The sea breeze carried a strong fishy smell, filling his nostrils.
Ariel's fingers moved slightly, and Krookodile transformed into a red light, being recalled into its Poké Ball.
The turbulent sea, after losing the agitation of that behemoth, calmed down slightly, but the undercurrents remained fierce.
Shelly stood atop a Tentacruel, while a Sharpedo circled anxiously in the water, its dorsal fin cutting through the surface, leaving trails of pale white foam.
She looked at Ariel's empty waist, a mocking smile appearing on her face.
"Kid, out of tricks?"
Shelly's voice sounded somewhat sharp in the wind. She raised her chin, looking down at Ariel from above.
"Your crocodile was sent to be cannon fodder. What do you have left now? That half-dead Gyarados?"
Ariel did not rush to respond.
He looked down at his palm, which was stained with some seawater and blood — splattered when Krookodile bit Sharpedo just now.
"I'm never the one who runs out of tricks."
Ariel raised his head, his gaze sweeping past Shelly, towards the shadowy tentacles faintly visible around Gyarados.
"You have two Tentacool."
"Your Tentacool swarm is commanded very professionally. A Gym Leader Level Tentacruel as the core, plus a Tentacool responsible for coordination. This combination is indeed troublesome in a naval battle."
Shelly's smile froze on her face.
"How do you know?"
She instinctively took a step back. The arrogant confidence she had moments ago now showed a crack.
She abruptly lowered her head, pressing her hand on the specially made Poké Ball at her waist.
There should have been a slight psychic resonance there, the bond between her and the Tentacool serving as commander.
However, beneath her palm, there was only dead silence.
Shelly's expression changed.
She tremblingly removed the Poké Ball and pressed the switch.
The Poké Ball vibrated, but no red light spilled out.
"Dead."
Shelly murmured, her voice hoarse with disbelief.
She suddenly looked up, staring intently at Ariel, the ruthlessness in her eyes almost solidifying.
"When did you..."
"Just now."
Ariel interrupted her, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather.
"While your Sharpedo was preoccupied by Krookodile, and its attention wasn't on what was beneath the surface."
"So what!"
Shelly gritted her teeth, as if chewing on those words.
"Even if you killed that little bug, your Gyarados is useless! My Tentacruel swarm is still here, and they've been worn down by Toxic for so long, their stamina must be at rock bottom! Do you think you've won?"
Ariel did not refute.
He merely turned his body to look at the sea area behind him.
"You don't understand what Moxie is, nor do you understand a Gyarados chieftain's desperate counterattack."
Shelly followed his gaze and looked back.
The sea was no longer its previous deep blue, but was stained with a strange dark red.
Dozens of Tentacruel and Tentacool corpses floated haphazardly on the surface, their tentacles hanging limply in the water, rising and falling with the waves.
And in the center of these corpses, a massive Gyarados slowly emerged from the water.
Its scales shimmered with a cold glint under the moonlight, and its eyes were blood-red, a sign of exhilaration after a slaughter.
With every breath it took, the surrounding air seemed to tremble.
That aura was no longer that of the passively beaten Pokémon from before, but a thorough predator.
Level 50!
Gym Leader Level!
Shelly's breathing grew heavy. She looked at the Gyarados, and the oppressive feeling made her, an Executive who had long been accustomed to life and death in Team Aqua, feel a tightness in her chest.
She hadn't expected this Gyarados to break through in such a desperate situation, and it was the most ferocious kind of breakthrough, built upon the corpses of its enemies.
"This is impossible..."
Shelly's voice trembled slightly.
"My Tentacruel swarm is well-trained; even without a commander, they wouldn't be completely wiped out so easily..."
"Against absolute power, numbers are meaningless."
Ariel said calmly.
Shelly took a deep breath, forcing down the panic in her heart.
She turned around, looking at Ariel again, greed once more gaining the upper hand in her eyes.
"Good, very good."
Shelly smiled, reaching out to pat the sole remaining Tentacruel beneath her.
"It seems I underestimated you. However, my Sharpedo and Tentacruel are both at Gym Leader Level peak, and Sharpedo isn't seriously injured, while my Tentacruel is completely unharmed."
She pointed at Ariel, her tone once again becoming arrogant.
"What do you have now? Your Krookodile has lost its fighting capability, and Greninja and Malamar are both exhausted. Besides this one Gyarados, you have no other pieces left, do you?"
Ariel looked at Shelly's self-righteous expression, showing no sign of annoyance.
He smiled faintly and pulled out a faintly glowing Key Stone from his pocket.
The stone emitted a cool radiance in the light, reflecting off the surrounding seawater.
"One Gyarados is indeed enough."
Ariel held the Key Stone in his hand, feeling the energy contained within it.
He no longer paid attention to Shelly's nonsense, instead immersing all his focus into his connection with Gyarados.
The wind and waves on the sea surface seemed to pause.
Shelly looked at the Key Stone in Ariel's hand, a sudden chill rising in her heart.
That was no ordinary stone; as an Executive of Team Aqua, she naturally knew what it was.
Isn't this the Key Stone that the League announced not long ago?
"What are you doing?"
Shelly shouted, commanding Sharpedo to dive back into the water, preparing for a final charge.
Ariel didn't answer; he merely clasped the Key Stone tightly in his hand.
Gyarados let out a heaven-shattering roar, its voice piercing through the waves, making the surrounding air hum.
Its aura underwent a qualitative change at this moment. The already wild energy now burst forth completely, like a lit powder keg.
Shelly's expression changed completely.
She realized that she was no longer facing a cunning brat, but a hunter who had already laid down multiple deadly traps in this game.
All her previous mockery now seemed utterly ridiculous.
"Sharpedo! Full attack! Don't worry about anything else!"
Shelly screamed hysterically. She felt the threat of death, a sensation that crawled up her spine to her brain, making her tremble all over.
Beneath the surface, a huge dark shadow, like an arrow released from a bowstring, shot forward with a whooshing sound as it cut through the water, violently crashing into Gyarados's flank!
Ariel stood still, not even moving an inch.
He watched the scene, his eyes terrifyingly clear.
"Too late."
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