Terrance waited for the other party to respond, but she remained silent.
Then, she raised her head slightly and looked at the Poké Balls scattered across the ground behind Terrance, revealing an expression of disgust.
“Gardevoir, Misty Terrain.”
Seeing that she remained unresponsive, Terrance continued his assault. At the same time, using the special environment created by Misty Terrain, Frogadier used Camouflage to alter its coloration. After concealing itself, it struck at high speed. The instant it sensed the enemy’s position with Mind Reader, it reached out with both hands, and Gardevoir cooperated by forming two mist shuriken and delivering them into its grasp.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Frogadier moved with extraordinary agility. After changing its coloration and type, it displayed exceptionally high control over the shuriken formed from mist. As it hurled them rapidly and precisely, Gardevoir once again coordinated with its Fling, using chains of mist to seal off the positions of the Team Aqua member and Salamence.
Faced with the mist, the female Team Aqua member ordered Salamence to counter it with Dragon Breath. However, what she had not expected was that the instant Dragon Breath struck the mist, the mist there transformed into a vortex, swallowing the attack at an eerily unnatural speed as though it had fallen into a black hole.
At this moment, there was no time to be shocked by Dragon Breath’s ineffectiveness. With an enraged roar, Salamence slammed both claws forward at the mist shuriken flying toward them. When the two moves collided, Salamence’s claws instantly shattered the mist shuriken. However, the mist did not disappear. Instead, it reverted to vapor and wrapped around Salamence’s claws, continuously spreading until it formed shackles that bound it.
“Break free.”
This was the first time Terrance had heard her voice, and it made him pause slightly. The owner of that voice was definitely not very old—she was probably much younger than him.
Break free?
Terrance remained calm. In the next instant, space reversed, and the endless mist instantly exchanged places with the small amount binding Salamence. Frogadier was exchanged along with it! The shuriken Frogadier had thrown were actually marked with Confusion Markers, all for this moment—to catch the opponent off guard before she had time to defend.
The boundless mist descended in an instant, transforming into a giant cocoon that enveloped Salamence. Frogadier seized the opportunity to ride the mist’s propulsive force, rapidly reaching the Team Aqua member from behind before leaping upward. Its legs swiftly clamped around her neck and twisted at an unbelievable angle, restricting her ability to move. At the same time, a newly formed mist shuriken was held precisely before her eyes. With only the slightest movement forward, it could take her life. In the blink of an eye, the battle had been decided.
When fighting outside the framework of official League rules, Terrance had, during the period before and after becoming an Elite Four, used various criminal organizations to hone a swift, precise, and ruthless set of killing tactics.
The situation changed so quickly that Zinnia was both alarmed and disheartened. She had never expected such an enormous reversal to occur so suddenly. The battle had ended too quickly for her to use any of her other Pokémon or hidden trump cards.
Was she really going to fall here?
Just as despair filled Zinnia’s heart, a voice sounded beside her. At some point, Terrance had also appeared nearby. He spoke with a teasing edge in his voice.
“Your strength is far inferior to Elite Four Drake’s Salamence. Now talk. Who are you, why are you here, and what is Team Aqua plotting?”
Elite Four Drake?
Zinnia struggled to turn her gaze toward Terrance and said, “A Gardevoir, along with this level of strength… You’re not a poacher. You’re Elite Four Terrance?”
Huh…
Terrance looked over the girl in surprise, then crouched down. He reached out with his right hand and placed it just above her ankle, lightly twisting the anklet there before discovering a peculiar stone.
A Key Stone? It’s hidden remarkably well.
“Why would an Elite Four appear in a place like this and capture so many Pokémon?” Zinnia asked. By now, she was certain that the person before her was Terrance. An ordinary Trainer could never possess this level of strength.
“That’s what I should be asking you. You’re probably not a member of Team Aqua, are you? I don’t recall any Team Aqua Admin owning a Mega Salamence. As for the ordinary grunts, it would be even more impossible for them to possess such resources.”
After meeting Terrance’s gaze, the girl finally compromised and replied bluntly, “A descendant of the Draconid people, Zinnia.”
The Draconid people?
“The guardians of Sky Pillar?”
Terrance casually activated his Elite Four medal. Although Rotom Pokédex was not with him, the Elite Four medal could also help him access information.
Come to think of it, Terrance’s impression of the Draconid people dated back to five years ago, when everything had begun with that mysterious meteorite.
Back then, while investigating the mysterious meteorite, Terrance and Steven had uncovered connections to Meteor Falls, Rayquaza, Hoenn’s creation myth, the legend behind the formation of Sootopolis City, and the construction of Sky Pillar… The Draconid people had been the ones who built the Sky Pillar.
However, Terrance had heard at the time that this ancient people had nearly vanished. After roughly recalling what he knew about the Draconid people, he remained skeptical, never expecting that some of them truly still survived in the present day.
“Can you let go of me now?” Zinnia’s face had turned bright red. Frogadier’s grip had nearly left her unable to breathe.
“I’ll believe you for now. Frogadier, release her.”
The Draconid people were all Trainers specializing in Dragon-type Pokémon, and the fact that she possessed a Mega Salamence lent some credibility to her words. With Gallade, Gardevoir, Altaria, Mawile, and his other Pokémon by his side, Terrance was not afraid of her trying anything.
At his command, Frogadier loosened its flexible limbs from around her neck, finally allowing Zinnia to breathe again. After coughing once, she took a deep breath and then revealed a fearless smile.
“You really are Elite Four Terrance. Interested in battling me again?”
“You know me?”
“Uncle Drake trained under my grandmother when he was young. Since you defeated him, of course I know who you are.”
“You know I’m an Elite Four, yet you still dare to challenge me?”
“I’m traveling throughout the Hoenn region precisely to challenge all kinds of powerful people. Only by becoming stronger can I accomplish my goal.”
“Don’t forget that I still don’t completely trust you. Tell me why you’re wearing Team Aqua’s clothes. If your explanation can’t convince me, what awaits you won’t be an ordinary battle.” Terrance curled his lips into a kind smile.
“My name is Zinnia. As for my identity, you can verify it with Professor Fran at the Devon Corporation,” Zinnia said.
A thousand years ago, the Draconid people had predicted that Hoenn would face a great crisis a millennium later. However, as time passed and science and technology advanced rapidly, no one apart from the Draconid people themselves took such a prophecy seriously. Zinnia claimed that she had set out on her journey in order to resolve this impending crisis.
Chapter 1028 Draconid People, Zinnia
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