Ardos, Cipher's Grand Master, is in jail. Over 20 years have passed since Snag Machines and the Purify Chamber were needed. A land where the sun outshines the gale of darkness seems too hostile for evil to thrive.
When two International Police offic...
There was no time for Aiko and Laila to ponder who betrayed them. Raidne and Leucosia had orders to stall them because GoD was, presumably, afraid he couldn't handle all of them at once. They couldn't let Leucosia's taunts distract them. They had to get to their friends as soon as possible.
Aiko sent out Swampert. Laila sent out Charizard. Leucosia and Raidne sent out Plusle and Minun. It didn't matter that their attacks wouldn't usually affect Swampert, because they only knew Shadow moves. Laila held up her Mega Ring. Explosive light cloaked Charizard as it became Mega Charizard X. Rock Slide crashed onto its opponents. Plusle summoned Shadow Sky. The flashing light struck the Trainers and their Pokémon. Minun flinched. It couldn't move. Swampert used Earthquake. The ground violently juddered. Both Plusle and Minun went down. Aiko high-fived Laila.
Meanwhile, Cipher Peons led by the masked Admin who showed up in Phenac City pounced on Team Magma above. They were outnumbered. Both Yan and Aiko, however, incorporated Pokémon battling into every Grunt's schedule. They were only sent on missions if they had at least three competent and fully-evolved Pokémon. They expected Shadow Pokémon. Cipher didn't expect the opposing Grunts to be so powerful. They never thought to check if Team Magma still used fleets of weak, recently-caught Zubat and Poochyena.
The Admin didn't expect Yan to be so feisty, let alone so strong, either. No-one warned him that Yan and Cypress had eight Gym Badges. It should have been obvious. When the wind ruffled their coats, the Badges pinned to the linings glinted in the moonlight. Everyone thought Yan was some nerdy loser who would cower in fear at the mere mention of their Shadow Pokémon... but even when a loyal Commander joined the Admin to fight Yan and Cypress, his Mega Camerupt and her Mega Blaziken took out all their Pokémon in one hit.
'I need reinforcements! I said, reinforcements! Someone help me! Now!'
No-one could help him. Those who weren't already wiped out were struggling to fight off the Team Magma Grunts they challenged. The Admin's hands shook as he took the radio from his belt.
'G-Grand Master... they're... stronger than anticipated... there's... a – a Mega Blaziken... and it just... it gets faster every turn!'
'Duh! Do any of you actually listen to me?! Take her Key Stone if it's causing such a problem!'
'I don't have any Pokémon left...'
'Use your bloody fists!'
At least that was something both the burly Admin and Commander were good at. Maybe they could take both Key Stones. They charged at Yan first. He looked weaker than Cypress. They were physically stronger, but Yan was better trained in martial arts. The Commander hastily changed course to attack Cypress when his boss was hurled over Yan's shoulder. She twisted from his grip. Her heavy boot flew into his face. He toppled to the floor, unconscious. The defeated Peons began to flee. Before their boss could join them, Yan removed the Admin's helmet. He hauled him to his feet to shine his Pokénav's torch in his face.
'Does anyone recognise this man?'
One of Aiko's Grunts raised her hand. 'Wilmot Rowe. Camden Fayed's manager.'
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