"How are this brat's Pokémon this freakishly strong?"
Watching Manaphy command an army of sea Pokémon, Athena could barely believe her eyes.
This kid had secrets.
But that didn't matter.
Right now, she was the only Elite Four-level Trainer left here.
Perfect chance to finish her mission.
With that thought, an Arbok appeared beside her.
The moment it showed itself,
crushing pressure flooded the deck.
Lin Yu's Wave Guiding Aura screamed as a terrifying force loomed behind him.
He'd been tying up the pirates and returning Pokémon to the captured tourists.
He spun around.
A massive Arbok, several meters long and standing taller than a human, slithered forward.
Its strange patterned scales, hissing tongue, sharp gaze, flicking tail, and menacing aura sent chills through everyone.
A woman stood beside it.
[Pokémon: Arbok]
[Ability: Intimidate]
[Gender: Female]
[Talent: Elite Four-tier]
[Level: 76]
[Moves: Crunch, Poison Sting, Bind, Bite, Thunder Fang, Glare, Screech, Acid Bomb, Sludge Bomb, Coil, Haze…]
Charizard and the others tensed up immediately.
Lin Yu cursed inwardly.
Damn!
Did I walk into an Elite Four convention?
Level 76 — this wasn't just ordinary Elite Four level!
And under his Wave Guiding Aura,
he could tell she meant serious harm.
Lin Yu grabbed the Legendary Summon Card at once.
Athena took off her sunglasses — special-made to block detection by psychics and aura users.
She stepped in front of the tied-up fake "Team Rocket" grunts. "Know who I am?"
Crimson hair, alluring face, mature, curvy figure.
"Y-yes! Athena — one of Team Rocket's Four Elite Four!" one pirate stammered in terror.
Athena's reputation struck fear into every criminal circle.
"You dare impersonate Team Rocket and drag our name through the mud?!"
Loyal to Giovanni to the core, Athena would never let this slide.
Especially since Team Rocket had been trying to clean up its image in recent years.
She kicked each pirate one by one, leaving them writhing in pain.
Lin Yu's expression hardened.
Athena of Team Rocket!
No wonder her Arbok was this powerful.
"Victreebel, use Sleep Powder!"
"Arbok, Poison Sting!"
A vicious, gaping-mouthed Victreebel was summoned next.
White sleep powder poured from its jaws, spreading like a cloud across the entire ship.
This Victreebel was also Elite Four-tier!
"Charizard, Fire Spin!"
A ring of fire enveloped Lin Yu, burning the incoming sleep powder to ash.
But everyone else on the ship breathed in the powder and passed out cold.
"Lucario!"
Lucario activated World King Fist, ready to charge — but Lin Yu held him back with Wave Guiding Aura.
Are you kidding? She's an Elite Four.
He quietly activated the black "?" card in his hand.
"Mana!" (Mean lady!)
Manaphy glared at Athena angrily,
but one Glare from Arbok sent it hiding in Latias's arms, eyes teary.
It might be the Prince of the Sea, ruler of all ocean Pokémon…
but it was still just a newborn.
Too young, too weak, too timid.
"Really, would it hurt to surrender nicely?"
Watching Lin Yu and his Pokémon prepare to fight back, Athena sighed faintly — but her eyes lit up with excitement.
A genius!
Without a doubt, this kid was a prodigy Trainer.
He'd go further than her one day.
Maybe even reach Champion rank, higher than Boss Giovanni.
But right now…
he wasn't strong enough yet.
"Arbok, Poison Sting!"
Several ordinary-looking purple-tipped needles shot from Arbok's mouth.
Lin Yu's face paled.
"Gardevoir, Protect! Charizard, Fire Blast! Greninja, Rasengan! Lucario, Aura Sphere!"
In an instant,
every one of his Pokémon unleashed their strongest moves.
All relevant Entries activated; Gravity Ball restraints lifted.
The blazing Fire Blast, Rasengan swirling with energy, Gardevoir's glowing Protect, and Lucario's bright blue Aura Sphere —
all of them combined barely canceled out the few Poison Stings.
The gap in power was astronomical.
Athena froze.
That Poison Sting was just a casual attack from her Arbok… yet these were only Gym-tier Pokémon!
"Looks like it's not just Charizard. Every single one of them is a capable fighter."
"Arbok, enough games. Poison Rain!"
"Arbok!"
Cold, murderous intent flashed in Arbok's eyes.
An Elite Four Pokémon, held back by a bunch of Gym-tier runts?
Insulting.
This time, Poison Stings rained down like a storm.
"Teleport!"
Gardevoir and Latias combined their psychic power to dodge!
But with so many Pokémon to carry, they couldn't move far.
"Arbok!"
Furious, Arbok coiled its body, scales shining brightly.
Coil — tensing up to boost Attack and accuracy!
Its fangs glinted coldly.
They thought Teleport could save them?
She'd break their formation first.
Gardevoir could only teleport with Lin Yu; Latias had to take Manaphy.
Too fast!
Even with his Wave Guiding Aura fully focused, Lin Yu couldn't warn Charizard and Greninja in time.
He could only watch as both were bitten.
Purple veins spread across Greninja's wound —
poisoned!
A single hit knocked Greninja unconscious.
"Greninja!"
"ROAR!"
"Honchkrow, Night Slash!"
An Elite Four Honchkrow dove from the sky,
dark energy surging around it.
It struck Charizard and Lucario.
Both crumbled in one hit.
Even Charizard, with multiple healing Entries, couldn't recover.
"Dammit!"
Helplessness washed over Lin Yu.
"Arbok, get that blue Pokémon too!"
Athena pulled out several dark Poké Balls.
"Like hell you will!"
"Dira, take Manaphy and run!"
"No, Lin Yu!"
Latias shifted to her true form, hovering firmly in front of Arbok.
"Latias?! So my men were arrested by you!"
Athena realized at once.
As an Elite Four Trainer, she scanned Latias's energy level
and quickly saw it:
Latias was still weakened!
No threat at all.
"Arbok, Poison Sting again!"
But…
deep beneath the ocean,
a colossal, mountain-sized Pokémon was racing toward them at terrifying speed…