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When Sato rejoined the battlefield atop Arcanine, the previously chaotic situation had already come under control.
Clearly, the Team Rocket members stationed at the base were well accustomed to handling sudden nighttime assaults. Apart from newcomers like Sato—who darted around like headless flies, fighting independently—most Team Rocket members worked in back-to-back pairs, coordinating efficiently.
This not only improved combat effectiveness but also significantly boosted safety. Of course, such coordination was only possible because of mutual trust among members.
Arcanine was undoubtedly a strikingly handsome Pokémon—especially Sato's, whose size far exceeded that of its kin. The moment he arrived on the battlefield, both allies and enemies turned their heads to look.
Unfortunately, such attention—whether from friend or foe—was rarely positive. On a battlefield like this, seasoned Team Rocket members often saw drawing that much attention as a surefire way to get oneself killed.
This proved true almost instantly. Simply by standing in a random spot, Arcanine's eye-catching presence attracted swarms of wild Flying-type Pokémon, resulting in a barrage of attacks.
But Arcanine was no longer the Pokémon it once was. Now that it had mastered Extreme Speed, it didn't fear being swarmed. On this battlefield, nearly no wild Flying-type Pokémon could outpace it.
Under Sato's command, Arcanine became a fiery blur, weaving nimbly through the battlefield. A single Flamethrower or a sweeping Flame Charge was often enough to down several Flying-types at once.
Even when surrounded and attacked en masse, Arcanine remained unshaken. One burst of Extreme Speed was enough to slip out of a coordinated assault, before spinning around to counterattack with another Flamethrower.
Not even powerful wild Flying-types several levels higher fazed him.
Although Arcanine had only just inherited Extreme Speed through its evolution, it was no longer the struggling underdog that had to train endlessly to master new techniques.
Now blessed with innate talent, it was as though Arcanine had broken through its limits or unlocked its true potential. After using Extreme Speed once in the corridor, it had swiftly gained control over the move.
Thanks to the overwhelming speed advantage Extreme Speed provided, Arcanine held its ground with ease against the wild Pokémon, even gaining the upper hand under Sato's command.
Tanya was a practical person. She never did anything she considered a losing deal. So, when she noticed the Team Rocket veterans could handle the ferocious wild Pokémon on their own, she opted to quietly slack off.
And when the situation was clearly under control, she made a stealthy retreat from the battle. Hiding behind a well-concealed structure, she managed to withdraw from the front lines unscathed.
Still, even though she had escaped the attention of the death-defying wild Flying-types circling above, she didn't dare let her guard down, continuing to monitor the battlefield from afar.
And because of that vigilance, she witnessed something that shocked her to the core: the same vile man who had extorted her not long ago was now effortlessly dominating the dangerous battlefield, right in the heart of the battle.
Even in the vast chaos, Sato—commanding Arcanine in and out of combat—stood out as a paragon of strength and strategy. Some veterans even began gathering around him, working together under his indirect lead.
"Just who is he, really?" Tanya muttered, crouched behind cover. "It hasn't even been that long, and he's grown this much? I looked into his background—just an orphan adopted by a farmer..."
Watching Sato command Arcanine with such swagger and confidence, Tanya felt a flash of shame. But the moment she recalled how ruthlessly he had extorted her, she clenched her teeth in frustration.
Still, she quickly schooled her expression. Mounting her Pidgeot, she emerged from hiding and charged toward the frontlines—specifically, the chaotic fray now being rapidly encircled by a horde of wild Flying-types.
At the center of that clash, Sato was currently commanding Arcanine in battle against a powerful Level 51 wild Yanmega.
(Note: Yanmega is the evolved form of Yanma, with a base stat of 515. Jessie of Team Team Rocket used one during the Unova region arc.)
This particular Yanmega had already run rampant across the battlefield for some time thanks to its Speed Boost ability. Its phantom-like agility made it a deadly assassin, appearing and vanishing at will.
Unless one had a Pokémon just as fast, or one that had mastered techniques like Lock-On or Mind Reader, landing a hit on such an opponent was nearly impossible.
But Lock-On and Mind Reader were extremely rare moves, and only a select few Pokémon could even learn them—let alone master them without being high-level.
Some Team Rocket veterans had Magneton or Magnezone, both capable of learning Lock-On, but that required reaching at least Level 49.
As a result, many veteran Team Rocket members were helpless against the Yanmega, whose strength had already reached the pseudo Elite-Four level. Once it chose a target, death could follow.
In just the past short while, this Yanmega had already taken down over a dozen Team Rocket members—several of whom were killed on the spot.
With each round of Speed Boost, Yanmega had pushed its speed to the limit, allowing it to flash through the battlefield like a ghost, killing with impunity.
But that ended the moment it failed to assassinate Sato.
Now, it was paying the price for its arrogance.
Unable to flee thanks to Crobat's Mean Look, Yanmega found itself being hounded mercilessly by both Crobat and Arcanine. Death was closing in fast.
As a pseudo Elite-Four level Pokémon, Yanmega was clearly one of the leaders of the wild Flying-types. But now, cornered and desperate, it was forced to seek help from its underlings.
Unfortunately for it, the Team Rocket veterans it had previously terrorized were now actively blocking any potential rescue efforts, rallying around Sato.
"Crobat, Taunt! Don't give it a chance to escape! Arcanine, hit it again with Extreme Speed followed by Flame Charge!"
As Yanmega once again used its blinding speed to narrowly dodge Arcanine's wide-area Flamethrower, a bloodthirsty Sato—sheltered behind Swampert—snapped out new commands without pause.
Yanmega might be fast, but maintaining that speed burned through its stamina. Before, it had been able to alternate between ambushing and resting. But after getting hit by Mean Look, that option was gone.
Now, after countless coordinated assaults by Crobat and Arcanine, it was barely holding on. Though it kept dodging, the physical toll was showing—its body aching, stamina nearing empty.
As soon as Sato gave the order, Crobat's eyes gleamed with dark light. The already-fading black aura clinging to Yanmega's form suddenly flared back to life—Taunt had been reapplied.
At the same time, flames exploded from Arcanine's legs as it burst forward in a blur, instantly closing the distance between it and the gasping Yanmega.
A deadly sense of dread filled Yanmega's heart. With no way to dodge, it desperately tried to use the defensive move Protect—but to its horror, Taunt had sealed it off once again.
In the face of death, Yanmega couldn't muster another surge of strength.
And in the next moment, it was struck head-on by Arcanine, whose body was wrapped in blinding white flames.
A massive crash rang out.
Like a burning cannonball, Yanmega was sent flying across the battlefield. With a shrill scream, it smashed into the outer wall of the Team Rocket base with a deafening thud.