Felix's Poké Ball spun briefly in the air, then cracked open and released a large Malamar.
The Pokémon looked like a squid but had two legs, allowing it to walk upright. Several tentacles hung from its head like hair. On either side of its body were fin-like arms, each ending in a razor-sharp blade that could easily tear through its prey.
"Malamar, use Foul Play. Just break that Dragon Pulse." Felix gave the order nonchalantly, not seeming to care much.
Obeying the command, Malamar moved to the side of the clash. Its gray-blue hair-like tentacles and fin blades came together, then released a strange black wave.
Foul Play was a Dark-type move that attacked using the opponent's power. The stronger the opponent's attack, the stronger this move would become.
Just as the bluish-green energy beam was about to overwhelm the three Noibat, coming within a meter of them, the black wave met the attack and grew like an inflating balloon.
Seeing the help coming, Hunter G hurriedly recalled his Pokémon to his side and rushed back toward the Dynamax device.
Even though Malamar was only at level 45, Foul Play gave it enough leverage to hold its ground against Drakloak.
In the sky, the Dragon-type hesitated, unsure whether to keep increasing power. But Shiro noticed something and called out.
"Drakloak, slow the Dragon Pulse a bit, then cancel it. That attack is using your power against you. It should be Foul Play."
"Drak..." The Pokémon grunted softly in response, and the energy in its mouth started to weaken. The Foul Play below faded as well, shrinking simultaneously. Both attacks finally stopped at the same time, leaving nothing but tense silence between them.
"Only four people showed up..." Shiro muttered, eyes scanning the scene below as he started thinking.
He remembered there were way more hunters here. At least twenty. Even if most of them were barely Advanced-level or less, that was still a considerable fighting force.
The four down there were likely the strongest in the group. Hunter G and Felix were both present... but where were the rest?
Shiro couldn't figure out where the others might be hiding. Then his eyes fell on the rocky terrain. He had no idea where such a massive land had come from, but it was almost certainly tied to the Dynamax device.
On the ground, Hunter G had already reached the device and began to check it.
Their team had been sent here on orders to capture the ancient, mysterious Pokémon hidden beneath the Galarian wilderness.
This giant Dynamax Den allowed them to transport the creatures from underground to the surface. Combined with the numerous ancient-type Pokémon signals they had locked onto…
Hunter G stared anxiously at the trembling device. He knew exactly what it meant—the internal scanner had already picked up traces of those Pokémon.
No, calling them 'Pokémon' might not be accurate. No one really knew what those beings were.
'Once we catch them, we can escape… right out of Galar.'
That thought raced through his mind, pressing down on him as hard as the Corviknight circling above.
A dozen meters away, Felix gave the man a sideways glance, then shifted his focus to Dalton, still lying nearby. Casually, he stepped forward. To others, it looked like he was squaring off against the opponent in the sky. In truth, he was slowly closing in on a hunter carrying a backpack.
From above, Shiro watched as Hunter G fiddled with the Dynamax device, unsure of what he was doing, but quickly made up his mind.
"We can't wait any longer. Descend and destroy that machine."
As he spoke, he gave swift orders to Drakloak and Corviknight.
"Drakloak, use Dragon Pulse on the Dynamax device, but don't keep firing from the same spot. Attack for a few seconds, then reposition and continue. They can't reach you anyway. Just focus on destroying the machine."
The Pokémon gave a slight nod and began to charge its move.
"Corviknight, stay ready. As soon as there's an opening, use Air Cutter on Hunter G."
Shiro waved his hand and the steel bird flew towards its target.
A sharp hum echoed through the air as an energy wave was launched at the device. Malamar didn't respond, but the three Noibat quickly followed with their own Dragon Pulses to intercept.
As the beams clashed, the collision dispersed with a shockwave, forcing the two nearby hunters to stagger backwards. One of them, the one carrying a backpack, abruptly froze as he bumped into someone behind him.
In an instant, a powerful force struck the hunter down, yanking the bag from his shoulders.
"Hmph." Felix glanced at the man trying to call for aid and silenced him with a brutal kick. "What a useless piece of trash."
With a scoff, he looked over the dirt-yellow terrain. The ground was trembling faintly. Malamar stood beside him as he held the backpack and inspected the contents with a quick clance. Then, he made his way toward the collapsed Dalton.
Meanwhile, without Malamar's support, the three Noibat were visibly struggling to keep up their Dragon Pulses. Exhaustion was setting in. They had fought at full intensity for too long without rest or healing. Even keeping their attacks going now was a stretch.
"Felix!" Hunter G roared, voice full of fury, but his call was answered only by several slicing winds from above.
He ducked, barely shielding his head. Thankfully, his years of combat experience had honed his reflexes well. Those long-range, wide-interval slashes barely missed him.
Dust and grit exploded into the air. He had no time to press Felix further. Just as he got up, another barrage came with the wind.
Corviknight showed no signs of letting up. It beat its wings relentlessly, launching Air Cutters in a continuous stream. For it, these were little more than casual attacks—perfect for suppressing and targeting enemy trainers.
This time, Hunter G had no chance to dodge. The Dynamax device was right beside him.
He could try hiding behind it, but it had already endured a few glancing blows. He had no idea how much more it could take. As the red light at the device's core pulsed brighter and brighter, he clenched his jaw and threw his arms over his head, refusing to move.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
A series of explosions rang out as two tall, deep-yellow fox-like Pokémon, Kadabra, leapt in front of him, spoons in hand, shielding him with psychic force.
Watching his companion get knocked out by Felix, the other hunter finally made a move to assist Hunter G.
After all, he had followed him into this mission. Their orders were the same. Even if his downfall might be convenient... completing the job came first.
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