"Gengar, Shadow Phantasm!"
Once again forcing Altaria back, Tycho was ready to end the battle.
Ghost-type energy radiated from Gengar, forming dark silhouettes with crimson eyes, sinister smiles, and blurred forms — each pair of ghostly hands brimming with spectral power.
Within moments, the Altaria was surrounded by multiple shadowy figures.
"Skreee!"
Altaria's cry echoed as Dragon-type energy flared like a beacon, attempting to break free from Gengar's shadowy binds.
"Do it now! Arbok, Serpent Venom!"
Seeing Altaria preparing a desperate counterattack, Lina seized the initiative, commanding her Arbok to strike.
"Golduck, Arctic Tempest!"
"Golem, Rock Slide!"
Lina's orders were quickly followed by Levi and Hanno, directing their Golduck and Golem into action.
Scarlet venom spewed from Arbok's fangs, releasing a toxic miasma that filled the air. Meanwhile, Golem charged forward with Heavy Slam, accompanied by jagged Stone Edge shards crashing down like a landslide.
With chilling precision, Golduck conjured a freezing storm, pressing the Arctic Tempest toward Gengar.
"I expected no less. Gengar, show them what Elite Four power truly means!"
Despite the combined assault, Tycho remained composed, a confident smirk on his face.
The shadows encircling Altaria dissipated, redirecting toward Arbok, Golduck, and Golem under Gengar's command.
Altaria, freed from its binds, surveyed the battlefield — instinctively shifting to assist in neutralizing the greatest threat. Dragon energy gathered in its body... but pain contorted its features, causing the amassed energy to scatter.
The Altaria landed heavily, panting. A deep, unhealed wound marred its back — a scar from a prior battle against another wild quasi-Elite Four Pokémon.
What Altaria didn't know was that its earlier foe had been provoked by Tycho's Gengar using Taunt — a cunning manipulation that forced the two Pokémon into a deathmatch. Tycho had intended to reap both spoils, but Altaria's unexpected strength thwarted the plan.
Abandoning his initial scheme, Tycho spread rumors of Altaria's presence, baiting rival poachers like Lina's group to share the risk.
With his trap now sprung, Tycho wouldn't let them escape — though he planned to grant Lina a special "mercy" before sending her to her death. His lecherous gaze lingered on her figure, eyes gleaming with vile intent.
Unaware of Tycho's twisted thoughts, Lina commanded her team to counterattack. Hanno followed suit, while opportunistic poachers scattered at the first sign of danger.
On the outskirts, Ron — having silently observed the chaos — abandoned any notion of intervening. Instead, he began hunting down the fleeing poachers.
The brutal clash left Arbok, Golduck, and Golem weakened. Gengar's shadows shattered Arbok's Poison Fang strike, crushing its phosphorescent scales and drawing blood. Golem's boulders were pulverized mid-flight before the rock titan was hammered into the earth.
Golduck fared best, but even it staggered — blood trickling from its beak.
With just one move, Arbok and Golem were half-crippled, while Golduck was gravely injured.
Tycho's poaching syndicate began to take action. Under the protection of Gengar and the previously devised plan, Tycho's syndicate suffered the least amount of damage.
Now, with their full force unleashed, neither of the two heavily damaged poaching syndicates could withstand their assault.
"Gengar, finish this quickly. Shadow Phantasm!"
Tycho's voice echoed as Gengar repeated its signature move, launching another attack.
Without Altaria's weakening interference, Gengar unleashed its full power. In the blink of an eye, the remaining Golduck and Lina's other High Elite Pokémon were engulfed by the cascading shadows.
Even the poachers behind them couldn't escape. The shadow surge shattered the carefully formed formation of the two poaching syndicates in an instant.
Like a tiger in a flock of sheep, Gengar's claws cut through the chaos, each strike claiming the life of a High Elite Pokémon.
In mere moments, Lina and her two companions were captured alive by Gengar, their Pokémon collapsed and out of commission on the ground.
After suffering two devastating blows, Lina's poaching syndicate stood no chance against Tycho's forces. The remaining poachers, hastily assembled mercenaries, scattered—some fleeing, others falling—losing all will to resist.
What took hundreds of words to describe had unfolded in less than a minute. Altaria, still reeling from its previous injuries, now faced the charging Gengar once more.
Struggling to rise into the air, Altaria prepared for a desperate final stand.
Behind Altaria, Pidgeot and the others glared with fury, but their rage was futile. Their grievous wounds made even breathing a torment, let alone fighting.
"Tycho, you're under arrest!"
Just as Tycho was about to end the battle, a deep voice rang out. Moments later, several cloaked figures appeared, swiftly surrounding Tycho and his syndicate.
Flashes of white light followed as six Pokémon emerged—five exuding quasi-Elite Four auras, while the remaining Charizard radiated true Elite Four strength.
Under the suffocating pressure of these commanding presences, Tycho froze.
On the other side of the battlefield, Ron returned triumphantly only to witness the scene. He immediately recognized the newly arrived Elite Four Trainer—an old acquaintance, Marlon.
Based on the situation, Marlon was likely a Forest Hunter, just like Ron. The absence of Rangers confirmed that this entire operation had been Marlon's elaborate trap to ensnare Tycho and his poachers from the very beginning!
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