Aoki's departure was due to the agreed-upon time with No. 4.
The hazy night added a sense of a dark and windy night, perfect for murder, to the whole situation.
"That should be where No. 2 lives. Bartram, are you ready? Don't mess up at the critical moment. His strength is not weaker than ours. If he escapes, it will be a disaster for us." No. 4, also clad in a black robe, stood on a treetop with Aoki.
Looking at a suitable living environment not far away, Aoki could feel No. 4's surging desire and the excited heart and trembling hands for what they were about to do.
"Tsk, take care of yourself. Don't go soft at the critical moment. If you fail to deal with the opponent, even if you push all the blame onto me, you won't escape the collateral responsibility." Aoki chuckled lightly. The arrow was already on the string, and No. 4 had no choice but to give his all.
Moreover, Aoki was fully prepared. Since he and No. 4 could team up to deal with No. 2, it was also very likely that No. 4 might team up with others to deal with him. So, for safety's sake, Aoki had already summoned Brad and Catherine to a nearby location in advance. If he sensed that something was wrong, he could immediately have two powerful helpers.
"Hmph! Let's go!" No. 4 ignored Aoki's sarcasm. Such exchanges were already commonplace for them.
As soon as he finished speaking, No. 4 leaped from the treetop. In the night sky, a large purple bat with two pairs of wings grabbed his shoulder and carried him towards No. 2's residence.
Aoki also slowly merged into the night. With Gengar's help, his stealth ability could be maximized in the wild.
A Honchkrow, wearing a large hat and exuding a gentlemanly aura, glided from the treetop, a dark shadow closely following behind Crobat.
Noticing the movement behind him, No. 4 looked back and saw Aoki, who was indeed following closely, and his heart immediately settled.
He also carried the same cautiousness as Aoki. Since Aoki could team up with him to deal with No. 2, it was also very possible that he could team up with No. 2 to set a trap for him.
But after all, No. 2 and they were not from the same boss, and he and Bartram were also "old acquaintances." In any case, the level of trust between them was much higher than with No. 2.
Now that he saw Honchkrow, No. 4 temporarily suppressed his suspicion of Aoki.
Both of them had strong psychic abilities. With their entire bodies enveloped, if No. 2 didn't anticipate it and increase his scanning intensity, he basically wouldn't discover them.
Before they could see the faint glow of a bonfire, Aoki and No. 4 chose to land early. Next, they planned to slowly approach from the ground.
Neither of them spoke, but they had a certain understanding.
Aoki's Gengar slowly disappeared into the dark night. Weavile followed closely by Aoki's side, tiptoeing to protect Aoki safely while also making very little noise.
Aoki also finally saw another one of No. 4's Pokémon besides Crobat and Nidoking, a highly functional Ariados. It was tightly pressed against No. 4's back, and strands of spider silk shot out from Ariados's mouth, slowly weaving a giant spider web.
As the two approached No. 2's residence, he was still resting and hadn't sensed any movement. But at this moment, they couldn't continue to approach rashly, because they had reached a critical range. Any closer would surely trigger No. 2's final protective measures, which would give him enough reaction time.
Putting themselves in his shoes, Aoki and No. 4 both understood that at such close range, they would definitely have Pokémon guarding.
The two looked at each other again, speechless, but the killing intent on their bodies grew sharper and sharper. When these two killing intents converged to their limit...
"Move!" No. 4 whispered, his hands flashing quickly as he threw out several Poké Balls. The Pokémon, as if fully prepared, did not rush directly towards the opponent's location after emerging, but instead simultaneously spewed out thick purple poisonous mist.
The highly corrosive poisonous mist not only carried intense toxins but also powerful destructive force. Aoki could clearly smell the unpleasant stench in the mist.
The culprit of these poisonous mists was a remarkably robust Weezing.
"Who?!" A sharp shout echoed from No. 2's residence. The poisonous mist hadn't reached his living area yet, but it had already triggered his final alarm.
