Chapter 581. The Arclight Cannons

Once the bombardment started, the Future Paradox Pokémon immediately rushed toward the source of the shells, having traced the projectiles back to their origin. The robot army followed suit, marching after them.

The artillery shells continued to rain down, doing minimal damage to the Paradox Pokémon individually. However, their large area of effect, combined with the sheer number of shells being fired, steadily whittled down the Pokémon’s health. By the time they passed through the forest and reached the fortifications, they were already below their ideal strength.

The robot army, on the other hand, was doing surprisingly well, as they were still able to maintain their coordination as they marched. The two-legged shield bearers raised their energy shields toward the sky, blocking the shells that rained down on them. Their marching speed was considerably slower, however, as they couldn’t weave through the trees with the same agility as the Paradox Pokémon. The hover tanks in particular couldn’t simply push through the forest without a clear path, which the bombardment was steadily clearing for them.

“Maintain a defensive formation and don’t let them pass, be it through the wall, underground, or through the air,” Alex commanded.

Once the Paradox Pokémon made it through the forest, they raced along the cleared path created by the Arclight Cannons and charged forward. The defense and water teams immediately met them with a bombardment of energy attacks, ensuring they paid the price for their reckless advance. Not only did they suffer tremendous damage, but they were also pushed back as the majority of the attacks were Surf, flooding the clearing with a sudden tsunami.

The occasional Rock Slide, Dazzling Gleam, Earthquake, and Expanding Force added to the onslaught, making it surprising that any of them could even make it through. Combined with the barrage from the turrets atop the walls, the entire front section of the fortifications became a massive energy storm directed at the charging Paradox Pokémon.

Surprisingly, however, it wasn’t Alex’s Pokémon or his turrets that dealt the most damage. It was the Arclight Cannons. Three to five cannons would coordinate their attacks and focus on a single target with near-perfect accuracy, taking it down in mere seconds. Even when they used Protect to defend themselves, they didn’t last long. Once the shield faded and they were forced into a momentary cooldown, the cannons would immediately capitalize on the opening, taking them out one by one with ruthless efficiency.

It was a good thing as well, because Alex highly doubted that he and his 50-plus Pokémon would be a match for 150 Master ranked opponents. Without the accurate, continuous damage from the many Arclight Cannons, they would have easily been swarmed and slowly broken down in a massive, chaotic melee, where even Alex couldn’t guarantee his own survival.

“It’s definitely impressive,” Alex noted. “It’s basically a Master ranked Pokémon’s worst nightmare since it’s a continuous beam of damage. Of course, it’s nothing without a proper front line to defend it, like my Pokémon.”

Alex was no slouch during the battle either. He opened fire with Stormline, intentionally focusing on Pokémon that used Protect to wade through the energy storm, breaking through their shields with Feint and Phantom Force bullets. Unlike the turrets, whose automated targeting resulted in poorer performance and scattered shots, Alex had Master ranked senses and dexterity. His aim was always on point, allowing him to pin down Pokémon with ease no matter how agile their movements.

Still, out of the 150 that had rushed in from the power plant, around a hundred were able to reach the attack team. It was clear that they were powerful enough to withstand the bombardment. However, they didn’t last long after that, as the front line quickly overwhelmed them with targeted counterattacks.

Not only were they weakened by the initial barrage from the artillery and the ensuing energy storm, but they were also subjected to focused fire from the cannons, ensuring Alex’s Pokémon never had to face their full force all at once. Almost as soon as the Paradox Pokémon approached and launched an attack, they were taken down, steadily reducing the number of enemies Alex’s Pokémon had to defend against over an extended period.

Like so, the 150 rampaging Master ranked Paradox Pokémon were eventually wiped out.

As the last of them were taken down, the robot army finally arrived. Most of the forest had been bombarded to smithereens or cut down by lasers, leaving a wide path for them to advance. They marched forward with the shield bearers at the front, ready to tank everything General Stroud and Alex had to offer.

