A beam of blue light, concentrated to the extreme, shot forth—thin as an embroidery needle—yet capable of freezing anything it touched in an instant. The sheer force behind it shattered its targets into icy fragments, scattering them through the air.
As the beam closed in on Ron, a pair of hidden eyes in the darkness gleamed with anticipation.
But in the next moment, a brilliant emerald light flared, intercepting the incoming blue beam.
"Machamp! Finger Pistol: Four Tiger Slaughter!"
Ron's voice rang out, and without hesitation, Machamp, unfazed by exhaustion, unleashed a flurry of attacks in the direction of the blue beam's origin.
Four ferocious white tigers materialized, ruthlessly tearing through all obstacles in their path.
"Walrein! Icicle Impact!"
Countless ice pillars shot forth, shattering the white tigers in an instant before continuing their relentless assault toward Ron.
"Machamp! Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant!"
A crimson elephant's foot formed in midair, and at the same time, Gardevoir appeared beside Ron, ready to teleport him away at the first sign of danger.
However, as the crimson elephant's foot crashed down, it failed to halt Walrein's Icicle Impact.
Under the force of the relentless ice pillars, the crimson construct rapidly crumbled and disintegrated.
Walrein then manipulated several ice pillars to block Machamp's next move before directing the remaining ones to converge from all directions, aiming to annihilate Ron.
Hidden in the shadows, Nome couldn't help but smile, as if already witnessing Ron's demise within the frozen barrage.
"Gardevoir! Teleport!"
At Ron's command, Gardevoir teleported him into the air.
Meanwhile, Machamp forcefully shattered the encroaching ice pillars and then used Shave to adjust its descent trajectory, quickly regrouping with Ron and Gardevoir.
"Walrein! Arctic Tempest!"
"Come forth, Crawdaunt! Get ready with Ice Beam!"
As Nome commanded Walrein to unleash its attack, he simultaneously released his Crawdaunt—an opponent at the Mid Elite level.
If Ron tried to escape again with Teleport, Crawdaunt would be ready to lock onto him instantly and strike.
"Machamp! Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant—then use Protect!"
Once more, the crimson elephant's foot charged forward, but it was no match for the overwhelming force of Arctic Tempest. In the blink of an eye, the attack was reduced to minuscule ice shards, dissipating into the air.
A green barrier flared to life, as Machamp's Protect enveloped Ron and Gardevoir, shielding them from the freezing storm.
"It looks like his Gardevoir really can't hold on any longer. Crawdaunt, finish him off!"
Seeing that Ron was no longer having Gardevoir use Teleport, Nome wasn't surprised.
The fact that Ron and his Gardevoir had survived this long against so many Pokémon hunters was already proof of their strength. But in the end, their fate was sealed.
A beam of blue light shot forward, synchronized with Walrein's Arctic Tempest to deliver the final blow.
"Salamence! Fire Dragon!"
Just as Crawdaunt launched its attack, a faint voice echoed from above.
The next second, a scorching heat wave descended from the sky, as a massive dragon engulfed in roaring flames plummeted toward the battlefield.
The sheer pressure of a Champion-level presence, combined with the Dragon-type's innate dominance, made Nome realize the identity of the new arrival instantly.
"Retreat!"
Nome abandoned his pursuit of Ron without hesitation. But Elite Four Drake wasn't about to let such a prize escape so easily.
Salamence soared through the air, its fiery aura instantly melting Walrein's Arctic Tempest.
As it swept across the battlefield, trees and bushes caught in its path were incinerated in an instant, reduced to smoldering ash.
Despite its natural resistance to Fire-type moves, Crawdaunt stood no chance against the overwhelming power gap and was struck down on the spot.
With a single beat of its wings, Salamence unleashed a violent air current, sending Nome flying.
As he crashed into the ground, he lost consciousness—ironically, with a smile on his face, as if embracing the inevitable.
As the flames and Dragon-type energy dissipated from its body, the Salamence stood tall, showcasing the kind of precise power control only a Champion-level Pokémon could achieve.
"Are you alright?"
Jumping down from his Flygon, Drake turned toward Ron with concern in his voice.
To be honest, ever since meeting Ron, Drake had grown more and more impressed with him. In fact, he saw Ron as both a valuable ally and a blessing to the Hoenn League.
Thanks to Ron, the once-elusive Team Aqua had been exposed three times in a row.
According to Drake's plan, now that Nome was in custody, he could use the intel to dismantle several more of Team Aqua's bases—further crippling the organization's operations.
Moreover, Ron's contributions had significantly aided the Pokémon Rangers. In this single mission, nearly half of the Elite Four-tier Pokémon Hunters and Poaching Syndicates had been wiped out.
With such a devastating blow, it was likely that many others in the illegal trade would reconsider their choices—perhaps even abandon their ambitions entirely.
Drake couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If only Ron were officially part of the Hoenn League.
"I'm fine. Looks like you'll be making quite the haul from this mission, Elite Four Drake."
As Salamence returned with the unconscious Nome, Ron smiled and congratulated the Elite Four member.
"Indeed. A top-tier Elite Four-level executive from Team Aqua... I should be able to extract plenty of useful intel from him."
Satisfied that Ron was unharmed, Drake grinned. Without hesitation, he looted every last resource from Nome before securing him properly to prevent any attempts at suicide.
"Ron, consider these resources a personal reward from me for your contributions to this operation. Once things settle down, I'll also file for official compensation for you. Of course, you can choose to receive League credits instead of items if you prefer."
The personal stash of a top Elite Four-level trainer—even if it wasn't the full collection—was enough to make Ron's eyes gleam with interest. Especially since his Persian and the others were on the verge of breaking into the Elite Four level, meaning they would soon require additional resources.
Without hesitation, Ron accepted the supplies taken from Nome.
"Thank you, Elite Four Drake, but I'd prefer League credits. They're more convenient to use."
"Hmm... That works too."
Drake nodded in understanding. He knew that Ron, being unaffiliated with the Hoenn League, would find it nearly impossible to exchange League credits for rare resources like Attribute Plates. Rather than dwell on the topic, he shifted the conversation to a more pressing concern.
"So, Ron, what are your plans next? After this, I see two possible reactions from Team Aqua—they'll either abandon their pursuit of you or come at you even harder."
Drake suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
Sure, Ron's actions had greatly benefited the League, but for Ron himself, this was an incredibly dangerous game.
And the fact that this danger stemmed from the League's own inability to eradicate an organization like Team Aqua made Drake feel a deep sense of shame.
"I know. But I won't change my plans just because of an evil organization."
Without hesitation, Ron made his stance clear.
"That's the spirit! The League needs more people like you!"
Drake's expression turned serious.
"Ron, if you ever find yourself dissatisfied with how things are going in the Kanto League, know that the Hoenn League would welcome you with open arms.
"For now, I still have to deal with Nome, so you'll have to watch your own back.
"Remember—if you sense danger or uncover any critical information, contact me immediately."
With that, Elite Four Drake departed, taking Nome with him in an effort to strike Team Aqua before they had time to react.
"Is this what they call inviting a wolf into the house?"
Watching Drake's figure fade into the distance, Ron couldn't help but ponder.
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