Aura surged outward, and to Lucario, the entire world turned to black and white—shaped by its heightened senses.
Lucario could see the Team Aqua members aboard the ship, including Shelly; he also saw Archie stationed by the nearby submarine. Six Champion-level Pokémon stood with them, their power palpable. Wallace was holding his ground, but barely.
Acting as the perfect scout, Lucario relayed a concise report of the battlefield directly to Ron, maximizing his sensory advantage granted by the power of Aura.
Multiple uses of Teleport followed in rapid succession. Empowered by Ron's Fighting Aura, Gardevoir had no fear of the energy drain from the constant warping. She arced through space in a wide loop and appeared directly behind Wallace.
"Wallace, I'm Ron's Gardevoir. He asked me to relay this: is there a way to force their Pokémon back? If we can buy some breathing room, we can extract you and your team safely."
As soon as she got close enough, Gardevoir reached out to Wallace via telepathy.
Had Wallace not been trained in extreme pressure scenarios, he might've faltered the moment that voice echoed inside his mind.
"They have six Champion-tier Pokémon… I can't guarantee anything. But I'll give it one last shot!"
Wallace gave his answer without hesitation, then turned his full attention back to the battlefield.
With Psychic energy and the elegant aerial movement of Moonwalk, Gardevoir kept herself and Ron hovering in midair.
Whether or not this would be a successful rescue hinged entirely on Wallace now.
Even Ron, as confident as he was, didn't believe that their current team—especially Machamp—could provide any real support against opponents of this caliber. Their best option was to buy time and await an opening for Gardevoir to use Teleport to retrieve Wallace.
Ron pulled out a specially designed communicator and began transmitting a message to Drake of the Elite Four, giving a rapid-fire situation update.
Beyond that, all he could do was wait—and pray that Wallace could seize a sliver of opportunity.
"Milotic! Everyone, work together to summon a whirlpool—trap them in it!"
Seizing the moment while his Pokémon were still relatively stable, Wallace made his final gamble.
The already turbulent sea began churning violently, almost as if the water itself obeyed his command. A massive whirlpool materialized at lightning speed.
The suction was immense. Both the ship carrying Shelly and the submarine bearing Archie were pulled into the swirling vortex. Only under the protection of their Champion-level Pokémon did they avoid catastrophe.
"Now, Gardevoir, Machamp—Second Gear, and go all-out! Use Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant!"
As the whirlpool peaked, Ron's voice echoed in Gardevoir's mind with absolute clarity.
Teleport activated. Machamp, body surging with heat and tension, pushed his body to the limit, unleashing Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant, a devastating Six Powers technique adapted for Pokémon battle.
With Life Return enhancing him, Machamp did what few Pokémon could: he released every ounce of power in his body in a single moment of explosive force.
The sheer pressure of the attack drew the attention of multiple Champion-level Pokémon.
As Machamp collapsed from the blow, Gardevoir used Psychic to pull his limp body back, levitating him to her side.
In a single motion, she warped Ron and Wallace to safety using Teleport.
Wallace recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls in a flash, then stood silently, trusting Gardevoir to lead the next move.
Although Machamp's Evening Elephant had been crushed the moment it struck, the split-second window it created was enough to escape the whirlpool's grip. However, the moment they emerged, several Champion-level Pokémon launched their own attacks, creating an apocalyptic sense of dread. The battlefield trembled beneath their power—but even this could not interrupt Gardevoir's mission.
Once she confirmed that Machamp was within her range, she used Teleport again—disappearing with Ron and the others just before impact.
"BOOM!"
The explosion rocked the sea. But by then, Wallace had already made it out alive.
...
"Ron, I can't thank you enough. If it weren't for you... I might not have walked away from this."
Multiple bursts of Teleportation had taken them far from the battlefield. Wallace exhaled deeply, his gratitude genuine.
"Now's not the time to thank me," Ron said with a grin. "They ambushed us this badly—you're not planning to just let that slide, are you?"
"Drake is almost here. And our reinforcement squad? They're closing in too."
Wallace understood immediately. Without a word, he summoned his Pokémon once more.
As a powerful Trainer—and an accomplished Coordinator—Wallace had plenty of experience helping his Pokémon recover quickly in the heat of battle.
Gardevoir's psychic scan spread out across nearly two kilometers, locking in precisely on Shelly and Archie's locations.
"Drake, this is Ron. Wallace has been safely extracted. I still have visual on Shelly and Archie's coordinates. Please respond with backup ASAP."
Once the message was sent, Ron quietly channeled his Fighting Aura into Gardevoir, helping her recover. All the while, she continued phasing them across different locations with Teleport, staying one step ahead of pursuit.
...
"Boss, that attack just now had to be Ron's doing. He's already rescued Wallace. What should we do now?"
Aboard the ship, Shelly, now without a clear target, turned to Archie and asked.
"Abandon the ship. We retreat—now!"
Although Archie was clearly frustrated, ensuring both his and Shelly's safety was the smarter move. At this point, retreat was their best option.
Chasing someone who can teleport with a Psychic-type Pokémon? Only a fool would try that.
"Ron, Lucario says they're getting ready to run."
Hovering in the air, Gardevoir relayed the message to Ron.
Though Lucario's detection range couldn't quite match Gardevoir's—limited by his own strength—when focusing all his aura in a single direction, he could barely keep up.
"Wallace, they're trying to escape. What's our move?"
Without hesitation, Ron tossed the decision over to Wallace.
He knew his own role. Among these Champion-tier elites, someone like him—barely at the Elite Four level—was the junior member. No need to overreach. Just play support, and play it well.
"How long until Elite Four Drake arrives?"
"Roughly five minutes or so."
"Then we bet everything on that. Ron, take me to them. Let's buy Drake five more minutes. Whether we can wipe out Team Aqua today—it all depends on this."
"I understand. I'll handle the rest. If it comes down to it, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe."
Five minutes might not sound long, but for Wallace—who had been locked in a prolonged battle—it was an eternity, especially against Champion-level Pokémon in overwhelming numbers. The danger was obvious.
Gardevoir's Teleport triggered, carrying Wallace at top speed toward Archie and Shelly.
Wallace adjusted his stance, preparing for the coming battle.
Meanwhile, Ron sent a transmission to Elite Four Drake, urging him to hurry.
If Wallace and Drake could stall the enemy long enough for backup from the League to arrive, then with the advantage in numbers, they just might manage to pin down Archie and Shelly.
"Come on, old friend. Just a little faster."
Receiving Ron's message, Drake leaned in toward his Salamence, speaking softly.
The dragon didn't respond—but silently gathered every ounce of power in its wings, pushing its flight speed beyond its limits.
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/Madbot635 [remove the parentheses ( )]