December Double Drop!
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Twenty Minutes Earlier – Three Island
Lance had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
Releasing his Aerodactyl, he rescued Lorelei from her perilous fall.
But his arrival did more than save Lorelei; it also provided a surge of morale to the League trainers, who had all but resigned themselves to defeat.
"Lance? Why are you here?"
Lorelei, who had nearly fallen into Shuckle's trap, breathed a sigh of relief at her last-minute rescue, though a hint of confusion remained.
As far as she knew, Lance was supposed to be back in Kanto, so what was he doing on the Sevii Islands?
Seeing her questioning look, Lance quickly explained:
"I was actually just passing through—I planned to head to the Orange Archipelago, but then I received an urgent report from my team."
Lorelei immediately understood.
Lance must have received word about the Tech Hunter's possible alliance with Team Rocket, and concerned about the situation, had diverted to the Sevii Islands.
Lance chuckled. "Looks like my timing couldn't have been better."
He turned to face Sird and Orm, who were eyeing him with cautious hostility.
Sird, in particular, narrowed her eyes further as she felt the weight of Lance's gaze.
Luck was clearly not on her side.
As Team Galactic's mole, she'd infiltrated Team Rocket perfectly, even rising to the rank of one of the Three Beasts.
Everything had been proceeding smoothly.
But then, crisis after crisis erupted on the Sevii Islands.
First, Lorelei's operation had closed in on Team Rocket's Sevii base, and then Chaklar had encountered that unknown Pokémon on Five Island, resulting in the base's complete destruction.
Just when they managed to regroup with reinforcements to stabilize the situation, here came Lance.
Her luck couldn't have been worse.
Sird felt her unflappable demeanor starting to slip.
Before she could gather her thoughts, Lance took action.
Seeing the League trainers struggling under Rocket's assault, he tossed out a Poké Ball.
"Let's go, my friends!"
"Roar!"
"Screech~!"
Two powerful cries echoed across the battlefield.
In addition to his ever-present Dragonite and the Aerodactyl that had saved Lorelei, a Dragonair and Charizard now joined the fray.
Lance hadn't come fully equipped, bringing only four Pokémon, but even so, Sird and Orm felt the immense pressure he exerted.
It had already been said that trainers of the Elite Four level wielded enormous influence on the battlefield.
And here was Lance, who wasn't just any Elite Four member.
His aspirations to claim the Champion title were no secret in Kanto.
While there were some weaker regions, like the Orange Archipelago where Champion Drake's strength was widely questioned, Kanto was a powerhouse among the leagues.
Lance's determination to pursue the Champion seat was backed by undeniable power.
Standing beside him was his ace—a Champion-level Dragonite.
Against the combined forces of Lance and Lorelei, Sird and Orm realized that, realistically speaking, they'd be lucky if they alone managed to escape.
But abandoning Team Rocket's Sevii personnel wasn't an option.
As Lance's Pokémon charged into battle, Sird commanded her Starmie and Banette to buy some time, then turned to Orm.
"Orm, send a distress signal—now!"
Orm, busy directing his Shuckle to block Dragonite with its immense defensive power, immediately dialed the internal Team Rocket communicator, sending an urgent SOS to Matori.
As members of the Three Beasts, Sird and Orm both knew that Luo Yuan had recently arrived on the Sevii Islands.
They placed their hopes on him, believing that if anyone could help them escape, it would be him.
Seeing them call for reinforcements, Lance made no effort to intervene.
Not because he was some double agent, but because he welcomed this strategy from Team Rocket, where they were calling their forces to a single location.
His thoughts echoed Lorelei's:
"Perfect opportunity to round up Team Rocket's Sevii base in one sweep!"
With that in mind, he commanded Aerodactyl to unleash a Hyper Beam, targeting Sird's Persian to intensify the pressure on Team Rocket.
"Persian, use Protect!"
Boom!
The Hyper Beam hit the protective shield, leaving cracks across it.
Persian barely held its ground under the force of the Hyper Beam, and Charizard, taking advantage of the moment, broke free from Starmie's Psychic hold and released a stream of flames.
Sird was forced to redirect Banette to counter Charizard with a Shadow Ball.
But with Banette now occupied with Charizard, Dragonair was free to join Dragonite in overwhelming the Shuckle squad on the ground.
Shuckle held on with its exceptional defense, but even so, many were beginning to falter under the dual assault.
With Lance's help, Lorelei's pressure lightened considerably.
She now had the freedom to focus on Team Rocket's regular grunts, unleashing a chain reaction across the battlefield.
What had looked like an imminent League defeat quickly turned around, with the League trainers gaining the upper hand and Team Rocket being forced back.
Especially troublesome for Team Rocket was Lorelei's Cloyster, which, even without its Shell Armor ability, proved a constant headache for them.
Victory seemed within reach.
As Team Rocket's forces started to crumble, the scales tipped heavily toward the League's side.
And then…
"What's that?"
A League trainer suddenly pointed to the distant sky with a shout.
At first, both sides assumed it was a distraction tactic and ignored it.
Until—a streak of golden light flashed across the sky.
Both League and Rocket trainers paused mid-battle, turning their heads to see what the commotion was about.
In the distance, a brilliant golden light had exploded in the sky, scattering into countless golden fragments falling from above.
Watching the spectacle, Lance's brow furrowed.
"Is that… Draco Meteor?"
Even from this distance, Lance could tell it was Draco Meteor, one of the most powerful Dragon-type moves.
To unleash a Draco Meteor of such magnitude required a Pokémon with power far beyond that of the average Elite Four-level.
Lance was well-acquainted with Kanto's Elite trainers, and none on the Sevii Islands should have possessed such power.
Thinking back to his team's report, the one about a Tech Hunter from Hoenn rumored to have allied with Team Rocket…
"Could that be the Tech Hunter's Dragapult…? But who could he be fighting?"
As Team Rocket teetered on the brink of collapse, the Tech Hunter, supposedly their ally, hadn't come to the battlefield but was instead engaged in a mysterious battle.
A flicker of caution crossed Lance's eyes, a sense that the Sevii Islands held even more mysteries than he'd anticipated.
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T/N: I never liked Lance, he a bitch
✧ New Story Announcement! ✧
Introducing: The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact! ⚔️ This isn't like the misunderstanding fun of Unreliable Harbinger or the calm, slow-paced journey of Incense Burner. Oh no, this one is action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny, and full of feel-good moments that'll leave you grinning like (๑>ᴗ<๑).
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]