"Crack! Crack!"
The chilling sound of bones snapping echoed through the air. No. 2 and his group's heads twisted unnaturally, their necks contorting like twisted ropes.
Immediately after, their Poké Balls shot out, recalling the Pokémon they had released and locking them away.
No. 2 and his men, their eyes wide open in death, could only stare ahead at a mysterious figure cloaked in black and the Alakazam by her side—the last thing they would ever see.
Franz was even more unfortunate. He never even saw who made the move before his life was ended in an instant.
With his mastery of Fighting Aura, Ron could immediately tell that this Alakazam possessed Champion-level strength.
And in Team Rocket, there was only one person he could think of who wielded such power—Sabrina.
Ron wasn't the least bit surprised by Sabrina's arrival. Other Elite Four-level Trainers might have their whereabouts tracked, but that rule did not apply to the strongest psychic in the world. Otherwise, Shadow wouldn't have sent her to assist Ron in the first place.
"It's all taken care of. The rest is up to you. Don't forget what you promised," she said coldly.
Without another word, Alakazam used Teleport, and the two vanished from the scene.
Sabrina hadn't touched the Pokémon or supplies left behind by Franz and his group. Not because she didn't value them, but because the mission came with ample compensation from Shadow himself.
As for the Poké Balls and supplies—they were part of Ron's request, meaning whatever he had agreed to do for Team Rocket was no small matter.
There was no time to deal with the resources now. Ron rushed to where Lily was tied up.
Supporting Lily with one arm, he took out a knife and cut through the ropes.
The moment her body swayed slightly, a faint "beep" sounded.
Without time to think, Ron instinctively sensed danger and turned, shielding Lily in his arms while activating Iron Body.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted, obliterating the tree Lily had been tied to.
Even with Iron Body, Ron was too close to avoid the blast entirely. He suffered severe injuries.
The impact and searing flames left his entire body charred black. His back, in particular, was nothing but a bloody mess.
"No… please, be okay!"
Ignoring his own pain, Ron desperately checked Lily's condition. But his vision was too blurred to see clearly—he could only feel warm, slick liquid trickling through his fingers.
No one had expected Franz's group to plant a bomb behind Lily, using materials that blocked psychic abilities.
Ron instinctively tried to summon his Fighting Aura, but even with Iron Body mitigating the explosion, he had already reached his limit. His desperation only made his body give in to unconsciousness.
Gardevoir and Bellossom immediately sprang into action, using Heal Pulse and Grassy Terrain in succession. While they worked to stabilize Ron and Lily, Machamp and the others stood guard, fists clenched, ready to strike at any threat.
If not for Ron's sake, Machamp and the others would have torn Franz's corpse to shreds.
With the combined power of Grassy Terrain and Heal Pulse—along with Ron's natural healing from his Fighting Aura—his wounds rapidly began to mend. Burnt, charred flesh peeled away, replaced by fresh, smooth skin.
Lily had suffered much less damage thanks to Ron shielding her. Her injuries weren't too severe—except for two critical wounds.
One along her spine.
The other at the back of her head.
Though both injuries had been healed on the surface by Gardevoir and Bellossom, the true extent of the damage remained unknown.
After a long while, Ron finally regained consciousness. Seeing the worried faces of Bellossom and Gardevoir, he managed a weak smile.
His rigorous training had paid off—within moments of waking, he was able to move again.
He glanced at Lily, relieved to see her breathing steadily, her wounds seemingly healed.
Machamp and the others closed in, forming a protective barrier around them.
Just as Ron thought the danger had passed and ordered Machamp to gather the remaining supplies, Gardevoir spoke up, recounting what she and Bellossom had discovered about Lily's injuries.
"Gardevoir! Use Teleport! Take us to Vermilion City!"
Quickly recalling Persian and the others into their Poké Balls, Ron urgently called out to Gardevoir and Bellossom.
His hands trembled as he pressed hard on Lily's philtrum, his eyes filled with panic.
Whether it was her cervical spine or the back of her head—any injury to those areas could lead to lifelong paralysis or even death. No matter how resilient the people of this world were, some wounds were beyond repair.
There was no time to think. Without hesitation, Gardevoir activated Teleport, whisking Ron and his group away, leaving only lifeless bodies sprawled across the ground.
...
As the helicopter hovered above the city, Bruno leaped from it, landing smoothly before sprinting at full speed toward Vermilion City's hospital.
His eyes burned with fury, the sheer intensity of his rage almost tangible. Ever since he had received Ron's call, Bruno had wasted no time in launching a full-scale purge of every Ranger and Forest Hunter under suspicion.
Any individual linked to the Five Great Families or other factions—regardless of status or rank—was thrown into prison, subjected to any means necessary to extract valuable information.
Those deemed useless were executed on the spot.
It wasn't just Bruno; even Lance and the others were taking drastic measures. This incident had sounded a deafening alarm, prompting an immediate and thorough investigation of their own forces.
Members of the League had conspired with outsiders to ambush the Rangers, taking hostages and setting a deadly trap for the Forest Hunters.
If news of this spread, Bruno couldn't even fathom how many would still be willing to serve as Rangers. How much faith would the people of Kanto have left in the League? The consequences were too terrifying to imagine.
Bruno reached the hospital in record time, his gaze locking onto Ron, who stood waiting outside the emergency room.
"I beg you—this must never be made public!"
The moment he reached Ron, Bruno lowered his stance, bowing deeply in plea.
"Elite Four Bruno, you truly haven't disappointed me," Ron thought to himself.
But he swallowed the words, knowing full well that if he dared to say them aloud, he wouldn't just be under surveillance—he'd be silenced.
"Elite Four Bruno, what punishment will the League impose on the Five Great Families this time?"
His voice was calm—too calm—as he met Bruno's gaze, devoid of any emotion.
"Rest assured, they've already crossed the line with this stunt. Neither I nor the other members of the Elite Four will let this go unanswered."
Bruno's tone was firm, but his words reeked of diplomatic ambiguity—a response meant to smooth things over rather than deliver real justice.
"Right... What about Lily's condition?"
As if suddenly remembering, Bruno turned back to Ron with a look of concern.
"I don't know. But it doesn't look good."
Ron's voice was quiet as he leaned back against the chair, yet in his mind, Lily's face flashed before him over and over again.
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