Ariel's heart skipped a beat.
That time, not only had he killed his hostage, but he had also stolen that mysterious ore while he was at it.
This grudge was by no means small.
This man surely hated him to the very core.
However, a hint of relief soon welled up in his heart. Fortunately, he was wearing a mask.
Even if he took off his mask now, Tabitha wouldn't recognize his plain, unremarkable face.
The other party only knew one name—Ariel.
As long as he didn't introduce himself, Tabitha would never, even in his wildest dreams, connect the Team Rockets member before him with the audacious "League Trainer" from Mt. Chimney.
Thinking of this, Ariel actually felt like laughing.
He wondered what kind of wonderful expression this guy would have when the truth finally came out.
But right now, he couldn't laugh.
Because Tabitha's strength was very formidable!
Tabitha's voice was low and raspy, like two red-hot rocks rubbing together.
He didn't even intend to stand up, simply tossing a Poké Ball forward.
A red light flashed, and the silhouette of a Pokémon appeared on the open floor of the control center.
One of them was someone Ariel knew all too well.
It was a Camerupt, far larger than its usual kin. The humps on its back were like two small volcanoes ready to erupt, and every breath it took exhaled a scorching, sulfurous scent.
The ground beneath its feet seemed to tremble slightly.
Superior-level peak, Level 47!
Ariel's heart sank slightly.
He was a bit surprised.
Logically, as an important figure in the Magma Team, Tabitha should have been at the front lines commanding and stabilizing the situation when the base was raided.
Yet he hadn't; instead, he was guarding this database like a gatekeeper.
This meant that the things here were more important than the safety of the entire base.
The pressure was real.
The man before him, along with the Camerupt at his feet, both radiated a suffocating sense of oppression.
"Do it."
Ariel didn't waste words and gave the command to the Pokémon behind him.
Malamar floated up, its tentacles condensing several purple-black energy rings at their tips, weaving into a spiral wave that whistled as it shot toward Camerupt.
Dark Pulse!
Facing this fierce attack, Camerupt merely snorted two puffs of hot air from its nostrils in disdain.
Tabitha didn't even lift an eyelid, only letting out a cold hmph.
"Roar—!"
Camerupt opened its large mouth. There were no complex techniques, no flashy moves, only the most pure and violent Eruption.
A thick, orange-red pillar of fire exploded from its mouth, instantly igniting the air and letting out a violent boom.
The moment the energy rings of Dark Pulse touched the fire pillar, they melted and disintegrated silently like plastic thrown into a furnace, failing to stir even a single ripple.
The pillar of fire continued unabated, charging straight for Malamar!
Ariel's pupils constricted, and Malamar immediately dodged to the side. The scorching flames grazed its body, leaving a terrifying charred melt mark on the server cabinets behind it, as a pungent burnt smell filled the air.
"Krokorok, Stomping Tantrum!"
On the other side, Krokorok had already dove into the ground. At this moment, it suddenly burst out from Camerupt's flank, stomping down with immense force!
However, Camerupt's reaction was faster.
It didn't even turn around, simply stomping a front hoof heavily onto the ground.
"Earth Power!"
Buzz—!
A visible wave of earthy-yellow energy centered on Camerupt and instantly spread outward.
The hard floor became like a soft quagmire, forced up into a wave by this power.
Just as Krokorok's Stomping Tantrum landed, it was hit head-on by this majestic upward force.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, Krokorok's massive body was actually flipped into the air by this force, tumbling twice before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Absolute level suppression!
Every collision and every exchange made Ariel's heart tighten.
However, facing this Level 47 Camerupt, Ariel did not panic.
So what if its level was high?
His Pokémon, whether in terms of aptitude, potential, or their training methods, were far Superior to these "mass-produced Superiors" built up purely with resources and time.
Moreover, he still held trump cards in his hand.
What truly made things tricky for him was the man sitting at the control console, who hadn't moved at all.
Because in his hand, he still held a Poké Ball!
Tabitha seemed to have realized this as well.
Although his Camerupt held an absolute advantage on the field, it was unable to take down Ariel's two Pokémon.
Ariel's commands were calm and precise, always neutralizing crises at the most critical moments and causing Camerupt's violent attacks to repeatedly miss.
It was like a strongman struggling with a nimble child; despite the disparity in strength, he couldn't catch the opponent and instead became increasingly frustrated.
Tabitha's brow furrowed, a hint of impatience showing in his eyes.
"Useless, can't even handle two little mice."
He cursed under his breath, seemingly dissatisfied with his Camerupt.
Immediately, he pulled out his other Poké Ball.
"In that case, let me show you what true despair looks like."
Before his voice could fade, the Poké Ball in his hand was thrown out violently!
The red light shone again, and this time, the figure that appeared caused the temperature in the entire control center to soar once more!
It was a Pokémon even more burly than Tabitha himself, its body covered in red and yellow armor. Its arms were as thick as the barrels of two giant cannons, with raging fires burning at the muzzles.
Just by standing there, the surrounding air distorted violently due to the extreme heat, and even light refracted, making its silhouette look like a demon god from Inferno.
Magmortar!
Ariel's breath hitched at this moment.
On the lenses of his professional Team Rockets detection glasses, a row of crimson numbers flickered wildly before finally settling.
"Magmortar! Level 52! Gym Leader Level!"
Gym Leader Level!
Ariel's mind went blank with a loud buzz.
He knew that this was no longer a power he could contend with at his current stage.
Between Superior-level and Gym Leader Level, there was a vast chasm.
It wasn't just a difference in level, but a leap in the level of life itself.
He had thought Tabitha's ace was that Camerupt, but he never expected this man to be hiding such terrifying combat power!
A Gym Leader Level Magmortar was a powerful existence capable of sweeping the entire research institute.
Ariel's heart sank bit by bit.