The explosive force erupted in a blinding flash.
Heat swept outward in every direction, swallowing everything near the Corestone facility. The Gym-level Pokémon closest to the blast had no chance to resist. They were consumed instantly, their bodies reduced to ash.
"Fall back!"
High in the sky, Jian reacted first.
His face changed as he shouted to the other officers.
Only then did the officers snap out of their shock. Fear flashed across their faces as they immediately ordered their Pidgeot to retreat.
Jian, however, did not leave.
Instead, he urged his Pidgeot toward Aaron.
"Aaron!"
"Get out of there!"
Jian shouted through the rain, his expression fierce.
At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind.
He could die here.
Aaron could not.
...
Aaron's urgent command rang out across the battlefield.
Sceptile had always trusted Aaron without hesitation. The moment it heard the order, green light flashed in its cross-shaped pupils.
"Scep-tile!"
Sceptile let out a sharp cry as white-green energy erupted from its entire body.
VMMMM—
A powerful surge of energy poured into the earth.
RUMBLE!
The ground shook violently, as if the mountain itself were trembling.
Then, from the broken battlefield, a colossal wooden shield rose from the earth. Its surface was carved with strange patterns, and its sheer size was overwhelming. It towered nearly fifty meters high, thick as a fortress wall, blocking the blast path between the collapsing Corestone facility and the battlefield beyond.
"SCEP-TIIILE!"
Sceptile cried out again, this time with strain in its voice, and poured every bit of natural energy it had into the shield.
The surrounding forest withered at visible speed. Flowers shriveled. Branches dried and cracked. Trees that had been overflowing with life moments ago turned brittle and gray as their energy was drained into the barrier.
The colossal wooden shield stood between Corestone and the rest of the mountain like the last wall before disaster.
...
Jian froze at the sight of it.
Even his Pidgeot stopped midair.
He stared at the dozens-of-meters-tall wooden barrier, his lips twitching slightly.
"What the hell is that supposed to be now?"
For a moment, Jian seriously began to wonder if Aaron was cheating.
Someone needed to report this kid.
How had he not been banned yet?
Jian stared at the scene, unable to look away.
...
The explosion slammed into the colossal wooden shield.
BOOOOM!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The blast wave crashed against the thick barrier with a roar that shook the mountainside. The shield creaked under the pressure, cracks spreading across its surface as it trembled violently.
VMMMM—
A piercing ring tore through the air, forcing everyone nearby to cover their ears.
Then the main blast erupted fully.
BOOOOM!
A massive cloud of smoke and fire rose into the sky, surging upward and lingering beneath the storm clouds.
But the shield held.
It blocked the worst of the explosion.
The Corestone facility had vanished. In its place was an enormous crater, deep enough to look like the earth had been gouged open.
RUMBLE...
Sceptile panted heavily, clearly exhausted, then quickly canceled the Hōbi Barrier.
The towering wooden shield broke apart into countless green motes of light and scattered into the rain.
Aaron finally let out a slow breath when he saw that Sceptile's barrier had stopped the blast.
"That bastard almost got us."
His eyes turned colder.
"Aotum really does need to die."
Aaron scanned the ruined facility below, but Aotum was nowhere to be seen.
"Where the hell did he run off to?"
Aaron's anger toward Aotum had already reached its limit.
He had to find him.
If he did not break every bone in that bastard's body, he would not be able to swallow this anger.
"Aaron!"
Just then, Jian rode his Pidgeot over and called out to him.
"Director Jian."
Aaron had noticed him long ago. Seeing Jian approach, he gave him a brief nod.
"I haven't found Aotum."
"Have you seen him?"
"What?"
"Aotum isn't here?"
Jian's expression turned grim.
"That son of a bitch."
"We can't let him escape. He's probably carrying the research data."
"If he brings it back to Ransei, they'll use it against Hualis."
Jian immediately turned toward the officers behind him.
"I'll have people issue a warrant and lock down every route out of Grit City."
"We have to catch him."
...