
And the trucks were right in its' range…
"Moltres! Articuno! See what you can do about drawing that thing's attention! Just try not to get dinged up too badly out there! Zapdos, you hang back for now. Lightning's gonna be no good against that Ground-typing and you're looking pretty banged up already. If you see an opening go for it, but don't get yourself any more hurt than you already are!"
A series of cries from Lugia, and the titans of fire and ice speed ahead to make another pass at the second line. Zapdos nodded gratefully as he pulled back, resting his wings so he could take a breather.
"I'll send in some backup too to give you some cover!" Wes shouted over the winds. Ho-Oh called out as well, his bell-like voice carrying out to the very winds. In the distance, Suicune made a beeline straight towards the second line, plumes of water beginning to form at his forelegs.
The Torterra mech switched its cannon to a more critical target, firing its payload of missiles with a resounding BOOM! Of course, there was a difference between a convoy of trucks and a single fast-moving target. A target that could harness the very power of the North Wind to carry him across the battlefield.
Suicune was able to nimbly dodge the missile blasts, the winds keeping him safely out of harm's way. Dust billowed around him before he leaped high into the air, the plumes of water coalescing into large pools surrounding his forearms. The Aurora Pokemon let out a chilling Roar as he descended upon the entrenchments of the second line, causing the Pokemon they had out to recoil upon the sight of a legendary.
Being caught off guard, they had little chance against the beast slamming the orbs of water upon the ground, releasing a Surf upon the enemy. The Peons and their Pokemon took cover behind their sandbag barriers, just barely holding their positions as the raging torrents swept over their heads. Anyone unlucky enough to be caught was swept away with the water.
Thankfully for them, their entrenchment paid off, the sandbags holding firm. A few bags were swept off by the Surf, but the reinforcements to the barricades were able to withstand the force of the legendary.
Unfortunately, they weren't made to withstand the force of two legendaries.
A Fire Blast blew their defenses apart, blowing the peons and their Pokemon down to the sand.
Entei gave a furious roar, joining his fellow beast on the battlefield. Snarling with a fury that could only be matched by a volcano ready to burst. Already, a few Pokemon had managed to stagger to their feet, Water-types by the looks of it. A Sharpedo and a Crawdaunt specifically. Both of them glared at Entei as they fired a Water Pulse, right at the Volcano Pokemon.
The lion just snorted as fire and embers began to spew from his smoke-like mane, and flame filled his maw. Pawing the earth, Entei ran right into the double Water Pulse. A regular Fire-type probably would've fainted from such an onslaught. But most Fire-types couldn't cause still water to steam just from their immediate presence, let alone thundering streams firing at full blast.
Crawdaunt and Sharpedo panicked at the sight of Entei charging through the tempest, the flames in his mane and mouth burning ever more furiously. All they could do was brace themselves before being sent flying by Entei's Flame Wheel.
Entei probably would've roared with triumph…if he wasn't immediately brought reeling to the ground by a devastating Earthquake.
The Torterra Mecha specialized in artillery bombardment, but that didn't mean it didn't come equipped for close-quarters encounters. Seeing the Volcano Pokemon being down from the heaving earth, the robotic Pokemon opened fire from a pair of chain guns strapped to its chin. Suicune attempted to intervene to bail out the downed Entei, firing an Ice Beam at the mech. All the stream of ice met though was a wall of energy, the mech having brought up its shield with Protect.
Poking its head back out, the mech reared up on its hind legs, thrusters in its forelimbs heralding another Earthquake. Everyone braced as the pilot brought the machine down…
The Earthquake never came.
Instead, a Flamethrower and an Ice Beam raked streaks of fire and ice across the now exposed chest of the Torterra mech. A minor explosion occurred as the two clashing elements met in the middle from the intense heat and cold. It wasn't as powerful as if lightning had been thrown into the mix, but it was more than enough to send the robotic Pokemon crashing back on all fours.
A pair of warcries heralded the arrival of the wielders of such extreme elements: Moltres and Articuno.
Staggering back to his feet, Entei roared back a greeting before joining the fray, his legs carrying him right to the mech. However, the Crawdaunt from earlier managed to scramble onto his feet and fired another Water Pulse in defiance of the Volcano Pokemon's assault. Another Ice Beam from Articuno though stopped the stream of water right in its tracks. The combination of water and ice created a fine Mist, which Articuno capitalized on by flapping his wings to give them cover.
Such a screening didn't protect them from an assault from below. The earth erupted from below, splintering as a Krookodile emerged from his Dig, smashing right into Entei. His rage reaching a fever pitch from being attacked from both sides, the lion snarled as he swiped his aggressor away with a swipe of his paw, firing a Flamethrower in retaliation for the croc's surprising strike. Flames and embers washed across the Ground-type, but their hardened scales were able to just hold out against the legendary's inferno. Krookodile launched out of the flames to avoid more injury and bit down on the beleaguered lion's shoulder with a Crunch.
Seeing his "sibling" in trouble, Suicune rushed forward to assist, trying to get in a Hydro Pump to remove the troublesome reptile. He never got far though when a pair of discs flew past him. Before the legendary could react, a wave of greenish power followed in the discs' wake, smashing into him. The Aurora Pokemon cried with surprise, feeling floral energy bring him down to the earth. Flying through the air, the discs infused with grass energy returned to their slots in the Torterra mech's sides to recharge the Leaf Storm. Not wanting to let up on the advantage though, the mech trained its chain guns at the downed Pokemon and opened fire.
