After passing through Granite Cave, Norman and Tetsuya once again entered a forested area. By the time they reached the middle of the forest, night had completely fallen, leaving them no choice but to camp where they were.
---◓---
"We should reach the agreed location around noon tomorrow. The first group has already arrived at the destination," Norman said.
"Hopefully we can capture Brodie in one fell swoop," Tetsuya said. He had already begun making plans in his mind. Once Norman and the others engaged Team Magma, he would definitely concentrate all his energy on dealing with Brodie. That was the main purpose of his trip.
Norman and Tetsuya did not waste any time and reached the agreed location before noon, at the foot of a mountain. The dense trees here made it easy to hide, while Team Magma was conducting experiments within the mountain.
By the time Norman and Tetsuya arrived, seventy or eighty people had already gathered there. All of them were Investigators from the Hoenn League, the elite among the elite!
After arriving, Norman counted everyone. They were all present.
"Everyone, rest here. After lunch, we'll execute the mission according to plan," Norman said.
'…?' At that moment, the wristband on Tetsuya's hand kept wriggling, just as it had at Professor Birch's Laboratory. Tetsuya immediately sensed that something was wrong!
'Brodie… Brodie must have infiltrated the Investigators' team.'
Tetsuya immediately began thinking of a countermeasure. Brodie was exceptionally cunning, so he absolutely could not alert him. Once Brodie noticed something was wrong, capturing him would be extremely difficult!
"Tetsuya, what are you spacing out for? Time to eat!" Norman called.
"Oh, coming!" With that, Tetsuya casually walked toward Norman as though nothing had happened.
Tetsuya swept his gaze around. Everyone was eating lunch. This was the perfect opportunity. Although he did not know which one was Brodie in disguise, it was enough that Ditto knew.
Without even having time to eat, Tetsuya made an excuse and stepped away for a moment.
"Come out, Ariados…" Tetsuya threw out a Poké Ball, and Ariados appeared before him. He then said to Ditto, "Get onto Ariados's back. Ariados, use the trees to hide. Ditto, tell Ariados which person has changed their face. Ariados, use Spider Web to bind him."
After arranging everything, Tetsuya returned to Norman's side and began eating lunch as usual.
Ariados hid in a tree, with Ditto on its back pointing out the direction…
Suddenly, Ariados revealed itself and instantly used Spider Web, tightly binding one of the Investigators. His entire neck was immediately wrapped in white threads, making him look like a silkworm cocoon!
"E-Ehh? What's wrong with that Ariados? Restrain it, quickly!" Many Investigators who did not know the truth saw their companion trapped and prepared to send out their Pokémon to deal with Ariados.
Norman also prepared to act.
"Wait, that's my Pokémon!" Tetsuya shouted.
Norman was surprised. "Tetsuya… what's going on?"
All the Investigators waited for Tetsuya to give them an explanation.
"Norman, I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand, but this man is far too cunning. Ditto! Make him reveal his true appearance." As soon as Tetsuya finished speaking, Ditto jumped onto the man's face and completely covered it…
When Ditto moved away, the man's face had actually changed into an entirely different appearance!
""""!!!!!!""""
"Brodie!" Norman shouted.
"Hmph! So what if I am?"
They could now confirm that the trapped man was Brodie, the Man of a Thousand Faces!
Brodie, who had always come and gone without a trace, had actually been caught so easily by Tetsuya that even Norman found it somewhat difficult to believe…
"Wait." Tetsuya seemed to have thought of something.
Norman suddenly revealed a terrified expression as well. Since Team Magma had already appeared here, it meant they knew all of their plans like the back of their hand. In other words, Team Magma was also perfectly aware that so many people had gathered here!
"Hahahaha…!" Brodie suddenly laughed. "Norman, ahh Norman… if you know what's good for you, surrender now. Otherwise, there's only one path left for you… death!"
Suddenly, a rope descended from the sky, wrapped around Brodie, and pulled him into the air.
It was a Team Magma plane!
"We absolutely can't let him escape!" Norman said.
Naturally, Tetsuya was the most concerned. Even if he had to kill Brodie, he could not let him escape.
If he did not kill him this time, Brodie would know that Tetsuya could see through his disguises and would be on guard in the future, making success even more impossible.
Tetsuya immediately mounted Golurk and flew into the sky!
---◓---
"Ahhhhh!"
"Run! Run!"
Tetsuya had only just left the ground when he heard terrified shouts coming from below.
Looking down, Tetsuya also felt a chill run through his heart.
It turned out Team Magma had already set a trap here long ago. More than a hundred Electrode came rolling rapidly from every corner of the forest.
The ground immediately descended into chaos!
Those with Flying-type Pokémon hurriedly sent them out, preparing to escape into the sky.
But these Pokémon were also everyone's only lifeline, so who would be willing to let go? Some Flying-type Pokémon even had three or four people clinging to them, struggling against one another.
For a time, cries for help rang out without end…
Naturally, Tetsuya did not care whether these people lived or died. Brodie had to die!
"Kill!"
With a thought from Tetsuya, two Sludge Bombs shot out from his shadow, followed by a spindle-shaped Shadow Ball that tore through the air and struck Brodie squarely in the chest!
An explosion rang out, and Brodie spat out blood. In an instant, his face turned ashen as poison spread throughout his entire body.
"Arrghhhhh!!!"
Brodie was definitely beyond saving. Although the people of this world had very strong physiques and ordinary Pokémon moves could not casually kill a person, this was Gengar's Sludge Bombs. Once the poison attacked his heart, death was inevitable!
"Ariados, hurry and save Norman." From Golurk's shoulder, Tetsuya also sent out Ariados, which stood on Golurk's other shoulder. Norman had to be saved. Tetsuya needed him to confirm that Brodie was already dead.
---◓---
Norman was still doing everything he could to command the Investigators on the ground, but with their lives at stake, who would listen to anyone else? All his shouting was useless, and the army of Electrode was already about to arrive.
"No! All of yo-!!"
Suddenly, a white thread flew through the air and wrapped around Norman's waist. With a pull, he was immediately lifted into the sky. Before the people on the ground could even react, Norman had already risen seven or eight meters into the air.
...Boom!
Booombooomboom!
Boom…!
Explosions rang out without end. More than a hundred Electrode used Explosion, affecting both the forest and the mountain itself.
Flames surged into the sky. Everything within a kilometer was blasted apart, and the mountain collapsed along with it.
Trees, rocks, and soil flew everywhere, along with blood and flesh…
Golurk carried Tetsuya and Norman to a safe spot halfway up the mountain.
"Intercept that plane," Tetsuya said to Golurk. Golurk was brimming with confidence as it engaged its rocket propulsion and charged forward.
By then, Brodie had already been pulled into the cabin. Although Tetsuya knew he was certain to die, bringing down the plane would at least provide Norman with some consolation…
"Team… Magma…" At that moment, tears silently streamed down Norman's face. There had been dozens of League elites down there, and just like that, they had lost their lives here.
All of his anguish turned into hatred. Norman's eyes gleamed as he glared viciously at Team Magma's plane!