Chapter 222: Quasi-Elite Four!

"Persian, Flying Finger Pistol Barrage! Shave - Instant Step to retreat! Flying Finger Pistol - Shadow Claw Execution!"

Seeing that Ariados could endure the intense pain and still force Persian to retreat, Ron was slightly surprised but immediately issued a series of commands to his Pokémon.

Persian's gleaming claws locked onto Ariados, unleashing a rapid barrage of Flying Finger Pistols. Like the spread of a shotgun blast, the attacks shredded the poison-laced webbing into fragments.

Almost at the same moment the Flying Finger Pistols were fired, Persian executed Shave - Instant Step, disappearing from its previous position.

By the time Ariados attempted to strike back, Persian had already closed in once again.

Flying Finger Pistol - Shadow Claw Execution was unleashed. As Persian's most powerful move combination, its destructive force far surpassed Flying Finger Pistol - Blink Slash. The attack landed directly on Ariados's existing wounds, exacerbating its injuries.

With a painful shriek, Ariados resorted to its previous tactics, continuously releasing Poison Sting and Sticky Web to disrupt Persian's movements.

At such close range, Ariados had no time to properly execute moves before Persian's nearly instantaneous Flying Finger Pistols interrupted them. The only thing it could rely on was its instinctive use of poison and webbing to create some distance.

However, from Ron's perspective, Ariados was merely prey caught in a desperate struggle before its inevitable defeat.

"Persian, do it again! Finish off Ariados!"

Hearing Ron's command, Persian took a brief breath before launching another assault.

Despite its severe injuries and exhaustion, Ariados reacted in time this time. As Persian prepared to strike, Ariados fought through the pain and retaliated.

A flurry of Pin Missiles shot forth, attempting to block Persian's charge.

However, due to its weakened state and the sheer speed of Persian—faster than any Pokémon Ariados had encountered before—the dozen or so Pin Missiles, while appearing formidable, failed to land a single hit.

At the very moment Persian reached Ariados, the latter unleashed Night Shade in a last-ditch effort to resist.

But Flying Finger Pistol - Shadow Claw Execution tore through the Night Shade, shattering it with brute force.

With its accumulated injuries, Ariados's remaining stamina drained rapidly. Finally, Persian's finishing blow sent it flying.

Suspended in mid-air, Ariados lost all ability to battle.

Having defeated Ariados, Persian gracefully returned to Ron's side.

Despite both Pokémon being at level 58, Persian showed no signs of distress after its victory, a testament to how much the Navy's Six Powers and Fighting Aura had enhanced its abilities.

Had it not been for Nakar's Alakazam being on the verge of the Elite Four threshold, Machamp and the others would not have been defeated so quickly in the past.

After using Fighting Aura to restore Persian's stamina and administering basic treatment to the severely wounded Ariados, Ron wasted no time. He had Gardevoir use Teleport to take them away in search of the next opponent.

Having spent over a month training, Persian and the others had all made breakthroughs. Now, it was time for Machamp to reach the quasi-Elite Four level.

Meanwhile, Bruno had significantly reduced the surveillance on Ron, though he still maintained a few highly discreet observation channels to continue monitoring him.

Unaware of this, Ron focused on helping Machamp achieve its breakthrough.

What Shadow hadn't told Ron before was that advancing from High Elite to quasi-Elite Four was the true first major test.

Some Pokémon, lacking sufficient talent, would never successfully transition from High Elite to quasi-Elite Four. However, Shadow never mentioned this to Ron for a simple reason—his Pokémon had progressed so quickly that their exceptional talent was self-evident.

Indeed, the journey from High Elite to quasi-Elite Four was a lengthy process. For an average trainer, it could take months or even longer.

Trainers with family or corporate backing could potentially shorten this period, compressing it to one or two months.

But with Fighting Aura and an almost relentless battle pace, Ron had achieved in just half a month what normally took much longer—Machamp had successfully reached level 59, officially becoming a quasi-Elite Four Pokémon.

With its increased strength, Machamp's move set also evolved.

Its foundational move was replaced with the more powerful Dynamic Punch, which guaranteed confusion upon landing a hit.

With the power of a quasi-Elite Four Pokémon, Machamp could now wield this technique with ease.

To test the extent of Machamp's newfound strength, Ron had Gardevoir begin searching for a quasi-Elite Four-level Pokémon to battle.

Compared to High Elite-level wild Pokémon, quasi-Elite Four wild Pokémon were far rarer. Even for Gardevoir, it took nearly an hour to locate a suitable opponent.

When they finally arrived via Teleport, Ron was surprised—it was a Shiftry, a Grass/Dark-type Pokémon from the Hoenn region.

Wild Pokémon from different regions tended to reject outsiders unless they demonstrated overwhelming strength. Without sufficient power, survival was nearly impossible.

Most of the foreign Pokémon Ron had encountered before were at the Elite level, so finding a quasi-Elite Four Pokémon of a different region on his first attempt was unexpected.

Clearly, this Shiftry was among the strongest of its rank.

Unfortunately for it, today it faced Machamp. Even though Machamp had only recently reached the quasi-Elite Four level and lacked accumulated experience, it was still a force to be reckoned with.

"Machamp, Flying Finger Pistol - Morning Peacock!"

As soon as Machamp moved, Shiftry counterattacked.

Having survived as a foreign Pokémon in this environment, Shiftry's vigilance was beyond question.

It unleashed Hurricane, attempting to seize the initiative.

A barrage of scorching flames shot forward. Upon clashing with Shiftry's Hurricane, they exploded in rapid succession.

Within moments, Shiftry's Hurricane was completely engulfed by Machamp's Flying Finger Pistol - Morning Peacock.

Instinctively leaping away from its position, Shiftry, wary of its Grass-typing, showed clear fear of Fire-type moves.

"Roar!"

A deafening tiger's roar resounded, the sheer pressure causing Shiftry to hesitate for a split second.

In that instant, it saw a menacing white tiger lunging at it. As a last-ditch effort, Shiftry unleashed its most powerful Leaf Storm.

But the white tiger simply swiped at the attack, completely dispersing it. Then, in the blink of an eye, the beast swallowed Shiftry whole.

With the force of Dynamic Punch coursing through it, Shiftry was left in a confused state.

Facing Machamp's final Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant, Shiftry didn't even attempt to resist. Instead, it charged forward, choosing to take the attack head-on with its own body.

The result was self-evident. Fortunately, Shiftry possessed the strength of a quasi-Elite Four Pokémon, allowing it to shield Machamp from the brunt of the attack, leaving it with just a sliver of breath—enough for Ron to administer treatment.

After this battle, Ron had a rough estimate of Machamp's strength. However, to determine its exact limits, he needed more battles to test and refine his understanding.

With Machamp, Shiftry, and Nakar's Alakazam aiding in analysis, Ron discovered that his eyes could now perceive the nuances of a Pokémon's accumulation at the quasi-Elite Four stage.

This newfound insight allowed Ron to accurately gauge the power levels of both sides whenever he battled against other quasi-Elite Four trainers.

Once Shiftry was fully healed, Ron had Gardevoir use Teleport to take the team elsewhere—on the hunt for even stronger Pokémon to push Machamp to its absolute limits.

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