She simply stood there quietly, waiting.
The entire battlefield fell into a dead silence.
There was only the sound of the wind and everyone's nervous breathing.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
"Boom!"
The ground beneath Garchomp's feet suddenly exploded as Krookodile's figure burst forth from the earth. It opened its bloody maw, lunging at Garchomp's neck with an aura of mutual destruction!
This was its final strike, betting everything it had!
However, what greeted it was a Dragon Claw shimmering with a chilling green light, having long been waiting for this moment.
Garchomp didn't even look back.
It simply swung its arm backward the moment Krookodile broke through the soil.
The Dragon Claw struck Krookodile's lower jaw with absolute precision.
"Bang!"
Krookodile's upward momentum came to a screeching halt. Its massive body was swatted down from mid-air by that single claw, slamming heavily into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
The dust cleared.
Krookodile lay quietly at the edge of the pit it had dug itself. Its eyes had lost their luster; it had completely lost its ability to battle.
However, deep within those unfocused eyes, a sliver of deep unwillingness seemed to remain.
Garchomp's figure had been firmly etched into its mind.
Garchomp slowly retracted its Dragon Claw and turned to look at Cynthia. The violent aura in its eyes gradually faded, returning to its usual calm.
It was as if that overwhelming battle just now had been nothing more than a warm-up.
The aftershocks of the battle had not yet fully dissipated.
The ground, bombarded by energy, was pitted and scarred. The upturned soil emitted a damp, earthy scent, mixed with the lingering smell of scorching in the air, creating a unique atmosphere that only follows a high-intensity battle.
Cynthia recalled her Garchomp. Within those grey eyes, the surging battle intent had subsided, replaced by pure admiration and curiosity.
"Mr. Ariel's tactics have indeed given me a lot of new inspiration."
Her words were sincere, without a hint of mere politeness.
"Miss Cynthia's strength is what truly opened my eyes."
Ariel responded with a smile. This was no lie; the foundation of a Champion-level Trainer was indeed unfathomable.
Beside them, Steven's silver hair was dazzling under the afternoon sun of Mossdeep City. He clapped his hands with a gentle smile on his face:
"Alright, alright, the wonderful battle has ended, and you both worked hard. Now, without further ado, I'll be the host and invite you both to taste Mossdeep City's top-tier..."
Before he could finish his sentence.
"Catch them! We can't let them destroy the forest anymore!"
"Protect our home! Protect our Pokémon!"
A cacophony of noisy shouts surged like a tide from the corner of the distant street, rudely interrupting Steven's invitation.
Those voices were mixed with anger, urgency, and a trace of hard-to-detect fear.
The three exchanged glances and walked toward the source of the sound in unspoken agreement.
Just as they stepped out of the battle venue, the scene before them caused Ariel's pupils to shrink slightly.
On the street, dozens of Mossdeep City residents had gathered spontaneously. What they held in their hands were not Poké Balls, but a variety of 'weapons'—some carried hoes, some held harpoons, and some even held frying pans from home.
They were agitated, their slogans thundering through the air, forming a crusade team that looked somewhat comical yet imposing, moving along the street toward the forest outside the city.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine.
Those three big guys?
Were they discovered?
His gaze quickly swept across the crowd, his brain working at high speed.
No, that's not right.
These people's target was clear; they were heading toward the forest, and not a single one of them was looking at him.
If they were coming for him, they would have surrounded him, the 'culprit', long ago.
It seemed it was someone else.
Just as he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a young man ran over from the back of the group, panting, his face full of panic.
"This is bad! Something terrible has happened!"
He ran to the front of the crowd, his voice distorted by his haste,
"In the forest... it's Team Aqua in the forest! They've captured many wild Pokémon!"
Team Aqua?
As soon as those two words came out, the originally noisy air fell silent for a moment, followed by an even greater uproar.
The anger on the residents' faces was quickly replaced by worry and dread.
To ordinary people, a notorious evil organization was far more terrifying than some Pokémon causing destruction.
The gentle smile on Steven's face vanished instantly. His deep blue eyes were filled with concern as he asked in a low voice:
"Did you see clearly? Is it really Team Aqua?"
"Absolutely certain!"
The young man nodded vigorously,
"They are wearing blue uniforms with the Team Aqua logo, and they have many powerful Pokémon with them!"
Cynthia's brow also furrowed. She reached out and lightly pressed the Poké Ball at her waist—a small movement, yet it carried an indisputable power.
"It seems our big meal will have to be postponed for a bit."
Her tone was calm, but anyone could hear the decisiveness belonging to a Champion.
"As a League Trainer, I absolutely cannot allow them to do as they please in my hometown."
Steven's voice wasn't loud, but it was forceful. He turned to Ariel and Cynthia,
"You two, could you lend me a hand?"
Ariel was practically blooming with joy inside.
It was truly a case of someone handing him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.
He was just worrying that the commotion caused by his three Pokémon was too big to handle, and now Team Aqua had jumped out to take the blame.
This was simply a godsend!
On the surface, however, he timely showed a bit of gravity and indignation, echoing righteously:
"Of course! Dealing with such an evil organization is the unshirkable responsibility of every Trainer!"
His words were spoken with passion and integrity.
Both Steven and Cynthia cast approving glances at him.
And so, the three genius Trainers followed the shaken residents and walked quickly toward the source of the disturbance—the forest at the edge of the city.
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