"Spit!"
"You think we don't know that you've killed rangers before!? Now that the evidence is right in front of us, you still want to deny it!?"
"For the rangers who died at your hands, I swear I'll cut you down today!"
"Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!"
Before Hughes could even respond, Terry had already roared at Ron in fury. Without hesitation, he leaped to the ground, commanding his Sceptile to strike.
Even without Gardevoir's warning, Ron could see that something was off about Terry. It was likely that the rangers here had been summoned by him.
To be honest, if Ron revealed his true identity now, his Elite Four-level strength alone would be enough to make these people back down. But doing so would expose the fact that he had a second identity—and worse, it would reveal the existence of his Gengar and the others.
If this information reached Elite Four Bruno's ears, Ron could already picture what his fate would be.
That's why, the moment Terry made his move, Ron made his decision—no one here would be leaving alive!
"Gardevoir, watch them closely. If anyone tries to send out a message, stop them immediately—eliminate them if necessary."
"All of you, attack! Finish them off as quickly as possible!"
In that brief instant, Ron had already set his counterattack into motion.
With telepathic communication, Ron's commands reached his Pokémon at a speed far beyond that of an ordinary Trainer.
Flashes of white light burst forth as Machamp and the others emerged by Ron's side. The sheer presence of Machamp's Elite Four-level aura was as blinding as the sun itself.
"How… how is this possible!?"
Seeing the Pokémon standing beside Ron, Terry, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, now screamed in disbelief—as if trying to convince himself that this was all just some illusion created by Hypnosis.
"Send the message! Now!"
Realizing Machamp's overwhelming power, Hughes immediately roared out the order.
There was no chance they would survive this battle—but they had to get information about the Dark King out at all costs!
Sloane remained silent, but his heart was filled with despair.
With a single motion, Machamp's Four Tiger Slaughter obliterated Sceptile's Leaf Storm, sending the Grass-type Pokémon flying into the air.
Since Ron had already decided to eliminate them all, he had no intention of holding back. Machamp activated Life Return in tandem with Moonwalk, instantly shifting into a higher gear. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Sceptile.
Persian moved just as swiftly, vanishing with Shave—Instant Step. Without a Pokémon of equal strength to intercept him, nothing could stop Persian's relentless hunt.
With Gardevoir providing real-time warnings, every ranger who tried to relay a message was swiftly executed.
Leaping into the air with Moonwalk, Shiftry's emerald-green twin blades covered its hands like lethal scythes.
To ensure nothing was left to chance, even the Flying-type Pokémon weren't spared.
A flash of sword light cut through the sky—several Flying-types fell instantly.
Nidoking stood firm beside Ron, continuously unleashing Finger Pistol: False Darkness, executing rangers and their Pokémon with precise, lethal strikes.
Once again, Gengar expanded the Netherworld, engulfing the entire battlefield.
Shadowy, violet-black chains slithered through the darkness like hidden demons, waiting for the perfect moment to lunge and drag their prey into the abyss.
Blaziken, like Machamp, charged forward with reckless abandon. With Speed Boost and Shave enhancing its agility, no one below the quasi-Elite Four level could even hope to keep up.
Through telepathy, Ron's commands were delivered with absolute clarity—each one resulting in the downfall of another ranger or Pokémon.
Even as he watched the rangers charge toward him in fear yet with unwavering resolve, Ron admired their courage—but he felt no mercy.
"Shiftry, use Leaf Storm!"
Roaring furiously, Terry ordered Shiftry to attack. If one looked closely, they would notice that Terry's eyes had turned bloodshot, his expression teetering on the edge of madness.
The emerald whirlwind had barely begun to rise before it was ruthlessly shattered by Machamp. With Shiftry only at level 47, there was no way it could stand against such overwhelming strength.
Terry knew this all too well, but as a forest hunter, he had to fight until his last breath.
Even if his initial reasons for hunting Ron were less than pure, the moment he realized Ron had been hiding his Elite Four-level strength, a deep sense of unease took root in his heart.
For the sake of the League, Terry was willing to battle to his dying breath.
When he saw his Pokémon falling one by one on their path toward Machamp, Terry said nothing. Instead, he silently drew his dagger and charged forward.
Once all his Pokémon had been defeated, the forest hunter himself became the final line of defense.
A Flying Finger Pistol shot through the air, and with a flash of red and white, something was sent flying from Terry's skull.
Before his body even hit the ground, his breath had already ceased.
Hughes and Sloane weren't faring any better. The moment the battle began, their strongest Pokémon had been swiftly eliminated by Machamp.
No matter what Pokémon they sent out next, they all fell within moments. Now, only the two of them remained standing.
Scarlet blood mixed with the damp earth, forming a gruesome, mud-like sludge. Every step forward felt like treading through a sea of blood.
"You two really screwed me over this time," Hughes muttered.
"So what? I'll just pay you back with my life," Sloane shot back.
At this point, fear no longer had a place in Sloane's heart—only a burning fury with nowhere to go.
"Damn it, you really are a bastard. Even at death's door, you refuse to take a loss!"
"…I just wonder if news about the Dark King got out," Hughes mused, his gaze shifting toward Ron, a flicker of worry crossing his face.
"Who cares? I did my best. I'm heading out first!"
With that, Sloane rushed straight toward Ron, his dagger gleaming as it aimed for Ron's heart.
"Wait for me, damn it! Might as well have some company on the way!"
Gripping his own dagger tightly, Hughes abandoned all hesitation. Just as Sloane had said—he had already done everything he could.
Watching the two charge at him with reckless abandon, Ron was momentarily taken aback.
"…Wait, I'm the victim here, aren't I? You guys were the ones who ganged up on me! How did I suddenly become the villain in all this?"
But even as the thought crossed his mind, Ron showed no mercy.
"Machamp—Flying Finger Pistol, aim for their hearts!"
At Ron's command, Machamp fired off two precise Flying Finger Pistols, each one striking directly at Hughes and Sloane's hearts.
Their momentum slowed, their steps grew heavy, and finally, their bodies collapsed powerlessly to the ground. Even in death, their eyes remained locked on Ron.
"Clean up the battlefield—we're moving out."
Ron had no intention of turning in these forest rangers and hunters' Pokémon to the Hunter's Guild for a reward, but he also couldn't afford to simply release them.
After all, with Psychic-type Pokémon around, someone might be able to extract information from their memories.
That left him with only one option—grant them a swift end, allowing them to accompany their trainers on their final journey.
In the end, Ron only took the supplies they carried.
After hastily constructing a makeshift grave for the fallen, he wasted no time in leaving the area.
Less than half a day later, the Hoenn League had already caught wind of the incident.
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