"Come out, Gyarados!"
Before reaching the water's surface, Ron released his Gyarados.
"Bellossom, use One-Sword Style: Finger Pistol – Rebirth of All Things!"
With a powerful swing, petals danced through the air, carried by the energy of the attack. Though the power was somewhat weakened, it bought Ron just enough time to recall Bellossom into its Poké Ball.
"Alakazam, show him what true despair feels like."
Alakazam's Psycho Cut sliced through the incoming attack, dispersing Bellossom's energy. Just as Ron attempted to recall Bellossom, Alakazam's Psychic surged forward, blocking his move.
Even though Ron quickly reacted, ordering Bellossom to use Substitute and Protect, he couldn't completely stop a Psycho Cut from landing directly on Bellossom.
The red beam of the Poké Ball arrived too late. The fainted Bellossom was absorbed into the ball.
Etching Nakar's face into his memory, Ron swore that if he survived, he would return today's suffering tenfold!
"Gyarados, dive underwater!"
At Ron's command, Gyarados plunged into the depths at full speed.
At some point, the Gardevoir in Ron's arms had regained consciousness. Though it was still unable to access its psychic powers, it was at least able to remain conscious and hold its breath, ensuring it wouldn't hinder Gyarados' movements.
Gripping the horn atop Gyarados' head, Ron turned to glance behind him. Alakazam had erected a psychic barrier, carrying Nakar as they pursued.
"There's no time to think—Nidoking, come out!"
Years of training paid off in this moment. Enduring the discomfort of the water, Nidoking immediately unleashed Blizzard and Ice Beam in tandem.
Learning from his earlier mistakes, Ron prepared to recall Nidoking the instant it attacked. However, he had once again underestimated the power of a Psychic-type Pokémon.
The water churned violently, spiraling around Nidoking and trapping it. In this aquatic battlefield, Nidoking was powerless to resist.
In this situation, Ron was unable to recall Nidoking.
Just like before, Alakazam's Psycho Cut struck the defenseless Nidoking. This time, Alakazam even went so far as to fling Nidoking closer to Ron, as if mocking him—taunting him to retrieve his fallen Pokémon.
A red beam shot out, withdrawing Nidoking.
Ron was out of options.
His Machamp and the others were all gravely injured. Blaziken was completely useless in the water. His only remaining hope was Gyarados.
But his opponent was a pseudo-Elite Four Trainer—able to match Gyarados in speed despite not being a Water-type specialist. If Nakar truly wanted to, he could use Teleport and kill Ron in an instant.
The only reason he hadn't done so was because he was toying with Ron, savoring his despair.
Silently, Ron locked the Poké Balls of Larvitar and Gastly to prevent them from recklessly charging out. The only ball he left unsealed was Blaziken's—it was his final trump card.
Tapping Gyarados' head, he signaled for it to surface.
By now, both Ron and Gardevoir were struggling to hold their breath.
Seeing Ron completely give up on resisting and focusing solely on escaping, Nakar's interest waned. He had been hoping for more entertainment—something more exciting.
Breaking the surface, Ron and Gardevoir took deep, gasping breaths of fresh air.
Through the nurturing power of the Fighting Aura, Gardevoir had recovered enough to use Teleport—but only once. Ron had to choose the perfect moment.
After catching their breath, Gyarados dove once more, carrying Ron and Gardevoir back into the depths.
Behind them, Nakar and Alakazam maintained a constant distance—always ready to strike at any moment.
Originally, Nakar and Alakazam had been focused on honing their skills, striving to break through to the next level. However, they had been abruptly reassigned to this mission.
At first, Nakar had thought it would be a simple, boring hunt. But Ron had surprised him, time and time again. That was the only reason he had been granting Ron so many chances.
Now, however, it seemed Ron had reached his limit. Nakar's interest was fading fast. Once it disappeared entirely, this game would come to an end.
"Wait for my signal. When I give the command, strike with 'Azure Dragon Breaks the Sea.' Remember, after attacking, return immediately!"
Ron had seen Marco's Blastoise perform 'Azure Dragon Breaks the Sea' before. Since it was a dragon-themed technique, there was no reason Gyarados couldn't use it as well.
He hadn't expected that the first time he'd use this move in battle would be under these circumstances.
"Alakazam, finish him."
Seeing Ron fail to react, Nakar finally lost interest. It was time to wrap this up.
Ron, who had been watching Nakar and Alakazam closely, noticed the slightest shift in Alakazam's stance. That was his cue.
He immediately gave the order to Gyarados and let go, allowing himself and Gardevoir to drift away—making it seem like Gardevoir was still incapacitated.
With a furious roar, Gyarados wheeled around. The surrounding water pulsed, gathering and coiling around it like a living entity.
Seeing Ron resist once again, Nakar smirked. "So you're not done yet?" He signaled Alakazam to counterattack.
Ron's plan was simple: Gyarados would unleash 'Azure Dragon Breaks the Sea' against Alakazam, buying just enough time for Gardevoir to Teleport them away.
They would shift from water to land, where Blaziken would take over. With Gardevoir's Teleport, they had a chance—however slim—to escape.
The only problem was that even with this, they wouldn't be able to escape Alakazam's psychic tracking.
Ron had no choice but to gamble.
If all else failed, he would have Gardevoir use Teleport to save the others—Machamp, Nidoking, the rest—while he stayed behind to buy time.
But before Ron could execute his plan, Gyarados made its own decision.
It had no intention of fleeing with Ron.
Gyarados knew how strong their enemy was. It understood that Ron's plan was bound to fail—unless it sacrificed itself to buy him more time.
Gyarados turned back, looking at Ron one last time. Its gaze was filled with sorrow and determination. Then, with a mighty roar, it transformed into a colossal water dragon and charged straight at Nakar and Alakazam.
Ron immediately realized what Gyarados was doing. Before he could say anything, Gardevoir acted on its own. It had already made a pact with Gyarados—no matter what, Ron had to escape.
"Alakazam!"
For the first time since the hunt began, Nakar's voice carried a hint of urgency.
He had assumed he was in control of everything.
Just in case, he had secretly planted a psychic trap near Ron and Gardevoir, ready to be triggered the moment they tried to escape.
Seeing that Gardevoir could still use Teleport, Nakar ordered Alakazam to activate the trap.
A sudden, ominous sensation gripped Ron's heart.
Without thinking, he moved in front of Gardevoir.
The attack struck him directly.
In an instant, his consciousness faded.
His breathing grew weak.
Gardevoir didn't have time to check on him.
It succeeded—just barely—using Teleport to take Ron away from the depths of the water.
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