It was a suppression stemming from the depths of the bloodline, an awe toward a higher level of power.
"Attack! Hydro Pump!" Matt barked hysterically.
The Red Gyarados opened its bloody maw, barely managing to condense Water-type energy as a thick pillar of water erupted forth.
Juan didn't even bother with a command gesture.
Milotic's tail fin traced an elegant arc across the water's surface.
This wasn't an ordinary attack; it was the manifestation of Water-type energy.
The surrounding seawater gathered rapidly under the pull of an invisible force, and the once-violent waves became incredibly docile around Milotic.
The water was continuously compressed, its volume shrinking while its density grew ever greater.
It was a water pillar only as thick as a human arm.
The surface of the water pillar was as smooth as a mirror, without a single ripple, yet it contained heart-stopping destructive power.
It collided head-on with the Gyarados's massive Hydro Pump.
There was no stalemate, no overflow of energy.
There was only cutting.
The slender stream of water sliced right through the middle of the Gyarados's Hydro Pump.
The stream surged upstream, following the Gyarados's open maw and slamming hard against its lower jaw.
The sound of shattering bone was masked by the noise of the waves.
Terrifying kinetic energy poured out.
The Red Gyarados's massive body lost control, forcibly flipped into the air by the force.
It traced a parabola in mid-air before crashing heavily into the sea.
Water splashed everywhere.
A few seconds later, the Red Gyarados floated to the surface with its eyes rolled back, completely unconscious.
With a flash of red light, it was forcibly recalled into its Poké Ball.
The surface of the sea regained its calm.
Only the sound of waves lapping against the wreckage remained.
Matt floated dazed in the water, still clutching that empty Poké Ball tightly in his hand.
A cold wind blew.
He shuddered.
The blood that had rushed to his brain cooled rapidly.
He looked at Juan in the distance, then at the Milotic suspended on the water's surface, whose breathing rhythm hadn't even changed.
His previous anger, grievance, and resentment all vanished into thin air.
He swallowed hard, feeling the bone-chilling seawater wash over his neck.
He found himself unable to utter even a single harsh word.
Those eyes, which had been full of fury, became incredibly clear.
"That... can we still reconcile?"
Juan's face, which had always maintained aristocratic elegance, completely collapsed at this moment.
He didn't pay any mind to Matt's pale plea for mercy; the voice squeezed from his throat was as raspy as if it had been rubbed against sandpaper:
"Reconcile your sister!"
This was the first time in this Sootopolis Gym Leader's life that he had cursed in public.
Milotic sensed its master's fury, its slender body twisting violently in the seawater as its fine scales reflected a cold light under the faint starlight.
It opened its mouth, and the moisture in the air condensed rapidly. A water pillar of staggering diameter, accompanied by a howl that tore through the air, headed straight for Matt's face.
It was a killing move with nothing held back.
Behind them, Shelly gnashed her teeth, staring fixedly at the back of that idiot Matt.
She was cursing up a storm in her heart; it was one thing for this fool to be arrogant normally, but at a critical juncture like this, he actually wanted to play some desertion act.
Shelly's hand reached for the last Poké Ball at her waist.
It was something Shelly had personally handed to her.
The surface of the ball had a heavy, matte feel, even exuding a bit of a chill.
"This is your last chance, don't lose this one too."
Shelly's voice when he gave her the ball still echoed in her ears.
Seeing that Milotic's attack was about to grind Matt into shredded meat, Shelly could no longer care about anything else.
She threw the Poké Ball abruptly, and red light exploded over the sea.
Samurott's heavy body crashed into the water, kicking up a towering splash.
Its two seamitars formed from shells unsheathed in an instant, the metallic friction sound piercing the dark night.
Peak Quasi-Elite! Level 68!
"Samurott, stop it!"
Shelly's voice was shrill, even carrying a hint of a tremble.
Samurott let out a low roar and charged toward Milotic's Hydro Pump.
Deep blue water vortices wrapped around its seamitars, forcibly carving a gap through the lethal attack.
Juan didn't waste words, commanding Milotic to change its move.
The transition between Dragon Pulse and Aqua Tail was seamless; it was a suppressive power unique to the strong.