Unfortunately for them, their energy shields were based on the same energy and principles as a Pokémon’s Protect, making them highly susceptible to Feint and Phantom Force. The turrets’ scattered attacks and Alex’s pinpoint accuracy tore through their shields almost as soon as they appeared, leaving them exposed to the energy storm. In no time, they too were wiped out without much difficulty.

“Gahahaha~ Not bad! Not bad at all, alien!” General Stroud shouted as he slapped Alex hard on the back after their victory.

“You too,” Alex replied. “The cannons are indeed quite impressive.”

“Just the cannons?”

“The artillery didn’t do much apart from clearing the trees, and the jammer couldn’t disrupt their coordination. Really, it was only the cannons that lived up to the hype.”

“Bah! What would you know?” Stroud scoffed. “Each android has an internal processor that allows it to fall in line even without communication, so they can easily maintain formations. You have to admit, though, the Artificial Pokémon fell in droves. They didn’t pair up or move with any real strategy.”

“That’s true,” Alex admitted with a nod.

Gardevoir had a particularly difficult time dealing with two dozen Master ranked Pokémon that coordinated perfectly, using strategies and tactics that seemed to have an answer for everything Alex’s Pokémon had trained for. The experience had been enough to make Alex seriously consider updating their formations once they returned home.

“Anyway, it’s time for the cleanup,” General Stroud said.

“What did you have in mind?” Alex asked.

“We’ll melt down anything we can hit from here with the cannons and snipers before approaching. Then we’ll fight it out in close quarters.”

“Can your men handle it?” Alex asked skeptically. “What if those Artificial Pokémon show up in a hallway?”

“Nah, they’d wreck the place. The virus would never allow its servers to come to harm.”

Alex tilted his head before realizing that was certainly the case. The Paradox Pokémon had only ever fought outside, while the androids, explosive traps, and turrets were left to defend the interior. It made sweeping the place that much easier while also preserving the servers intact every time.

“Alright. Just let me know where you want me.”

“That’s the spirit!” General Stroud said as he slapped Alex on the back again.

Just as the general had said, they began firing on the power plant from miles away, taking down anything even remotely electronic. This included cameras, wires, power lines, antennas, and even the lights. Apparently, one could never be too careful when it came to dealing with the virus.

“All clear, General,” one of the soldiers said.

“Excellent. Let’s head over and clear the place,” General Stroud said.

They moved cautiously through the devastated path in the forest, wary of any Paradox Pokémon that might have been left behind to ambush them before finally reaching the power plant. There, they found that all the technology left out in the open and even inside the buildings had been destroyed, either shot apart by snipers or melted by the cannons.

However, just as they were about to head inside, Alex stopped them.

“Why don’t you let me and my Pokémon take the lead?” he suggested. “They can take a hit, and they’ve cleared enough server rooms to know how to handle it.”

“Oh? That’s generous of you. Here I was, already expecting to lose a few men.”

“Is it really that bad?” Alex asked.

“The scanners can’t pick up everything, and the guys’ reaction speed just ain’t there. We go in knowing we’re going to lose more than a few every time.”

“Why not use Pokémon instead? Ghost types for infiltration, Electric types for detection, and Fighting types to clear the corridors.”

“They’re not strong enough. Just a few androids can knock them out or worse, kill them.”

“Still better than losing men.”

“Tell that to the Trainers.”

Alex nodded, understanding the sentiment. Treating Pokémon as disposable was a dangerous slope for the military. People would hate them for it if they knew Pokémon were being treated as cannon fodder. Although, it was admirable that even in the middle of an apocalypse, they had managed to hold on to their sense of morality.

Alex didn’t have that particular qualm, though. He trusted his Pokémon to make it out without a problem and, at the very least, preserve their lives.

With Alex’s Pokémon leading the way, they cleared out the facility in no time. They took out androids, deactivated bombs and turrets, and opened up every path through the facility before finally reaching the server room.

It was a massive, cold room filled with rows upon rows of server racks, all operating at full capacity. They quickly made their way to the controls and, after flipping a few switches, finally shut everything down.

“Good! Another wretched place taken down,” General Stroud said, his voice carrying a mixture of satisfaction and bitter hatred. “Now... let’s start the negotiations.”