Chapter 363: Chapter 363: Another Task Force?
"Are you certain about this? You're saying this unit will monitor the entire League?" As Bruno had anticipated, Ron could no longer maintain
"Are you certain about this? You're saying this unit will monitor the entire League?"
As Bruno had anticipated, Ron could no longer maintain his composure upon hearing the news. His voice trembled slightly as he questioned Bruno, unable to conceal his agitation.
And it was understandable—this new unit wielded a terrifying amount of power.
The first two mandates were relatively standard. After all, the Elite Four were always meant to function as a unified front; coordination among them was expected.
But that final clause… the authority it granted was astonishing.
"Yes. The entire League, including the influence of the Five Great Families."
"You have full permission to proceed. As long as you uncover solid evidence, we—the four Elite Four—will be your unshakable support."
Bruno's eyes locked with Ron's as he spoke with firm resolve.
This wasn't a decision made lightly. It was the result of the four of them visiting each of the Five Families personally—an act that was essentially a declaration of war.
Now, everything rested on Ron. How much evidence could he gather on the Five Families' crimes?
Or rather… this was the beginning of a confrontation between the Elite Four and the Five Great Families.
If Ron could gather enough incriminating evidence, then this newly formed task force could legitimize its role as a monitoring body. Far from making the Kanto populace lose faith in the League, it would actually bolster their trust in its integrity.
Moreover, the Elite Four weren't just using Ron as a pawn. If he proved himself—if his strength grew fast and strong enough—this task force might evolve into a formal department, an enforcement branch of the League like the Rangers or the Officer Corps.
But if Ron failed, he would be relegated to commanding just ten people, no more than a special variant of a Ranger unit.
And the Elite Four who backed him? They would face fierce political backlash from the Five Great Families, who would surely weaponize this incident against them.
In short—this mission would test Ron's personal abilities. The Five Families only approved of the proposal because they didn't believe Ron posed a threat. They thought he couldn't possibly make a difference. They didn't agree to this because Bruno and the others visited them—they agreed because they thought it was harmless.
"Now tell me, Ron. Do you have the courage to take this position—and the ability to make something of it?!"
Bruno's eyes bore into him like fire.
"I'll take it," Ron said without hesitation.
"Good. This is the personnel file." Bruno handed him a folder. "It contains performance records. You're allowed to pick ten people. Only two can be quasi-Elite Four level. You're not authorized to command actual Elite Four-tier trainers yet."
"I want this squad in motion within two days."
"Understood."
It took Ron over an hour to sift through the list Bruno had given him and select ten qualified trainers.
They were handpicked for a reason—each was disconnected from the Five Great Families, free from political entanglements.
Once the final list was ready, Ron returned the folder to Bruno and left the office.
Each profile included summarized life histories—not overly detailed, but enough for Ron to learn key facts. Childhood experiences, traumas, and emotional weaknesses were noted.
"Gardevoir, I'll be relying on you."
"Leave it to me."
With the Elite Four's backing, the selected trainers reported to Ron by that afternoon.
Under the pretense of a private briefing, Ron brought the ten of them into a secluded room.
They gave his Gardevoir only a passing glance—unconcerned. After all, many trainers traveled with their Pokémon outside their Poké Balls.
What they didn't know was that the moment they entered, Gardevoir had quietly activated Hypnosis.
Ever since reaching the quasi-Elite Four tier, Gardevoir's true strength could rarely be tested against equally ranked opponents.
The key lay in how she had honed Hypnosis—not just as a move, but as a passive psychic aura.
Initially, Ron had assumed her greatest talent was her sheer power in psychic energy—stronger in both quantity and quality than any other Psychic-type at her level.
But the more she explored the depths of Hypnosis, the more it evolved. It transformed from a deliberate action into a passive skill—like an illusionist's field, subtly affecting all Pokémon around her.
Psychic-types could sometimes resist it through their own mental barriers. But any non-Psychic Pokémon would begin to fall into hallucinations without even realizing it—just like being caught in a dream.
What was more, Gardevoir had refined her skill to near the level of the Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami, a technique powerful enough to subtly alter a person's will.
Of course, unlike the legendary illusion technique, Gardevoir's Hypnosis came with several limitations.
First, the target couldn't be a Psychic-type Pokémon or a psychic user. If they were, they could easily sense Gardevoir's manipulation and awaken themselves with their own psychic energy.
Second, the process wasn't instantaneous. It required long-term, subtle conditioning to fully take effect.
Third—and this was Ron's key standard when selecting the recruits—the target's will couldn't be too strong. There needed to be a flaw, a weakness, something to exploit for the seeds to take root.
Half an hour later, the briefing concluded, and Ron dismissed the operatives.
During that time, Gardevoir had already sown the seeds. Now, all that remained was steady watering and fertilization, then simply waiting for the seeds to bloom and bear fruit.
Although the process was slow, it was reliable — and more importantly, subtle enough not to alert Bruno, who oversaw the area.
Two days later, a new unit silently appeared near the poaching syndicate's camp, guarded by a quasi-Elite Four–level combatant.
"Stay here and wait for my signal. Move in only when I give the order," Ron instructed.
"Yes, sir!"
Just like their previous operation in the Hoenn League, Ron intended to lead the charge solo to minimize unnecessary casualties.
"Machamp, frontal assault."
"Bellossom, free hunt mode."
"Persian, guard the perimeter. Take out any runners. Gardevoir will provide intel."
"Nidoking, Blaziken—fire bombardment!"
As Ron barked orders, Machamp charged straight into the poachers' camp.
It unleashed Morning Peacock, a technique so fierce it looked like a wall of fire roaring through the air, crashing into the camp with explosive force.
"Enemy attack! Prepare to counter!"
Unlike the pirates Ron had fought before, this poaching syndicate responded much faster and with greater discipline.
Dozens of moves surged into the air, including a strike from the poachers' leader, Jakub, just barely halting Machamp's initial assault.
With a blade of Leaf Blade condensed into cutting sword energy, Bellossom launched a sweeping attack.
Though she hadn't fully reached Ron's benchmark in sword mastery or Life Return, Bellossom had managed to imbue her sword aura with her techniques — a lethal combination.
With a single sweep, several enemy Pokémon were cut down instantly.
Then came Nidoking, activating Thunderfire Mode, and using Lightning Release: False Darkness. The crackling black lightning tore through the battlefield, devouring life—both of the Pokémon hunters and their unfortunate partners—and set blazes roaring across the terrain.
Blaziken, now at quasi-Elite Four level, ignited in blistering flame. Even those standing some distance away felt waves of searing heat rush toward them, as if the air itself was scorching them alive.
With a roar, Inferno Ring: Flame Pillar erupted, turning the entire poachers' camp into a sea of fire.
The massacre had begun.
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