[Lake Acuity]
All the Pokémon around here had already received Mewtwo's message, and were hiding far away in places that wouldn't be affected by the Galactic Bomb's blast.
Nearby, hundreds of Officer Jennys waited in hiding with their Arcanines, tucked away inside caves and puddles scattered through the mountains.
Officer Jenny No. 4 crouched low in a patch of grass, her large Arcanine right beside her. Her sharp eyes kept darting toward the distant sky.
"Everyone, get ready. Mewtwo has already made contact with Axel. Out of the three Galactic Bombs Team Galactic has prepared, only one is real."
"Axel will convince the higher-ups in Team Galactic to detonate the real bomb here, at Lake Acuity."
"Once that happens, the three Lake Guardians will all appear here. If Axel captures them, we pretend we were never here, stay hidden."
"But if Team Galactic's leader tries to capture the Lake Guardians, we strike immediately and stop them."
"Understood!", A chorus of Jennys answered, their eyes shining with excitement.
Ever since Axel's "surround-and-suppress" tactics had become widespread, their combat strength had received a legendary-level boost.
They might still be a bit lacking compared to Gym Leaders, but what they lacked in power, they made up for in sheer numbers.
In just a few days, the criminals and poachers who had once been difficult to deal with were all easily taken down.
They even started running out of people to arrest...
Now that there was finally a major operation, many Jennys couldn't help feeling eager.
"Arcie, should I give you the surround buff in advance? Otherwise, you might not grab any credit later!"
"Arcie, we finally get to fight side by side with our idol, I'm so happy!"
"Arcie, you go through the water first, so you can strike the moment it starts!"
Arcanine: "???"
'Sure, I can paddle, but damn it, I'm a Fire-type dog!'
Hearing the chatter rising all around, Jenny No. 4 could only twitch her lips helplessly.
That's Team Galactic, a dangerous criminal organization.
'Why does everyone sound so excited?'
Still, she knew ever since Axel's tactics had spread, the Jennys' combat effectiveness had skyrocketed.
Maybe... maybe they could actually crush Team Galactic.
But if that really happened, would Cyrus still cooperate with Axel to make the Galactic Bomb?
"Ahem!", Jenny No. 4 felt she needed to warn her sisters in advance. If a fight broke out, they should at least hold back a little.
"Everyone, listen to me!"
———
At the same time, a massive airship approached from the distance.
Hanging beneath it was a bomb full of sci-fi flair, pulsing constantly with bright blue light.
Axel stood at the front of the airship, holding the detonator of the Galactic Bomb in his hand.
Beside him, Cyrus's face looked as though he had just swallowed a mouthful of filth.
He felt like a total idiot. Why had he gone up the mountain to find Axel in the first place?
Not only had he run into a rampaging Yveltal and lost most of his main Pokémon, but he'd been dragged by Axel all the way here.
And to make things worse, since he'd wanted to act at Lake Verity, he'd already stationed most of Team Galactic's elite forces there.
Meaning, even if the three Lake Guardians emerged from this lake right now, he might not even be able to beat them.
'What the hell kind of mess is this?'
Right now, Cyrus really wanted to tell Axel: 'I quit!'
But thinking of his grand plan, he could only sigh helplessly.
He'd already been beaten up by a legendary Pokémon for this plan, there was no way he could give up halfway now.
All he could hope for was that Axel would be easy to talk into waiting, at least until the rest of Team Galactic's core arrived, before detonating the bomb.
His expression grew serious, as though he were explaining something of great importance:
"Mr. Axel, even though the Galactic Bomb has arrived, it's still not the best time to detonate it."
"Once it goes off, the Pokémon in the lake will likely all be knocked unconscious, but the three Lake Guardians are different."
"Each of them holds power capable of destroying the world itself. It'll take overwhelming strength to subdue them."
"As things stand, my Pokémon just fought a legendary beast. We managed to repel it, but they've all been injured."
"To capture the Lake Guardians, we'll need the support of the other Team Galactic elites..."
"No problem."
Before Cyrus could finish, Axel interrupted him.
"The Pokémon I have with me are strong enough. Subduing the Lake Guardians shouldn't be a problem."
"The Galactic Bomb has finally been completed, we shouldn't waste any more time."
Cyrus looked at him, completely dumbfounded.
'Wait, what? You've been dragging your feet for hours, and now suddenly you're in a hurry?'
"What's with that face, Mr. Cyrus?", Axel glanced at him, "You haven't lost sight of your dream, have you?"
Then, spreading his arms dramatically and turning his back to Cyrus, Axel's voice rose with passionate conviction.
"As those who strive to save the regions, we must never abandon our ideals just because we're not strong enough!"
"Lord Masked Man always teaches us, so long as we still draw breath, so long as there's even a shred of hope, we must fight for our ideals, for our goals!"
"Even if the whole world stands against us, we must never say 'I can't'!"
Cyrus stared blankly at Axel, utterly confused by this sudden burst of passion.
'Abandon my ideals? What the hell are you talking about?'
'And that Masked Man of yours, I know damn well he doesn't have any noble ideals!'
'That guy's a conman, through and through!'
If the detonator weren't in Axel's hands, and if Cyrus still had his full team, he'd have flipped the table right now.
"Brother, listen to me," Cyrus said through clenched teeth, "let's be a bit more cautious, alright? Half an hour. Give me just half an hour. I guarantee the Galactic core members will arrive at Lake Acuity by then. It won't delay our plan at all. How's that?"
"You're sure it'll be half an hour?"
"Positive!"
"Alright then. I'll just rest a bit."
Axel sat down leisurely, took out a portable stove and some ingredients from his bag, and started roasting skewers.
"Come, have a seat and a drink. We've got half an hour, after all."
'So easygoing?'
Cyrus blinked, then quickly sat across from Axel.
Afraid Axel might change his mind, he turned and waved to his subordinate.
"Saturn! Go grab that good wine I brought back from Hisui!"
"Brother Axel, since we've been working together this long, we might as well use this half hour to bond properly. We'll drink till the clock runs out."
"Sure thing. Then I'll make sure we eat well," Axel smiled cheerfully, his eyes drifting toward a distant mountain ravine as the corner of his mouth curved upward.
'Team Galactic's core arriving within half an hour, huh?'
'Perfect...'
'The Officer Jennys has been bored lately.'
'They can use a little credit.'
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