"Machamp, Armament Technique—Meteor Fist Barrage!"
In the quiet forest, Ron's voice echoed, and Machamp's fists turned jet black.
Combining it with Finger Pistol, all four of Machamp's arms came crashing down in a blur of motion.
Ursaring tried to brace for the blow using Hammer Arm, hoping to meet Machamp's charge head-on.
But the moment they collided, an overwhelming force shattered through Ursaring's guard—a crack rang out as bones gave way. The searing pain froze its movement.
Then came a flurry—Machamp's fists pounded down like a violent storm.
With Armament Haki and Finger Pistol, enhanced by Machamp's innate strength and move synergy, Ursaring was sent flying almost instantly.
Blood spilled, and Ursaring's body was riddled with gashes.
Its pained howls echoed through the forest, catching the attention of more sinister eyes.
"Heh... Gourgeist, looks like another one of your favorite prey showed up."
A cackling voice rang out. Gourgeist surged ahead, leading Bert toward the source of the roar.
"Still too strong…"
Ron had witnessed scenes like this before, but even now, he couldn't help but marvel.
Armament Haki paired with Finger Pistol wasn't something most Pokémon could handle, especially when combined with Machamp's devastating moveset.
"Machamp, finish it—Flying Finger Pistol!"
Ursaring writhed on the ground, struggling but unable to rise. Ron gave the command without hesitation.
A burst of precision followed. With Flying Finger Pistol, Machamp struck, rendering Ursaring completely unconscious.
With the battle won, Machamp reached Level 66.
Progressing this fast even at the Elite Four tier? It was well beyond what ordinary Pokémon could hope for.
"You were amazing, Machamp. Keep it up."
Ron offered a quick word of praise, then began healing Ursaring's injuries using his Fighting Aura.
"Ron, someone's coming—someone with a Pokémon—and they're filled with hostility!"
Gardevoir's telepathic voice entered Ron's mind mid-treatment.
"We'll hide for now. Lucario, use Aura Sense to scout."
Noticing the caution in Gardevoir's tone, Ron decided to play it safe.
Lucario extended his Aura, scanning the area and relaying the scene back to Ron.
"A stranger… and a Gourgeist, Ghost-type. This might be bad…"
Despite his words, Ron had a sinking feeling—there was something truly sinister about that Ghost Pokémon.
"The Ursaring's still down. Doesn't look like it's been treated… Fine by me. Guess I'll take the spoils."
"Gourgeist, it's yours. Do it."
As a Forest Hunter, even an intelligence officer like Bert had learned to be thorough.
After checking Ursaring's status, he waved his hand toward Gourgeist.
Skipping the capture ritual felt odd to the Ghost-type, but it didn't protest. It let out a hiss and spread a wave of dark mist, engulfing the fainted Ursaring.
Hidden in the shadows, Ron watched. For some reason, that Gourgeist felt… familiar.
"Machamp, now. We can't let them keep doing this."
With Ron's command, Machamp burst from the underbrush.
Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant—a crimson phantom of an elephant's foot crashed down from above, aiming straight for the Gourgeist as it drained Ursaring's life force.
"You!?"
"Ron!?"
Both voices rang out at once.
That distinctive combo of moves—it was impossible for Gourgeist to forget its nemesis.
And Bert? He'd heard of Ron from the previous conflict with Team Aqua, so he recognized him instantly.
"Die!"
A shrill, androgynous screech came from Gourgeist. Consumed by rage, it surged forward, manipulating dark mist into a phantom hand to block the Evening Elephant.
That familiar spectral technique triggered Ron's memory.
"You're that Trevenant?!"
It was phrased as a question, but Ron's tone left no doubt.
"Die!!"
Gourgeist didn't answer—it attacked.
"Persian, Finger Pistol: Shadow Claw Execution!"
"Bellossom, keep that man restrained!"
At Ron's command, Persian and Bellossom darted forward, one after the other.
With power equivalent to an Elite Four-level combatant, even though Gourgeist was at Level 66, it couldn't bring down Persian in the first exchange.
After trampling through Gourgeist's shadowy aura with its massive legs, Machamp launched a surprise attack from behind.
A green blur flashed by—Bert didn't have time to react before he was knocked unconscious and collapsed.
Gardevoir projected its Psychic powers, while Lucario unleashed its Aura, scanning the surroundings and monitoring every move made by Gourgeist. They relayed all intel back to Ron as quickly as possible.
Bellossom and Nidoking remained by Ron's side to protect him. Machamp led the offensive, with Persian supporting. Together, they managed to suppress the Gourgeist, who was roughly equal in strength to Machamp.
"Machamp, Finger Pistol: Morning Peacock!"
Given that Machamp had already mastered Armament Haki, it should have been able to strike Gourgeist's physical form.
However, the mysterious black aura still made Ron wary. He chose the more reliable Finger Pistol: Morning Peacock over brute force.
"You… deserve to die!"
At the sight of this all-too-familiar move, Gourgeist let out a furious roar. The dark aura around its body surged violently, pulling in elements from the environment as it launched a counterattack at Machamp.
At the same time, Gourgeist had to reserve part of its focus to guard against a surprise strike from Persian.
"Machamp, Second Gear—Finger Pistol: Morning Peacock!"
Even though the shadowy aura seemed to resist Machamp's assault, Ron didn't change strategy. Instead, he called for Machamp to activate Second Gear, amplifying the power of Morning Peacock to its limit.
With Ghost-types like Gourgeist, who absorb human life energy, no one could be sure what kind of abilities they might possess.
Especially a creature like this—one Ron had already defeated once, only to watch it return from the dead. His vigilance now was at its peak.
"Ron, someone's coming. They're incredibly strong… but I don't think they're an enemy."
The voice of Gardevoir suddenly echoed in Ron's mind just as he was analyzing Gourgeist's attack pattern.
But the truth was, whether the newcomer was friend or foe, Ron couldn't afford to withdraw just yet.
"Machamp, Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant! Push Gourgeist back!"
"Persian, maintain your distance."
After briefly calculating the target's approach speed, Ron decided to establish a safe perimeter before they arrived.
"Ron!?"
A voice called out overhead—a young man with blue hair. Ron blinked in surprise.
"I didn't expect to see him here… but since he's already done so much for us, we can't keep dragging him into these Ghost-type cleanups."
Moments later, a beam of dazzling light burst forth from Swampert, aimed squarely at the Gourgeist.
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