"You're asking for death!!" No. 2's voice rang out again. One by one, Pokémon rushed out from his location, and then a slightly disheveled figure, wearing that wide black robe, burst out from within.
Seeing the poisonous mist surrounding him and his Pokémon, one could imagine how ugly No. 2's expression must have been at that moment.
Hearing No. 2's voice, Aoki heard a very disdainful sneer from No. 4 in front of him. Then, he saw No. 4 walk into the poisonous mist without any protective measures. At the same time, a voice, devoid of any emotion, appeared in Aoki's ear, "Bartram, do your part."
Watching No. 4 completely disappear into the poisonous mist, the corner of Aoki's mouth, hidden beneath the psychic film, curved into a cold arc. Immediately after, he, Honchkrow, and Weavile vanished into the swaying shadows of the trees in the night.
It was time to get to work. As the most crucial part of Aoki's plan, this No. 2 had to be quickly eliminated.
After Aoki disappeared, a huge battle roar could be heard from within the poisonous mist. One could see huge flames rising into the sky and several figures appearing in the firelight.
No. 2 was a Fire-type Pokémon trainer. Aoki and No. 4 had already investigated this before they arrived.
One could vaguely see a large fox holding a fiery object like a torch, doing its best to defend itself.
However, this poisonous mist was created by Weezing. Although much of it was masked by the strong stench, one could still vaguely smell the high concentration of strong gas hidden within this poisonous mist. If it were truly ignited by flames, the resulting massive explosion and the roar it generated would not be so simple.
It was evident that after learning about No. 2's abilities and strength, No. 4 had truly made ample preparations.
As a psychic and someone skilled in wilderness survival, how could No. 2 not sense the dense clouds of gas hidden in the poisonous mist, now surrounding him, waiting for him to fall into the obvious trap laid by the opponent?
If the gas wasn't ignited, that was fine too. In that case, No. 2's Fire-type Pokémon's most effective flame attacks would definitely be restrained, and he would still be slowly worn down to death by No. 4's poison and Pokémon attacks.
This was No. 4's most preferred combat style: placing his traps openly in front of his opponent. Whether you chose to jump or not, it meant you had entered his combat rhythm.
As time passed, the accumulated toxins from the Poison-type Pokémon were no laughing matter. They would definitely render the opponent unconscious before they even realized it!
Aoki moved outside the poisonous mist. In fact, his task was relatively simple: to forcefully blast the opponent back into the poisonous mist when they tried to escape.
For example, this time, while entangled with No. 4, the opponent sent out a Pokémon, secretly searching for a way out of the poisonous mist. However, it was caught red-handed by Aoki, who was waiting outside the mist, ready to strike. Honchkrow's fully charged Brave Bird blasted it back.
After this attack, No. 2 finally realized that the attack on him was not from just one person, but at least two, and it was a premeditated attack.
Even though he was surrounded by the poisonous mist, he initially only felt a bit restrained. Although he was surprised by the opponent's preparations, he didn't think he was in too much danger.
As a subordinate of the Nervous Man, and with previous friction with the Black-faced Man's subordinates, minor conflicts were normal. However, there had never been a situation where they tried to kill each other, because this was explicitly forbidden by the Holy Sect, and the consequences were not something ordinary people could bear.
"How dare you!!! Have you thought about the consequences of doing this?!" No. 2's voice, for the first time, came from within the poisonous mist, indicating that he was truly flustered at this moment.
But neither Aoki nor No. 4 paid him any mind. They simply carried out their tasks strictly. From the moment they made their move, their resolve would never waver. At this moment, if they didn't kill this No. 2, then it would be a trouble they could never shake off.
Receiving no reply, No. 2's face, hidden beneath the psychic film, darkened another shade, and his heart sank slightly. He knew that the worst-case scenario had truly happened, but at this moment, he had no good solution.
