Looking at the Sandile, who was now showing its true ferocity, Ariel did not choose to suppress its nature.
In those crimson eyes, violent power surged; saliva mixed with blood dripped down, cruel and murderous!
Moxie was already fully stacked!
Now, its power had stacked to a terrifying level.
"Go. Kill them all."
Ariel's voice was very soft, yet it was like an order that completely released Sandile's final shackles.
Receiving the command, Sandile let out a low roar, its sandy-yellow body turning into an afterimage as it charged straight toward the surviving Apprentices.
The shadow of death instantly enveloped them.
"Stop it!"
The only two remaining higher-level Elekid roared, electricity flickering on their bodies as they tried to use their last bit of strength to block this killing machine.
However, what they faced was not just Sandile.
"Wuu!"
A shadowy figure flashed past; Inkay had floated to the side of an Electabuzz at some point, instantly blasting out a highly condensed Dark Pulse.
The black-purple energy mass drew a strange arc in the air, smashing solidly into the Electabuzz's waist.
Bang!
That Elekid didn't even have time to scream before it was hit like a truck traveling at high speed; its body arched into a bizarre shape as it was sent flying, crashing heavily into the distant wall before sliding down, its current flickering weakly twice before it went completely silent.
On the other side, Sneasel's figure was as fast as a ghost, leaving a series of afterimages on the ground.
Facing the Thunder Shock used by another Elekid, it didn't even dodge, merely crossing its sharp claws in front of its chest.
Clang!
Frost instantly condensed on its claws; the Thunder Shock hit it, only kicking up a few sparks.
In the next second, Sneasel closed the distance.
The Apprentice only saw a black shadow flash before his eyes, and immediately after, his Elekid froze in place.
A line of blood slowly spread down from the Elekid's forehead to its abdomen.
Thud.
The tall body split to both sides, its skull split open by a single claw from Sneasel.
The final barrier cleared, Sandile had already charged into the midst of the Apprentices.
Desperate curses and shrill screams intertwined, but they soon came to an abrupt halt.
A thick smell of blood filled the air.
Ariel watched all this expressionlessly and recalled Inkay and Sneasel.
He walked over to Sandile and patted its rough, hard head.
The red light in Sandile's eyes gradually faded, and it let out a satisfied low growl, affectionately nuzzling Ariel's hand.
"Well done."
Turning around, Ariel pushed open the heavy wooden door and returned to the training room.
The scene before him made his pupils contract slightly.
The entire training room had turned into a messy battlefield.
The pungent electricity was almost suffocating; the floor was covered with scorched pits and crisscrossing cracks, and the walls were also blackened.
In the center of the battle, Laic's situation was not optimistic.
His Swampert was using its type advantage to firmly suppress Fumino Tosh's ace, Ampharos; mud and sand flew constantly, restricting Ampharos's movements at every turn.
But on the other side, his Crobat and Machamp were locked in a bitter struggle.
That Level 46 Electivire was exceptionally violent, its two cable-like tails dancing wildly, releasing Thunderbolts that covered Crobat like an electric net, forcing it to dodge clumsily in the air.
Meanwhile, Machamp's four arms were completely pinned down by that Shiftry.
Shiftry's speed was incredibly fast, like a black ghost, moving at Agility around Machamp; the Leaf Blade in its hand occasionally carved out tricky trajectories, leaving wounds on Machamp's body.
The most troublesome part was that Shiftry's Grass-type perfectly countered Laic's aces, Swampert and Gyarados.
Laic's Gyarados didn't even dare to approach the battlefield easily, fearing it would be instantly killed by a Grass-type move.
Jolteon moved through the battlefield, providing support everywhere like a bolt of lightning.
"Damn, this old guy's team composition is disgusting!" Laic gritted his teeth, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
A battle of this level was no longer something Ariel's few Pokémon could interfere with.
Although his Sandile was fierce, the level gap was too large; if it charged in, it probably wouldn't even be able to take a single Thunder Punch from Electivire.
A frontal assault was a death wish.
Ariel's gaze swept quickly across the chaotic battlefield, finally landing on Fumino Tosh, who stood at the rear, calmly commanding.
To catch the bandits, first catch their leader.
His eyes instantly became sharp.
He released Inkay and Sneasel.
He made a few hand signals to Inkay and Sneasel that only they could understand; the two Pokémon immediately understood and silently slipped into the shadows.
