Chapter 339: Reporting Himself

"Machamp—Second Gear, Four Tiger Slaughter!"

"Persian, Shadow Claw Execution!"

"Bellossom, One-Sword Style: Rebirth of All Things!"

A flurry of sharp commands rang out in quick succession. Machamp and the others launched a coordinated assault on Long's Breloom.

"You're… Ron?!"

Ron's previous performance hadn't gone unnoticed. Thanks to that, even Machamp and his signature techniques were gradually becoming recognized.

And now, seeing those very moves in action, Long instantly identified who he was up against.

"Breloom, Mountain Break Fist!"

Shoving aside the shock of uncovering this secret, Long directed his Breloom to strike back and simultaneously started planning his escape.

If he could make it out alive, this secret could make him rich.

Greed dulled even the sharpest fear of death.

"Watch your step," Ron said, almost playfully, watching Long's rising desperation with a twisted sense of humor.

"What…?"

Long glanced down instinctively—and in that split second, purple-black chains surged from the ground like a tide, swallowing him whole in the blink of an eye.

The sudden ambush startled his Breloom, whose gaze snapped back toward its Trainer in panic.

That hesitation was all Machamp and the others needed. Without waiting for Ron's orders, they struck, severely injuring Breloom in a heartbeat.

"Machamp, Armament Technique: Meteor Fist Barrage!"

Dark Armament energy wrapped around Machamp's fists. The overwhelming gap in strength and Breloom's weakened state meant it had no chance of withstanding the next blow.

"Ditto, come out and memorize his face."

With the battlefield secured, Ron didn't immediately retreat. Instead, he released his Mid-Elite ranked Ditto.

Its small, dazed eyes blinked a few times—but soon, Ditto had Long's facial features committed to memory.

With Ditto's increased strength, it could now replicate another person's appearance, though it still couldn't hold the transformation for too long.

For Ron, that was enough.

He didn't want his two identities—Ron and the Dark King—to overlap in public. Using someone like Long, who possessed near Elite Four-level strength, was the perfect cover.

"You can rest for now," Ron told Ditto, gently stroking its soft, jelly-like body. "But don't get too comfy. Who knows when I'll need your help again?"

He couldn't help but sigh. After raising Ditto for so long, it still felt like raising a pig—it did little more than eat and sleep.

After a nod from Ditto, Ron returned it to its Poké Ball.

Then came the fire.

Blazing flames roared to life, incinerating Long's body into nothingness—no evidence left behind.

...

"Already received intel?"

Maxie narrowed his eyes at the report in hand, suspicion flickering across his face.

But he quickly dismissed the doubt. The intel had been validated by the Hunter's Guild, which meant Ron was likely in Ke'an Town.

"Tabitha, send the reward to our contact, and tell that Pokémon Hunter to continue the pursuit. Payment won't be an issue."

"Oh, and share the intel with Team Aqua. Maybe they'll be inclined to help us out.

"But remember—unless we're absolutely sure, our team doesn't act.

"You all know how Team Aqua ended up. I'm not letting Team Magma fall into the same trap."

"Yes, sir!"

With Maxie's orders in mind, Tabitha began considering who among them was reliable enough to handle the mission. Success wasn't the priority—not screwing up was.

...

"So Magma's money really came through that fast, huh? Guess I've got no choice but to accept."

Having received the first payment without a hitch, Ron strolled lazily through the forest.

He'd submitted the bounty under Long's identity, so there was no risk of crossing wires between his "Ron" and "Dark King" personas.

If anything went wrong, he'd simply use Ditto to take on Long's form and walk away, clean and legal.

It was, without a doubt, the fastest and most convenient way to make cash he could think of.

"Sir, Team Magma just sent word—they've got a lead on Ron's whereabouts."

In the dimly lit Team Aqua base, now just a shadow of its former self, one of the last surviving executives, Sisi, reported to Archie.

Ever since Team Aqua's downfall at the hands of the League, they had been secretly forging tenuous ties with Team Magma.

It was a desperate measure—an alliance born of necessity. Although Aqua and Magma had always been at odds, survival left no room for pride. Cooperation was the only option.

"They want to use me as a pawn?" Archie said coldly, rising slowly from his chair, his imposing aura spreading like an unseen tide. "Fine. Then I'll be the damn gun."

Though battered and broken, Archie—the legendary leader of Team Aqua—still radiated the remnants of his former menace.

Even a fallen tiger still carries its stripes.

Since the collapse of Team Aqua and the deaths of its three main lieutenants, Archie had sunk into a near-catatonic state of despair.

But now, at the mention of Ron, his fighting spirit sparked anew.

This time, he'd collect some early interest before leading Aqua back from the ashes.

"Pass down my orders. Starting immediately, all Aqua members under deep cover are to begin recruiting and training new operatives."

"Sisi, you'll move out first. Confirm whether this intel is legit. Do not draw attention to yourself. Report back at the first sign of trouble—I'll mobilize support immediately."

"Yes, sir!" Sisi saluted, invigorated by Archie's return to form.

For the first time in a long while, there was hope. But they couldn't afford any more mistakes. If they lost again—especially to Ron or the League—Team Aqua would be finished for good.

Elsewhere, Ron had just found a decent backdrop for his next move.

He handed his camera to Machamp, posed in just the right stance, and let his Pokémon take the shot.

A few quick edits later, and the image was online.

Moments later, a bounty was verified—just like that, money flowed into Ron's account.

With this new intel out in the wild, Pokémon Hunters started to move.

The Team Magma bounty, combined with details on Ron's whereabouts, had caught the attention of multiple Mid-Elite hunters—some even close to Elite Four level.

But just like Team Aqua, these hunters had learned from past failures. Caution now governed every step.

No one wanted to be the sacrificial pawn—not without a solid plan or overwhelming advantage.

The result? A strange stalemate.

Three rival factions had gathered in the same active zone… yet none dared to make the first move.

No one had even attempted to track Ron down—much less attack him.

"In you I trust, Ditto. Hold your form, no matter what."

Ditto didn't speak. It simply nodded, its eyes gleaming with determination.

With scans from Gardevoir and Lucario confirming the rising number of humans in the area, Ron had already begun his retreat.

"Damn you, Dark King! You son of a—"

Hiro once again lost the trail of the elusive figure known as the Dark King, and this time, he couldn't contain his rage.

Beside him, Marko pretended not to hear the string of curses that followed.

He understood.

Hiro had considered Bert family. But because of the Dark King, everything had gone to hell.

That Hiro could even keep his composure this long was a testament to his strength.

Still, Marko couldn't let Hiro keep raging like this. He began scanning the surroundings for anything—or anyone—that might serve as a distraction.

Maybe a certain Pokémon Hunter would do the trick...

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