It was then that Moltres swept from above, seeing what was going on. The phoenix gave a warcry as he let forth a Flamethrower from his beak, practically melting through the bullets and careening straight towards the troublesome mech. Another shield though just popped up, the Protect shielding the mech from the intense flames.
The distraction though gave Suicune a moment to get back up onto his feet…only for a Mightyhena from behind to leap upon the beast, digging into his shoulder with a Crunch.
The source of the attack came from behind as the retreating Cipher peons got back into range. One jeep swerved around the carnage to fall back behind the front the Torterra was securing. The other two swung in close, wanting to even the odds against the legendaries. Any moment spared to take at least one of those beasts down would increase their chances for the battle ahead. To that end, they set forth their Pokemon to make a few strikes to soften them up so their comrades could bring them down. Already the last surviving Crobat was bearing down on the hobbled Suicune, who was too busy trying to shake off his unwanted passenger.
A chrome-colored bird though slammed into the bat's side first with a Drill Peck. Skarmory cried out as he knocked the already winded Pokemon right out of the sky, before getting a Sludge Bomb right to the face. Before he could retaliate, the Weezing from before slammed into his chest, a metal CLANG! ringing out as hard carapace smashed into hardened steel.
Before he could continue the offensive though, a Shadow Ball was driven right into Weezing's flank. The Poison-type was knocked off course and away from Skarmory, giving the armored bird breathing room to claw out the disgusting residue from his eyes. His vision returned and full of rage, Skarmory gave a warcry, diving in and raking his Steel Wings against Weezing's hide.
Weezing cried out as he was sent spiraling out of the sky, following his now fainted companion. Skarmory's eyes were drawn elsewhere though, resting on a floating cloud of spectral energy in the form of Eldes's Gengar. The Steel-type gave a thankful nod to the ghost before diving once again into combat.
Down below, the two jeeps were thrown into chaos. Gliscor and Sandslash had gone ahead and quickly Dug tunnels in the path of the jeeps, loosening the sand and causing the normally desert-resistant vehicles to sink into the earth. The peons quickly took cover behind the now trapped vehicles, their Pokemon beginning to back up and form a semicircle around them. The second wave of the attack force had caught up to them, rapidly bearing down on their position with some of the faster members of the team. Master Eagun's Raichu and a Blaziken led the charge, sending out fire and electricity against the defending Cipher troops.
The tide of battle had begun to swing once again, and the second line knew it. Already, peons were beginning to retreat through the canyon behind them to the third and final line. Michael grimaced. Something told him this may have been the plan from the get-go. That the second line was just a holding action so they could retreat to a better position. And if what he and the resistance heard about what was waiting in store…they were gonna be in for a slugfest.
Course, it wasn't reassuring that a gigantic metal war machine was standing between them and the retreating peons. And right now, that machine's weapons were trained at a pair of worn-out beasts. Suicune and Entei staggered to their feet, just barely able to keep themselves up from the heavy barrage of attacks the Torterra mech was throwing at them. The sound of an opening panel alerted them to a pair of launchers coming out from the robot's sides, laden and heavy with rockets.
They snarled in at least some form of defiance when the launchers fired a salvo of rockets right at them. The two began to ready their special attacks, hoping to knock some of the projectiles in mid-air. This was gonna hurt either way, but at least they could go down swinging.
What they didn't expect was a series of Thunderbolts to send the rockets off course, their guidance systems interfered from the electrical shocks.
Both the Volcano and Aurora Pokemon let out sighs of relief as they felt a familiar electrical charge run through their fur. Raikou ran up to his "siblings'" side, letting out a roar of thunder at the mechanical weapon.
On the beasts' flanks, Articuno and Moltres were joined by their electric counterpart, Zapdos.
All in all, six legendaries were now facing down a single mecha. That alone would've broken almost anyone.
Of course, this was Cipher. And they weren't known for backing down against the odds.
The Torterra mech silently trained all of its weapons on the legendaries. Gattling guns, rocket launchers, and the Leafstorm discs opened fire. It was a brilliant barrage that hadn't been seen in Orre since the time of the war itself. Zapdos and Raikou sent Thunderbolts to misdirect the rockets, but there was no way they could catch all of them, let alone the entire arsenal.
Powerful they may be, the exhausted legendaries knew that at least some of them were going down.
Course…they weren't entirely alone.
A bell-like cry could be heard from above, heralding the arrival of rainbow wings and the inferno of the Great Phoenix himself.
Ho-Oh cried out as he swooped in and flapped his great wings, bringing forth a raging inferno with Sacred Fire. On his neck, Wes and Rui hung on, their hair blowing from the furious attack. The Sacred Fire smashed into the oncoming Leaf Storm, holding the surging power in its tracks. For a moment or two, the powers clashed. But eventually, the heat overcame the discs, causing their internal computers to combust. Without the discs, the Leaf Storm could not be sustained, allowing the Sacred Fire to incinerate the field and smash right into the mech. The pilot was just able to bring up their Protect to shield themselves from the attack.
Wes looked to his sides as he saw the other legendaries strike out with their special attacks, trying to catch as many of the projectiles as they could. It wouldn't be long before they trained all of those attacks on the Torterra mech. Not even a fully powered energy shield would be able to protect the pilot from such a powerful combination.
And he wondered if the pilot knew it too.
