That being said…
For the sake of insurance, Maxie still sent them to obstruct outside forces such as Trainers and the police, eliminating any potential threats… After all, Team Magma could no longer afford to lose. Clinging to the thought that completing this mission would put him on the path to the peak of his life, the Team Magma squad captain had no choice but to take things seriously.
Team Magma’s Pokémon lineup consisted almost entirely of Pokémon such as Mightyena, Crobat, Weezing, and Camerupt, though some special squads also fielded Pokémon of other types. The police still had enough strength to fight Team Magma, but the Trainers could only overwhelm them through sheer numbers and individual strength, with virtually no coordination at all.
Lavaridge Town’s security forces alone were insufficient to deal with Team Magma, so recruiting Trainers had been unavoidable. However, to the police’s surprise, several of these Trainers truly proved to be of great help. Their individual combat ability even surpassed that of officers working together, and one person’s performance was especially eye-catching.
“Who is that?”
“I think his name is Troy.”
Amid the chaotic battle, Troy commanded Heracross to fight with wild ferocity. Heracross’s distinctive appearance drew plenty of attention even in the confusion, and some officers who had coordinated with Troy for several exchanges even began considering recruiting him into the police force.
Heracross resembled a gigantic rhinoceros beetle. Its shell was dark blue, and its forelimbs were stronger than its hind legs. According to the Pokédex, Heracross’s entire body was covered in skin as hard as iron, and it possessed astonishing strength. It could easily hurl objects one hundred times its own body weight. Although these descriptions contained some exaggeration, they indirectly demonstrated Heracross’s power. However, Heracross itself was generally a rather docile Bug-type Pokémon.
Of course, the word docile had nothing to do with Troy’s Heracross. This Heracross fought with extreme savagery. Even while surrounded by several Pokémon, it showed no signs of being at a disadvantage and radiated overwhelming momentum.
Upon closer inspection, something resembling silver armor could be seen wedged into the recessed joints between Heracross’s forelimbs and shoulders.
Those were not pieces of protective equipment, but two living Pokémon—Durant, Bug-type Pokémon whose species primarily inhabited the Unova region!
Studying under Rotom Pokédex had allowed Troy to acquire knowledge inaccessible to many Trainers, even including ideas for constructing a core system. In addition, he had also studied under Kotoko and learned many actual combat techniques that ordinary Trainers had no access to. The steel insect king Heracross before them was the single-core tactic Troy had developed.
This Heracross possessed the Moxie Ability. Every time it defeated an opponent, its mental power grew stronger through increasing confidence, stimulating more of its potential and raising its Attack power. This was the foundation that allowed Heracross to fight continuously.
Meanwhile, the two Durant had been specially trained to consume Berries and use Bug Bite to secrete extremely powerful adhesive mucus, combining themselves with Heracross. While Heracross fought, the first Durant independently and steadily used Agility, then passed that state to Heracross through Baton Pass, allowing it to continue accelerating during battle. The second Durant used Iron Defense and likewise transferred the enhancement to Heracross through Baton Pass, further hardening its already iron-like skin. As a result, ordinary moves could hardly injure Heracross.
Because the Durant had combined with Heracross, they were difficult to target individually. Baton Pass could be used smoothly without wasting time, and with the support of Heracross’s Ability, it directly displayed the power to grow fiercer the longer it fought. After defeating several Pokémon, its speed, strength, and defense began reaching their peaks.
With a mighty shove, Heracross sent two Mightyena flying with its palms, smashing them into a Crobat in the sky. The force was so great that Crobat immediately lost consciousness.
Even when bitten by Mightyena, its steel-like body suffered only minor damage. With a violent swing, Heracross defeated yet another opponent.
Its claws lashed out and its massive horn rammed forward. Empowered by Agility, Heracross seemed to be performing a dance of slaughter, while its steel-like skin served as its finest shield. Before long, with Heracross breaking through the enemy formation at a single point, the police gradually expanded their advantage, and this Team Magma squad was defeated as expected.
“Next, we’ll form a special support squad to assist Elite Four Moore,” Officer Jenny said. “Any officers still capable of fighting, step forward.”
“I want to go.” Troy spoke without hesitation. This small number of Team Magma members was nowhere near enough to vent his anger.
Officer Jenny had also noticed Troy’s outstanding performance in the battle and could not help but value his talent. “It will be very dangerous. Stay with the main force.”
“I’m Troy, an apprentice of Fallarbor Gym. I request permission to join the special support squad!” Troy declared decisively, revealing his background in front of the defeated Team Magma members.
“Fallarbor Gym?”
“Elite Four Terrance’s…” Officer Jenny blurted out instinctively. The others immediately showed expressions of realization as well.
No wonder Troy possessed such strength, and no wonder he had displayed a ruthlessness unlike the other Trainers during the battle. That was right… If he was an apprentice of Fallarbor Gym, could Troy have personally experienced Team Magma’s previous invasion of Fallarbor Gym?
Realizing this, Officer Jenny suddenly understood Troy’s feelings and nodded.
“We’ll be counting on you.”
Time was pressing. Once the units had been organized, the first wave of forces quickly split into two groups. One went to support the old Elite Four Moore, while the other remained behind to handle the battlefield before heading off to reinforce the other units.
At this moment, the battle between Elite Four Moore and Tabitha had already reached a fever pitch. Although Moore was no longer as strong as he had been in his prime, Tabitha still could not compare to him. However, as the person in charge of the Volcano Plan, Tabitha could mobilize several powerful Pokémon that had entered the top-tier, including some of Maxie’s main Pokémon and part of Team Magma’s hidden reserves. Faced with such a lineup, Moore was actually forced onto the defensive for a time.
Typhlosion, Charizard, Torkoal, and the other Pokémon currently at Moore’s side were his strongest partners, but all of them were thoroughly suppressed by that Heatran.
Police reinforcements soon arrived and helped relieve some of Moore’s pressure. However, even with their numerical advantage, the police still found it difficult to turn the situation around against Tabitha’s Pokémon.
“Hold them back as long as possible,” Officer Jenny said.
“Tch.” Watching the situation grow increasingly chaotic, Tabitha glanced into the distance. Groudon was about to enter the sea, so he needed to withdraw as soon as possible. Otherwise, once the League’s top combat forces arrived, he would be in serious trouble.
You can read ahead upto 65 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon.