"Crawdaunt, Aqua Cutter Fist!"
"Walrein, Icicle Burst Strike!"
Caught between a pincer attack, the already weaker Tentacruel could no longer hold out. Overwhelmed by the combined might of its opponents, it was swiftly taken down.
After recalling Tentacruel into its Poké Ball, the matter of how to divide the spoils would have to wait until their mission was complete.
"Head for the bow!"
With that order, Bord swiftly recalled his Pokémon and turned to move toward the rear.
Following suit, Tyro returned Walrein to its Poké Ball and hurried after Bord.
In an instant, Gardevoir appeared before them using Teleport. A wave of Hypnosis washed over them, leaving Bord and Tyro momentarily frozen in place.
From behind Gardevoir, Machamp surged forward, swiftly incapacitating the two trainers. Without hesitation, the two Pokémon divided their roles—Machamp secured and sealed their Poké Balls one by one.
Even Elite Four-level trainers were vulnerable without special abilities or Pokémon to protect them.
With a powerful throw, Machamp hurled their lifeless bodies into the sea.
Gardevoir, using its psychic abilities, manipulated the raindrops to cleanse the deck, before condensing the blood into a small orb and casting it into the ocean—erasing any trace of what had just transpired.
Once the task was complete, Gardevoir teleported away, taking Machamp with it.
...
A massive wave came crashing down, infused with the combined power of Hyper Beam and Dragon Rage, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
A brilliant orange-red beam shot forth, piercing through the towering wave.
With a single sweeping motion, the crest of the wave was sliced clean off.
Yet, as seawater rained down, the relentless force of the ocean remained unstoppable.
As Swampert approached the surface, the surging waves grew even stronger.
Summoning its remaining strength, Gyarados barely managed to conjure a Hurricane to shield itself.
But the moment the tidal wave came crashing down, even the raging storm couldn't withstand this near-cataclysmic force.
With a final defiant roar, Gyarados surged toward the massive wave, refusing to back down even in the face of overwhelming odds.
If it was going to fall, it would do so charging forward.
The entire ocean trembled.
Yet, Swampert had already returned to the ship, using its power to absorb the brunt of the wave's impact.
When the waters finally calmed, the battle-worn Gyarados floated motionless atop the surface.
A Poké Ball flew out, recalling the unconscious Pokémon.
Without wasting a second, Kuro rushed toward the stern of the ship.
Even Swampert, despite its exhaustion, swiftly climbed back onto the deck, following closely behind.
"What happened? Where's the vice-captain?"
Arriving on deck, Kuro spotted a handful of scattered sailors, a sinking feeling creeping into his chest. He braced himself for the worst—the possibility that the vice-captain had fallen.
"We don't know," one of the sailors answered. "There was another attack from an Elite Four-level Pokémon near the stern. The vice-captain ordered us to rally all available trainers while he went ahead to intercept the threat."
"But by the time we arrived, there was no sign of the Elite Four-level Pokémon, nor the vice-captain and the rest of the sailors."
"Our crew and the trainers we gathered are currently searching the ship's rear, but so far, we've found nothing."
Cold raindrops pelted Kuro's skin, mirroring the chill spreading in his heart.
He could accept the loss of the vice-captain and the crew—after all, it was a risk they had accepted the moment they boarded this ship.
But what he couldn't accept was this outcome.
For someone to silently eliminate a quasi-Elite Four vice-captain and an entire crew, all while either defeating or driving away an Elite Four-level Pokémon...
No matter how he looked at it, Kuro knew he wasn't a match for this mysterious adversary.
Especially with Swampert, his strongest Pokémon, having just fought a grueling battle against Gyarados, leaving it at barely half its strength.
"We keep this incident under wraps for now," Kuro ordered, forcing himself to remain calm. "Alert our people to remain vigilant and keep watch over the passengers."
"Inspect the entire ship—make sure nothing has been sabotaged or tampered with. Once everything checks out, we leave this area immediately."
As the sailors sprang into action, Kuro wasted no time summarizing the situation in a report to the League, along with an urgent request for reinforcements.
Given the circumstances, this was likely the work of a powerful individual or organization with unknown motives.
Kuro had no choice but to call for backup while ensuring Swampert recovered enough to at least stand a fighting chance should another confrontation arise.
...
Unbeknownst to Kurono, the one responsible for his growing unease—Ron—was calmly seated in his cabin, holding a small, specially modified box in his hands.
The moment Ron acquired the box, an instinctive voice in his mind warned him: Do not open it.
Even his Pokémon, Gardevoir and Lucario, shared the same unease.
Both their psychic and Aura abilities sent out simultaneous warnings, reinforcing his gut feeling.
Ron wasn't foolish enough to ignore such clear signs. Instead of opening the box, he began speculating about its contents.
If the League's Elite Four-level operatives were tasked with transporting whatever was inside, it was undoubtedly something of extreme value.
And given the involvement of Team Aqua and the reaction from both himself and Gardevoir, Ron suspected that whatever was inside this box was likely connected to Kyogre—and quite significantly so.
With that in mind, there was no way Ron was opening this box right now.
After all, they were out at sea. If this box somehow attracted Kyogre, Ron highly doubted he could escape with his life.
He wasn't Ash Ketchum, after all—he didn't have that kind of "the stronger the opponent, the stronger I become" protagonist aura.
After carefully stowing away the box, Ron decided he would wait until he reached Sootopolis City. Once there, he'd find a location far from the ocean before opening it.
Having made up his mind, he secured the box and let Gardevoir remain on guard. He then resumed his training in honing his psychic abilities. As for whatever actions Kuro might take, Ron couldn't care less. Worst case, he'd simply leave—or, if needed, play a game of hide-and-seek aboard the ship using Gardevoir's power.
In the end, he held the upper hand. He could act however he pleased.
...
"Still no news on the Dark King?"
A hoarse voice rang out, carrying an eerie resemblance to the Dark King himself.
"None. He's likely moved away from the mainland. We're currently coordinating with rangers in coastal towns to strengthen surveillance."
Hiro hesitated briefly before revealing the full situation to Bert, who stood before him, his face gaunt and weary.
"…Understood."
With that, Bert didn't linger any longer. He rose to his feet and left, his figure exuding a sense of fading twilight.
Watching Bert's departing silhouette, Hiro felt a pang of regret—but he quickly pushed the thought aside. Finding and dealing with the Dark King was the top priority right now.
As Bert stepped out of the Ranger Headquarters, a wave of uncertainty washed over him.
Did he truly seek the Dark King to avenge the fallen rangers and forest hunters? Or was it simply because the Dark King hadn't met his expectations—hadn't obediently allowed himself to be captured as Bert had initially believed he would?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Bert found no answer. Nor did he wish to dwell on it.
Right now, he only wanted to wander.
If he happened to encounter the Dark King, then so be it. Even if it cost him his life, he would ensure the League received crucial information about him.
And if he didn't find him?
Then at least this would serve as a moment to clear his mind.
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/Madbot635 [remove the parentheses ( )]