The pungent smell of soil mixed with the scent of rotting vegetation fermented in the humid air.
Shelly's gaze was like a slimy barnacle, fixed firmly on Cynthia among the three.
From that flawless face to the black trench coat that remained elegant despite a few mud spots, every detail stung her nerves.
She sneered; her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the silent forest:
"I hate pretentious women like you the most."
She spat out a blade of grass from her mouth, her gaze shifting down to Cynthia's expensive boots.
"In this mud, your so-called elegance isn't worth a damn."
Before her voice had even faded, Shelly suddenly threw out five Poké Balls.
They weren't standard red-and-white balls, but deep blue custom balls emblazoned with the Team Aqua emblem, drawing five cold, hard arcs in the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Five muffled thuds exploded in succession, and four Pokémon with ferocious auras formed a defensive wedge in front of Shelly—a snarling Mightyena, a Toxicroak with bulging muscles, a Walrein covered in thick fat, and the Sharpedo that caused the air temperature to plummet the moment it appeared.
And standing in the center, the largest of them all, was a Lanturn.
The two antennae on its head emitted an ominous, eerie light, and the fluctuating energy it radiated had already steadily reached the threshold of the Quasi-Elite Four Level.
"Let's finish this quickly."
Steven's voice was as steady as ever, but Metagross was already blocking his front, its four thick metal legs stepping into the ground with a dull roar.
Ariel didn't waste words; he was very clear about the current situation.
The opponent wasn't some minor character from the roadside, but an Executive of a terrifying terrorist organization with real combat experience; any hint of underestimating the enemy could lead to the team's wipeout.
His brain was working at high speed, his gaze rapidly scanning the opponent's five Pokémon.
Sharpedo, Water/Dark. Walrein, Water/Ice.
These two were clearly aimed at Cynthia's Garchomp.
Mightyena, Dark. Toxicroak, Poison/Fighting.
These two had high mobility and specialized in harassment and fatal strikes.
As for that Quasi-Elite Four Level Lanturn...
"Steven, I'll leave the Sharpedo and Walrein to you!"
Ariel's voice was clear and rapid,
"Miss Cynthia, I'll leave that Lanturn to you!"
"And what about you?"
Cynthia's gaze shifted over with a hint of inquiry.
"Me?"
Ariel grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth,
"I'm responsible for clearing out the small fry."
He took the initiative to handle Mightyena and Toxicroak, a decision that surprised both Steven and Cynthia.
Fighting one against two, and against two Gym Leader Level Pokémon at that, was a huge pressure for any Superior Level Trainer.
But Ariel didn't give them time to question him.
"Weavile, Malamar, Greninja, Deino!"
Four Pokémon flashed in front of Ariel, the team forming instantly.
"Greninja, Double Team! Stall that Toxicroak, don't let its venom touch anyone!"
"Weavile, cooperate with Malamar to hypnotize Mightyena, then pin it in place with Ice Shard!"
"Deino, find an opening and bite it!"
Ariel's commands were concise to the extreme, but his Pokémon acted like machines with precision chips, executing them without the slightest hesitation.
Greninja's figure blurred instantly, and over a dozen clones scattered simultaneously, rushing toward Toxicroak from all directions.
Toxicroak's throat bulged, and purple venom sprayed out like a rainstorm, but it could only pierce through illusory afterimages.
On the other side, the light-emitting organ on Malamar's head began to flicker with an eerie light, and mental waves spread out like ripples on a water surface.
Mightyena was about to pounce when its eyes became dazed and its movements slowed down.
"Now! Weavile!"
A black shadow was as fast as lightning; frost condensed on Weavile's sharp claws as several 'Ice Shards' were fired accurately, pinning Mightyena's limbs and freezing it firmly to the ground.
In the chaos, a small figure suddenly lunged out and bit into Mightyena's hind leg.
It was Deino! Its Level 25 strength was insignificant on this battlefield, but Ariel's command allowed it to play its greatest role.
Every strike occurred exactly at the moment when the enemy's old strength was exhausted and new strength had yet to be generated.
Even when Toxicroak became frustrated by the clones and condensed a venom Substitute, Deino could seize that thousandth of a second gap to rush up, Crunch it in one bite, and then quickly retreat into the shadows.
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Ariel's forehead.
Commanding four Pokémon simultaneously was a massive drain on his mental energy.
He felt his brain was like an overloaded server, where every command had to calculate the optimal solution in an instant.
On the other side of the battlefield, Steven's battle was of a completely different style—crushing!
Metagross was like a mobile steel fortress; despite the alternating bombardment of Sharpedo's 'Hydro Pump' and Walrein's 'Ice Beam,' its body didn't even wobble.
There was no ripple of emotion in Steven's eyes; he was like a calm observer, uttering a series of concise commands.
"Shift 30 centimeters to the left to avoid the Ice Beam splash. Bullet Punch, target: Sharpedo's left gill to interrupt its Crunch."
"Metal Claw, block Walrein's tusks. Calculate energy fluctuations; the opponent's Psybeam has three seconds of charging left."
Every movement of Metagross was full of power and efficiency.
Its 'Bullet Punch' always struck at the most critical moment, accurately hitting vital points just before the opponent's skill could fully form, forcibly interrupting the move.
And the center of the battlefield undoubtedly belonged to Cynthia and her Garchomp.
That Quasi-Elite Four Level Lanturn was Shelly's trump card and the source of her confidence.
The combination of Electric and Water had a natural advantage over the Ground and Dragon-type Garchomp.
However, the course of the battle exceeded everyone's expectations.
From beginning to end, Garchomp only used one move—Dragon Claw.
Cynthia didn't even give many instructions; she just stood there quietly, her gaze focused on her partner.
The muscle lines on Garchomp's body were smooth and full of explosive power; it didn't tank any of Lanturn's moves head-on but instead used its terrifying explosive speed to weave around the massive Lanturn.
Every time Lanturn prepared a big move, the air was filled with the scorched smell of ionization, but Garchomp could always cut in at an unthinkable angle before that deadly energy was released, and then—
Squelch!
Claws covered in Dragon-type energy left a deep, bone-chilling wound on Lanturn's thick skin.
Once, twice, three times...
Garchomp was incredibly frenzied yet extremely experienced; every strike was precise and fatal.
It was using its own way to tell the opponent that the gap in level was not worth mentioning in the face of absolute combat talent.
Finally, after avoiding another 'Hydro Pump' from Lanturn, Garchomp seized that fleeting opening.
Its body was almost hugging the ground, turning into a streak of black lightning that pierced through the battlefield from one end to the other.
This time, its goal was no longer harassment, but the finish.
"Dragon Claw!"
Cynthia's voice finally rang out, cold and firm.
On Garchomp's claws, Dragon-type energy condensed like never before, almost becoming physical.
Thwack!
There was no earth-shaking explosion, only the muffled sound of a blade entering flesh.
Garchomp's Dragon Claw pierced through Lanturn's body from the front.
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