Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
Sato didn't explain himself in the face of the shocked and confused looks from the surrounding Team Rocket members. After checking the items he had stored at the base before entering the island, he simply closed his eyes and began to meditate.
In fact, aside from Vanna, Sato knew the other three who had advanced—they were all his former opponents.
Although he had defeated them in battle, capturing or killing them had proven difficult, as their escape abilities were top-notch.
Soon after Sato exited the portal, someone he was particularly wary of emerged: Tomoki, accompanied by two of his ever-present subordinates.
Tomoki's reputation within Team Rocket was far greater than that of either Vanna or Sato. As soon as he appeared, someone brought over a chair for him, and a number of recently eliminated subordinates of his quickly gathered around him.
The moment Tomoki stepped out of the portal, Sato opened his eyes once more, expressionless as he stared at the man. A glint of seriousness and suspicion flashed through his gaze.
As a Psychic-type specialist, Sato had extremely sharp perception. From Tomoki and the two subordinates with him, he sensed an unusual aura—one that made his instincts recoil and triggered a sense of dread.
He couldn't pinpoint what exactly had changed, but all three emitted a disturbing presence that made him feel as if he were facing natural enemies. The feeling was deeply unsettling.
And it wasn't just Sato who noticed. Vanna, too, had sensed it.
Unlike Sato's psychic sensitivity, Vanna had the powerful intuition of a creature raised by Dragon-type Pokémon. She keenly detected the uncomfortable and hostile aura emanating from Tomoki and his men.
Dragon-type Pokémon were never known for their gentle temperaments. When provoked, their response was simple and brutal—they would retaliate directly, sometimes with overwhelming force.
"What are you looking at? Keep staring and I'll smash your face in."
Raised by Dragon-types since childhood, Vanna had inherited their temper. The moment she felt hostility from Tomoki and his group, she bared her teeth and snapped back with a challenge.
Beside her, her Kommo-o erupted with a fearsome aura, stepping forward to bring Tomoki and his two subordinates within striking range.
Tomoki's face darkened slightly at this display. Truthfully, he had felt a flicker of murderous intent toward Vanna the moment he emerged from the portal.
He thought he had hidden it well—but to his surprise, Vanna had detected it instantly and reacted aggressively.
"Miss Vanna, you're being overly sensitive. Neither I nor my subordinates had any intention of offending you."
Despite the hostility from both Vanna and the powerful pseudo-legendary Dragon Pokémon beside her, Tomoki showed no fear. In fact, he raised a hand to stop his men—who were about to retaliate—and smiled with that familiar, false cheerfulness.
"Ugh. What a disgusting hypocrite. You're even worse than this ugly freak beside me."
Vanna made a retching face at Tomoki's insincere grin, mocking him relentlessly and even dragging in Sato, who had been silently watching from the side.
"???"
Sato's face twitched at her words. He looked at Vanna with a blank expression, clearly innocent.
"Miss Vanna, that's going too far. If you insult me without reason….. Well, you might scare others, but I, Tomoki, am not afraid of you."
Tomoki's expression turned cold after hearing her blatant insult. His voice dropped in temperature as he replied icily.
He knew this was not the time to show weakness. If he backed down now, the others would truly believe he feared her. Besides, he had obtained new power from the ruins—why should he fear Vanna?
The next moment, a PokeBall appeared in his hand and burst open.
His trump card—Garchomp—materialized in front of him, squaring off with Vanna's Kommo-o as a wave of pressure surged between them.
At the same time, Tomoki's two subordinates—also tournament qualifiers—sent out Feraligatr and Tyrantrum, flanking Kommo-o from either side.
Tension exploded on the scene. The surrounding Team Rocket members were shocked by the sudden conflict and backed away quickly, not wanting to be collateral damage.
Within seconds, a wide space around the portal had been cleared—leaving only Vanna, Tomoki, and their Pokémon.
"What the hell did these guys get from that damn ruin? Their Pokémon levels have skyrocketed. This is insane…"
When Tomoki released his Garchomp, Sato—who had also backed away—was already shocked.
But when he saw the Feraligatr and Tyrantrum as well, his surprise turned to horror.
Thanks to his system's scanning capabilities, Sato realized that Tomoki and his men's Pokémon had undergone massive level gains since yesterday.
Tomoki's Garchomp had risen from level 65 to level 70—officially reaching the Elite Four level.
His two subordinates' Pokémon—Feraligatr and Tyrantrum—had each jumped to level 62. Just yesterday, they were only in the mid-50s. That was a huge leap in strength.
However, Sato also noticed something off about these three Pokémon.
All three had a strange crimson glow in their eyes, full of bloodlust, and were radiating an evil aura.
"You bastard! What did you do to that poor Garchomp?! How dare you defile the noble dragon race! I'm furious now! Brother, use Ice Punch! Free Garchomp from its suffering!"
Vanna clearly sensed the abnormality in Garchomp as well. Her expression twisted in rage, and she shouted furiously, commanding Kommo-o to attack.
"Hmph, how foolish. Garchomp, Dragon Claw! Teach her a lesson."
Tomoki grinned coldly when Vanna struck first—this was exactly what he wanted. The rules within Team Rocket were clear: if Vanna initiated the attack, even killing her on the spot would be allowed.
Both pseudo-legendary Dragons let out furious roars and clashed.
But Garchomp had clearly reached the Elite Four level, while Kommo-o was still only level 64. As soon as they collided, Kommo-o was pushed onto the defensive.
What made it worse was Garchomp's berserk state. Its eyes glowed blood-red as it fought like a savage beast—ignoring its own injuries and throwing itself at Kommo-o with killing intent.
Kommo-o, who wasn't aiming to kill, was completely overwhelmed.
Suddenly, a mistake in positioning gave Garchomp an opening. It struck Kommo-o's midsection with a brutal Dragon Claw.
Under Garchomp's immense force, Kommo-o was sent flying sideways, bloody scales scattering through the air.
"Brother!!!"
Seeing Kommo-o severely injured, Vanna panicked. While also directing Sceptile and Ampharos against Feraligatr and Tyrantrum, she momentarily lost focus.
Her distraction gave Tomoki's two subordinates the perfect opportunity. Working together, they delivered devastating blows that left Sceptile and Ampharos heavily wounded.
To make matters worse, Garchomp, Feraligatr, and Tyrantrum clearly had murderous intent. Upon seeing their opponents down, they didn't hesitate at all and prepared to deliver killing blows.
But just as they moved to strike—
A massive frost-covered fist, a pair of crossed emerald Leaf Blades, and a crimson tail sweeping forth with surging water suddenly intervened.