"Machamp, go help them too!"
Allen released an Elite-level Machamp. It was the same one he had shown everyone earlier.
The other trainers who had Elite-level Pokémon stopped holding back as well. This situation was too important. If they took too long to break through the ice, they could all end up dying.
"Houndoom!"
"Seismitoad!"
"Beartic!"
"..."
One after another, they released their Pokémon. A few Gym-level trainers also sent out Fire-type Pokémon. The remaining Gym-level trainers simply recalled their Pokémon and waited anxiously. Their Pokémon either had the wrong typing or weren't strong enough. Standing in the way would only slow everyone down.
More than a dozen Pokémon crowded around the frozen entrance and unleashed all kinds of attacks.
But Soren had been right. Ice created by a Legendary Pokémon wasn't impossible to melt, especially when it was only something Articuno had frozen casually.
Machamp took the lead. All four fists glowed as they smashed into the thick ice, sending shards flying everywhere. Fire-type Pokémon beside it continuously blasted flames onto the frozen wall. Under the intense heat, the shattered ice slowly melted into dripping water.
In another five or six minutes, they should be able to break through.
For the first time, these independent trainers were working together with complete focus. The freezing cold behind them forced everyone to concentrate on one goal.
On the far left, Allen glanced across the crowd and smiled faintly. He then took out another Poké Ball and threw it.
"Go help too, Primeape!"
Primeape bounced around energetically. With its round body and yellow fur, it looked like a giant fuzzy ball.
It was also Elite-level, making it more than qualified to join the temporary ice-breaking effort. Combined with Machamp, which was doing most of the heavy lifting, its appearance only made Allen seem even stronger.
The others were simply surprised that he had two Elite-level Pokémon and hadn't held either of them back. None of them suspected anything.
Allen quietly shifted his position while Primeape openly hopped toward the opposite side.
The two of them gradually formed a diagonal formation.
"Now!"
The shout rang out, but no one paid attention. Since everyone else was already yelling as they urged their Pokémon to attack the ice with everything they had.
Primeape pulled its limbs in tightly. Its fists, which looked like boxing gloves, gathered glowing energy before its chest. Then it bent its legs and exploded forward.
Its round body shot out like a heavy cannonball. Ignoring all the Pokémon ahead, it charged straight toward the trainers directing them from the rear.
No one expected a Pokémon to suddenly go berserk and attack the people giving orders.
No... the sharper and quicker trainers farther away immediately realized that this was a planned attack.
At the same moment, Allen stepped forward in perfect sync and threw a punch at the nearest target, Soren.
Looking at the teammate beside him, who usually appeared honest but was now grinning viciously with a fist almost half the size of his face, Soren froze completely.
What's going on? Weren't they breaking the ice? If they don't break through, how were they supposed to get out? They'd all die here!
Why was the man punching him...? Did he offend him before?
No... he didn't!
Besides, he's not even a Pokémon. No matter how strong he is, one punch can't possibly kill someone... right?
Countless thoughts flashed through Soren's mind in an instant.
Then they all stopped.
His vision was filled by a massive fist. His brain felt as if it had been struck by a giant hammer. Everything inside his skull shook violently before his thoughts and consciousness disappeared.
Blood poured from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground, not breathing.
One punch. Allen, who regularly trained alongside his Pokémon, had killed him with a single blow.
[Soren. Native of Johto. Once stormed a trainer academy and slaughtered nearly a hundred underage students. Later organized an assault on an official League breeding facility, murdered its caretakers, and stole hundreds of Pokémon. Most importantly, he ambushed registered League trainers on official League routes, even attacked a Kanto Elite Four member before escaping.]
[Kanto's most wanted criminal. Eliminate on sight.]
Allen briefly recalled the information Chairman Goodshow had given him before rushing toward another panic-stricken man.
The man was extremely obese. Layers of fat covered his face, making even basic movement difficult. Before he could pull out a Poké Ball, Allen's fist slammed into the back of his head.
Without slowing down, Allen twisted his body, stepped forward, and threw another punch at someone behind him who had just managed to grab a Poké Ball.
One punch after another, but Primeape was even faster.
"Shelvin!"
"Ken!"
"Derek!"
"Forrest!"
"..."
Allen and Primeape were like two emotionless meat grinders.
In just a short while, nearly every Elite-level trainer present had been killed, leaving only two alive. Thanks to their excellent positions and quick reactions, they had already fled toward the rear.
Allen made no attempt to chase them. He simply stood there and watched.
One was tall and the other short.
The taller one was a woman in her thirties riding a Rapidash. Her long hair was tied behind her head, and although she had a heroic appearance, her face was deathly pale.
Allen remembered her name was Venati, from Unova. She had participated in the assault on the League breeding center. Unlike the others, she hadn't stolen any Pokémon. Instead, she gathered them together and slaughtered them inside the facility. She had also massacred a remote village in Unova, sparing neither the elderly nor children, and not even a single Pokémon… Of course, none of those crimes alone had made her one of the League's highest-priority criminals.
The main reason was her involvement in Operation Indigo several years ago. She had worked with the Hunters Guild to steal an extremely important Pokémon.
Allen didn't know exactly what Pokémon it was. He was simply carrying out Chairman Goodshow's orders.
Not far away, the short and overweight man rode a Skuntank. The Pokémon was naturally slower than Rapidash, leaving him trailing behind Venati.
"Skuntank!" He let out a somewhat shrill shout.
A streak of dark purple poison shot from Skuntank's mouth with incredible speed.
The spray arced slightly upward, barely clearing Rapidash's hindquarters before splashing directly across Venati's back. She was simply too tall. Riding upright instead of leaning forward had made her an easy target.
Moments later, Venati's body split into two. Everything between her head and lower body was completely dissolved by the poison.
The short, fat man then ordered Skuntank to turn back.
"Vince, you're too slow," Allen said calmly.
Sinnoh Elite Four Vince recalled his Skuntank and chuckled without replying.
Boom!
Just then, a deafening explosion erupted from the center of the battlefield.
The black hole-like Shadow Ball that had been frozen earlier had been struck again. The compressed energy inside rapidly expanded before violently exploding.
Ice shards scattered everywhere, though fortunately they carried little force.
A freezing blue light burst across the battlefield as Articuno A froze the exploding Shadow Ball once again, leaving it suspended in the air like a black chrysanthemum that had just begun to bloom.
Above them, Articuno A's overwhelming pressure spread with the freezing air, pressing down on everyone below.
Hunter Z had completely run out of options. After several exchanges in such a short time, he had suffered crushing defeats every single time. Even his three Mismagius had become lifelike ice statues.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!