Chapter 153: Crossing Hands with an Elite Four Member

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Crossing Hands with an Elite Four Member

"Hm?"

With that thought in mind, Malva arrived outside the cabin where the smugglers were staying.

The moment she got there, she sensed something was off.

The door was open, and voices could be heard coming from inside.

Unfortunately, she was still some distance away and couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Beep.

Her communicator chimed.

She glanced at the message.

Diantha is still on the top deck.

"Good."

"Then there shouldn’t be a problem."

On this cruise ship, the only person Malva truly feared was Diantha.

As for everyone else?

She was one of Kalos’s Elite Four.

What was there to worry about?

Just charge in and get it done.

Despite her composed and professional appearance, Malva was still a Fire-type specialist at heart.

Impulsive tendencies came with the territory.

"Go, Pyroar."

"Blast those pieces of trash to kingdom come."

At her command, Pyroar immediately sprinted forward and charged straight into the room.

"That should take care of it."

Malva had absolute confidence in her Pyroar.

This was one of her main partners, a Level 75 Elite Four-class Pokémon.

A bunch of smugglers stood no chance against—

BOOM!!

The next moment, events unfolded completely beyond her expectations.

The Pyroar that had charged in so aggressively was launched back out at an even greater speed.

It crashed violently through the wall of the room opposite.

"What?!"

Malva couldn’t help shouting.

"Pyroar!!"

"Where did a Pyroar come from?"

A few minutes earlier, Sora had been equally confused.

He and Emma were using a scanner to examine the stolen Pokémon, checking their physical conditions and sorting them accordingly.

Once Diantha arrived, the rescued Pokémon could receive proper treatment and care.

Everything had been proceeding smoothly.

Then a Pyroar suddenly burst into the room.

"Huh?"

Pyroar was just as confused.

She hadn’t expected to find such a scene inside.

Four humans tied up like dumplings.

A man and a little girl kneeling beside a sack full of Poké Balls.

With her admittedly limited intellect, Pyroar arrived at a simple conclusion.

Sora and Emma = smugglers.

The four rough-looking men...

No, wait.

Pyroar got confused.

Those four looked way more like smugglers.

Which meant...

The smugglers had probably already been captured.

A Pokémon’s instinctive judgment of humans immediately helped her distinguish who was on which side.

Should I leave?

After a brief moment of consideration, Pyroar decided to obey Malva’s original order.

Her body erupted with flames.

Then she launched herself directly at the four bound men with a Flare Blitz.

"Holy shit!"

Seeing the flaming Pyroar charging forward, Sora immediately shouted:

"Ogerpon, stop her!"

He had no idea where the Pyroar had come from.

But whether she was trying to rescue the criminals or silence them permanently—

He wasn’t about to stand by and watch.

"Ponii!"

Thus began the first clash between Ogerpon and Pyroar.

As for the result...

"What was that?"

Ogerpon swung her cudgel.

And suddenly, the Pyroar that had been right in front of her was nowhere to be seen.

Caught in a massive level gap, Pyroar had effectively become Ogerpon’s speed bump.

The little ogre had smashed straight through her without the slightest difficulty.

"Grrr..."

Back in the present, Pyroar struggled to her feet amidst the wreckage.

She stared at Ogerpon in horror.

What kind of monster is that?

That casual swing had nearly knocked her soul out of her body.

So strong!

How can that tiny Pokémon be this strong?!

Pyroar possessed extensive battle experience.

Even without Malva’s commands, she immediately recognized the gap between them.

This was not an opponent she could defeat.

"Take her down, Ogerpon."

Seeing Pyroar hesitate, Sora issued the order without a moment’s delay.

Didn’t matter where the Pyroar came from.

Knock her out first.

Questions later.

"Ponii!"

"Pyroar, Protect!"

BOOM!!

The instant the woman’s voice rang out, Ogerpon crossed more than ten meters in a flash.

Her green cudgel slammed into a golden barrier.

The resulting shockwave swept through the room, sending everything flying.

The sight left Emma utterly stunned.

"S-so strong..."

It was impossible to imagine.

That doll-like little Pokémon who normally bounced around cheerfully possessed such terrifying power.

And this Pyroar wasn’t weak either.

Being able to activate Protect at the critical moment and block Ogerpon’s strike proved that much.

"Hmm?"

Sora frowned slightly.

He turned toward the source of the voice.

A tall woman wearing office attire and sporting long pink hair stepped into view.

"Malva?"

Sora was genuinely surprised.

He hadn’t expected to encounter Kalos’s Fire-type Elite Four here.

"Young man."

"Could we stop fighting for a moment?"

"I think there may have been a misunderstanding."

Malva looked cautiously at Sora and the unfamiliar green Pokémon standing beside him.

If she hadn’t given the order in time, she seriously doubted whether Pyroar could have survived another hit.

The thought was almost absurd.

One of her main Pokémon had nearly been sent packing in two swings.

Wasn’t that a bit ridiculous?

"A misunderstanding?"

Sora neither agreed nor disagreed.

But he did signal Ogerpon to stop attacking.

"Ponii."

With a light hop, Ogerpon landed in front of him and continued staring vigilantly at both Pyroar and the newly arrived woman.

"One of Kalos’s Elite Four suddenly appears here."

"And then orders her Pokémon to attack humans."

Sora looked directly at her.

"If you can’t provide a convincing explanation, then I’ll have to start wondering whether you’re working with these smugglers."

"How could that be, young man?"

Malva adjusted her sunglasses and smiled.

"You said it yourself."

"I was attacking them."

"Do allies normally try to kill each other?"

As far as killing criminals was concerned, Malva felt little psychological burden.

Elite Four members bore the responsibility of protecting their region.

The number of criminals Malva had encountered far exceeded anything Sora could imagine.

She had witnessed countless battles and more than a few deaths.

When it came to scum like these smugglers, she had no intention of showing mercy.

Besides—

She possessed the authority to act.

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