"How did Ron escape the encirclement?!"
"No idea. But judging by the current situation, it looks like he's already slipped away. Should we still go after him? For all we know, this could be a trap set up by someone from the Hoenn League."
"Forget it. I'm not walking into the same pitfall as those other guys."
Staring at the latest intel, the two traveling Pokémon poachers weighed their options before ultimately choosing to give up.
There was no helping it—Ron's previous collaboration with the Rangers had left too deep an impression on them. So deep, in fact, that just the idea of chasing him inspired an almost instinctual fear in their ranks.
Their hesitation wasn't unique. Most of the poachers who'd considered the chase had also chosen to back down after some thought.
Only a small faction of more ambitious hunters—ones hoping to score both fame and profit from bringing down Ron—still decided to take the risk. But they were cautious: the moment things looked off, they'd withdraw.
Among them, Sisi of Team Aqua and Stan of Team Magma hadn't given up either. The two trailed the poachers at a distance, moving quietly in their shadows.
Let the reckless ones forge the path—they'd hold the advantage by staying alert and reacting fast.
Leaning casually against the trunk of a tree, Ron simply waited for those greedy poachers to make their move. This was going to be his final score before he disappeared from this mess for good.
Truth be told, if his Machamp and the others had been just a bit stronger, Ron might've turned the tables—hunting the hunters.
"Boss, any orders?"
High in the treetops, Sisi bowed respectfully as she addressed Archie, the leader of Team Aqua.
"If we don't get any solid results soon, pull back. Something feels wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if the League had gotten involved."
From the very first word, Archie was already planning to call off the mission.
He had no choice. After everything that had happened recently, nearly everyone believed that Ron had a close relationship with the Hoenn League—and if anything went down, he'd surely call them for backup.
And the current Team Aqua, still in the midst of rebuilding, couldn't afford to lose another admin.
"Understood, sir. I'll pull back," Sisi replied.
With that, Archie ended the call.
He had his hands full with Team Aqua's restructuring, and he couldn't waste resources on a gamble like this.
Pocketing her communicator, Sisi sighed bitterly.
Who would've thought that just a few months ago, Team Aqua's name inspired fear across Hoenn—and now, they were retreating at the first sign of danger, even when it came to a personal enemy.
Letting out a long sigh, Sisi gave up any intention of acting. She'd observe a bit longer… then leave.
Elsewhere, Stan received similar instructions from Tabitha, Team Magma's field commander.
Same message: don't push too hard. If something seems off—retreat.
"They even suspended the bounty tracking his movements. Guess Team Magma really is spooked after what happened to Aqua. Still, I made a decent profit already... Time to disappear."
After muttering to himself, Ron didn't even wait for the poachers to set up a full perimeter. He simply had Ditto transform into Long, an inconspicuous local trainer, and walked away in broad daylight.
With his previous experience, he stuck to the shadows and avoided running into any Rangers.
Apparently, fate wasn't done with him yet.
He'd barely made it far before Gardevoir spoke in his mind.
"Ron, three o'clock. Hostile presence. Shall I eliminate?"
"Oh? In that case, let's detour—and cash in one more time."
Grinning at the opportunity, Ron immediately changed direction without hesitation.
"Shiftry, you said that guy—Ron—was over here! So where is he?! We've been looking for ages. If the League shows up, we're screwed!"
Ludo plopped carelessly onto the ground and looked over at his Shiftry with a grin.
Shaking its head, Shiftry mirrored Ludo's posture and sat down cross-legged beside him.
"Machamp, use Armament Technique: Meteor Fist Barrage!"
"Persian, Shadow Claw Execution!"
"Bellossom, One-Sword Style: Rebirth of All Things!"
The chain of commands was delivered telepathically, and from the shadows, the ambush began—Machamp and the others charged out like wild beasts loosed from their chains.
The instant they launched their assault, Ludo was struck by an overwhelming sense of danger. He had no time to issue more detailed commands to Shiftry, and could only release the rest of his Pokémon as fast as possible.
As for the opponent's opening strike, he could only place his trust in Shiftry.
Blinding white light flashed one after another. Ludo hadn't come after Ron on a whim—he had his confidence. His ace was a Level 72 Shiftry, with Mid Elite Four strength, and a backup Rhydon with Elite Four-level power.
From the very start, Machamp's target had been Shiftry—and it had to be Machamp, the only one capable of matching Shiftry blow for blow through sheer strength alone.
Persian and Bellossom had their own goals: Ludo and his other Pokémon.
When Rhydon appeared, both Persian and Bellossom exchanged no words; their battle tactics aligned instantly.
Persian charged at Rhydon, leaving the rest of Ludo's Pokémon to Bellossom.
Leaves and petals scattered like the breeze of spring sweeping across a blooming field.
But this was no peaceful meadow. Ludo could feel the biting sharpness hidden behind the illusion.
Crimson flakes—like bloodied snow—flew through the air as Pokémon fell lifeless to the ground.
Ever since achieving Elite Four strength, Bellossom had mastered Life Return, enhancing her sword arts with it to become even more lethal.
Watching Bellossom's graceful yet deadly moves, Ron made up his mind—he would shift her training path to fully explore the technique he had once envisioned for her.
As Shiftry danced amidst a flurry of leafy blades, its body moved with practiced grace.
Despite taking the brunt of Machamp's sudden attack, the Mid Elite Four Shiftry had avoided any serious injuries. Now, it stood its ground and readied to counterattack, fully prepared to retaliate with the strength of a seasoned warrior.
"Machamp, Second Gear—coat your fists with Armament Haki, and finish off that Shiftry!"
"Gardevoir, Lucario—scan the perimeter. If anyone enters your detection range, alert me immediately."
Seeing Shiftry withstand the first assault, Ron felt a rush of curiosity. Could his Level 69 Machamp defeat a Level 72 Shiftry—a true Mid Elite Four? This was the perfect chance to test it.
Meanwhile, Persian, bolstered by its one-level advantage over Rhydon, kept it pinned. But Rhydon was like a tortoise—stubborn and unyielding. No matter how much Persian pressed, it couldn't bring it down quickly.
Bellossom's sword-like petals shimmered with deadly precision. Against Pokémon no stronger than quasi-Elite Four, her strikes were unstoppable. One by one, they fell like leaves in a storm, sharing Ludo's grim fate.
Back on Machamp's front, as it entered second gear, steam radiated from its blackened fists—coated in full Armament Haki.
Each punch it threw carried devastating power, more than Shiftry could bear. The Leaf Blade it had formed kept shattering under the brutal impact.
Now, Shiftry had lost its earlier composure. Its eyes widened in disbelief—as if questioning what kind of monster it had just faced.
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/Madbot635 [remove the parentheses ( )]