Although Bruno's actions had, to some extent, been influenced by Agatha, at this moment he was acting purely of his own will.
He wanted to fight Logan.
To Bruno's left, Lorelei leaned casually against her Dewgong. Beside her stood Cloyster and Slowbro, both wearing cruel, twisted smiles as their eyes locked onto Logan and Cynthia.
To Bruno's right, Agatha remained half-hidden in the shadows, ghostly aura coiling around her. Every so often, she let out a low, unsettling chuckle that made the skin crawl.
"We've been waiting for you for quite some time… Kanto Champion. Sinnoh Champion."
Lorelei snapped her compact shut, her expression solemn. These two had defeated both her and Bruno before. Even with Agatha present—three against two—she did not dare assume victory was assured.
Logan and Cynthia exchanged a glance and nodded.
This was Saffron Island—the Elite Four's stronghold. Being surrounded had always been expected.
"There's something I want to know," Logan said calmly. "That Onix earlier—it wasn't random. Why separate Yellow? From a combat standpoint, splitting Cynthia and me would make far more sense."
His eyes settled on Bruno.
Of the three, only Bruno would answer honestly.
And Bruno did not disappoint.
"I don't know the full reason," Bruno admitted. "But Lance insisted. He said that girl possesses a power he desires."
Lorelei said nothing. At this stage, secrecy hardly mattered anymore.
"Power Lance desires…"
Logan frowned deeply.
Aside from the Viridian power, what did Yellow possess that even Lance sought?
But he had no time to think further.
The Elite Four attacked.
Hitmonlee's elastic leg lashed forward—
Dewgong's Ice Beam streaked through the air—
Gengar hurled a Shadow Ball—
Frigid winds. A sphere of pure darkness. A kick carrying thunderous force.
"Cynthia!"
Logan called out.
She understood instantly.
Two Poké Balls flew.
Twin roars echoed as both mounted their Garchomp and shot skyward. The cavern floor detonated beneath them, explosions rumbling like distant artillery. Underground water burst upward—only to be instantly frozen by Dewgong's icy gale, transforming into razor-like ice spikes.
"You can't escape, Logan!" Bruno roared. "This is the execution ground we prepared for you!"
He slammed his hand downward.
The earth roared like a bullet train tearing through rock.
Two Onix erupted from below, crossing their massive stone bodies like twisting cables, forming a crushing snare aimed at Logan and Cynthia.
The cavern was vast—but not vast enough.
Garchomp could not maneuver here as freely as under open skies.
If those two colossal Onix bodies locked together—
Even Garchomp might not break free.
Logan and Cynthia reacted instantly.
"Togekiss!"
Cynthia had evolved her Togetic with a Shiny Stone after returning to Sinnoh.
As Togekiss appeared, a strange wave radiated from it—like the move Taunt given physical form. The two Onix faltered, their coordination disrupted. The flawless crushing net broke.
"Baton Pass!"
In a seamless flash, Togekiss transformed into Milotic—saving the fatal two-second recall-and-release delay.
Two seconds could mean death at this level.
"Aqua Tail!"
Both trainers commanded simultaneously.
Milotic and Vaporeon struck in perfect unison, their tails crashing against exposed weak points in the Onix bodies.
"ROOOOOAR—!"
Stone fragments shattered from the massive Pokémon as they cried out in pain.
But then—
The cavern trembled again.
Dozens of Onix burst from every direction.
Their bodies intertwined, weaving into a colossal stone web that encased the entire battlefield.
At the same time, Lorelei froze the cavern's interior. Ice bridges materialized in midair, forming a network of frozen platforms. Her Ice-type Pokémon moved across them like predators on home terrain.
Agatha tapped her cane.
From fissures and tunnels carved by Onix, strange-colored liquid began to flow. It pooled rapidly, flooding the cavern floor.
"These waters," Agatha said pleasantly, "are composed of Poison-type dissolution fluids and Grass-type digestive acids. Highly corrosive. Highly toxic."
She kicked a pebble into the pool.
It dissolved instantly.
Cynthia paled.
Even as Sinnoh Champion, she had never witnessed something this merciless.
She had faced danger before—but this was different.
This was a battlefield designed for execution.
Logan sensed her unease.
He reached out and gripped her hand tightly.
Her breathing steadied.
Suddenly—
He felt danger.
He released her instantly.
An ice ring materialized exactly where their hands had been moments before. Had he reacted a second slower, their hands would have been frozen together.
"Tch. Failed? The curse didn't take," Lorelei muttered.
Jynx now stood beside her. The ice ring had been her doing.
Logan narrowed his eyes.
He could sense both Ice-type energy and psychic interference within that ring.
Above them—frozen sky.
Below them—corrosive hell.
Before them—Bruno's strongest trio: Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Machamp.
A kill zone.
An execution arena.
And all Logan and Cynthia could do—
Was survive.
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