As the Sacred Fire burnt up into cinders, and the sounds of the barrage faded into the distance, both sides stood opposite each other. Dust blew across the field, the sand scorched and the earth was destroyed from the savage fighting.
The beasts looked to Wes for guidance. "Take it easy. Don't fire unless they decide to be stupid," he simply commanded. Nodding, the trio stood down but kept their eyes trained on the mech.
Up above, the birds also turned toward their trainer. Michael just sat there, staring at the mech. What is that pilot thinking? he wondered. There's no way they can expect to win this. All it would take was just one combo…I've seen it done before and…it's not like they don't deserv-
He shook his head clear. No. They need the chance.
"You guys hang back too," he ordered. The titans looked a little surprised, but they brought their auras and powers down. They weren't planning on being executioners today.
Seeing his side stand down, Michael looked towards the Torterra mech. He hoped…no, he prayed the pilot got the message. If they pressed their luck, there's no telling if they'd be able to survive. After all, one didn't exactly face this amount of powerful Pokemon and expect to come back in one piece.
The seconds passed. Michael, Wes, and their Pokemon were getting antsy with each passing second. The mech just stood there with its barrels smoking, expressionless. If this dragged out too long, chances were somebody was gonna lose their nerve, and the battle would restart.
…
…after what seemed like an agonizingly long period…
…the mech lowered its head to the ground, the cockpit opening.
From the pilot's seat, a peon unstrapped herself and clambered out, hands held high.
Michael and Wes let themselves deflate. They just managed to avoid a disaster at least.
Course…there was just one line left.
"Justy! Second line's secure! Bring up your heavy hitters so we can secure the base!" Michael said into his intercom.
"No problem! We're sending the calvary in now!" the voice on the PDA said. Down below, several Pokeballs flashed open, releasing their occupants. Michael recognized Eldes's Flygon, Cail's Aggron, and Ironfang among the group, pummeling their way through the gaps the second wave made. They would be quite the force to be reckoned with.
"If you need to send some Pokemon back, we've got the first line secure and we're using it to heal up!"
"No problem! I'll send the birds your way. They got pretty banged up!" Michael responded. Lugia reacted accordingly, calling out to the birds and telling them to head back to the first line. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres cried out their acknowledgments as they flew back, grateful to get some much-needed rest after a long and grueling battle. Down below, the legendary beasts also fell back towards the first line.
"We're looking a little light on the third wave!" Rui pointed out. "You sure we want to press the attack?"
"Preposterous! And here Chobin finalizing the finishing touches on the Mark 3…"
Said Mark 3 was trudging out of one of the heavier carriers that had fought its way from the first line. Even from high up above, Michael could see the sheer mass and size of the Robo Groudon, its red shell gleaming in the desert sun. Visually, it wasn't all that different since the last time he had the…pleasure of seeing the robotic legendary in action. Although truth be told, he was excited to see the upgraded construct in action and on the same side for once.
Glad to finally see him on the field for once. Can't imagine what being cooped up in that old laboratory does to somebody, Lugia commented. Michael relayed his legendary's words through the communicator sans the laboratory comment. Knowing Chobin he'd probably take a potshot at them the moment the words left his mouth.
"It certainly is a pleasure to see these mechs in action, that's for certain! …you know, aside from being on the opposite side of the war," Chobin quickly added. The robotic saurian was taking a brief moment to take a look at the powered-down Torterra mech, probably getting information to see how well Cipher had done to replicate his idol's work.
Justy noticed the relatively intact mech as well. "I thought these were supposed to have been scrapped prototypes, but they've been doing a good job at holding us back."
"Greevil has deep pockets and deeper connections. Probably hired some of the best engineers in the world to patch out the deficiencies in these designs. This…does worry Chobin if word of these ever got out. Last thing the world needs is more of them running around."
Michael wasn't exactly sure if there were any laws regarding extremely powerful war machines like this, but he did know that any criminal enterprise or warmonger worth their salt would die to have their hands on one of these perfected machines. Assuming they had the pockets for them of course. Hopefully, Looker would be able to keep these things out of the wrong hands.
Made him wonder just what more Cipher had in store up ahead…
"Chobin simply requests an escort. The magnificent Dr. Kaminko's crown piece is powerful, but even the strongest war machine falters when overwhelmed."
"...acknowledged," was Justy's response to the rather flowery request. Already the Pokemon in the third group were forming an escort around the mech as it began to march straight forward into the maw of the canyon. Maneuvering would be a bit tight in there so they needed to pound the enemy fast before they could fully reform their lines.
The canyon also meant there wouldn't be too much room for fliers to maneuver. Michael felt torn. He wanted to be in the thick of it, fighting Cipher like in the old days…
We'll get our chance, Michael. We just need to be patient, Lugia gently consoled. We wouldn't even get anywhere close to Greevil without being winded if we tried to take them all on by ourselves. For what's ahead, we need to be at 100%.
"...you're right." Michael could and will try to keep his desire to end this a little while longer. Just the thought of Greevil being stopped was enough to keep him waiting.
And so they went into the canyon, towards the final line before the base proper. As before, Michael and Lugia scouted ahead to see what was what. No surprises for the final push could be afforded.
Though they could tell something was off already. Not on the PDA, they weren't picking anything up.
No. There were already sounds of…fighting up ahead. Even though no one on their side had pushed that aggressively up the canyon.
When the fortification came into view, a flurry of activity caught Michael's attention. He zoomed in to see what was going on. The various sandbags and fortifications were pretty solid. There even seemed to be a pair of pillboxes in place at gaps between the barriers. Overall, it would've made for an effective defense given the time they had.
