Pokemon Heroes: Sinnoh Saga [Book 1]

Chapter 73: Lake Valor--Team Galactic Strikes

"I don't need to tell you, as anyone who knows this story knows the outcome of the Battle for Lake Valor, knows that Team Galactic won that day. They had stolen the Legendary Pokémon Azelf. But it was not a victory that came without great cost. Many grunts were captured and arrested, and the victory was almost pyrrhic for Galactic Commander Saturn. We did not let him get away without great cost to Team Galactic. If our struggle against Team Galactic could be described as a war, this was an important battle, but a strategic failure. A loss. But that did not mean we had lost the war...or that the loss came without it's positive side. But despite all we learned, and everyone we arrested—and even that the Pokémon League was able to restore and fix Lake Valor eventually—it did not stop the long series of struggles against Team Galactic that were to come."

Getting into Lake Valor was impossible.

Team Galactic had locked down the town, and while no one had been hurt, and the destruction wasn't as widespread among the resort as initially thought, people were kept locked in their homes, under close watch until Team Galactic had finished what they had set out to do.

It was one less thing the rescue team had to worry about, but they still had to get past Team Galactic.

The helicopters landed a good distance from the lake, though Sakura was forced to stay behind with the helicopters, so she wasn't hurt in the coming fight and Rort, with his bad leg, was forced to stay behind and watch her.

The landing zone was cleared and secured by Valentina, Crasher Wake, Fantina and Maylene. Cynthia and her grandmother Nilama were there too, and so was Sam's uncle Lou.

Lou had brought Rapidash for everyone, and a couple strong-looking farmhands to help out.

A small army had assembled to battle Team Galactic.

Once everyone was saddled and mounted on their Rapidash, they broke into groups.

Valentina led one group consisting of Maylene, Roark, Gardenia, Crasher Wake, and Lucas.

Cynthia's led a second group consisting of Palmer, Nilama, Professor Rowan, Fantina, Dawn, and Byron.

Lou led his farmhands in a third group—with Barry tagging along.

The fourth group was Sam, Jeremy, Pikachu, Niya and Alyssandra on their personal Rapidash.

Sam and his friends released their Lucario, to send them with each of the groups to keep communication between all four of them. It would be easier to coordinate their attacks that way.

Alyssandra's Lucario went with Valentina. Niya's Lucario went with Cynthia and her group, while Jeremy's Lucario went with Lou and his group.

Sam led his group atop Grey Flame, the Pokémon's ashen mane billowing like a pillar. Lucario ran beside the group, eyes closed, communicating with its siblings through aura, surveying the crater below.

Even the Pokémon could feel the weight of this situation.

The plan was simple, something Sam had come up with while everyone was still forming up and getting mounted.

Valentina would create a diversion in the town, attacking the resort in order to try and free the townsfolk and also draw away a bulk of the forces at the lake.

Sending the Champion and most of the Gym Leaders would mean Team Galactic would send as many of their grunts as they could to defend their hold on the town, as Gym Leaders and the Champion weren't going to be the easiest fight.

Cynthia would charge the eastern front of Lake Valor and draw away even more of Team Galactic's grunts—the hope would be to capture as many grunts as possible to thin out the available forces Team Galactic had in the future, and also to pull useful information about Team Galactic and their plans from the captured grunts.