Ariel also lowered his body, using the blinding light and rolling dust from the Pokémon battle as cover, like a leopard, silently creeping toward the area directly behind Fumino Tosh.
All of Fumino Tosh's attention was focused on the battle with Laic; he didn't notice at all that the Grim Reaper was approaching from behind.
"Electivire, use Thunder Punch to take out that Machamp!"
"Shiftry, prepare Leaf Storm!"
At the moment he shouted the order, an imperceptible Psywave quietly swept across the back of his head.
Fumino Tosh felt a daze in his brain, as if someone had lightly tapped it with a hammer, and a moment of confusion appeared in his eyes.
Now!
A black shadow erupted from the shadows behind him!
Crack!
Two crisp sounds of bones cracking rang out; Fumino Tosh let out a painful groan, his knees gave way, and he fell uncontrollably to his knees.
The intense pain instantly snapped him back to his senses, but it was too late.
A cold, sharp claw was already resting on his carotid artery; he could even feel the bone-chilling cold coming from the tips of the claws.
Ariel's figure appeared from behind him, one hand firmly pressing down on his shoulder.
Roar!
Hiss!
On the field, Ampharos, Electivire, Jolteon, and Shiftry stopped their attacks almost at the same time, turning their heads in unison, their crimson eyes staring fixedly at Ariel, low growls of anger coming from their throats, as violent energy surged wildly within them as if they would tear Ariel to pieces in the next second.
"Everyone, stop!" Fumino Tosh roared hoarsely, enduring the intense pain.
He knew very well that with just one command, these young people and their Pokémon would turn into piles of charcoal within three seconds.
But he also knew that before his Pokémon could act, the claw at his neck would hesitate for not a moment to slit his throat.
The pressure on Laic's side suddenly decreased; looking at the restrained Fumino Tosh, he was stunned for a moment before a look of pure ecstasy appeared on his face.
"Beautifully done! You're a fucking genius!"
At this moment, although his legs were ruined and he was kneeling on the ground with his life in someone else's hands, Fumino Tosh still maintained the dignity of a family head.
"What do you want?" He panted, looking at Ariel with gloomy eyes. "Make your demands; as long as the Wenye Family can meet them, I will give them to you."
"Heh." Ariel gave a light chuckle, finding it somewhat ridiculous.
Even at this point, he was still putting on airs.
He raised his hand and delivered a solid slap across Fumino Tosh's face.
Slap!
The crisp sound was exceptionally loud in the silent training room.
"Old man, get your current position straight." Ariel's voice was cold as ice. "You are a hostage!"
Fumino Tosh's face swelled up at a visible rate, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He had never suffered such an insult in his life; his old face turned the color of pig liver, and fire almost spewed from his eyes.
"You dare kill me?" He sounded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his voice changing pitch. "If you dare touch a single hair on my head today! My Pokémon will definitely electrocute you into charcoal and scatter your ashes!"
Ariel and Laic glanced at each other, both seeing a hint of solemnity in the other's eyes.
This was indeed a problem.
This old guy was a tough nut to crack, and his bond with his Pokémon was very deep.
Once he was killed, the four Pokémon on the field would go berserk, and it would definitely be world-shaking.
At that time, even if they could luckily escape, they would probably have to pay a heavy price.
Looking at those Pokémon watching like tigers over their prey, their eyes full of killing intent, Ariel realized he had to find a way to make this old guy recall his Pokémon willingly.
"We're only after the money," Ariel said slowly, his tone softening a bit as if negotiating. "If you're sensible, there's no need for us to reach a point where the fish dies or the net breaks."
Seeing that Ariel seemed to have made a concession, Fumino Tosh felt as if he had caught Ariel's weakness, and the shock and anger on his face were gradually replaced by a hint of smugness.
He thought Ariel was afraid.
"You mean, you want me to believe the words of you Team Rockets scumbags?"
He sneered, his tone full of sarcasm and disdain.
"Want me to cooperate? Sure, release me first, then kneel and kowtow three times, and I might consider sparing your—"
Before he could finish, his words got stuck in his throat.
Because he saw a strange smile on Ariel's face, a smile without anger, only a cat-and-mouse-like playfulness.
"Fumino Alec," Ariel said flatly, his voice not loud, yet it was like a heavy hammer smashing into Fumino Tosh's heart. "He's your son, isn't he?"
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