The only problem was that the defenders were too busy fighting each other than they were manning the defenses.
Lugia dove in closer to give his rider a better look at the confused melee. Michael could see it well. The Cipher peons were split up into two groups, all facing and engaged in one another in ferocious combat. Pokemon that would've normally been allies turned their ire on one another. One side was confused and panicked, trying to get the other to back down. The other was more focused, led by a commander who was directing the internal attack.
It was how well said the leader was conducting himself and his followers that struck Michael. Almost as if this were planned for a good while. Compared to the panicked and enraged demeanor of the defending forces, Michael wagered that there was a faction of dissidents in their ranks.
He couldn't help himself but smirk at the chaos among the enemy ranks. It seemed Cipher's unity was now effectively shattered.
Michael probably would've been more enthusiastic about more fighters on their side…if not for the robotic Tyranitar on the defensive.
Towering over the melee, the Mecha-Tyranitar was almost a league on to itself. Emerald reinforced steel dominated a powerful frame. Great metal spikes ran down its back, rockets awaiting at the base of each. On top of all this metal and bristling weaponry sat an imposing, saurian-esque head. The great machine released a chilling digitized roar, batting both Pokemon and peon aside with great sweeps of its powerful arms.
Opening its maw, the mechanical terror unleashed a Hyper Beam, punching holes within the ranks of the would-be defectors. Yet the carnage didn't end when the beam powered down. Instead, a salvo of rockets was fired from its back, smashing into the battered ranks of the defenders. Both peon and Pokemon were scrambling for whatever cover they could find, allowing the loyalists to press the advantage.
This was no battle. It had all the hallmarks of a massacre.
"They're getting slaughtered down there!" Rui cried out, managing to vocalize what everyone was thinking, but didn't have the wits to put it into proper words. This mech was the final defense that Greevil had in store, and it showed why he held it in reserve. It was almost an army in itself.
All Michael heard on the communicator was a derisive snort.
"It may be quite an impressive machine, but it's no match for the brilliance of Dr. Kaminko!"
The mechanical roar of Robo Groudon reverberated up the valley walls, almost sounding as though it was coming from everywhere at once. Now it was the loyalists' turn to panic as they saw several tons of metal thundering towards them, dust and dirt kicking up in its wake. Its last step came down especially hard, sending an Earthquake right into the surprised peons. Anybody who didn't take cover behind a barricade was knocked right off their feet. The reverberations caused one of the pillboxes to collapse in on itself it was that powerful.
Though not powerful enough to break through Tyranitar's Protect, the earth splintering against the energy shield.
Both robotic saurians stared at one another right in the eye. So similar yet…so different. The Robo Groudon greatly resembled its namesake for one. The Mecha-Tyranitar…only in a vague sense like the others.
Even still, the similarities were uncanny. After all, the Mecha-Tyranitar probably wouldn't be running if it weren't for Kaminko's research. Michael wondered if Chobin was that ashamed that his idol's work was misused in such a way. That maybe this was just another reason the plucky scientist left the lab and marched onto the battlefield.
Regardless, there was no mistaking how this would end.
Robo Groudon and Mecha-Tyranitar roared at one another, the battle lines having been drawn.
Both mechs stampeded towards each other, the very earth-shaking from their charge. Anybody who had any sense on any one side of the battlefield promptly did the smart thing and ducked out of the way of several tons of metal hurtling towards one another. When the two heavy mechs promptly slammed their very bulk and heavy bodies together, an ear-shattering CLANG! reverberated throughout the valley. Truth be told, anything that wasn't a highly advanced and heavy mech would've been pulverized by the clash.
The charge became a contest of strength as both robots jostled, pushing, and shoving against each other. And already Robo Groudon was finding purchase, Chobin able to use the slight height advantage his mech had to push Mecha-Tyranitar's arms down. In response, the rocket chutes at Cipher's weapon snapped open and released a barrage. Sensors in Robo-Groudon's chassis alerted Chobin to the projectiles arcing around the metal saurian's back and coming right at the robotic legendary's bulk.
Robo Groudon simply tucked in its head as best it could and withstood the barrage. Rockets smashed against the red plating, but none of them could penetrate. Dr. Kaminko had further reinforced his masterpiece to be able to withstand such weapons. For now, the thick shields held firm.
Now it was time to turn that heavy plating from a mere piece of armor to a weapon.
Inside the cockpit, Chobin pushed the head controls forward and braced himself. For Robo Groudon's heavy metal head slammed into Mecha-Tyranitar's face with Iron Head. Needless to say, one big head smashing into another big head would cause a bit of whiplash. Though between the two, Robo Groudon was a bit more structurally sound. The reinforcements gave it an edge, better able to handle the whiplash.
Mecha-Tyranitar…didn't have that. Its head and torso were flung back, reeling with the impact. Though that didn't mean it was out of the fight. As it swung around, a large blade emerged from underneath its right forearm. Its trajectory was calculated by Robo Groudon's onboard computers, and Chobin was able to react accordingly, bringing up a metal armor against the blade. Sparks flew from the blade scraping against the red plating, gliding off harmless.
But that left the robotic legendary out of position for when the rival mech kept spinning, bringing its heavy Iron Tail right into its flank. Robo-Groudon stumbled, just being able to right itself as the Mecha-Tyranitar charged once again, pushing Kaminko's robot back.
