Chapter 211: The Hunter Unleashed

After leaving the Ranger Headquarters, Ron didn't rush to complete his mission. Instead, he first contacted Shadow.

Ron hadn't forgotten that Shadow had promised him a set of resources and guidance on breaking through to the Elite Four level.

A Trainer at the Quasi-Elite Four level could still rely on battle experience to improve, but reaching the Elite Four tier wasn't just about fighting—it required a special medium.

"How's your situation?"

As soon as the call connected, Shadow's familiar, raspy voice came through.

Previously, since Ron had been training under Bruno, Shadow had asked him to wait until his training was complete before reaching out again. However, Shadow hadn't expected Ron to finish so soon.

"I gave up becoming a Ranger Captain and chose to become a Forest Hunter instead. Now, I've accepted my first mission."

Ron briefly explained his situation and then waited for Shadow's reaction.

"A Forest Hunter, huh? Not a bad choice. Once you become strong enough, this identity will give you access to a lot of crucial information. When that time comes, I'll be expecting you to provide some valuable intel."

Since infiltrating Team Rocket as a spy, this was the first time Shadow had explicitly asked Ron to report back. This alone proved that Forest Hunters wielded significant authority and influence.

"Now, let's get down to business. The resources I promised—once you find a suitable location, contact me, and I'll arrange for them to be sent over."

"As for breaking through to the Elite Four level, here's what you need to know. First, your Pokémon must have already reached Quasi-Elite Four level strength. After that, the accumulation process begins."

"The method is simple: have your Pokémon consume top-grade Pokéblocks, then use battles to fully activate that energy and gradually refine their bodies."

"However, many Pokémon hit a bottleneck at this stage due to their natural limits, preventing further energy accumulation. If they don't accumulate enough, they'll never reach the Elite Four level."

"Even determining how much accumulation is enough is a challenge. Some Trainers misjudge the process and fail in their breakthrough attempt."

"The second crucial step is to fully unleash the accumulated energy, using a powerful force to help the Pokémon break through in one go."

"This is where Attribute Plates come in. These are rare artifacts born from natural energy over countless years."

"Depending on the environment where they were formed, Attribute Plates align with different elemental types."

"Additionally, when using an Attribute Plate to push a Pokémon to the Elite Four level, the Trainer must be completely synchronized with their Pokémon's thoughts. In other words, they must achieve a perfect bond."

"Without a deep enough bond, not only will the breakthrough fail, but the wasted Attribute Plate could also cause irreversible damage to the Pokémon."

"Researchers have studied this phenomenon extensively, yet they still don't understand why wild Pokémon can sometimes break through without a Trainer or an Attribute Plate. There are even rare cases of Trainers achieving breakthroughs without using an Attribute Plate at all."

"But you can forget about that. As far as I know, only a handful of people have ever managed it. Your best bet is to rely on Attribute Plates."

"One more tip—using a single Attribute Plate is enough for a successful breakthrough, and for dual-type Pokémon, you only need to choose one of their types."

"However, the strongest Trainers always use two Attribute Plates to evolve their Pokémon."

"Why? Because Pokémon that break through using two Plates gain slightly more power with every level-up compared to those who use just one. Over time, that difference adds up—creating the power gap between the elite and the ordinary."

Shadow had said a lot in one go. After finishing, he fell silent, waiting for Ron to process the information.

"Got it. How much does an Attribute Plate cost? Can I purchase one through Team Rocket?"

Ron didn't take long to digest the information and quickly asked his next question.

"Yes, you can buy them internally. As for the price… worry about that after you reach the Quasi-Elite Four level. Anything else?"

"No."

The moment Ron finished speaking, Shadow hung up.

Taking a deep breath, Ron adjusted his mindset. Now that he knew the method to break through to the Elite Four level and had access to a purchasing channel, he felt satisfied.

Just as Shadow had suggested, he had already decided—he would use two Attribute Plates for the breakthrough. But before that, he needed to amass enough resources.

Initially, Ron thought he was wealthy enough, but based on Shadow's tone, he was far from it.

"Arve, you'll be my first stepping stone in gathering resources."

After carefully reviewing his mission details and Arve's known whereabouts, Ron muttered to himself.

Then, he released his Gardevoir and used Teleport to travel rapidly.

...

In the a lush forest.

Ziv wandered through the vibrant forest alongside his Venusaur, searching for a worthy opponent.

Despite traveling as a Trainer for a year, Ziv was still only at the Low Elite level and had yet to earn eight Gym Badges to qualify for the Indigo League.

But he refused to give up. After watching the Indigo League tournament, he was more determined than ever to continue his journey.

Ziv had made a vow—he would become stronger, strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with his idol, Ron!

For Ron, winning the Indigo League Championship had only brought him fame.

But for many Trainers in Kanto, watching Ron dominate his opponents and claim the title so effortlessly made him an inspiration, a symbol of their aspirations.

Had Ron accepted the position of Ranger Captain, there would have been a flood of people lining up just for the chance to work under him.

This was the result of the Pokémon League's years of promotion and branding of the Indigo League Championship.

At this moment, Ziv remained unaware that someone had already set their sights on him.

"Arbok, teach this brat a lesson—let him know that being a Trainer isn't child's play."

Hidden in the bushes, Arve smirked cruelly and gave his Arbok the command.

Arbok's eyes gleamed with malice as it prepared to strike.

"Arve, Pokémon Hunter, isn't that right?"

A calm voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

Whipping around in alarm, Arve and Arbok found themselves face-to-face with a boy and his Gardevoir.

Seeing those deep violet eyes, Arve had a nagging feeling that he had seen this person before.

"Machamp, take care of this quickly."

After confirming Arve's identity with a reference photo, Ron released his Machamp.

Upon seeing Machamp, Gardevoir, and those unmistakable violet eyes, Arve finally remembered—this was the Indigo League Champion!

His first instinct was to have Arbok cover his escape, but it was already too late.

A shadow flickered.

Arve's consciousness faded, and he collapsed alongside his Arbok.

After gathering enough evidence to confirm his mission's success, Ron looted Arve's belongings.

Meanwhile, Ziv, who had already walked a fair distance, heard a faint rustling from the bushes.

However, he didn't investigate and simply continued on his way—never realizing that he had just missed the chance to meet his idol in person.

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