If it were just one opponent, he could transmit his psychic energy and use the Holy Sect's special method to summon allies. But how could Aoki and No. 4 give him this opportunity? A dense, huge network woven from psychic energy had already sealed off the entire poisonous mist.
Now, let alone transmitting any information out, people outside couldn't transmit anything in without Aoki and No. 4's permission.
No. 2's heart plummeted at this moment. He hadn't expected that someone would be so bold as to risk their life for such a seemingly small piece of cake.
He hadn't considered that this was done by the Alliance, because the Alliance people simply couldn't have gone this far. Only those who were also members of the Holy Sect understood the Holy Sect best.
Knowing his current predicament, No. 2's thoughts were chaotic, and No. 4 seized the opportunity, launching a fierce attack that sent No. 2 retreating in defeat.
Although Aoki was outside the poisonous mist, he constantly paid attention to the battle between the two inside. Even without his help, with the preparations made beforehand, No. 2 had already fallen into an absolute disadvantage. Moreover, from a hard power perspective, No. 2's strength was not as strong as No. 4's.
According to Aoki's understanding, this No. 4 was quite strong among all the Holy Sect members this time.
The reason No. 2 could still withstand the repeated assaults of No. 4's Pokémon, despite being in such an unfavorable situation, was because of No. 2's ace Pokémon, his Delphox.
Pokémon: Delphox (Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 84
Type: Fire + Psychic
Ability: Blaze
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Wish, Hypnosis, Heat Wave, Magic Coat
Base Moves: Mystical Fire, Future Sight, Role Play, Switcheroo, Shadow Ball, Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember, Howl, Flame Charge, Psybeam, Fire Spin, Lucky Chant, Light Screen, Psyshock, Flamethrower, Will-O-Wisp, Psychic, Sunny Day, Magic Room, Blast Burn
Tutor Moves: Blast Burn, Fire Pledge, Iron Tail, Hone Claws, Telekinesis, Snore, Wonder Room, Low Kick, Snatch, Ally Switch, Trick, Shock Wave, Foul Play, Fire Punch
TM/HM Moves: Protect, Psyshock, Calm Mind, Safeguard, Double Team, Attract, Overheat, Dream Eater, Substitute
This was Delphox's skilled combination of Psychic and Fire-type moves, which allowed it to not worry about its flames triggering the gas hidden in the poisonous mist. It was also because of Delphox's Psychic flames that the poisonous mist did not erode No. 2's immediate vicinity.
After the initial panic, No. 2 slowly calmed down. He had a significant advantage over Aoki and No. 4: his psychic abilities could be layered onto Delphox, which was an amplification. As a member of the Holy Sect, divine power infusion was naturally indispensable, though it wasn't for his main Delphox.
Aoki and No. 4 kept a close eye on No. 2 and his Pokémon's movements. The more they felt they had the upper hand, the more they had to worry about the opponent's desperate counterattack.
Currently, Aoki and No. 4 were both very consciously not pushing No. 2 to a dead end, but rather giving him a seemingly viable path to survival.
Aoki's Gengar had also entered the poisonous mist, forcing the opponent alongside No. 4's Pokémon. As a Ghost/Poison-type, Gengar was not afraid of the toxins in the poisonous mist. Having absorbed highly poisonous Weezing in the past, he was also not afraid of the poisonous gas hidden within the mist.
After the initial burst, the three entered a state of attrition, which was precisely what No. 4, skilled in using Poison-type Pokémon, excelled at.
Standing outside the poisonous mist, just a step away, Aoki squinted with a thoughtful expression. At this moment, No. 4, and even No. 2, inside the poisonous mist, also had their own thoughts.
Truly trusting others?
How could that be!
No. 2, who had been fighting until now, felt increasingly exhausted. He only now realized that the opponent had completely exploited his Lucky mentality (lucky mentality), leaving him a seemingly survivable path. But as the battle dragged on, this path was now getting smaller and smaller.
Boiling a frog slowly!
