The salty, fishy sea breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying a faint, lingering scent of something burnt.
Ariel lay prone behind a massive black reef; cold seawater soaked his pant legs, but he paid it no mind.
His psychic power had long since formed an invisible barrier, blending his presence perfectly with the surrounding environment; even the sound of the waves crashing against the reef seemed to deliberately skirt around the corner where he hid.
Beside him, Greninja was like a statue merged into the shadows, its scarlet scarf motionless in the sea breeze.
There was no need for words between it and Ariel; a single glance, a single thought, and they understood everything.
Hours ago, while Ariel was traveling at high speed across the sea, his Confusion perception had captured a violent clash of energy.
It was not the accidental skirmish of wild Pokémon, but rather several disciplined streams of energy engaging in a brutal collision and annihilation.
Without hesitation, he immediately chose to sneak closer.
At this moment, a bloody spectacle was unfolding before his eyes.
A medium-sized armed vessel lay across the surface of the sea, its hull pitch-black with sharp lines, exuding a sense of oppression.
On the flank of the ship, a huge blue "A" logo was glaringly conspicuous in the sunlight—the emblem of Team Aqua.
Surrounding this ship, the battle had entered its most brutal phase.
Several personnel wearing standard League investigator uniforms were making their final stand, backed against a small Speedboat with a pierced hull that was slowly sinking.
Their faces were a mixture of seawater, sweat, and despair.
On the sea, the aftermath of the battle was still spreading.
An Ampharos, usually majestic and imposing, was now floating powerlessly like a charred piece of driftwood; its golden bulb tail was completely dim, and its body was covered in bruises from direct hits by Hydro Pump.
Not far away, the corpse of a Combusken bobbed with the waves; its bright red feathers had been soaked by the seawater into a dark brown, a truly miserable sight.
The League investigator side had clearly reached the end of their rope.
Things were no better on the Team Aqua side.
Several massive Sharpedo rolled in the water, their smooth shark skin covered in Thunder Shock wounds so deep the bone was visible; scorched muscles were turned outward, and every flick of their tails looked agonizing.
There was also a Wailmer, its massive body riddled with several bloody holes, powerlessly spraying water jets mixed with blood foam, clearly having lost the ability to continue fighting.
This was a war of attrition, a meat grinder filled with the lives of Pokémon.
Ariel's gaze was as calm as a deep abyss.
His Confusion was like the most precise radar, scanning every unit on the battlefield.
He didn't care who was righteous or who was evil.
Whether it was the League or Team Aqua, they were just data in his eyes.
"Team Aqua members, seven. League investigators, three."
The data flowed rapidly through Ariel's mind, forming a dynamic map of combat power depletion.
He was calmly waiting for the optimal entry point.
This was more than just an encounter.
This was an excellent opportunity for a "harvest."
Time ticked away, second by second.
The shouting and killing on the sea surface gradually weakened, replaced by heavy gasps and the painful cries of Pokémon.
Ariel remained in hiding, as patient as a real stone.
His heartbeat was steady, his breathing long and slow, as if the bloody scene before him were merely a silent film.
"For the glory of the League!"
One of the last remaining League investigators let out a final roar.
His face was covered in blood, one eye unable to open, but the other burned with a look of determination.
In front of him, a battered Electrode flickered with an ominous red light.
"Oh no! It's going to Self-Destruct!"
Someone on the Team Aqua side screamed in terror.
"Stop him quickly!"
However, it was already too late.
The investigator seemed to have used up his last ounce of strength, hoarsely shouting the command.
"Explosion!"
A blinding white light instantly swallowed everything, followed immediately by a deafening roar!
Boom—!
A violent shockwave swept across the sea, kicking up waves several meters high.
Even the reef where Ariel was located trembled, and ripples spread across the Confusion barrier he had set up.
Ariel narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the center of the energy mass; two of the closest Team Aqua Superior members, along with their Pokémon, were instantly torn to shreds by the violent energy, not even having time to scream.
"What a... spectacular waste."
Ariel evaluated in his mind.
Trading the lives of one Electrode and one Trainer to take out two Team Aqua members and two Superior-class Pokémon.
From a tactical perspective, this trade wasn't too bad of a loss.
But from the perspective of gains, it only accelerated the demise of both sides.
The light dissipated, and smoke filled the air.
The sea returned to a deathly silence, leaving only the sound of "swishing" waves.
On the deck of the armed ship, only one figure remained.
It was a Team Aqua squad leader, stocky and burly, with a hideous scar on his face.
He was leaning against the ship's railing, gasping for air; sweat had soaked his blue uniform, causing it to cling tightly to his body.
At his feet, a massive Walrein was barely floating on the water; its thick layer of fat couldn't withstand the ravages of the repeated fierce battles. Its body was covered in scorch marks and claw marks, one of its two prized, massive tusks was broken, and its breathing was weak.
This was the final victor.
Although it was a pyrrhic victory.
"Ha... haha... hahahaha!"
The squad leader laughed softly at first, then turned into ecstatic laughter; the sound echoed across the empty sea, sounding particularly grating and insane.
He looked around, confirming that no one from the League was still standing, and his gaze finally locked onto the sinking Speedboat.
Amidst the wreckage of the Speedboat, a silver briefcase was sliding into the deep sea as the hull tilted.
The case wasn't large, but it was engraved with the League's highest security level emblem.
"The confidential case... I've got it!"
A greedy light erupted in the squad leader's eyes; he didn't even bother to comfort his severely injured Walrein, staggering a few steps, intending to jump into the sea to snatch the case.
The joy of victory had clouded his mind, causing him to completely let down his guard.
He didn't notice that behind that unremarkable reef in the distance, a pair of eyes, colder than the seawater, had already used Lock-On on him.
Ariel watched the squad leader's ecstatic, ugly display, his heart completely unmoved.
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