Robo Groudon's gears began to grind, preparing for it to push back against the contest of strength.
Until a Hydro Pump from the flank brought the metal beast down on one knee.
On the other, a DragonBreath brought down the other knee.
Kaminko's project was in many ways a masterpiece of engineering. But that didn't change the fact that Chobin had found himself surrounded by Cipher's Pokemon. And you could only hold out for so long against so many sides.
Mecha-Tyranitar's maw opened up as a bright glow began to form within, aiming right at Robo Groudon's face. Sensors in the head began to light up, warnings for an incoming Hyper Beam.
The damage would've been significant…if it had fired.
Instead, Ironfang swooped in and raked a Dragon Claw right in the Mecha-Tyranitar's face. At Robo Groudon's side, Flygon raced past and fired a DragonBreath in the machine's flank. Even a powerful machine such as Cipher's last bastion couldn't help but be pushed back from the assault.
Chobin must've been breathing a sigh of relief as the rest of the Pokemon covered his flanks, Eldes's Metagross and Tauros pushing back against the horde. To Robo Groudon's left, the metal form of Aggron was busy batting away a Golem with Iron Tail, and raking his Iron Claws against a Hariyama.
Getting back up on its feet, Robo Groudon bellowed as it left forth a Flamethrower in the emerald robot's face. A blur of orange to the mech's side materialized into Gonzap's Charizard, who snarled as he let forth his own Flamethrower. Combined, the intense heat was able to push the rival machine back a bit.
The assault didn't last forever though. An energy shield from the robotic Tyranitar's Protect pushed back against the flames, forcing the inferno to go around the saurian.
That's when things began to go wrong. A strange red glow began to emanate from dark slots on Mecha-Tyranitar's chest.
Sensors aboard Robo Groudon must've been going haywire because the mech lunged forward, probably to stop whatever was coming. Charizard followed in the machine's wake, sensing something bad was about to happen. If they didn't stop it-
Mecha-Tyranitar roared as the Protect turned into dark energy pulsating outward, the Dark Pulse pushing both Robo Groudon and Charizard back. Chobin managed to keep his machine on two feet, stomping into the ground to regain its balance. Charizard also managed to regain his flight path, turning towards the opposing robot.
Only for the fire drake to gasp in horror.
Red lightning and sparks of darkness danced across the battlefield. You could've mistaken them for coming from the Dark Pulse. But looking up, it was pretty clear where the energy came from.
Mecha-Tyranitar had…changed. The purple belly plate had become a dark red. The spikes running down its back to its tail had lengthened considerably, in particular, a horn on its head having grown considerably in height.
Michael gulped nervously. They had known it was a possibility if Cipher had gotten ahold of Dr. Kaminko's research, but he was still shocked speechless. Espeon flinched from the transformation, knowing exactly what had transpired.
But it took a cry from Wes to put things in perspective. "DID THAT THING JUST MEGA-EVOLVE?!"
Chobin probably was going into a spiel about how Robo Groudon's Primal Reversion was not too dissimilar to Mega-Evolution, but it was drowned out by Mega Mecha-Tyranitar's thunderous roar. Things had…gotten more difficult.
Michael wasn't sure if Chobin was as intimidated as he was, but it certainly didn't show as Robo Groudon bellowed, rushing forward with a rocket-powered Hammer Arm at the ready. The Mega Evolved mech just raised its tail and slammed it into the ground, a massive Earthquake rupturing through the earth. Even from above, it looked more powerful than usual, the very walls of the canyon shaking from the tremors.
Robo Groudon held out its other arm, no doubt Chobin counting on its powerful build to bulldoze right through the heaving earth. Its hardened steel smashed into a wall of upturned earth-
-and the robotic legendary was forced back. The momentum from the charge stopped dead in its tracks. It took Robo Groudon digging its claws into the angry earth to prevent itself from being knocked over by the Earthquake.
Unfortunately, that left it defenseless for a charging Mecha-Tyranitar, all too eager for some payback from earlier. It ducked its head down and brought it right in the red saurian's throat. Robo Groudon was almost lifted off the ground from the Iron Head, the sharp spike jutting from the carving a groove in the mechanical legendary's face.
To make a bad situation even worse, Cipher's robot positioned one of its arms right at the chest of Robo Groudon, approximately where the pilot cockpit was. And already the blade was beginning to fire out…
…but fate was on Chobin's side that day.
A heavy impact on Mecha-Tyranitar's right side caused it to lurch to the side, the blade firing into Robo Groudon's armored flank. Cail's Aggron had turned and seen what had happened, barreling into the robotic Armor Pokemon with a Take Down before turning around and slamming an Iron Tail into its side.
Mecha-Tyranitar roared, turning towards the smaller dinosaur and bringing out the blade in its other arm in a wild arc. Aggron quickly ducked his head so his armored frill could take the swipe, but the force as the blade crashed into his frill was enough to send him to the ground. The mech readied its other blade to skewer hardened flesh, but a powerful Hyper Beam slammed into its face.
Ironfang roared, pouring in the Hyper Beam. Aggron was both rival and friend. He refused to let him die in such an ignominious way.
Gonzap's Charizard joined the Dragonite in the assault, firing an infernal Fire Blast into the chest of the soulless machine. Both dragons poured in their attacks, actually forcing the mega-evolved mech back.
Course, they couldn't keep up an assault like this forever.