A bitter smile appeared on No. 2's face. His own lucky mentality had turned him into that boiled frog, constantly hypnotizing himself that the water was still warm and he didn't need to be nervous.
But when he realized the water was already scalding, it was too late. The opponent had already added a large piece of dry wood under the pot, suddenly accelerating the water's temperature rise.
However, to simply accept death like this was something no one could accept, and No. 2 still had that last straw of hope that hadn't broken yet.
"Number Three! Number Four! I know it's you two, what a scheme, to actually team up against me!" Number Two's voice echoed again through the poisonous mist. At this point, he was barely holding on, on the verge of collapsing at any moment, but his voice accurately reached the ears of Aoki and Number Four.
"Though I don't know what on me is worth you two getting excited about, I just wonder how you two plan to divide it after you've dealt with me?
Number Three! Number Four is much stronger than you, aren't you worried that after dealing with me, Number Four will turn on you?!" Number Two's voice seemed to carry a hint of relief, as if he was genuinely considering Aoki's well-being.
What he said could very well come true. If one were to place absolute trust in the people of the Divine Cult, they would probably be not far from death.
"Number Four! Your strength is so much greater than Number Three's, and you're putting in the most effort. Number Three is just keeping watch outside. Are you really willing to share a portion of the benefits with him?!" Number Two's manipulative voice rang out again.
Even if Number Four didn't have enough strength to deal with Aoki after dispatching Number Two, don't forget that both Number Two and Number Four were in the poisonous mist at the time. Even if he couldn't eliminate Aoki, he could still leverage the advantage of the poisonous mist to claim all the benefits for himself. A 60-40 split would be nothing but a joke.
It must be said that Number Two's timing for sowing discord was impeccable. When he was on the verge of collapse, it was also theoretically the moment of greatest conflict of interest between Aoki and Number Four. Because it was unknown when Number Two would fall, it was close to the critical moment of distributing benefits.
This was the moment of greatest and most intense conflict.
After hearing his words, although Number Four didn't speak, the frequency of his commands to his Pokémon slowly decreased.
Number Two, noticing Number Four's change, felt a surge of joy. He sensed that he might be able to seize an opportunity for survival.
If the one teaming up with Number Four was truly the former Bartram, then perhaps their conflict would indeed have been ignited. But unfortunately, the current Number Three was not the Bartram they imagined, but Aoki, a member of the alliance!
In the instant Number Four hesitated, Aoki's voice rang in his ear, "I'll give you an extra share! You get seventy, I get thirty! Do you know the consequences of letting him escape?
Don't hesitate, kill!"
Aoki actively commanded Gengar to launch a fierce attack. After hearing Aoki's words, Number Four no longer hesitated. An extra share of the profits was already a very good gain!
So, together with Aoki, he launched the final assault on Number Two.
Feeling the sudden change in the rhythm of the battle, the joy that had just emerged in Number Two's heart instantly plummeted to rock bottom.
The opponent's Pokémon were attacking even more fiercely than at the beginning, and Number Two knew that the opponent was launching their final attack. However, he could no longer see any chance of survival; his Pokémon were exhausted and weak, and he had lost the possibility of escaping.
In an instant, he hardened his heart. Since those two wanted him dead, even if he truly died, he would bite off a piece of their flesh!
Never underestimate any beast pushed to its limits!
"You forced me, Number Four!! Since you're so satisfied with your gains, why don't you see if Number Three will turn on you after you're severely injured!!! Hahahahaha—
Delphox, Blast Burn!! Explode! Explode!! Explode!!!" Number Two's wild laughter echoed from the poisonous mist again.
He knew he had no chance of survival, so he was preparing to drag Number Four down with him.
Like a cornered beast, its counterattack is fiercest when it's most desperate.
"Damn it!!" Number Four's face instantly changed, and he immediately commanded his Pokémon to defend. Previously, to make Number Two hesitate and not dare to use powerful fire-type moves for fear of igniting all the toxic gas in the poisonous mist and severely injuring himself first, the gas in the poisonous mist had reached a very high concentration after some time.
