"Charizard, Mega Evolve!"
"Alakazam, Mega Evolve!"
The moment the battle began, Gu Yuan had Charizard and Alakazam Mega Evolve. Hypno, which originally held a slight power advantage over Charizard, instantly found itself facing a strength gap against Mega Charizard Y. As the Drought ability took effect, the power of Roaring Moon and Moltres was simultaneously enhanced.
Aside from Sylveon, which stayed by Gu Yuan's side for protection and long-range support, Alakazam also threw itself into the fray. As an Elite Rank trainer, Gu Yuan possessed seven Elite Rank Pokémon. Frey, conversely, only had five. Once the strongest Hypno was tied down by Mega Charizard Y, Moltres, Roaring Moon, Annihilape, and Ditto also sought out their respective opponents.
Mega Alakazam, meanwhile, coordinated with Sylveon to support Moltres. They aimed to use Moltres as the pivot to eliminate one opponent first, then use a chain reaction to continuously expand their advantage.
With Telepathy active, Frey naturally understood the key to the battlefield. He ordered his Pokémon to focus on stalling while releasing his quasi-Ace level Pokémon. He intended to wait out Mega Charizard Y's Mega Evolution time before letting Hypno look for an opening.
"Mega Charizard Y, Blast Burn!"
Gu Yuan would not let Frey's plan succeed and ordered Mega Charizard Y to launch a fierce assault. A fireball as bright as the sun descended like a falling star. Frey was directly behind Hypno; glancing at the nearby, eager Gu Yuan, Hypno ultimately chose not to use Teleport to retreat. Channeling its psychic power, Hypno was forced to match Mega Charizard Y's rhythm and clash head-on.
The situation in the other sectors was similar. With Alakazam sharing the burden of command, Gu Yuan only needed to focus on directing Mega Charizard Y to suppress Hypno, ensuring Frey remained too distracted to help elsewhere. Thanks to their honed combat abilities and Alakazam's direction, Annihilape and the others were more than capable of suppressing their opponents.
Jynx, specifically, felt a sense of despair as it was targeted by Moltres. Facing a Legendary Pokémon, it was already suppressed and unable to exert its full strength; furthermore, it had to endure constant harassment from Sylveon's Hyper Beam and stay vigilant against a fatal blow from Mega Alakazam. It felt like walking a tightrope.
The quasi-Ace Pokémon Frey had released were also intercepted by Ceruledge and the others who had broken through earlier. Under the harsh sunlight, not only were Moltres and Roaring Moon buffed, but Ceruledge and Skeledirge also exerted strength far beyond their normal levels. Additionally, Gengar constantly flickered between reality and the alternate dimension, using Taunt to cause interference. This ensured Frey's quasi-Ace Pokémon could not relieve the pressure on his Elite Rank team.
The battle raged on, but the scales were already tipping toward Gu Yuan. Once the tottering Jynx was completely defeated, Gu Yuan could use his massive advantage to crush Frey.
Elsewhere, Aegon, a member of the Sharp Blade squad, stared intently at the high-rise building ahead. The sounds of battle echoed continuously from within. Aegon's job was to eliminate anyone coming to provide support or attempting to flee.
As an elite meticulously trained by the League, Aegon fought not just for the League's ideals, but for revenge. Every member of the Sharp Blade squad shared a blood feud with these families or corporations. It was the power of hatred that allowed them to stand out and grow to where they were today.
Despite their considerable strength, the squad had never considered reckless retaliation. They knew that with their strength alone, a premature strike would only scratch the surface of these families. Only by waiting for the right moment could they deal a heavy blow or uproot them entirely. Now, the opportunity had arrived. To achieve this goal, the members were willing to complete any mission with total devotion.
Aegon did not have to wait long. A silhouette was sprinting through the darkness. Relying on his sharp memory, Aegon quickly recalled that this man was a member of the Cotton family, possessing Ace Rank strength—just like himself.
Taking a deep breath, Aegon went as silent as a stone in his blind spot. Even when the man ran past him, Aegon did not move. He waited for the exact moment the target passed before baring his fangs.
He lunged forward. Using specialized running techniques, Aegon was as agile as a leopard while remaining completely silent. It wasn't until a Poké Ball was thrown and the Scyther inside rushed out to intercept the man's Pokémon that Aegon was noticed.
But everything was within Aegon's calculations. The moment the man turned around, Aegon had already closed the gap, his dagger piercing the target's heart. He twisted the blade sharply to ensure a certain kill, then swiftly retrieved the Poké Balls from the man's body to recall his Pokémon. After the kill, Aegon did a quick cleanup and hid nearby. The man's corpse became a tool to intimidate the enemy and mislead their judgment. As for the risk of exposing his presence, the advantages of leaving the body outweighed the concerns in Aegon's mind.
It was hard to say if Aegon's luck was good or bad, but not long after, another person arrived. The moment he saw the corpse in the moonlight, Shiro stopped in his tracks, looking around in a panic. The sudden attack tonight had already shattered his courage. Who knew what kind of monsters were lurking in the shadows?
Several Poké Balls opened. Only under the protection of his Intermediate Rank Pokémon did Shiro feel a shred of safety. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to keep moving. Compared to retreating and facing those powerful assassins, Shiro preferred to face a threat he perceived as lower.
Approaching slowly, Shiro's vigilance reached its peak. Just as he was about to pass the corpse, a figure struck from his back-left. Without thinking, Shiro ordered his Pokémon to attack and block the charging Scyther.
In the next instant, Persian and Honchkrow appeared one after another. To better execute their missions, Aegon and his peers had a strong bias in their choice of Pokémon. The succession of attacks had already thrown Shiro into disarray. Yet, this was still not the entirety of Aegon's plan.
A bomb detonated, and the man beside Shiro was blown to pieces. Simultaneously, the moment for Aegon to strike had finally arrived.