Cynthia didn't move. She turned her gaze to Luo Yuan, waiting for him to act.
After all, she was still just a captive.
Feeling her eyes on him, Luo Yuan didn't say a word. He simply lifted his hand.
At once, the Dragapult behind him formed a [Shadow Ball] in its mouth—and fired.
Boom.
The massive alloy doors before them exploded in a burst of flame.
Yet neither the shockwave nor the flying debris made the slightest impact on Luo Yuan or Cynthia.
Which left Cynthia momentarily stunned—she'd just been about to command Garchomp to shield her.
"Let's go."
Luo Yuan didn't spare her a glance. He stepped through the smoke-shrouded doorway without pause.
---
Inside the control room—
Pluto stood ready, gripping a Poké Ball, eyes fixed on the newly blown-open entrance. Behind him, what remained of the Galactic forces had assembled.
As one of the top dark organizations in Sinnoh, Team Galactic's members were nothing if not disciplined.
Especially those gathered here—their elite. Even though Cyrus had clearly abandoned them, fleeing first with no intention of returning, not one of them had broken ranks.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the haze. Not loud—but sharp. Clear.
Pluto's expression turned grim. Just as he was about to issue the order to strike first, a voice cut through the smoke:
"Dragapult, [Dragon Breath]!"
Whoosh—
Before Pluto could call out a warning, the smoke violently contracted, then split open as a torrent of violet flames blasted forth.
The [Dragon Breath] swept across the control room from left to right, showing no regard for the delicate instruments or documents within.
Everything was thrown into chaos.
The Galactic grunts—Pluto's intended vanguard—had no time to react. All but Pluto were instantly paralyzed or blown off their feet by the breath's shockwave and stunning effect.
Out of the corner of his eye, Pluto saw his men fall. He turned his gaze toward the slowly clearing doorway.
Two familiar figures stood there.
The first, as expected, was Team Rocket's executive known as the Technology Hunter.
But the other—that one left him truly stunned.
"Cynthia?! The Sinnoh League is cooperating with Team Rocket just to deal with us? Have they lost their minds?!"
Pluto's voice was incredulous as he stared at her.
Among all the villainous organizations, if Team Rocket posed a threat level of ten, Team Galactic barely reached a three—and that was only because of their years of local entrenchment. Even then, poking at Team Rocket had already brought them to the brink.
And now… Sinnoh had actually teamed up with Rocket?
He couldn't begin to understand the League's thinking.
Cynthia could more or less guess what Pluto was thinking just by the look on his face.
Her own feelings were deeply conflicted. If there had been any other way, she wouldn't have chosen to ally with Team Rocket either.
But with so many hostages still in Veilstone…
She had no other choice.
At this moment, Cynthia could only console herself: This is just temporary cooperation. Once Galactic is dealt with and the hostages are safe, I'll deal with Rocket next.
But for now…
She looked directly at Pluto and gave the order:
"Garchomp, [Take Down]!"
Raaaargh!
With a guttural roar, Garchomp lunged at Pluto.
Seeing Cynthia attack without hesitation only confirmed Pluto's suspicions.
As a Galactic commander, Pluto was all too familiar with Cynthia's capabilities—and he knew full well he stood no chance against her.
His only mission was to delay the enemy, to buy time for Cyrus. Engaging in a direct fight with Cynthia was out of the question.
At once, he threw out two Poké Balls. "Bronzong, [Confuse Ray]! Crobat, [Supersonic]!"
Bronzong emitted a flash of shifting, shimmering light to distract Garchomp, while Crobat took to the air, mouth opening wide to unleash a pulse of high-frequency sound.
The moment Garchomp's attention wavered, the [Supersonic] struck, enveloping it in a wave of disorienting energy.
Caught by both attacks, Garchomp grimaced in pain.
Pluto seized the opportunity to breathe. Tension eased slightly in his shoulders as he began calculating how best to use the Pokémon he had left to stall for time.
But in the next instant, everything changed.
Garchomp, as Cynthia's main ace, might not match Luo Yuan's legendaries—but a mere Crobat's [Supersonic] wasn't enough to throw her off.
Even without Cynthia giving a command, Garchomp's eyes flared with ferocity. It lowered its body, then launched forward—both hind legs digging into the ground as it propelled itself forward with terrifying speed.
With a shriek like splitting air, Garchomp became a dark blue arrow hurtling straight for Pluto—faster than before.
"Bronzong, [Protect]!"
The distance between them had never been great. Pluto's command had barely left his mouth before Garchomp crashed into Bronzong—slashing with its arms in a wild frenzy.
BOOM.
A deafening clang rang out, like a temple bell struck with unrelenting force.
The Galactic grunts who had just started recovering from [Dragon Breath]'s paralysis instantly felt like their eardrums had been punched. The world spun around them; heads rang like struck bells.
Pluto, however, couldn't afford to worry about them.
Bronzong hadn't managed to execute [Protect] in time. Under Garchomp's brutal onslaught, it was sent flying across the room.
Now, there was nothing between Pluto and the onrushing beast.
"Not good!"
A cold sweat broke across Pluto's back. Bronzong was down, and Crobat was too far away to intervene.
He instinctively reached for another Poké Ball at his waist.
But in that exact moment, he felt an invisible force clamp down around his arm—completely immobilizing him.
In high-level battles, a single moment often decides everything.
Pluto had missed his.
Without resistance, Garchomp closed the gap. Its blade-like fins and white bone spurs glinted just inches from Pluto's throat, their sharpness pressing against his skin.
—A sharp sting.
"Gulp."
Pluto swallowed. The motion alone scraped his neck against Garchomp's blades.
The sting was real.
A thin line of blood marked where the skin had been broken.
And just like that… he abandoned any thoughts of last-ditch resistance.