Watching Delphox's final Blast Burn in despair, it almost instantly ignited the gas around Number Two. At that moment, Number Four's Weezing immediately cut off the toxic gas on both sides to prevent the explosion from spreading.
Aoki, standing outside the poisonous mist, watched this "grand" explosion. If its power were to be halved like this, Number Two probably wouldn't rest in peace even in death.
Aoki had a meaningful smile on his face. Since this was the opponent's last wish, as a helpful person, Aoki certainly wouldn't stand by and do nothing.
While Number Four's entire attention was on cutting off the gas, Aoki took out a Poké Ball and opened it in his hand.
"Blaziken!!" Blaziken appeared beside Aoki.
Aoki looked at the thick, cloud-like poisonous mist, and the gas that had completely merged with it, and said to Blaziken, "Blaziken, do you want to see a grand explosion?!"
Hearing Aoki's words, Blaziken instantly understood. With a flick of its hand, a condensed, unscattered fireball was thrown from its hand, drawing a beautiful arc in mid-air and landing directly in the very center of the entire poisonous mist!
It was like dropping a stone into a calm lake, causing a ripple to spread across the entire surface of the lake. It didn't seem to cause much commotion.
But then....
Boom!!!!
The sky above the entire area was almost completely illuminated red. A huge explosion erupted, centered on the fireball Blaziken had thrown.
All the poisonous mist instantly vanished, leaving behind only the raging flames and a large area of trees and rocks blown down by the aftershocks of the explosion.
Blaziken stood in front of Aoki, shielding him from all the impact, allowing Aoki to calmly watch the explosion.
If just the aftershocks of the explosion required Blaziken to expend considerable effort to block, then what about the two people at the very center of the explosion?
Most of Number Two's Pokémon had already lost their combat ability, and he was only barely holding on thanks to Delphox's powerful strength. But in the end, Delphox also abandoned all defense and used its final move, Blast Burn, bringing about this entire grand explosion package.
Of course, if it weren't for Aoki's push, this explosion wouldn't have been so violent. Number Four, who had prepared for Number Two's potential desperate counterattack, had actually been consciously having Weezing contract the gas in the poisonous mist.
Under normal circumstances, Number Two's Delphox's final counterattack would at most severely injure himself and kill his trainer.
Number Four wouldn't have used this tactic if he didn't have absolute confidence in controlling Weezing's gas.
But then Aoki, an unexpected factor, appeared. He helped Number Two fulfill his last wish, and Number Four, who was focused on containing the gas, didn't even notice who was responsible for the explosion. He only knew that his attention at the time was entirely on those flames.
So he didn't know about Aoki's Blaziken, and therefore didn't know the role Aoki played in it.
Aoki recalled Blaziken, looking at the huge crater created by the explosion, devoid of any vegetation, as if everything had been instantly vaporized, or perhaps corroded away after being initially engulfed by the poisonous mist.
And the absence of any combustible materials meant that after this massive explosion, no sparks were left behind, only that enormous deep pit. However, one could feel from the temperature in the pit at that moment that the power of the explosion was truly extraordinary.
Aoki stepped onto the scorching hot soil, unable to resist wrapping his feet in psychic energy.
As if strolling through his own backyard, he leisurely walked towards Number Four's location. As he walked, a shadow appeared at his feet, it was Gengar, who had perfectly dodged the explosion. He appeared beside Aoki completely unharmed.
Looking at his masterpiece, Aoki couldn't help but exclaim, "I really am a good person!"
Helping the originally restless Number Two fulfill his last wish and severely injuring Number Four, wasn't that a good deed?
"But… I wonder which teacher taught me so well back then. Doing good deeds, you see, you shouldn't leave your name. I think I finally understand the true meaning of what that teacher said now." Aoki continued to muse as he walked.