Shelly didn't even look at the outcome of the battle. She knew in her heart that although this Samurott was strong, once targeted by Juan in a battle of attrition like this, there could only be one ending.
She flipped onto the Sharpedo that had long been standing by. The rough shark skin rubbed her thighs painfully, but she couldn't care less.
"You idiot, get up here!"
Shelly grabbed Matt by the back of his collar, dragging him onto Sharpedo's broad back like he was a drowned dog.
Sharpedo's tail ejected a powerful stream of water, instantly turning into an afterimage as it bolted frantically toward the open sea.
Behind them, Samurott's shrill screams echoed across the sea. The sound of blades breaking and flesh being crushed by heavy pressure was clearly transmitted to Shelly's eardrums through the vibrations of the water.
Her heart bled; that was a peak Quasi-Elite combatant, lost just like that to save a fool.
Sharpedo rose and fell among the waves. Cold seawater slapped Shelly's face again and again, and salt stung her eyes so much she wanted to cry.
Matt lay prone behind her, curled into a ball, not even daring to breathe loudly.
The sky began to turn an oppressive grayish-blue, and a extremely faint glimmer of light appeared at the end of the horizon.
Shelly kept looking back to observe.
Aside from the rolling white waves, Milotic's bright figure was no longer visible, nor was Juan's suffocating pressure.
They had escaped.
She released her grip on Sharpedo's dorsal fin; her finger joints were covered in white marks from the excessive force.
Ahead, a small wooden boat that looked extremely dilapidated and even somewhat mottled with rust floated quietly on the sea.
This kind of boat could be seen everywhere in the Hoenn region; it was the most inconspicuous type of fisherman's boat.
But Shelly knew that was their meeting point.
A man stood at the bow, his broad shoulders turned away from them, his deep blue bandana fluttering loudly in the sea breeze.
Archie.
Sharpedo slowly approached the small boat.
Archie pulled Matt up onto it. The wooden floor made an ear-piercing creak.
Matt kept his head down like a thief caught in the act, not even daring to look at the man's back.
Shelly, on the other hand, looked exhausted. Strands of hair were stuck to her cheeks, and her drenched clothes clung to her body. As the cold wind blew, it took away the last trace of her body heat.
Shelly organized her words and briefly recounted the encounter they just had.
She glossed over the details of Samurott's death, but Shelly was incredibly sharp. Hearing those descriptions, the fingers he had pressed against the gunwale tightened slightly, and the wood beneath his fingertips made a faint cracking sound.
Shelly rubbed his temples, his movements appearing somewhat weary.
"Two subordinates, two Executives..."
Archie's voice was very soft, yet it carried a chilling pressure.
"If Team Aqua were all trash like you, we'd probably only be able to rule Raticate in the sewers."
Matt's body shook, and he almost collapsed onto the deck.
Archie turned around, his deep eyes staring at Shelly without any emotional fluctuation:
"Where is the item?"
Shelly took a deep breath and tremblingly pulled out a tightly wrapped cloth bundle from her bosom.
As the cloth was unwrapped layer by layer, an orb shimmering with a dark blue light was revealed.
The light wasn't dazzling, yet it seemed to possess a certain magic, pulsing slightly with the rhythm of the waves.
The weariness in Shelly's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a near-manic fervor.
He reached out his large, rough hand and carefully took the Blue Orb.
The moment the orb touched his hand, the surrounding seawater seemed to become much quieter, and even the sound of the wind disappeared.
"Good, very good."
Shelly stared at the ripples flowing inside the orb, his voice turning low with excitement.
"With this, those who call themselves righteous, and that stubborn Maxie, will all witness the true will of the ocean."
He looked up at the horizon where the light was gradually brightening; that was the direction where the sun rose.
"Soon, the entire world will see the grand silhouette of Team Aqua."
Shelly looked at the side of Archie's face, the sense of defeat from losing Samurott replaced by a massive fear and fanaticism.
She knew that from this moment on, the rules of the Hoenn region were about to be rewritten.
On the sea, that inconspicuous little boat rocked gently with the waves, carrying an ambition sufficient to destroy the world as it slowly disappeared into the pre-dawn mist.
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