"Intruder!"
"Take him down!"
Seeing Ariel's face full of hostility,
the four people didn't hesitate for a second, throwing out their Poké Balls in unison.
"Sandile, Inkay, Sneasel, prepare for battle!" Ariel's voice was cold, without a trace of warmth.
He didn't even bother to give the four men a second look; his attention was entirely on the Pokémon being released.
Eight flashes of white light flickered, and the already narrow corridor was instantly packed.
Pikachu, Magnemite, Elekid... they were all Electric-type Pokémon, chirping and chattering with electric arcs jumping across their bodies, lighting the wooden corridor in flickering shadows as a faint scent of ozone filled the air.
Eight in total!
Each Apprentice owned two Pokémon, with levels generally between 18 and 24; they were clearly novices who had only recently started.
Seeing this formation, Ariel showed no fear; instead, a cold sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
A bunch of fledglings.
"Go!"
One of the Apprentices roared, taking the initiative to attack.
Just as the Elekid in front of him was about to move, a black shadow was faster!
Sandile!
Ariel's command was concise and lethal: "Bite him."
Sandile shot forward like an arrow from a bow, ignoring the weak Electric-type Pokémon and aiming straight for the Apprentice who had just given the order!
The Apprentice's pupils shrank; he hadn't expected the opponent's Pokémon to attack the Trainer directly. In his haste, he could only raise his arm to defend himself.
Crack!
"Ah—!"
The crisp sound of bone shattering was accompanied by a heart-wrenching scream.
Sandile's sharp teeth easily tore through flesh. With a violent jerk of its head, it actually ripped the Apprentice's entire arm off at the root!
Blood sprayed out, staining the ancient wooden floor red.
Clutching the stump where blood gushed out, the Apprentice fell to the ground, rolling and wailing in agony. The scene was incredibly bloody.
The other three Apprentices had never seen such a thing; their faces turned deathly pale, and they were all stunned.
They were just ordinary Apprentices raised by the family. Usually, they only engaged in restrained sparring; when had they ever seen such a brutal and bloody scene!
"Madman! This guy is a madman!"
"Quick! Get the Pokémon to attack! Kill him!"
Fear overwhelmed their reason, and the remaining three Apprentices frantically commanded their Pokémon to attack.
However, they still quickly dragged the injured Apprentice back to put some distance between themselves and Ariel.
"Inkay, Psycho Cut! Sneasel, Ice Shard!"
"Sandile, Sand Tomb! Then, Hone Claws!"
Ariel's orders were calm and clear, standing out exceptionally well amidst the chaotic sounds of electricity.
A faint light glowed in Inkay's eyes. Having consumed psychic miracle stones for a long time, its Psychic power was incredibly refined.
Several pale purple blades of mental energy swept out, accurately slicing into several Pokémon and leaving deep wounds that exposed bone.
Sneasel spat out fine ice crystals, slowing down the opponents' charge.
Meanwhile, Sandile stomped on the ground. A vortex of quicksand instantly formed among the Pokémon group, and several smaller Magnemite and Pikachu were immediately sucked in, their movements hindered.
Immediately after, its sharp claws rubbed against each other, making a piercing sound as its attack power and accuracy increased.
Ariel's tactical intention was clear.
He had Inkay and Sneasel hold back their power, focusing on harassment and control; their primary task was to Protect his own safety.
The real killing move was Sandile!
He wanted Sandile to rush into that pile of fragile Electric-type Pokémon and harvest them to its heart's content!
"Now, Sandile, Stomping Tantrum!"
At Ariel's command, Sandile, having broken free from the Sand Tomb, suddenly reared up and stomped heavily onto the ground!
Thump!
A powerful shockwave radiated outward with it as the center!
A Ground-type move—it was super effective!
The two closest Pikachu didn't even have time to scream before their eyes rolled back, and they immediately lost their ability to battle.
The Moxie ability activated! By knocking out opponents, its attack power increased!
Sandile's aura surged abruptly, and the murderous glint in its eyes grew even more intense.
"Not good! That crocodile is a Ground-type! Electric moves are useless against it! Avoid it and attack!" one Apprentice finally realized, shouting in panic.
"Right!" The Apprentice with the severed arm, his face now contorted from severe pain and blood loss, pointed his remaining hand at Ariel, his voice hoarse and crazed. "Forget the Pokémon! Kill that Trainer first!"
The others snapped out of it and immediately agreed.
As long as the Trainer fell, no matter how strong the Pokémon was, it would be useless!
"Thunder Shock!"
"Everyone use Thunder Shock on him!"
The remaining six Electric-type Pokémon turned their sights. Yellow electricity converged from all directions, weaving into a lethal power grid aimed straight at Ariel!
"Just what I wanted," Ariel sneered inwardly.
"Sneasel, Inkay! Protect!"
The moment the order was given, Sneasel's agile figure blocked the way in front of Ariel, its claws crossed as a pale green barrier instantly expanded.
Above Ariel's head, Inkay also held up an energy shield.
Zzzzt—!
All the Thunder Shocks slammed into the two shields, stirring up circles of energy ripples, but they failed to harm Ariel in the slightest.
"Dammit!"
"Encore! The success rate of using Protect consecutively will drop significantly!" the Apprentices roared, putting everything on the line.
But would Ariel give them that chance?
Clearly not.
The instant all the Pokémon's attacks were blocked was Sandile's moment to slaughter!
It didn't even bother looking at the group of Pokémon gathering electricity again; it opened its mouth to Bite a Magnemite that had been tormented half to death by the quicksand, then tossed it aside like trash, triggering Moxie once more!
Attack power, increased again!
At this moment, Sandile's eyes were completely blood-red, and its violent aura had almost solidified!
"Roar!"
It let out a roar to the sky and, without waiting for Ariel's order, used Stomping Tantrum once more!
Boom—!
This time the vibration was even more violent than before; the entire corridor was buzzing!
A terrifying Ground-type shockwave swept the field!
Under this strike, of the eight Electric-type Pokémon, only two slightly higher-level Elekids were barely holding on; the rest had all collapsed on the ground with their eyes rolled back.
And Sandile's attack power had also stacked to a terrifying level through Moxie!
The entire corridor was a mess.
The air was thick with the smell of blood and scorched flesh. The three surviving Apprentices and the guy with the severed arm looked at Sandile standing among the Pokémon corpses like a demon god, their legs already starting to shake uncontrollably.
Their faces were written with despair and fear.
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