If it weren't for Gengar witnessing everything beside him, those who didn't know would truly think Aoki had done some incredible good deed.
Aoki walked to a spot not far from Number Four. At this point, due to the explosion, only a faint outline of him could be seen in the dirt.
"Pah—Damn it!! Damn it!! Truly damn it!!" Just as Aoki was thinking about a certain person, Cao Cao always appeared in time.
Number Four spat out the dirt from his mouth, simultaneously patting the dirt off his body. At this point, his psychic energy fluctuations had almost completely disappeared, and even the psychic membrane on his face, which had not been heavily consumed, had dissipated. It was Aoki's first time seeing Number Four's appearance; he looked like a decent middle-aged man.
However, at this moment, he looked somewhat disheveled, and his entire face appeared rather gloomy.
Before he finished cursing, Number Four, sitting on the ground, saw the unharmed Aoki, and the Gengar and Weavile beside him.
Number Four's face instantly became wary. In his opinion, he hadn't expected to actually be tricked by Number Two in the end, but the opponent's Delphox was indeed powerful.
However, his current situation was not very optimistic. All his psychic energy had been exhausted to protect himself, and he couldn't even maintain the most basic psychic membrane. In the explosion, his Pokémon had also suffered varying degrees of impact, especially Weezing, the source of the gas, which had almost completely lost its combat ability.
The other Pokémon were also injured. Ariados, being Bug/Poison type, was hit much harder by this explosion than Number Four had anticipated.
The only fortunate thing was that the strong Nidoking and the fast Crobat, who dodged in time, did not suffer significant loss of strength. Although they had sustained some injuries from the previous battle, they still possessed some fighting capability, and his ace Pokémon had not lost its combat ability.
So, while Number Four was wary of Aoki, he wasn't completely without the ability to retaliate.
Aoki looked at Number Four's wary expression and made no comment. Instead, he walked to where Number Two had fallen, not far away.
At this point, besides the last Delphox, which still had some mobility, all of Number Two's other Pokémon had lost their combat ability.
This Delphox also couldn't stop Aoki's advance. He walked to the side of the unrecognizable Number Two.
Although he smelled a hint of roasted meat, Aoki had no appetite at the moment.
He roughly took all of Number Two's spatial equipment and all of his Poké Balls, but did not put them away, because there was a pair of eyes behind him, glaring at him like a tiger.
He walked in front of Number Four, who sat on the ground with a cold expression.
"I, Bartram, am a trustworthy person. The value of the Pokémon in these Poké Balls is the highest, especially that Delphox, and I only want this storage space.
As you can see, I haven't looked at what's inside, so let's just say I'm taking thirty percent. All these Pokémon are yours!" Aoki threw all the Poké Balls in front of Number Four.
Seeing these Poké Balls, a look of surprise appeared on Number Four's face.
As Aoki said, the value of these Pokémon was the greatest, and it should be far beyond that of the storage space.
If he considered his own situation, all the items in his storage space, including the divine stone, probably didn't amount to thirty percent of all his possessions.
Number Four hadn't expected Aoki to be so trustworthy. Even though many of his Pokémon had lost their combat ability, the other party didn't take advantage of the situation.
Number Four had even prepared himself: if Aoki tried to take everything, he would definitely fight back, but if Aoki chose to split it, even a 50-50 split, he would grit his teeth and accept it, because his Pokémon truly couldn't afford any more injuries at that point.
He hadn't expected such an outcome in the end.
Everyone was happy!
Anyway, those Pokémon were not Aoki's target. Being able to acquire all of the opponent's resources was enough, and this Number Four could play a greater role, so now was not the time to eliminate him.
Finally, Aoki and Number Four checked the scene together, ensuring no traces were left behind, then both left the area at the fastest possible speed.
And after the two of them left, two more figures appeared there, a man and a woman.
"This is where the Master said, right?" the man asked.
"This is it. Quickly complete what the Master instructed and leave no traces," the woman said.
Aoki's plan had begun!