A pair of generators opened up from Mecha-Tyranitar's sides, humming with power. Energy lashed out from them both into the ground, digging into the earth. Within a minute, the earth heaved from large chunks of rock being pulled from the ground and suspended by the generators.
The devices then aimed at the Flying-types and fired their payload.
Between the Hyper Beam and Fire Blast, neither Ironfang nor Charizard could see the Rock Slide incoming. Both dragons were pummeled by the heavy rocks and smashed straight into the ground almost effortlessly.
Ironfang shook his head to stop the ringing in his ears. His vision blurred, just barely able to make out the form of the robotic Tyranitar looming over them, its back rockets readying for another barrage.
Before the rockets flew and spelled the doom for Ironfang and Charizard though, a huge rock slammed right into Mecha-Tyranitar's face. Shaking its head clear of the dust, the machine turned-
-and had a gigantic spear of earth sever one of its arms.
For the first time in the battle, Mecha-Tyranitar backpedaled from the Precipice Blades, getting clear of the forest of sharpened spikes. Its head snapped forward to face down the one who sent the blades.
Robo Groudon stomped forward, looking rather…different. While Mecha-Tyranitar was distracted by the other Pokemon, Chobin had taken the opportunity to initiate Protocol Primal. His machine was even bigger than it was before, its circuits flowing with primal energy and power. On its chest, the core was now armored by a layer of plating, protecting its source of power.
Primal Robo Groudon roared to the heavens, announcing its arrival and evening the odds.
Chobin pushed the machine thundering forward, kicking up ruined earth and smashing up rocks in its wake. Mecha-Tyranitar bellowed back, firing a barrage of rockets against the charging legendary. Instead of smashing against hardened steel though, they fired against solid rock. Robo Groudon had brought out its generators and formed a shield of stone against the incoming rocket storm with Ancient Power. The boulders were then aimed and fired at the rival mech at high speed.
Mecha-Tyranitar just brought out its shield generator, the Protect standing firm even as multi-ton rocks smashed into the shields.
Unfortunately, this left it vulnerable when the shields fell…and a charging Robo Groudon slammed a Hammer Arm into its chest. It stumbled back from the impact, the pilot no doubt feeling their teeth rattle from a rocket-powered metal arm slamming into reinforced steel. Robo Groudon followed up with another Hammer Arm, pushing it back further. To further the impact, each blow released a burst of primal energy from the mechanical legendary's claws, the primal energy heavily denting Mecha-Tyranitar's armor.
This assault probably would've killed any other Pokemon, and crippled any other mech. Indeed, the Mecha-Tyranitar was looking pretty banged up from the constant assaults.
But most mechas couldn't mega evolve either.
Just as Robo Groudon raised another arm to further pummel its rival, Mecha-Tyranitar let out a mighty roar as rockets from its legs roared to life, causing the mech to rush forward at incredible speed and force. Dark energy coalesced in front of it, forming a battering ram of steel and power. A Giga Impact. Chobin was so stunned by the show of force that he wasn't able to move out of the way before the Mecha-Tyranitar slammed into Robo Groudon with the Giga Impact, the force of the attack causing even Kaminko's masterpiece to stumble a ways back.
Seeing the carnage from above, Michael brought up his communicator. "I'm coming in to help out! We need to get past this guy and fast!"
"Negative Michael! Subject Mecha-Tyranitar is designated as a Rock/Dark Type. A hard counter to subject Lugia's Flying/Psychic typing. Recommend holding off for now!" Chobin stated back, though his rational analysis was tempered just a bit by a little worry in his voice.
"Yeah but we're gonna need Robo Groudon at near full strength if things go south with Greevil!" Michael responded. "Every moment we waste with this last line is another moment he has to finish Tempest!"
It was then that Wes pulled up with Ho-Oh beside Michael. "I've got an idea, but we're gonna need that thing to stand still for a few seconds!"
Eldes's voice replied with, "I can do that!" Down below, Michael was able to see through his visor that Eldes and the rest of their toughest trainers had made it through the second line and parked their transports right at the edge of the battle. Already they were disembarking in droves.
Michael looked at his older partner with a little bit of curiosity. "What'd you have in mind?"
Wes looked back…and sported a nasty grin while holding an Ultra Ball in his palm. Rui looked more than a little exasperated, already seeing the chaos about to unfold.
"Oh…just a little present," Wes admitted before urging Ho-Oh to dive into the chaos below. Michael, Lugia, and Espeon exchanged glances, not one wisely deciding to comment on the incoming madness.
Down below, Mecha-Tyranitar's advance indeed was halted by a rather irritating DragonBreath to the face. Flygon swooped by and raked the now smoking face with a Dragon Claw, not caring either that his opponent was a lot bigger than he was, or swinging a heavy arm to smash into his face. Though between a highly maneuverable dragonfly and a very large mech, the smaller Flygon proved to be the more agile of the two, quickly darting out of arm's reach.
Flygon gathered energy in his maw for a Hyper Beam, anything to delay the juggernaut for just a moment longer. He fired away, the beam striking Mecha-Tyranitar in what stood in for a throat. The damage seemed negligible against the thick armor, but it should be able to keep the robot still for a few sec-
CLANG!
The dragon found itself careening to the ground with his head spinning. Mecha-Tyranitar had suddenly lunged forward, smashing its steel cranium into Flygon with Iron Head. Needless to say, reinforced steel was able to clobber light carapace. And now the result was laying in a crumpled heap at its heavy feet.
