"Everyone, take this opportunity to repel the Golisopod attack!" Feng Che shouted. The number of Golisopod surrounding them far exceeded the initial Dragalge swarm.
The Golisopod group coordinated their efforts, unleashing a collective Water Pulse. The submarine rocked violently, and Feng Che felt like he was a mere leaf tossed upon a raging ocean.
"Feng Che, I've discovered these Golisopod have a leader," Mewtwo suddenly pulsed telepathically. "A specific individual is emitting a unique acoustic signal to direct their attacks. However, there are too many of them. Even with my psychic power, I can't pinpoint the commander in this chaos."
"Mewtwo, can you mimic their signal?" Feng Che's eyes gleamed with a sudden idea. "If you can replicate that acoustic pulse, we can seize control of the entire Golisopod swarm."
"A strategy of subversion... brilliant." Mewtwo focused, projecting a mimicked acoustic wave. The Golisopod swarm immediately fell into a state of total confusion. Half the group received the original attack command, while the other half received Mewtwo's 'ceasefire' signal. For Pokémon with the brain capacity of a Golisopod, this mental conflict was too much to process. Their 'circuits' effectively shorted out; they stopped their assault and began sinking toward the seabed to enter a dormant state.
"They've lost all faith in their leader's commands," Mewtwo noted with a chuckle.
In the sudden calm, a Shiny Golisopod with a distinct blue-tinted shell appeared in Feng Che's psychic scan. It clutched two jagged spears fashioned from sharpened rock. It lunged, thrusting a spear at Feng Che's Gyarados, but the weapon merely scraped harmlessly against the thick, crimson scales.
"Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"
The two Gyarados swung their massive tails simultaneously, swatting the leader like an annoying insect. The blow slammed the Shiny Golisopod into the seabed, creating a deep crater where it remained pinned and unconscious. With the path cleared, the submarine surged forward.
The Final Approach
On other fronts, Sabrina and Caitlin's squads also successfully neutralized the perimeter guardians. They were now only ten nautical miles from the island's shores. Inside the central command hub of Poacher's Island, King Kai watched the monitors, his face turning a sickly green with rage.
"I will make them regret ever stepping foot near my island," he hissed, a murderous glint in his eyes.
Inside Squad 6's vessel, Feng Che spread out a high-resolution map generated by Mewtwo's probes. "We've passed the Dragalge and Golisopod zones. We're close, but the currents are becoming lethal, and the enemy Pokémon levels are spiking. King Kai has installed missile batteries along the cliffs and elite guards on the beaches. A direct landing is a suicide mission."
"Feng Che, don't you find this selection of trainers unusual?" Lucian asked gravely. "Almost every squad has a high-level Psychic specialist. It seems the World League planned this from the start—they intend for us to bypass the beach defenses entirely via Teleportation."
"We outnumber their six Generals, but I still have an ill omen about this," Lucian added.
Suddenly, the submarine jolted. A massive, jagged stone spike pierced through the reinforced hull. Feng Che looked through the breach with his aura. The sub was surrounded by Barbaracle.
Barbaracle is a collective organism made of seven individual Binacle parts. They are incredibly strong and aggressive.
"My apologies, Feng Che," Mewtwo whispered, sounding genuinely regretful. "That lead Barbaracle is coated in a psychic-dampening film. It bypassed my scans."
More stone spikes tore through the ship. The vessel began to flood rapidly.
"No time to talk! I'm initiating an emergency mass Teleport!" Lucian released several Psychic Pokémon to boost his range. "Brace yourselves!"
The group vanished in a flash of pink light just as the Barbaracle tore the submarine into scrap metal.
Landing
King Kai laughed as he received word that all seven submarines had been 'destroyed.' "Excellent! Let them think they can root us out. Feeding the Barbaracle was the best investment I ever made!"
Meanwhile, Feng Che and Norman materialized in the heart of a dense, ancient forest on the island. It was late evening. The orange rays of the setting sun filtered through the canopy, creating a shimmering, scale-like pattern of light on the forest floor.
Norman started to step forward to scout the terrain, but Feng Che's face hardened. He grabbed Norman's shoulder, pulling him back into the shadows and pressing a finger to his lips. Shhh.