Number Two, exhausted, began to understand that the enemy had fully exploited his mindset of clinging to luck. They had left him a path that seemed to lead to life, but as the battle dragged on, that path grew narrower and narrower.
Boiling the frog slowly.
A bitter smile appeared on his face. His own illusion had turned him into that frog who convinces itself that the water is still warm and there is nothing to worry about.
But when he realized that the water was already burning hot, it was too late: the enemy had added a large log to the fire, brutally accelerating the rise in temperature.
Even so, accepting death in that manner was unbearable for anyone. Moreover, Number Two still retained his last saving straw, which had not yet broken.
"Number Three! Number Four! I know it's the two of you! What a twisted mind, teaming up to face me!" Number Two's voice once again echoed within the poisonous cloud. At this moment he could barely hold on with great difficulty and was about to fall at any instant, yet his voice reached Cain and Number Four with complete clarity.
"Although I don't know exactly what it is about me that you find so attractive... I wonder how you plan to divide the spoils after finishing me off."
"Number Three, Number Four's strength is far superior to yours. Aren't you really worried that, after killing me, he'll turn against you?" In Number Two's voice there was a hint of relief, as if he were genuinely worrying about Cain.
What he said, in fact, was not without reason. If one trusted the people of the church one hundred percent, one would probably not be far from death.
"Number Four! Your strength far surpasses that of Number Three, and you're also the one who has contributed the most in this battle. He's only stayed outside keeping watch... are you really willing to share the benefits with him?" Number Two's instigating voice rang out once more.
Even if Number Four did not have enough strength to eliminate Cain after finishing off Number Two, one must not forget that at this moment both of them were inside the poisonous cloud. Even if he couldn't kill Cain, he could still take advantage of the terrain and keep all the benefits for himself. That so-called six–four split was nothing more than a joke.
It had to be admitted: the timing chosen by Number Two to sow discord was perfect. He was about to die, and at the same time this was, in theory, the moment when the conflict of interests between Cain and Number Four reached its peak. No one knew when Number Two would fall; they were right at the critical moment of dividing the gains.
The point of greatest tension and confrontation.
After hearing his words, although Number Four said nothing, the frequency with which he issued orders to his Pokémon began to gradually decrease.
Noticing this change, Number Two's heart filled with joy. He felt that perhaps he could still cling to a thread of life.
If Number Four's ally had been the former Bartram, he might truly have managed to ignite a conflict between them. But unfortunately for him, the current "Number Three" was not the Bartram they imagined, but Cain, a "genuine" member of the League.
At the moment of Number Four's hesitation, Cain's voice rang in his ear: "I'll give you ten percent more. You get seven, I get three. Do you know what the consequences would be if we let him escape?"
"Don't hesitate. Kill him!"
Cain took the initiative and ordered Gengar to launch a fierce attack. Upon hearing Cain's words, Number Four stopped hesitating completely. Ten percent more was already a very considerable gain.
Thus, the two of them together launched the final assault against Number Two.
Sensing the sudden change in the rhythm of the battle, the joy that had just arisen in Number Two's heart collapsed straight into the abyss.
The attacks of the enemy Pokémon were now even fiercer than at the beginning. Number Two understood that they were delivering the final blow. However, at this moment he no longer saw even a shred of hope. Exhausted and without strength, his Pokémon had lost all possibility of escape.
With brutal resolve, he decided that since those two wanted to kill him, even if he died, he would tear a piece of flesh from their bodies.
Never underestimate a cornered beast!
"You forced me to this, Number Four! Since you're so satisfied with your loot, let's see whether, after being gravely injured, Number Three dares to attack you! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"Delphox, Blast Burn! Explode! Explode! EXPLODE!!!" Number Two's unbridled laughter once again echoed from within the poisonous cloud.
He knew that he no longer had any chance of surviving, so he was determined to drag Number Four down with him.
Like a beast, at his moment of greatest desperation, his counterattack was also the fiercest.
"Damn it!" Number Four's expression changed drastically. He immediately ordered his Pokémon to raise their defenses.
Before, in order to force Number Two to restrain himself and not use powerful fire-type attacks that would ignite all the poisonous gas in the cloud, he had avoided using certain tactics. As a result, after all that time, the concentration of gas in the cloud had reached an extremely high level.
Seeing Delphox release the final Blast Burn born of desperation, the gas surrounding Number Two ignited almost instantly. At that moment, Number Four's Weezing quickly separated the gases on both sides to prevent the explosion from spreading toward him.
From outside the cloud, Cain watched that "magnificent" explosion and thought that if its power were reduced by half, Number Two probably wouldn't even die with his eyes closed.
A deep and meaningful smile appeared on Cain's face. Since that was the enemy's last wish, as someone always willing to help, how could he stand by and do nothing?
While all of Number Four's attention was focused on controlling the gas, Cain took out a Poké Ball and opened it in his hand.
"Blaazk!"
Blaziken appeared beside Cain.
Looking at that poisonous cloud as thick as a dark storm, with the gas completely mixed within it, Cain said, "Blaziken, do you want to see some truly spectacular fireworks?" (Freezer: You see, Lord Dodoria? That boy is a man of culture... jojojojo.)
In an instant, Blaziken understood. With a simple swing of his arm, he launched a compact fireball that did not disperse, tracing a beautiful parabola through the air before falling directly into the center of the poisonous cloud.
It was like throwing a stone onto the calm surface of a lake: at first it was barely noticeable, only a few small ripples.
But in the next second...
