Ariel frowned.
This fellow was a bit too wild.
He could feel that this wasn't the unconscious nibbling of a hatchling, but an aggressive Bite.
"Let go."
Ariel's voice grew cold.
Instead of letting go, Deino bit down even harder, letting out a threatening "wu-wu" sound from its throat like a beast protecting its food.
Ariel looked at the beads of blood seeping from his finger, his gaze turning completely frigid.
No matter how good the talent, if it's disobedient, it's trash.
Especially in Team Rockets, a pokémon that doesn't follow orders will only meet a miserable end.
"It seems I need to let you experience the harshness of society ahead of time."
Ariel expressionlessly took out another Poké Ball.
With a flash of red light, a massive Krookodile appeared in the room. Its eyes, covered by sunglass-like cuticles, scanned the surroundings before landing on Ariel, letting out a low growl.
"Roar."
"Krookodile, meet your new companion."
Ariel lifted his bitten hand, his tone flat,
"It doesn't seem to know the rules very well. You teach it."
Krookodile lowered its head, its massive skull leaning in to see the little runt hanging off Ariel's hand, which wasn't even as big as one of its teeth.
It paused for a moment, seemingly confused.
Just this?
As for that Deino, after sensing the terrifying aura coming from Krookodile, instead of showing fear, it snarled even more fiercely, putting on a fearless front.
Ariel chuckled.
With the Hustle ability and such a violent personality, it really was a troublemaker.
However, he liked it.
"Krookodile, don't hurt it."
Ariel gave the command,
"Just make it understand who's the boss of this house."
The education of "love" must start from a young age.
Krookodile widened its large mouth, revealing a row of grim, sharp teeth, as if it were smiling.
It understood.
In the next second, it extended a thick claw and used a single nail to gently... flick Deino's forehead.
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed.
Deino was sent flying by the immense force, tumbling twice in the air before slamming into the metal wall and falling back to the floor, completely knocked out.
Throughout the entire process, it didn't even have time to let out a single scream.
Krookodile retracted its claw, looked at the unconscious Deino, and then at Ariel, its eyes conveying a sense of mission accomplished.
Ariel nodded in satisfaction, took a Potion out of his backpack, and skillfully treated his wound.
It seemed this little fellow's path of growth was destined to be far from peaceful... The next day.
The sky over the Lake of Rage was as gloomy as a piece of dirty lead, with low-hanging clouds making it hard to breathe.
The air was thick with the smell of fishy water and damp earth, mixed with a faint scent of ozone generated by high-energy equipment.
By the lakeside, giant silver-grey mechanical arms stood silently like the skeletons of prehistoric behemoths, their tips' Thunder Web coils flickering with faint blue arcs and emitting a low hum. This sound burrowed into the ears, making one feel restless.
Team Rockets' magnetic field signal generator had been activated. Invisible waves radiated outward from the base in circles, like stones thrown into a lake, but the ripples created were targeted at the legendary Suicune.
This was a magnetic field signal specifically developed by the research base to lure Suicune.
Corona, Viper, Ariel, and Dar stood on the only path leading to the island in the center of the lake. Behind them was the heavily guarded temporary base, and before them was a deep, bottomless dense forest.
"Our mission is simple."
Corona crossed his arms, chin slightly raised, as his gaze swept over everyone before finally stopping on Ariel,
"Blockade all entrances. Anything that tries to get close—whether it's League scouts or blind wild pokémon—clear them all out. Ruth, you're responsible for the eastern waterway; that's where the most Water-type pokémon are. Don't mess this up for me."
"Viper, you and Dar will handle the remaining areas."
His tone carried a natural air of command, as if he were the commander-in-chief of this operation.
Viper leaned against a tree, her long nails scraping against the bark with a piercing sound. She had no interest in Corona's posturing, her eyes wandering as if lost in thought.
Dar stood in the shadows, his entire being almost merging with the environment, with only his lenses occasionally reflecting a cold light.
Ariel didn't respond to Corona's words.
He just lowered his head, took out a Poké Ball, and slowly wiped it with a soft cloth.
That ball belonged to Krookodile, and the red-and-white surface became as clean as new under his wiping.
This complete disregard made Corona even more annoyed than any retort would have.
The fire in his eyes flickered, and just as he was about to lash out, Dar subtly tilted his head toward Ariel—a small gesture, a silent signal of understanding.
Ariel's movements paused for a moment before he returned the Poké Ball to his belt.
A tacit understanding had already formed.
Just then, a commotion came from deep within the forest.
It wasn't just one, but a group.
It was the influence of the magnetic field fluctuations.
The invisible energy had disrupted the ecology of the area, driving the forest's inhabitants mad.
Trees shook violently, accompanied by heavy footsteps and suppressed roars, as if some massive creatures were migrating en masse.
"They're here."
Viper licked her lips, her eyes filled with bloodthirsty excitement.
The first to burst through the tree line was a group of Gyarados.
They weren't in the water but were using their powerful tails to Bounce and roll across the land, their crimson bodies appearing like flowing blood clots in the dark woods.
There was no reason in their eyes, only the madness of being provoked. In their gaping maws, Hyper Beams were converging.
These were the Gyarados living in the Lake of Rage. Team Rockets' encampment had already compressed their living space, and the weaker ones had been driven into other waterways. Now, influenced by the magnetic field, they had completely lost their minds!
Following closely behind were massive Ursaring. They stood upright, running on their thick hind legs, the white circles on their chests particularly striking in the gloom.
They swung their sharp claws, tearing through the obstructing trees as easily as if they were ripping paper.