"Riolu, Quick Attack! Follow up with Force Palm!"
Using the Shave technique, Riolu's Quick Attack was far beyond what ordinary Pokémon could achieve.
Shiftry barely had time to raise its Leaf Blade in front of itself, unable to mount a proper counterattack.
The hardened Leaf Blade absorbed a portion of Quick Attack's impact, but before Shiftry could retaliate, Riolu's Force Palm landed right after.
The closer the target, the greater the damage from Force Palm.
With a powerful shockwave, Shiftry's body was sent flying like a ragdoll.
"Riolu, Aura Sphere!"
A brilliant azure Aura Sphere shot forward. Detecting the danger, Shiftry, despite the searing pain coursing through its body, gritted its teeth and used Leaf Blade once more.
"Riolu, Copycat! Then rush in and finish it!"
As Leaf Blades crossed in defense, the resulting explosion sent Shiftry crashing to the ground.
With Copycat in effect, glowing Leaf Blades formed over Riolu's forearms.
Unlike Shiftry's Leaf Blades, Riolu's were infused with the power of Aura, radiating a deep blue energy.
Using Shave once more, Riolu instantly closed the gap, appearing right in front of Shiftry in the blink of an eye.
Two streaks of blue-green light slashed across the battlefield. Shiftry was launched backward, only stopping when it slammed into a tree trunk.
Sliding down slowly, Shiftry had lost its ability to battle. At that moment, Riolu's level surged to 30, officially reaching Low Elite tier.
After defeating Shiftry, Ron decided to let Riolu rest for a while. Once it fully adapted to its newfound strength at the Low Elite level, it would finally evolve into Lucario.
Compared to standard Pokémon evolution, Riolu's process was uniquely special—it required a strong bond with its Trainer and could only evolve during daylight hours.
Given the deep connection between Ron and Riolu, the evolution conditions had long since been met. It was just a matter of timing.
Before Ron could release his Frogadier, his Gardevoir suddenly sensed someone approaching—bringing with them a strong aura of malice.
That was enough for Ron to mark them as his next target.
If he was as valuable as someone like Gerrin, a high-ranking Team Aqua officer's relative, then this could be a major score.
After a brief moment of thought, Ron recalled Riolu into its Poké Ball and sent out Gardevoir instead.
As long as the target got close enough, Ron's Fighting Aura would allow him to sense whether they posed a threat to him.
If the enemy turned out to be troublesome, he'd let it go. But if they weren't strong enough, well… Ron had no problem playing vigilante, eliminating those who were clearly up to no good.
"What's going on? Usually, there are tons of Pokémon hunters around here. Where the hell did they all disappear to?"
Leaning against a tree, a round, ball-like man grumbled as he sipped from his canteen, his tone full of irritation.
His beady eyes, squeezed into thin slits by layers of fat, darted around, scanning his surroundings as if searching for something—or someone.
Beside him stood a Golem, its body shape almost identical to his own, making them look like two differently colored spheres.
"Machamp! Flying Finger Pistol Barrage!"
A sudden voice rang out.
Before Sabar could even react, an overwhelming force struck him, sending him flying through the air.
With a single blow, Machamp had utterly defeated the High Elite-tier Golem.
As Sabar lay unconscious, Gardevoir followed up with Hypnosis.
With Gardevoir's growing strength, its psychic abilities had become increasingly formidable—especially its control over Hypnosis.
Ron had shifted Gardevoir's focus entirely to perfecting this move, alongside training in the Six Powers techniques.
If everything went according to plan, Ron even entertained the idea of recreating Tsukuyomi, the fearsome Genjutsu of Uchiha Itachi, within the Pokémon world!
Of course, that level of mastery was still far beyond their current reach. For now, it remained nothing more than a dream.
Under Hypnosis' effects, Sabar quickly spilled everything he knew.
Sabar was one of the members of a small poaching syndicate.
Though the syndicate consisted of only twelve people, it was no ordinary group. Among them were three quasi-Elite Four trainers, while the rest were all High Elite trainers.
Rather than calling them a simple poaching ring, it would be more accurate to describe them as a small, well-coordinated unit. Most of the time, they acted independently, only gathering when dealing with particularly troublesome situations.
Like now—one of their members had discovered a ghost-type Pokémon nesting ground. Unfortunately, due to the sheer strength of the Pokémon there, not only did they fail to capture any, but they had almost lost their own lives in the process.
After barely making it out, the quasi-Elite Four Pokémon hunter who had led the expedition immediately contacted the others.
To ensure success this time, they sought out additional Pokémon hunters, planning to wipe out the entire ghost-type nest in one swift operation.
Unfortunately for Sabar, before he could even locate reinforcements, he was discovered by Ron.
"A nesting ground for ghost-type Pokémon, huh? I wonder if that would be of any use to Gengar..."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ron decided to check it out.
Even if the area was nothing more than a simple ghost-type habitat with no special significance, just dealing with those Pokémon hunters alone was enough of a reason for Ron to make a move.
With a casual motion, Ron swiftly dealt with Sabar before heading straight toward the designated gathering point.
The Hoenn region was known for its vast bodies of water, with its oceanic expanse nearly equal to its landmass. Most of the major cities were located along the coastline, leaving the inland areas relatively remote and isolated.
This geographical divide allowed various factions to stake their claims over different territories. Scattered throughout the region were numerous villages, isolated settlements, and mysterious locations where Pokémon gathered due to certain unique environmental factors.
It was precisely because of such peculiar occurrences—like this ghost-type nesting ground—that Ron had decided to investigate.
As for his identity? That was the least of his worries. With a well-crafted disguise, Ron could easily pass as a Pokémon hunter in the Hoenn region.
After all, he did indeed have an established identity as a Pokémon hunter, so he wasn't concerned about exposing himself.
"It looks like the ghost-type nest isn't too far ahead… I didn't expect its influence to reach this area."
Feeling the air temperature drop ever so slightly, Ron muttered to himself.
"Who's there?!"
A sudden, sharp voice called out. From behind a tree trunk emerged a thin, wiry man, his physique resembling a brittle twig. Standing beside him was a Cacturne, a dual grass- and dark-type Pokémon.
"And who might you be?"
As Ron spoke, his Gengar emerged from the shadows, an eerie grin stretched across its face. Twin Shadow Balls swirled ominously in its hands, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
With a flash of white light, Ron released his Nidoking.
Sensing that Nidoking's strength was on par with Cacturne's, the twig-like man's expression grew serious.
"A Pokémon hunter?"
Before Ron and the stranger could exchange blows, another voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
Thanks to Gardevoir's warning, Ron wasn't caught off guard. However, he still feigned a composed yet slightly wary demeanor.
"What? Are you guys with the Ranger Corps or something?"
"No, we're Pokémon hunters as well. And we have a proposal… something that might interest you."
Stepping out from his hiding spot, Anda flashed a wide grin as he addressed Ron.
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