"Gengar, Ghost Chains!"
Dark purple chains shot forward, swiftly lunging at Shiftry.
Once Shiftry focused on these chains, more would emerge from beneath its feet or right beside its arms, catching it off guard.
This was a testament to Gengar's growth—its mastery over its domain had advanced significantly.
Ron had named this domain Netherworld, symbolizing that any opponent who stepped into it would ultimately become nothing more than a wandering spirit.
Seeing multiple chains rushing toward it, Shiftry instinctively locked onto them.
It brandished its Leaf Blade, combining it with Air Slash to slice through the chains. In that instant, Shiftry even considered counterattacking Gengar.
However, it failed to notice several chains rising from the ground, swiftly entangling its legs.
With a downward sweep of its hands, Gengar exerted immense force through the chains, dragging Shiftry toward the depths of its domain.
More chains sprouted around Shiftry, binding it tightly like a cocoon.
"Gengar, Night Parade of a Hundred Demons!"
Having successfully restrained its foe, Ron commanded Gengar to unleash its most devastating attack combination.
Through constant training and battle adaptation, Gengar had now learned to infuse Dark Pulse into its Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, amplifying its power significantly.
Watching the massive ghostly figures surge toward it, Shiftry's eyes filled with terror.
"Shah!"
A Level 53 Shiftry let out a deep growl, mustering all its strength to break free from the chains.
It unleashed Leaf Storm, sending countless razor-sharp leaves flying, but they couldn't slow down the oncoming phantoms.
In the next moment, the ghostly figures engulfed Shiftry completely. Chains wrapped around it from all sides, cutting off every possible escape.
With Shiftry defeated, Gengar dissipated its Netherworld and let out a triumphant cackle, floating back to Ron and nudging him with its forehead.
"Alright, alright, you did an amazing job just now. That was truly impressive."
Ron patted Gengar's large head, not holding back his praise.
Currently, Gengar had absorbed part of the Nether Crystal's power. Combined with its rigorous training, it had successfully broken through to Level 50, reaching the High Elite tier.
As long as the Nether Crystal remained intact, Gengar's rapid growth would continue, possibly until it reached the Elite Four level.
Defeating a Shiftry three levels higher than itself was solid proof of Gengar's strength.
But now, it was time for a different Pokémon to take the stage—one that had been preparing for evolution since the beginning.
Flashes of white light burst forth as Machamp and the others emerged from their Poké Balls.
"I'll be counting on you all. If any wild Pokémon or other dangers approach, remain on high alert."
Just as Ron finished speaking, Gardevoir, who had used Teleport to carry Shiftry away, returned.
Standing beside Ron, Larvitar watched as Riolu prepared to evolve, its gaze filled with envy.
It reminisced about the past when it, Riolu, and Froakie were inseparable—the three of them had made a promise to grow strong together.
But now, Froakie had already evolved into Frogadier, and Riolu was about to become Lucario. How was Larvitar supposed to feel about this?
Still, Larvitar understood its own situation. It simply wasn't its time yet. Once it reached its growth phase, it would undoubtedly reclaim its status as the leader of their group.
After giving itself a silent pep talk, Larvitar focused intently on its surroundings, standing guard.
Despite its frustration over Riolu evolving before it, Larvitar genuinely cared for its teammates and would never allow anyone—or any Pokémon—to interfere with Riolu's evolution.
"Are you ready, Riolu?"
Ron gently stroked Riolu's head, his voice calm yet encouraging.
Riolu nodded firmly, determination blazing in its eyes.
"Good. Then let's begin—Evolve, Riolu!"
At Ron's command, Riolu released a surge of Aura, enveloping both itself and Ron within its energy field.
An invisible force gathered around them—an energy undetectable even by Ron's Fighting Aura, Gardevoir's psychic abilities, or Riolu's own Aura Sense.
As if it had passed some kind of trial, this energy merged into Riolu's body. A brilliant white light surrounded Riolu as the evolution process began.
Sensing the transformation, Ron activated his Fighting Aura, channeling golden energy into Riolu to aid its evolution.
As the glow gradually faded, the newly evolved Lucario emerged before Ron and his companions.
At that moment, Ron suddenly understood how it must have felt for Larvitar—the feeling of growing up together with friends, only to find himself left behind.
To be fair, at sixteen years old and standing just over 1.7 meters (around 5'7"), Ron was already at a decent height.
However, Lucario, a Pokémon typically around 1.2 meters (3'11") tall—sometimes growing to about 1.3 or 1.4 meters (4'3" to 4'7")—was far beyond the norm. Ron's Lucario had evolved into a towering 1.7-meter-tall figure, even slightly taller than him by a few centimeters.
"Congratulations, Lucario! But remember, now that you've evolved, you need to take time to adapt to your new body and power. Especially since your Ability has changed—you'll have even more to get used to."
Ron patted Lucario's shoulder and immediately began coaching.
"Gardevoir, find Lucario a suitable opponent. The best way to familiarize yourself with new power is through battle."
While instructing Lucario on how Pokémon like Machamp adapted after evolving, Ron also had Gardevoir search for a worthy opponent.
From experience, Ron knew that combat was the best way for a Pokémon to adjust to its newfound strength.
As for Machamp and the others, they would return to their Poké Balls once their sentry duties were completed.
With a flash of Teleport, Gardevoir transported Ron and Lucario away.
...
Somewhere on a nameless island, thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
On the sandy shore, lifeless human bodies and Pokémon lay scattered. Out at sea, the wreckage of a massive vessel floated among the waves.
"Salamence, Dragon Breath!"
A fiery Western dragon burst forward, its overwhelming dragonic aura radiating immense pressure.
Shan, his face filled with despair, still refused to back down. Clenching his fists, he gave his final command.
"Walrein, Icicle Crash!"
Frozen lances of ice descended from above, carried by chilling winds. But they barely slowed Salamence's Dragon Breath.
In an instant, the ice pillars melted away, and the raging Dragon Breath crashed into Walrein.
Like the final straw that broke the Camerupt's back, Walrein collapsed, completely unable to fight, its breath weak.
Before Shan could take his own life, Drake's Salamence had already subdued him.
With that, Drake's mission was a complete success—all thanks to Ron's capture of Gerrin.
It wasn't long before Shan fell, and soon, the full dossier on Ron—the one responsible for the Team Aqua losing two of its Elite Four-level executives, directly or indirectly—was placed before the hands of the Team Aqua's leadership.
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