The sudden alliance of Giovanni, Edwin, and Whitney had caught everyone else completely off guard.
In an instant, the black-clad figures who had been watching from a distance found themselves transformed from observers into targets. A suffocating dread swept through their ranks, the shadow of death settling over them before they had even registered what was happening. There was an old saying among Trainers: never linger at someone else's battle unless you were ready to become part of it.
"Run! Split up!" someone bellowed, and without a moment's hesitation, the group scattered in every direction, breaking apart like a flock of Starly startled from a rooftop.
Any pretense of concealment was abandoned on the spot. One after another, the black-clad Trainers threw out their Poké Balls, releasing their Pokémon in a desperate bid to buy time or break through.
"A Champion-level Delphox — that's someone from the Su family."
"A Champion-level Sableye. That's a Tang family Trainer."
As the trump cards came out, so did the identities behind them. The crowd's panic stripped away every mask.
Jacob watched the chaos unfold with calm, measured eyes. "Prioritize the weaker ones," he called out, his voice steady beneath the noise. "And try to keep as many alive as possible."
He had already secured the Rainbow Wing. A bloodbath served no purpose now — two prisoners would be more than enough. He swept his gaze across the fleeing Trainers, sorting them quickly. Most carried Pokémon at the Champion level; only a handful had something stronger at their side.
Those without Champion-level Pokémon were the ones he wanted. They were manageable, and the risk to himself, Edwin, and Whitney was low.
Edwin and Whitney heard his words and needed no further direction. Their attention shifted almost simultaneously to the Trainers without Champion-class partners.
The chase began.
In truth, if those fleeing Trainers had held their ground and fought together, they might have been able to stall long enough for the Pokémon Association's reinforcements to arrive. But cooperation required trust, and trust was the last thing anyone had left. They were more likely to trip each other up than form a line — and so they scattered, and were picked off one by one.
"Darkrai — Dream Eater!"
A surge of Psychic energy radiated outward as Darkrai's body pulsed with deep violet light. The Mawile across from it had already slipped into unconsciousness, and Darkrai descended on its mind without mercy, draining the dream energy from its sleeping form.
The effect was immediate. A grimace crossed Mawile's face as the Psychic energy took hold, and with a pained cry, its legs buckled beneath it. It collapsed to the ground, utterly spent.
Jacob turned his attention to the Trainer who had been standing behind it.
"Darkrai," he said, raising a hand. "Dark Void. Put him to sleep — and keep him breathing."
The reminder was deliberate. Dead hostages had no ransom value.
"Please — I'm begging you, let me go!" the black-clad Trainer pleaded, eyes wide, voice cracking.
"Jei." Darkrai's low, hollow cry was the only response. It raised one arm, and a pulse of Dark-type energy washed over the Trainer, dragging him under before he could say another word.
Jacob glanced at his watch. Five, maybe six minutes had passed. He had two captives. That was enough. He could already feel the window closing — the Association's reinforcements wouldn't be far off now.
He looked toward Edwin and Whitney. Each of them had secured a prisoner of their own. Not bad.
Whitney was already checking the time on her wrist display. The electronic readout blinked quietly in the low light. "We should move," she said.
"Agreed." Jacob recalled Darkrai and reached for a different Poké Ball. A moment later, his Giant Metagross materialized beside him — enormous, its steel frame catching the dim light, its four eyes gleaming with quiet intelligence. Jacob climbed onto its back and turned to the other two. "Find somewhere out of the way. We can discuss how to divide things once we're clear."
Edwin's expression tightened.
While they had a common enemy, the cooperation between the three of them had been clean and efficient. Now, with the chaos behind them and only the three of them left standing, the balance had shifted. Jacob held the initiative. Completely.
Edwin's mind worked quickly. If Jacob decided he was better off with no loose ends — if he turned on them here — the chances of walking away were not good. Edwin didn't like thinking about it, but he couldn't not.
His gaze settled on the Metagross. He couldn't measure its exact strength from where he stood — Metagross were notoriously good at containing their aura — but size told its own story. A Pokémon built like that didn't need to announce itself.
It reminded him of something simple but true: if a man of average build approached you on the street, you might not be able to guess whether he was dangerous or not. He could be perfectly ordinary. He could be a master of some obscure fighting style. You simply wouldn't know. But if a giant — broad-shouldered, solid muscle — planted himself in your path, you didn't need to guess. You already knew to keep your distance.
Jacob's Metagross was that giant.
Whitney had noticed it too, though her reaction was more curious than cautious. Giovanni's known Pokémon were Darkrai and Gigantamax Lapras. A Giant Metagross was new. She found herself genuinely interested.
She touched a small control on the side of her helmet, and the built-in scanner activated, sweeping quietly over the Metagross in front of her. Data began accumulating — but not in any useful way.
The Metagross had its energy perfectly contained. Its aura was sealed so completely that the readout returned almost nothing. What little the scanner could detect suggested an ordinary Pokémon — and Whitney knew immediately that couldn't be right.
She frowned behind her visor. She would need to upgrade her equipment when she got back.
Meanwhile, Edwin had reached a decision — or rather, was still failing to reach one.
He didn't want to follow Jacob. Placing his life in someone else's hands went against every instinct he had. But he couldn't simply run, either. Not from this.
"Are we actually going with them?" he asked Whitney quietly, glancing toward her.
"Why not?" she replied. Her tone was unhurried, almost relaxed — as if the question had an obvious answer.
"What if Giovanni decides we're a liability?" Edwin pressed. "What if this is where he ties up loose ends?"
"What does being afraid of it change?" Whitney said plainly. She glanced at him. "Look at how he's operated every time he's made a move. Has he ever gone out of his way to kill someone who wasn't a direct threat?"
Edwin turned that over in his mind. He thought back through what he knew of Giovanni's appearances — the few confirmed incidents, the patterns people whispered about in certain circles. And reluctantly, he had to admit she had a point. Giovanni had never been a butcher. He was deliberate. He took what he needed and left the rest.
"But what if this time is different?" Edwin asked. He hated that he was still asking.
Whitney let out a short breath — more amused than annoyed. Unfortunately, her helmet hid the expression entirely. "Then I'll tell him to deal with you first," she said. "And I'll make sure he has a reason to."
"Don't joke about that."
"Then stop giving me reasons to." She turned toward where Jacob waited on Metagross's back. "I'm going. You can stand here and think about it if you want."
Edwin clenched his jaw. Took a breath. Made the only choice that was actually available to him.
"Fine," he muttered. "We go."