December Double Drop!
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Birth IslandUnlike the small, game-sized island barely tens of meters across, the Birth Island in front of Luo Yuan was vast.
Aside from its triangular shape mirroring the Birth Island from the games, there were few similarities.
The aircraft touched down in an open space.
Luo Yuan began setting up his tracker on board, uploading the frequency previously recorded by Team Rocket as belonging to Deoxys…
Beep, beep, beep
The tracker's indicator lights turned on, and a rapid beeping sounded.
"Well? Any results?" Sabrina asked.
Luo Yuan nodded. "It's here. I can't tell if it's currently on the island, but it's clear that it stayed here for a long time. The air is still saturated with its energy."
His theory had been correct.
Birth Island was indeed Deoxys's haunt.
"So it's true…"
Sabrina had sensed a powerful psychic energy on the island the moment they arrived—this must be from the mysterious Pokémon they sought.
"So what now?"
Sabrina, usually calm and collected, was slightly on edge.
Carr had already provided firsthand proof of the mysterious Pokémon's strength.
According to Carr's account, his Steelix's head had been flattened in the fight, with one of its steel fangs snapped clean in half, leaving it still in recovery in the medical ward.
That Steelix's defeat, while partly due to an ambush by Lorelei, was still a testament to the Pokémon's overwhelming power.
Sabrina had no desire to share Carr's fate.
"First, we find it!" Luo Yuan said.
They'd come this far—there was no turning back now.
Whether it was the Master Ball, his psychic connection with Pokémon, or the power of Viridian to communicate, all these tools required locating Deoxys first.
Luo Yuan was determined to face Deoxys.
With that, he released all his Pokémon, save for Porygon.
Dragapult, Dragonair, Gyarados, Charmeleon, and Gengar—all five Pokémon appeared on the open ground.
Sabrina released her own Alakazam, equipping it with a Mega Evolution Stone and fastening her Key Stone bracelet.
Together, they ventured deeper into Birth Island with their six Pokémon.
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While Luo Yuan and Sabrina explored Birth Island for signs of Deoxys…
Three Island
Lorelei and her squad of officers, while searching through Berry Forest for Team Rocket's hideout, encountered fierce resistance from Team Rocket.
Rocket members had gathered from across the Sevii Islands, appearing ready for a full-blown showdown.
"Not good!"
As more Rocket members assembled, Lorelei's League manpower began to look insufficient. She had to divide her six Pokémon, sending three of them to support her officers in fending off Rocket's assault.
She'd just received word from one of her scouts, too.
The Rocket members detained on Four Island had been rescued by the Tech Hunter, placing her at a significant disadvantage.
"We have to take one of them out."
Lorelei's gaze narrowed in on the duo in front of her—Sird and Orm, two of the three Beasts of Team Rocket.
Defeating even one of the Beasts would turn the tide.
With that thought, Lorelei wasted no time. "Cloyster, Spike Cannon!"
In an instant, Cloyster clamped its shell shut, launching a barrage of white spikes from its shell toward Sird.
She'd chosen her target—Sird, a fellow woman.
"Oh? Targeting me as the weak point?" Sird sneered.
"Banette, Shadow Ball!"
A glint of gray flashed as Banette, its mouth sealed with a zipper, leapt from Sird's shoulder into the air.
Lifting its arms high above its head, it flung a Shadow Ball forward with the motion of a shot-put throw, hurling it at the incoming Spike Cannon.
Boom!
The Shadow Ball collided with Spike Cannon mid-air, detonating in an explosion.
The blast wave engulfed the spike barrage.
At the same moment, Sird's Persian lunged toward Slowking, swiping it aside before springing forward, claws outstretched as it aimed at Cloyster!
But Lorelei, who'd kept a close eye on the battlefield, reacted instantly.
"Cloyster, Withdraw!"
Clang!
Cloyster's shell clamped shut in a flash.
Persian's claws scratched across the hardened shell, creating an ear-piercing screech.
In the end, not only did it fail to damage Cloyster, but the recoil fractured several of Persian's claws.
"Tough Shell…"
Sird frowned.
It wasn't Lorelei's first time using Cloyster's Shell Armor ability to block her attacks.
In the games, Pokémon with Shell Armor were immune to critical hits; in reality, it greatly enhanced the Pokémon's physical defense.
Cloyster was already an exceptionally durable Pokémon, and with Shell Armor, it was nearly unbreakable.
"To take down Cloyster, we'll need to get past that shell first."
Sird called out to Orm beside her. "Orm!"
At her call, Orm—watching the battle closely—immediately understood her intention.
"Got it!"
With a solid thump, Orm tapped the forehead of his Shuckle.
Shuckle let out a cry, and the ground trembled violently.
Pop, pop, pop
A series of small "pops" came as a swarm of miniature, mole-like Shuckle emerged from the ground in droves.
It was a sight to unsettle anyone with a fear of clusters, and Lorelei, ready to attack, hesitated at the sight.
That moment of hesitation provided Team Rocket with an opening. Orm's second command rang out.
"Gastro Acid!"
Gurgle, gurgle
In unison, the entire swarm of Shuckle spat streams of green, stomach acid-like liquid toward Cloyster.
The mass of Gastro Acid rained down, with Cloyster retreating into its shell once again.
The acid landed on the shell with a faint sizzling sound, barely making a dent.
But causing damage hadn't been Orm's aim.
"Got it!"
Gastro Acid had a secondary effect: it nullified the opponent's ability.
"Now…"
Orm flashed a grin at Lorelei's stunned face. "Shuckle, Rock Slide!"
Crash!
The ground quaked.
Hidden Shuckle channeled their power, causing the earth to crumble and fragment into rocks.
Cloyster took the first hit.
With Shell Armor neutralized, Rock Slide's super-effective Rock-type moves struck Cloyster, causing it to recoil in pain.
Lorelei, positioned beside Cloyster, couldn't escape unscathed. Both trainer and Pokémon plummeted into the newly formed pit below.
"Slowking!"
Lorelei called to her nearby Slowking for help.
Slowking quickly extended its psychic powers, attempting to lift Lorelei and Cloyster out.
But Sird was prepared.
Her Starmie blocked Slowking's path, sending out a pulse of its own psychic power to interfere with Slowking's attempt.
As the ground collapsed beneath them, Lorelei and Cloyster plummeted toward the "Shuckle Pit," where numerous Shuckle awaited, ready to seize them with their many tiny limbs.
Just as Lorelei was about to give in to despair…
A voice called out from above.
"Aerodactyl, get her!"
The words had barely faded when—
A gray form dove down from the sky, snatching Lorelei and Cloyster before they could fall into the Shuckle swarm.
Just as Lorelei was about to be captured, she soared away.
The smile on Sird's face froze. She looked up, recognizing the figure in the sky, and slowly uttered the name of the newcomer:
"Lance the Dragon Master!"
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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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