If it would've sneered, Mecha-Tyranitar probably would've when it raised its foot to-
-a shadow suddenly overtook its vision, and a gust of wind kicked up the sand around it.
SLAM!
Mecha-Tyranitar lurched forward, unable to see Ho-Oh making a swoop just over his head.
And also unable to see Wes drop an Ultra Ball, which released a real Tyranitar right on the doppelganger's back.
It wasn't a quiet landing. 202 kg is a lot of weight to be dropped at any altitude. In this case, the force was enough to generate an Earthquake, the ground shattering around the staggered mecha. Flygon was just able to get out of the way, clearing his head and taking to the air before being crushed by the earth.
Tyranitar didn't stop there. It tore away metal plating and steel, Crunching straight through the armor. They wanted to make a fake version of itself? They were gonna get the real deal.
The dinosaur tore away a section of steel and found what looked like some kind of device on the back. It didn't look quite like a power generator, but it did look a bit like a-
A barrage of rockets to his back interrupted his thoughts. His thick green scales and powerful build were able to withstand the assault, but it more than certainly hurt. The pain was enough for Tyranitar to lose his grip for but a mere moment. A mere moment though was all it took for his mechanical double to lurch suddenly forward, throwing the battered saurian to the earth.
Pain wracked his body, his muscles crying out in agony. That barrage took a lot out of him, leaving him vulnerable when a shadow loomed over him. Mecha-Tyranitar's figure blocked out the sun, with only a light at the back of the machine's maw illuminating the blank expression.
Such a vacant expression…he wouldn't fall to a mindless automaton without a fight.
Tyranitar lunged forward, a Hyper Beam shooting forth from his mouth right at Mecha-Tyranitar's Hyper Beam fired. Both Hyper Beams collided in mid-air, each searching for purchase. Sweat began to bead down from Tyranitar's face from the effort needed to pour every last bit of power into this attack. The mech on the other hand just stood motionless, watching the dinosaur's valiant struggle with a visage, giving nothing aside from an advancing Hyper Beam, pushing through the weakened energy barely holding together.
All at once, Tyranitar's mind went blank. This… was it…
…at least until a massive blade of green light sliced through the Mecha-Tyranitar's remaining arm, the severed appendage slamming to the ground.
The Hyper Beam cut out from the sudden attack from the pilot turning the machine around to meet the new attacker. Tyranitar cut off his beam, his chest heaving to catch his breath and his mind racing from the intervention.
That was a Solar Blade, a rather powerful one at that. Sure it was a powerful attack, but it took a being of considerable strength to be able to slice through metal like that. Who could've-?
The answer came in the form of a small green being, staring down the much larger machine down.
Celebi.
Mecha-Tyranitar let out a digitized cry, the pilot seemingly not caring about who this new interloper was. They were just more sick of the constant interruptions and setbacks. The generators from its sides were snapped out, bringing up huge boulders from the earth, the rockets aiming, and a Hyper Beam at the ready. It was going to take something down, and the little fairy was a tempting target. With everything at the ready, Mecha-Tyranitar roared as it fired its rocket barrage, Hyper Beam, and Rock Slide prepared to wipe this last interloper off the face of the earth.
Celebi just stared back, a cool, almost bored expression facing down the incoming barrage.
All the projectiles smashed into where she was, kicking up huge plumes of smoke and fire. The barrage almost seemed to last forever, a carnage that only such a powerful mecha would bring to the table.
It was enough to make Michael shiver. If Mecha-Tyranitar was this tough…TEMPEST was going to be a nightmare if Greevil got it working.
The barrage did halt, however, the payload having been delivered. Huge amounts of smoke concealed whatever was there. It was enough though for Mecha-Tyranitar to let out a roar of victory that chilled everyone on both sides to the bone.
Was…was Celebi dead?
Their answer came in the form of massive tendrils of root smashing up through the earth, snaking their way through the armor on Mecha-Tyranitar's feet and into the systems. They jammed themselves into the motors in the legs, effectively trapping the surprised mecha.
Across the field, the smoke cleared, revealing a dense shield of battered and splintered roots. They slid back into the earth, exposing a virtually unharmed Celebi inside of a Safeguard shield.
Celebi just stared as she flew across the field, moving closer.
Mecha-Tyranitar tried to fire something at the approaching fae, but the roots were climbing up the mech's body, shutting down system after system. They infiltrated the firing mechanisms for the rockets, and into the core where the energy used for its attacks was stored and regenerated. The mech squirmed, trying to break free of the tendrils, but they just kept coming.
Then the struggles stopped when Celebi flew up to the mech's face. The metal face just stared back. Somehow, the pilot's fear was seeping through Mecha-Tyranitar's now broken mask of coldness.
A bellow came from behind. Celebi almost seemed to nod from whatever Tyranitar was telling her, but it broke her concentration for just a moment. The pilot took this opportunity and launched Tyranitar's head forward, trying to bite down on the distracted fairy.
Celebi was able to nimbly dodge behind the robot, looking at the exposed device. Whatever she was doing, it had to have been fast. Mecha-Tyranitar had broken through several roots and was close to breaking free.
Her eyes glowed with blue energy, her hands shooting out and channeling Psychic into the device to trigger…whatever it was.
And whatever it was…worked. Mecha-Tyranitar suddenly slumped over lifeless, its legs locking up in a standing up position.
Out of its back, a seat was ejected, parachutes catching the pilot before they could splat into the ground.
Celebi let out a sigh of relief. An ejection device.
