The Gyarittos plunged into the sea and headed straight for Team Aqua's speedboat, while Tetsuya simply sat on Golurk's shoulder, watching the Team Aqua member from a distance.
"Gyarittos" could be said to be no weaker than any real Gyarados. The capabilities it had developed at the glacier falls were not something an average Water-type Pokémon could match.
Just as Gyarittos was about to catch up with the speedboat, and with Crawdaunt's Bubble Beam having virtually no effect on it, the Team Aqua member had no choice but to send out a Sharpedo.
Team Aqua members capable of executing missions alone, especially one that involved infiltrating Devon Corporation, were undoubtedly elites among elites. The combat power forged through deadly struggles within underground forces far surpassed that of normal Pokémon Trainers.
Sharpedo's speed was more than three times that of the speedboat. It suddenly charged toward Gyarittos, using the force of its charge to follow up with Skull Bash.
"Be careful. That Sharpedo is very strong!"
Not far away, a young man dressed in a silver suit was flying toward Tetsuya on a Metagross.
When the Team Aqua member saw who had arrived, he no longer cared about Sharpedo, which was still battling… His face turned deathly pale as he immediately opened the throttle and sped away!
Who could possibly make a Team Aqua ace this terrified?
Steven Stone!
It could be no one else.
Tetsuya turned his head and immediately recognized this famous figure. The friendly warning just now had also come from him.
However, by the time Steven reached Tetsuya, Gyarittos had already dealt with Sharpedo without any trouble. Sharpedo was now floating on the surface of the sea with its eyes rolled back. Forget Gyarados, even a Magikarp could bully it now.
"…I didn't expect you to be this strong. Heh~ Looks like I was worrying for nothing." Steven shook his head slightly.
"Thanks for the warning anyway, but it looks like that guy's about to get away," Tetsuya said.
"He won't escape." With that, Steven commanded Metagross to pursue Team Aqua in the direction they had fled, with Tetsuya following close behind.
Gyarittos was even faster, cutting through the waves across the surface of the sea.
The Team Aqua member reached a stretch of ocean where the wind and waves were completely still, unnaturally so… His expression became much calmer.
Gyarittos opened its mouth and fired a Hydro Pump!
However, at that moment, towering waves rose from the sea and swept Team Aqua's speedboat into them. Naturally, Gyarittos's Hydro Pump also lost its effect.
"Hmm? Looks like they prepared for this well in advance." Steven watched the towering waves before him.
"Want to take them on?" Tetsuya glanced at Steven.
"We've only just met, so I don't know how strong you are, but I admire your courage!" Steven smiled back at him. For some reason, this stranger's "aura" gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, even more so than Wallace did…
Just as Steven had expected, a submarine surfaced from the sea, then unfolded across the surface to form a huge ship. This was a level of technology that did not exist on Earth, at least not yet while he was there. It was practically an aircraft carrier capable of diving underwater.
At the head of the deck stood a man and a woman, with rows of Team Aqua grunts in uniform behind them.
"Well, well… if it isn't Steven, who's made quite a name for himself in Hoenn these past few years. What…? Are you planning to oppose Team Aqua too!?" The man at the front said.
"Villains should disappear beneath the light of day!" Steven spoke with righteous conviction, then turned to Tetsuya and said quietly, "…Those two are Team Aqua's Admins, Matt and Shelly. They're quite strong, so be careful. I've already sent out a distress signal over the radio."
"Hai, don't worry."
Tetsuya gladly accepted Steven's concern. After all, among people their age, aside from Steven himself, there were probably very few who could stand against an organization like Team Aqua.
Tetsuya casually threw out a Poké Ball. White light flashed, and the Poké Ball bounced back into Tetsuya's hand as Drapion appeared in midair. Along with Drapion came countless Poison Stings, raining down across the deck.
"""E-Eh!?"""
Tetsuya's sudden attack was clearly something Team Aqua had not expected. All their attention had been focused on Steven, and they had not taken Tetsuya behind him seriously at all!
They had already planned how to deal with Steven's Steel-type Pokémon, but when it came to a Poison-type, they were caught completely off guard.
"Kuso…! Crawdaunt, use Bubble Beam." Matt had plenty of battle experience and immediately sent out Crawdaunt.
Matt's Crawdaunt raised both pincers toward the sky, and Bubble Beam formed a vortex. Drapion's Poison Stings were scattered, clattering across the deck without harming anyone.
Steven also let out a long sigh, lamenting the missed opportunity, but then he looked at Tetsuya, who remained composed…
Matt gave a sly smile. With Drapion in its current position, it would be swallowed by Crawdaunt's vortex of bubbles before it could even touch the deck.
"X-Scissor," Tetsuya commanded.
"Hmph, baka…" Matt looked completely unconcerned. He did not believe that some nobody could break through the defensive perimeter created by one of his main Pokémon, Crawdaunt¹[1].
But Tetsuya was no "nobody" now.
Drapion's X-Scissor tore an opening through the vortex of bubbles, effectively breaking through Crawdaunt's defensive perimeter.
Only now did Tetsuya reveal his true objective!
Drapion curled its tail and scattered Toxic Spikes everywhere, covering most of the deck.
"It's a Toxic Spikes field…" Shelly gritted her teeth, regretting that she had not acted sooner and allowed them to end up in such a passive position.
"Your Steel-types aren't affected by Toxic Spikes, so they can battle normally, right?" Tetsuya said to Steven.
"You're good!" Steven could not help but give him a thumbs-up.
That had only been a brief warm-up. Now, the battle between both sides was fully ignited.
Aggron, Claydol, Mawile, Skarmory.
Steven sent out four Pokémon in succession.
Aggron crashed down onto the deck, making the entire huge ship tremble. Mawile shyly covered its face and hid behind Aggron; its combat power always difficult to fathom…
Skarmory gazed sharply down at all the Team Aqua members, while Claydol floated above the sea, its body already beginning to tremble.
Matt and Shelly did not dare let down their guard in the slightest and likewise sent out four Pokémon.
Crawdaunt, Sharpedo, Pelipper, Swampert!
The two Crawdaunt stood ready, prepared to face any challenge.
The two Sharpedo plunged into the sea. Churning the seas was their specialty, but how they would participate in the battle would depend on Team Aqua's tactics.
Pelipper might look simple and harmless, but these were Team Aqua's Pokémon and could not be judged by appearances!
As for Swampert… there was no need to elaborate. It could be considered one of the most practical Water-type Pokémon and was undoubtedly a representative powerhouse.
The group of grunts could only retreat far away. They knew very well that this was not a battle they could interfere in. A single stray move might be enough to leave their Pokémon incapacitated.
•.
•.
¹. Doesn't anyone find it ridiculous that Team "Aqua" only has the Sharpedo line as their Water‑types…?
[1] Doesn’t anyone find it ridiculous that Team "Aqua" only has the Sharpedo line as their Water‑types…?