Chapter 170: Reappearance

"Wake up, Magmar! Use Fire Dragon!"

Blaine's voice echoed in Magmar's ears, snapping it out of its daze as a sense of urgency surged through its mind. Acting instinctively on Blaine's command, Magmar prepared to attack.

Before the move could fully manifest, however, Persian's claw-like shadows loomed over Magmar, interrupting its focus.

The searing pain not only disrupted Magmar's attack but also left it defenseless. Persian struck directly at Magmar's chin, forcefully countering its attempted move.

Relentless, Persian capitalized on Magmar's injured state. At Ron's command, Persian executed a Finger Pistol: Blink Slash.

Two successive attacks later, Magmar's entire body turned a deep crimson. Blood flowed from its wounds, further weakening its aura.

"Persian, Hyper Beam!"

"One last effort, Magmar—Fire Dragon!"

An orange-yellow beam surged forward, heading straight for Magmar.

Severely injured, Magmar was unable to unleash its strongest version of Fire Dragon. Instead, it could only merge Flamethrower and Dragon Pulse into a combined attack.

The two forces collided, sparks scattering in all directions.

Despite possessing high elite-level strength, Magmar was completely overwhelmed by Persian's relentless assault.

Exerting all its remaining power, Magmar's Fire Dragon was ultimately crushed. Persian's Hyper Beam struck Magmar directly.

The accumulated damage caused Magmar to be sent flying and crash to the ground, losing its ability to fight.

Earlier, Ron could have commanded Persian to overwhelm Magmar with a continuous barrage of attacks.

However, upon witnessing Magmar's fighting spirit, Ron chose to give it the chance to strike back.

After all, in Magmar's weakened state, Persian couldn't possibly lose.

"It's been a long time since I've encountered a challenger like you—it's truly exhilarating."

"This is the Volcano Badge. It's yours now."

Handing the Volcano Badge to Ron, Blaine seemed eager to engage Ron in another battle, this time outside of the Gym's usual challenges.

Since Cinnabar Island had become a tourist destination, Blaine's challengers had dwindled significantly.

It was rare to meet such a strong and promising challenger, and the battle had reignited Blaine's fighting spirit.

Unfortunately, Ron had no intention of staying longer. Beyond his promise to Shadow, he found Blaine himself to be someone he'd prefer to avoid.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Blaine had once been a Rocket scientist, most notably involved in the creation of Mewtwo.

Having spent a considerable amount of time in this world, Ron had pieced together that it primarily followed the anime's storyline, centered around Ash's journey with companions Misty and Brock. As time passed, the narrative gradually shifted.

The manga and certain specials supplemented gaps in the anime, such as Blaine's past as a Rocket scientist and his involvement in Mewtwo's creation.

Mewtwo, a man-made Pokémon, possesses power rivaling that of Legendary Pokémon and is one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

Carrying on the tradition of Legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo also possesses extraordinary flying abilities. However, Groudon breaks this mold, unable to fly despite its immense power, making it a peculiar outlier.

Additionally, Mewtwo has access to Mega Evolution, similar to Charizard, with two distinct Mega Evolution forms.

Ron was self-aware enough to recognize that with his current strength, and lacking Ash's protagonist aura or Naruto-like persuasive skills, encountering Mewtwo would likely result in instant defeat.

After leaving the Cinnabar Gym, Ron didn't immediately depart from Cinnabar Island. Instead, he began searching for a secluded area on the island.

Since those people trailing him refused to give up, Ron decided it was time to act. It was also the perfect opportunity for his Machamp and Persian to fully unleash their strength.

When Ron noticed his pursuers closing in, Alan ordered his men to disperse, forming a perimeter to surround Ron.

"Machamp, Persian, come out! From here on, it's up to you. Bellossom and Kirlia, stay alert and guard against any hidden threats."

As the enemy's encirclement began to solidify, Ron had no intention of sitting idle.

Machamp clenched its fists, emitting cracking sounds, its eyes gleaming with excitement.

Ever since mastering the derivative technique Ron had developed specifically for it, Machamp had transformed into a battle fanatic, almost restless without a fight.

Having had no chance to showcase its power since arriving at Cinnabar Island, Machamp was eager to let loose.

Persian, despite its extensive battle experience, was no less fired up.

After confirming with Kirlia that there were no hidden enemies nearby, Persian swiftly disappeared from sight.

Machamp, on the other hand, remained at Ron's side, ready to confront enemies head-on.

With Kirlia's psychic detection, Ron felt confident that Persian wouldn't encounter any unexpected danger.

Meanwhile, under Alan's orders, Mance and Barney cautiously advanced toward Ron's position, maintaining a calculated distance.

Perched among the treetops, Persian watched as Mance entered its attack range. With a flash of Shave, Persian vanished.

Reappearing in an instant, Persian executed Finger Pistol: Blink Slash!

The extreme speed allowed Persian to cross the distance in the blink of an eye. Its claws descended, and before Mance could utter a word, he collapsed lifelessly, blood pooling beneath him.

Mance's Pokémon fared no better. With the piercing power of Finger Pistol, Persian's assassination techniques had grown increasingly lethal.

After dispatching Mance, Persian turned its attention to Barney.

Persian's task was simple: eliminate Mance and Barney. Should the situation change, this would create an opening for Ron to escape Alan's encirclement.

As Persian moved into action, Ron encountered members of the Wade family.

Despite the development underway on Cinnabar Island, many parts remained desolate. Ron wasn't particularly worried about drawing too much attention.

"Go, Machamp! Use Finger Pistol: Morning Peacock!"

Leaping into the air, Machamp's fists ignited with flames, its four arms rapidly punching.

Thanks to its understanding and mastery of Finger Pistol, Machamp managed to develop a derivative technique, Flying Finger Pistol, during the latter half of its special training.

By combining Fire Punch with its natural strength, Machamp enhanced the power of its air blasts. Its innate ability to throw punches at extraordinary speed allowed it to recreate Might Guy's Morning Peacock technique in this world.

Watching the fiery display before them, resembling a peacock fanning its tail feathers, the two onlookers—seeing this for the first time—were left utterly stunned.

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