That sigh was repeated throughout the battlefield as the Cipher peons, upon seeing their most powerful asset being overwhelmed surrendered.
Michael felt his shoulders sag, relaxing for a moment. All three lines had been overcome. They'd taken some losses but no deaths on their side. And it seemed like a great burden had been overcome. This was the real last bulk of Greevil's forces, or whatever remained of them. Looker would probably be along the way with some transport to pick everyone up.
In short, all that was left was the Grandmaster himself.
For the first time since this battle started, Lugia lowered himself to the ground in the middle of the battlefield, kicking up sand and dust with his great wings before landing. Michael was antsy. He had to settle for directing things from above. Now it was his chance to play his part.
Ho-Oh landed beside his counterpart, also depositing his riders. Wes got off first before giving a hand to Rui to gently lower her down on the sand. With his boots on the ground, Wes's first thought was to rush to the side of his fallen Tyranitar, kneeling beside the saurian. "You did good," he reassured the dinosaur as he began to apply healing items to patch up the worst of his wounds.
Rui tapped on his shoulder, getting his attention away from his Pokemon and towards Celebi who was hovering above him. "Thanks for watching out for him," Wes said with a grateful smile.
Celebi just smiled back and gave a shallow curtsy. Michael wasn't sure how a Pokemon that adorable was able to subdue a killer mech that gave them so much trouble.
Turning his attention toward the field, Michael saw the peons surrendering en masse. Both the loyal ones and the ones that had rebelled. In particular, he saw what looked to be their sergeant explaining what had happened. Coming in for a closer look, he thought he heard the leader call himself Torkin, and how he and a good portion of his squad were sick of whatever Greevil was feeding them. He had to send a pair of goons up to the frontline to draw off suspicion.
That would account for those two trainers that helped take down the Blastoise mech, Lugia mused. All Michael was relived by was just how shattered Cipher had become. During their height, their unity and dedication to the cause were one of their key strengths. If that wasn't working anymore…
"An empire that tears itself apart cannot stand."
Michael looked to his side, seeing Wes stand there. "Where'd you hear that?" the teen asked. It sounded like something you'd read from a history book.
"Old saying we had back in Snagem," Wes explained. "Gangs that tore themselves apart never managed to reform. At least, not wholly. Seeing Cipher infight like this…even if everything goes wrong with Greevil, there's no way they'd be able to bounce back from a defeat like this in such a quick period."
Michael couldn't agree more. Right now, Greevil was alone. And no matter how powerful the crime boss, he's just one man when he's on his own.
Speaking of which…
Michael looked towards the end of the canyon. There sat a rather ominous-looking hangar bay. Must've been the main entrance for the base.
And where Greevil is waiting for us, Lugia added.
I'll see what I can do about getting the beasts back into the fight. If all else fails, we'll at least have more fighters on our side if Greevil gets TEMPEST up into the air. Wes gave a thumbs up as Ho-Oh flapped his great wings, returning to the sky. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. There's been enough destruction this day as it has been. Plus if Greevil was holed up in the hideout, a smaller party would have a better chance of taking him down without bringing the base down on top of their heads.
To that end, both heroes looked right at each other.
"You and your Pokemon ready for this?" Michael asked.
"I managed to heal up my Pokemon as much as I could." A flash of light from his belt released his Umbreon and Espeon, who gave outbursts of dark and psychic energy respectively, indicating they were ready for anything. Rui also took her place by his side, face firm and ready to see this long nightmare finally come to an end.
"What about you? You ready?" Wes asked.
Michael didn't even need to look at Espeon to know the Sun Pokemon was ready. A gleam from his forehead gem was all he needed to know.
Lugia…
Lugia beat his wings and cried, ready for anything.
That was all Michael needed to respond "We're ready. Let's…let's finish this."
So Michael, Wes, Rui, and their Pokemon marched towards the ominous hangar. Knowing that their final battle was afoot.
And with it, the fate of Orre, possibly the entire planet, would hang in the balance.
A/N: …July the Fourth vacation, work, and summer school. I am SO sorry for the delay.
I swear life just hates me.
Not much to say here. The first big phase of the battle has been completed. Needless to say that writing a large-scale Pokemon battle was…difficult. Bit of an understatement but there you go. Considering this is one big battle sequence, it took a bit of writing to get through. Hopefully, the next chapter being a more traditional Pokemon battle will help ease things up.
Hopefully.
Needless to say, everyone is on display here. Their Pokemon amid things and getting to show off what they can do. In particular in regards to the mechs. Hopefully, the build-up to them working together was worth it.
Robo Groudon returns and gets to throw down with Mecha-Tyranitar. Figured the mech mega-evolving would make some sense since it was derived from Robo Groudon being able to undergo Primal Reversion. Plus the sight of two super-powered robotic dinosaurs just…appeals to me.
Celebi also gets to show off why she's a Mythical for a good reason. Being able to take down and finish of Mecha-Tyranitar seemed like a good way to get her into the fight.
Plus her bailing out the real Tyranitar seems like a good little nod to the fourth movie since the Masked Marauder's juggernaut there was a corrupted Tyranitar.
And at long last, the long-awaited rematch between Michael and Greevil is coming up in the next chapter. What will the Grandmaster have in store? And how's he gonna react to his pet project being purified? All of this and more in the next chapter! Thank you all for taking the time to read this. Feel free to leave a review, and make sure to favorite and follow if you want to see more. And as always, have a great day, and see you next time!