Want to dodge Riolu's attack range?
Too late!
Now that it had removed its heavy training weights, Riolu's speed and power were fully unleashed.
"Ralts, use Teleport to send Riolu over there!"
"Riolu, keep using Rock Smash! Crush them!"
After giving the orders, Ryan himself sprang into action.
His target was the Team Aqua members.
By ruining their plans, he knew they would hold a grudge. He had to capture all of them to prevent his identity from being exposed later. Team Aqua's influence across the Hoenn region was far beyond what Ryan could handle at his current strength.
Ralts placed its small hands in front of its chest and activated its psychic energy, instantly teleporting Riolu beside the last two Poliwag.
Riolu's fist was already prepared. It smashed downward with tremendous force.
The effect was devastating!
Without even glancing back, Riolu continued sprinting toward the final Poliwag, its fist glowing with faint white energy.
The panicked Team Aqua grunts had no time to react before all their Pokémon collapsed, completely incapacitated.
"Run… run!" the Team Aqua squad leader shouted in terror.
Without their Pokémon, they were utterly powerless.
The infamous members of Team Aqua knew exactly how the public and the Pokémon League viewed them. If League investigators caught them, prison was guaranteed.
Just as they tried to flee, Ryan closed in.
He struck like a blade with his hand, chopping precisely at the neck of one panicked grunt.
"Ah!"
The man only managed a short cry of pain before collapsing unconscious to the ground.
People in the Pokémon world generally had good physical conditioning, but most relied entirely on their Pokémon for battle and neglected their own training. Ryan, however, was a true combat expert from his previous life. He easily dealt with the ordinary Team Aqua members.
In moments, he had subdued four of them, leaving only the squad leader standing.
Riolu, having finished dealing with the Mightyena, also approached.
Ryan looked at the remaining Team Aqua squad leader, who now had nowhere to run. He pointed at the grunts lying on the ground with bruised and swollen faces and said coldly, "If you don't want to end up like them, I suggest you surrender."
The squad leader was drenched in cold sweat.
Just a minute ago, they had been mocking Ryan with their numerical advantage, telling him not to meddle. Now he was the only one left, with no chance of escape.
"I… we are Team Aqua! Do you know the consequences of offending Team Aqua?!" the squad leader shouted, his voice trembling with fear.
Ryan's eyes turned icy. He took one step forward, tucked his right fist to his waist, and threw a powerful punch.
It slammed heavily into the squad leader's abdomen, sending him flying two meters through the air!
The man collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach in unbearable pain. His face turned ashen, and cold sweat poured down his forehead as if his internal organs were churning.
"I gave you a chance, but you didn't listen," Ryan said coldly, withdrawing his hand.
With that, all the Team Aqua members had been subdued.
...
On the other side, both Mr. Stone and Sapphire were completely dumbfounded.
Especially Mr. Stone. He had thought he would be captured by Team Aqua with almost no resistance, but the situation had turned out completely different from what he imagined.
Sapphire stood with her mouth slightly open, her two cute little fangs visible, looking utterly shocked.
She had never expected that Ryan was not only a powerful trainer but also a highly skilled fighter in his own right. His moves were fast, ruthless, and precise, without the slightest hesitation.
After dealing with the Team Aqua members, Ryan smashed their communicators to prevent them from calling for backup. He then took out several sturdy ropes from his backpack and tossed them to Riolu.
"Riolu, tie these guys up."
Riolu caught the ropes and quickly bound the Team Aqua members tightly.
...
"Thank you so much!" Mr. Stone said with visible relief, bowing slightly to Ryan.
"It's nothing," Ryan replied calmly.
"President Stone, please contact the Pokémon League and have Officer Jenny deal with these Team Aqua members. Also, since one kidnapping attempt failed, there will likely be another. Please be extra careful when traveling from now on."
After confirming through the system that the mission was complete, Ryan was in a good mood and a faint smile returned to his face.
"You're right, Mr. Harlan. I'll contact them immediately!" Mr. Stone quickly pulled out his communicator and began making calls.
"Brother Ryan, your Riolu and Ralts worked together so perfectly!" Sapphire said excitedly. "And you were amazing too! You took down those Team Aqua members in no time!"
Ryan smiled gently and chatted casually with Sapphire while they waited.
For a long time now, he had been training Riolu and Ralts to coordinate seamlessly with each other.
...
Thanks to Mr. Stone's status, it didn't take long for League investigators and Devon Corporation bodyguards to arrive. Since Rustboro City wasn't far away and they could use Flying-type Pokémon for fast transport, reinforcements reached the scene quickly.
That meant both Mr. Stone and Sapphire were now safe.
With that settled, Ryan began packing his belongings, preparing to continue on his way.
"Mr. Harlan, please wait a moment!" Mr. Stone called out when he saw Ryan putting Riolu's heavy training weights back into his backpack.
"What's wrong?" Ryan asked after finishing packing.
Mr. Stone rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a dark gold card, presenting it to Ryan with both hands. "If it weren't for you today, this old man would probably have been kidnapped by Team Aqua. This is a VIP card from the Devon Corporation. It offers significant discounts on all our products."
"I was in a hurry today and didn't bring much else, so I can only offer you this. Please don't take offense."
A hint of surprise flashed in Ryan's eyes. The Devon Corporation was one of the most powerful companies in the region, especially dominant in metalwork and advanced machinery. In the years since he had transmigrated, Ryan had spent at least two million League Coins on equipment from them, yet he had never heard of a VIP card before.
"President Stone, you're too kind. I'll accept it then," Ryan said without refusing and took the card.
...
Not far away, the sound of approaching voices and footsteps grew louder—likely the League investigators and Devon bodyguards arriving in force.
Ryan said his goodbyes and left with Riolu and Ralts.
"Calm, composed, and powerful… that young man is truly extraordinary," Mr. Stone murmured as he watched Ryan's figure disappear into the woods, his heart filled with emotion.