"Let's move. Eliminate those people quickly so Maxie doesn't find an opening."
After speaking, Drake flipped onto the back of his Salamence and charged to the very front of the battlefield. By now, both sides had ceased their long-range barrages, and every trainer was prepared for the final clash.
"Surrender, Maxie."
Drake looked at Maxie, who was walking at the head of the crowd, and spoke coldly.
"Until the final moment, who knows what might happen?"
Even in a desperate situation, Maxie remained composed. Two paths gradually formed through the crowd as two laser cannons were pushed forward.
"Salamence, Mega Evolution! Hyper Beam!"
The moment Drake saw those laser cannons, he realized something was wrong and immediately ordered Salamence to attack. Like Team Aqua, Team Magma had discovered items containing Groudon's energy. However, Maxie hadn't simply locked the items away. Instead, he used that energy as a power source to develop weapons. These two laser cannons were the products of Team Magma's research.
"Fire!"
Accompanying Maxie's voice, both laser cannons activated simultaneously. In the next second, two crimson beams shot out together. Mega Salamence could only block one of them.
The moment the orange-yellow and red pillars of light collided, a massive dark shadow rushed out from the crowd to intercept the remaining red beam. The one who acted was Phoebe, one of the Hoenn Elite Four, who was operating alongside Drake.
To everyone's surprise, the power of these two laser cannons was actually on par with Mega Salamence and Mega Sableye.
"This weapon surely cannot be used continuously. Have your Mega Sableye and my Mega Salamence keep up the pressure. Don't let those cannons fire anywhere else."
"After that, have our remaining Pokémon attack Maxie together!"
"No problem!"
Drake was not stunned by the cannons' power; instead, he reacted quickly. Mega Salamence and Mega Sableye launched a coordinated assault.
At this point, the weapon's flaw became apparent. No matter how powerful a weapon was, it still lacked the flexibility of a living Pokémon. Once the laser cannons were tied up, Drake and Phoebe commanded their other Pokémon to charge toward Maxie.
"Mega Evolution!"
Brilliant light erupted as Mega Blaziken and Mega Camerupt rushed out one after another. They were followed by Magcargo, Torkoal, Ninetales, and other Fire-type Pokémon. Weezing also drifted in mid-air above them.
Even with his strongest aces occupied, the combined efforts of the two Elite Four members still suppressed Maxie's offensive.
"Kill!"
Ear-splitting roars erupted as the Hoenn League trainers clashed with the members of Team Magma. On this chaotic battlefield, everyone was self-aware enough to stay clear of the battle between Drake's group and Maxie.
"Glad I made it in time. How could I miss a battle of this scale?"
Using Teleport, Gu Yuan appeared at the edge of the battlefield and spoke with slight excitement as he watched the two sides engage. After verifying his identity, Gu Yuan had rushed to the battlefield at maximum speed.
"Sylveon and Alakazam, stay by my side. Charizard, Moltres, Roaring Moon, and Volcanion, take turns attacking."
"Ditto, transform into Annihilape. Use Phantom Force to stay near me. Attack while ensuring you can return at any moment."
Before joining the fray, Gu Yuan began issuing orders to Charizard and the others. Even though his current strength had grown significantly, he didn't think he could act recklessly on such a chaotic battlefield. A single mistake could result in his death. Therefore, he had his four strongest Pokémon rotate in and out to ensure he had the capability to overcome any crisis.
"Mega Charizard Y, Fire God's Wrath!"
Using Teleport, Gu Yuan appeared behind an Ace Rank trainer. While Mega Charizard Y tied up the trainer's Pokémon, Annihilape struck first, killing the man with a single punch.
Holding the fallen trainer's Poké Ball, Gu Yuan didn't rush to end the fight by recalling the Pokémon inside. Instead, he calmly searched for his next opponent. Relying on its immense power, Mega Charizard Y crushed the opponent—who only had Beginner Elite strength—just as Gu Yuan found his next target.
Linking his chosen targets into a single path, Gu Yuan swung the Reaper's scythe once more. He first coordinated with a Hoenn League trainer to finish off the first target, then quickly appeared behind the next person.
His prior scouting and planning were all for this moment of rapid execution. Gu Yuan's timing was particularly exquisite, attacking every time the opponent was unable to counter-attack. He directly decapitated the trainers and then secured their Pokémon in Poké Balls.
In just a few minutes, nearly ten Ace Rank trainers had fallen at Gu Yuan's hands. Because of his intervention, the balance of power between the two sides was shattered. As more and more Ace Rank trainers were liberated, Team Magma's deficiency in high-end combat power was instantly exposed, causing the situation to lean one-sidedly.
Misfortunes never come alone. While losing ground on the main battlefield, Maxie was also being suppressed by Drake and Phoebe. Being able to secure and hold a position as an Elite Four member proved that Drake and Phoebe's strength sat at the top of the Hoenn region.
Even with their aces occupied, they still displayed astonishing power. Simultaneously, to protect the two laser cannons from Mega Salamence and Mega Sableye, Team Magma had to divert significant forces for defense. However, facing the aces of two Elite Four members, even Maxie wouldn't claim he could block them easily, let alone ordinary Team Magma members.
Consequently, the operators of the laser cannons were forced to aim at other Hoenn League members to keep Mega Salamence and Mega Sableye tied up for longer.
Swinging his scythe again, Gu Yuan cooperated with a League trainer to defeat an Upper-tier Ace opponent. Noticing that the strongest force guarding the laser cannons was only at the Peak Ace Rank, Gu Yuan immediately changed his plan.
"Get ready, Mega Alakazam. Let's do something big."
"Do me a favor—have your Swampert use Water Gun on my Volcanion."
After instructing Mega Alakazam, Gu Yuan spoke to the Hoenn League trainer in front of him.
"No problem!"
The man ordered his Swampert to attack. The Water Absorb ability took effect, causing Volcanion's stamina to recover rapidly. Seizing this chance, Sylveon used Calm Mind and Baton Pass to help Volcanion boost its power, waiting for the moment to launch the final assault.