Steven fell silent.
He couldn't connect the little fellow from his memories—the one that would lie quietly by the fireplace and curiously eye guests with its single red eye—with the vengeful spirit before him, radiating endless resentment.
But the facts were right in front of him, leaving him no choice but to believe.
The members of the Black Fire Exploration Team had also heard Steven's words.
Just then, a very faint conversation, almost drowned out by the wind, slithered into Ariel's ears like a venomous snake.
It was coming from the Black Fire Exploration Team's side.
"Boss,"
A female voice—it was the one called Layla—spoke with an irrepressible tremble and a guilty conscience.
"The other day... on the mountain peak, did we... 'take care' of a pair of old fogies?"
She said the words "take care of" nonchalantly, as if she were talking about stepping on an ant.
The other male voice, Alex, his Adam's apple bobbed as he let out a clear "gulp" sound.
"Shut up! Keep your mouth shut!"
He hissed the rebuke, but the terror in his voice was impossible to hide.
Old fogies?
Mountain peak?
Ariel's heart sank abruptly.
So that was it.
Everything was connected.
Why had the gentle Banette become so violent? Because its only benefactor, its last remaining warmth in this world, had been "casually" wiped away by this group of people.
It had come to Mt. Pyre to see its former benefactor, only to find a pair of cold corpses...
That was why it had become extremely frenzied, killing everyone it encountered!
Ariel's gaze swept over Alex and Layla's pale faces.
At that very moment, the long-standing Banette moved!
There was no warning, no roar.
It simply raised its head slowly; the single eye no longer burned with curiosity, but with a spite and hatred enough to incinerate everything!
The surrounding air temperature plummeted, and the thick fog seemed to be stirred by an invisible force, turning into countless swirling vortices.
A bone-chilling energy erupted from the Banette as its center!
"Watch out!"
Steven's shout exploded!
Without the slightest hesitation, he flicked his wrist, and a dazzling stone appeared in his palm—a mega stone!
"Metagross, Mega Evolution!"
The light flashed and vanished; Steven didn't even stop to admire the heroic posture of his ace Pokémon completing its evolution.
Ariel only caught a glimpse of the brilliant light from the corner of his eye. His heart jolted slightly, but then he felt it was only natural.
As the successor of Devon Corporation, it was perfectly normal for him to possess a mega stone.
The next second, a silvery-white behemoth stood before everyone!
Mega Shinny Metagross!
Its size was even more massive than before, its silvery-white metallic body reflecting a cold luster in the dim fog. The ends of its four thick arms were even more menacing giant claws, and the anti-gravity devices beneath it sprayed deep blue flames, steadily supporting its massive body in mid-air.
The large "X" shaped metal mark was full of oppressive power.
"Everyone, get on! Hold tight!"
Steven's voice was crisp and decisive, carrying an unquestionable command.
Everyone woke up as if from a dream, scrambling onto Mega Metagross's broad back.
The metal felt cold and hard. Ariel grabbed a protrusion on Metagross's back with one hand and pulled the still-dazed Masaki and Tome up with the other.
"Go!"
Steven gave the order.
The flames beneath Mega Metagross erupted, and the powerful thrust instantly pinned everyone firmly to its back.
Whoosh—!
With a piercing sound of breaking air, Mega Metagross turned into a silvery-white stream of light, tearing through the thick fog with an almost savage posture and soaring into the sky!
Ariel felt a massive force pulling him backward as the wind roared wildly in his ears, making his cheeks sting.
The metallic texture of Mega Metagross's back was bone-chillingly cold, and every jolt felt like it was going to crush one's bones.
Ariel gripped a metal protrusion tightly, his other hand firmly holding onto the still-distracted Masaki, while also steadying the weak-kneed Tome.
He looked back; the fog was churning like a giant beast ready to devour people, completely swallowing the peak of Mt. Pyre.
There was not a shred of pity in Ariel's mind.
Those who seek death shall find it.
He was just somewhat moved by how intense the Banette's hatred must be to erupt with such terrifying power.
"Hold on tight!"
Steven's voice came from the front, calm and without a ripple.
Boom—!
The flames from Mega Metagross's thrusters surged, and a colossal force pinned everyone firmly to its back.
The silvery-white stream of light tore through the sky, breaking through the blockade of thick fog with a nearly arrogant posture.
The view suddenly opened up.
Below was the sandbar where they had first landed on the island.
At this moment, the sandbar was no longer as peaceful as before.
Dazzling red and blue police lights flashed, lighting up the entire sandbar like day.
Almost all the Officer Jennys from Lilycove City had arrived, fully armed with solemn expressions.
Rows of Growlithe followed neatly behind the Officer Jennys.
Quite a few Investigators in standard League combat uniforms were also assembling, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme.
Mega Metagross landed smoothly at the edge of the sandbar, its massive metallic body creating a shallow pit in the sand.
Everyone scrambled down; several people collapsed directly onto the ground, gasping for air, their faces filled with the relief of having survived a disaster.
"Steven!"
"Thank goodness you made it out!"
A senior Officer Jenny hurried over; she clearly knew Steven. Her cap was pulled low, but the anxiety in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
"What's the situation... inside?"
Steven recalled Mega Metagross, his face so grim it looked like it could drip water.
He shook his head, his voice raspy:
"It's bad. An Elite Four Level Banette has completely lost control. Inside the mountain... I didn't see any survivors."
At these words, a dead silence fell over the surrounding Jennys and Investigators.
Everyone knew what the combination of the terms "Elite Four Level" and "completely out of control" meant.
It was an absolute disaster.
"Several groups of Investigators have already tried to enter, but the fog is too thick, the magnetic field is distorted, and all communication and detection equipment have failed. Those who went in quickly lost their way and had to return empty-handed,"
another Investigator captain came over and added.
His words made the atmosphere even more oppressive.
Just then, a young Investigator shouted loudly to boost morale:
"Don't lose heart, everyone! One of the Hoenn Elite Four, the Ghost-type expert, Lady Phoebe, has already entered personally! With Lady Phoebe there, that frenzied Pokémon will be suppressed in no time!"
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