"Machamp, Finger Pistol: Daytime Tiger!"
The moment Ron's command echoed, a ferocious white tiger roared into existence.
With Machamp's increasing strength, the Daytime Tiger grew more vivid—almost as if a real white tiger had manifested.
The tiger's roar reverberated through the air, stunning the quasi-Elite Four-ranked Parasect for a split second, costing it the best opportunity to counterattack.
Even though Parasect quickly regained its composure, it couldn't prevent the tiger's descent.
Fragments of shattered green leaves scattered as the shockwave propelled Parasect backward.
"Machamp, follow up with Finger Pistol: Morning Peacock!"
Blazing firebursts mixed with shockwaves engulfed Parasect in an instant.
Under the scorching flames, Parasect's stamina rapidly drained.
Despite this, Parasect managed to rise again—proof of how resilient Pokémon had become as their strength increased. Unless struck at a vital point, Pokémon now displayed remarkable tenacity.
"Finish it, Machamp—Four Tiger Slaughter!"
Four savage white tigers lunged forward, their dazzling white light filling Parasect with fear. Yet, despite the terror, Parasect refused to surrender.
Energy Balls were fired one after another, colliding against the white tigers to no avail.
In the next instant, the four tigers bit into Parasect, leaving the small Pokémon defenseless as it was hurled into the air.
Flying Finger Pistol followed, striking Parasect mid-air and sending it crashing to the ground.
With Parasect defeated, Machamp's aura grew subtly stronger once more.
Rather than rushing to heal the fallen Parasect, Ron first searched its habitat, pocketing a portion of its hoarded treasures.
Whenever this happened, Ron couldn't help but regret how foolish he'd been in the past—missing out on so many resources.
Afterward, Ron restored Parasect's injuries with Fighting Aura, then had Gardevoir use Teleport to take him away.
When Parasect awoke to find half of its collection gone, it stood frozen, its tiny brain buzzing in disbelief.
As Ron's strength as a Pokémon hunter grew, so too did his methods.
Nowadays, Ron often camped near the borders where quasi-Elite Four and High Elite Pokémon roamed.
On one hand, he could seek out powerful wild Pokémon, letting Machamp and Persian spar with them before claiming a small "play fee."
On the other, he could ambush passing Pokémon hunters—killing them and submitting their bounty information before moving on.
Ron had no idea how many times he'd crisscrossed the Kanto region by now.
The only certainty was that ever since five quasi-Elite Four-ranked Pokémon hunters had failed to take him down, few dared to form alliances against him anymore.
Not long after Ron settled down, Gardevoir detected nearby human activity.
Donning a black cloak to conceal his identity, Ron ordered Gardevoir to bring him closer.
With Gardevoir's unique abilities, Ron could easily discern whether the target was friend or foe.
If they were innocent, he'd let them be.
If they were Pokémon hunters, Team Rocket members, or even League agents, Ron wouldn't hesitate.
After confirming through Gardevoir's probe that the man was indeed a Pokémon hunter, Ron quickly matched him to a wanted poster from the Forest Hunters' bounty board.
Without a second thought, Ron silently released Machamp and Persian.
As always, he instructed them to leave the target alive if possible—so Gardevoir could extract information with Hypnosis.
Nodding, Machamp and Persian split up, executing their practiced coordination to swiftly neutralize the hunter and his Pokémon.
Just as Ron planned, the two struck so fast that only the hunter's Pokémon could react—but too late to make a difference.
Machamp's four arms simultaneously used Finger Pistol, crippling the Pokémon's limbs. Persian followed with Finger Pistol techniques combined with Brick Break, its claws piercing the Pokémon's throat.
The seamless teamwork left the Pokémon incapacitated before it could fight back.
The hunter, stunned by the sudden assault, fumbled to release more Pokémon—but in the face of Machamp and Persian, it was nothing but a futile fantasy.
Screams like a slaughtered pig echoed through the forest as the hunter collapsed, his limbs shattered.
With Teleport, Gardevoir appeared from hiding, casting Hypnosis to silence the cries.
After a moment, the Pokémon Hunter, fully entranced by the hypnotic spell, fell silent. Ron had obtained a valuable piece of information.
"Auraberry Tree, huh? That definitely sounds like a trap."
Muttering to himself, Ron's words went unchallenged by Machamp and the others.
Whatever decision Ron made, the Pokémon under his command would follow without question.
"Might as well check it out. I really need that Auraberry Tree right now… I wonder if Lars knows how to cultivate it. If not, I could always ask Aki—worst case, I'd owe her a favor."
Having made up his mind, Ron recalled Machamp and Gardevoir into their Poké Balls. With a thought, he signaled Gardevoir to use Teleport once more, heading straight for the location the Pokémon Hunter had mentioned.
The information had come easily—thanks to Gardevoir's Hypnosis—but Ron couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
The timing of this rumor was far too convenient.
First, even the Pokémon Hunter himself didn't know how the news had spread—he was only trying his luck.
Second, the timing couldn't be ignored. On the surface, it seemed like Ron was merely eliminating Pokémon Hunters while harvesting Berries to exchange for resources.
But anyone paying close attention would notice that most of Ron's resources—along with his League coins—were being traded for defensive Berries or special potions designed to bolster a Fighter's resilience.
As Ron's reputation grew, rumors of his identity as a practitioner of Breathing Technique had spread. Those with sharp eyes were bound to notice.
That was why this whole situation felt like a setup.
What Ron couldn't figure out was—if someone really was trying to ambush him—why leak the information in such an open manner? Weren't they afraid that the Auraberry Tree might be taken away before they could strike?
Or…
Did they simply have absolute confidence in their own strength?
Then again, maybe this was nothing more than a lucky rumor with no hidden dangers at all.
Either way, Ron couldn't afford to let the opportunity slip by. Auraberries would be invaluable—not just for himself, but for Machamp and the others too.
With that thought, his resolve solidified—he would investigate no matter what awaited him.
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