Fallarbor Town producing an Elite Four was a joyous occasion worth celebrating for a place that rarely saw famous figures emerge from it.
However, now was not the time for celebration, because Team Magma had invaded Fallarbor Gym, and a heavy atmosphere now hung over the entire town.
At Fallarbor Gym, Terrance, who had returned from Ever Grande City, patted the pale-faced and dispirited Kotoko on the back and said softly, “Leave the rest to me.”
During this incident, three Bug Type Pokémon raised by Kotoko to face ordinary challengers were burned to death by flames, and many more Pokémon suffered severe injuries. During the pursuit as well, seven Bug Type Pokémon from Fallarbor Woods tragically lost their lives.
By the time Terrance’s Pokémon rushed over from Mt. Chimney, Fallarbor Gym had already been engulfed in thick smoke.
Afterward, with the desperate resistance of the wild Pokémon of Fallarbor Town and Terrance’s Pokémon, they managed to capture five Team Magma members, but Team Magma’s core Admins still succeeded in taking away the “meteorite.”
However, during the interrogation, Terrance discovered that these five members were merely bait to draw fire. They were fanatical members who had been completely brainwashed into absolute loyalty to Team Magma.
The five had willingly stayed behind solely to buy more time for the “meteorite” to be transported away, and by the time Fallarbor Town’s security forces reacted, their objective was already achieved. The Magma Admins had escaped with the meteorite long ago.
“I’m fine. Go check on Troy instead.”
A moment later, Kotoko spoke slowly.
Having endured the trials of Nightmare Island, her will had already become extremely strong. This sudden incident had once again reminded Kotoko of the tragic experiences she went through on Nightmare Island, which was why she appeared so depressed.
But compared to herself, Kotoko was even more worried about Troy…
Besides the Pokémon of Fallarbor Gym, one of the people who desperately resisted at the time was Troy, the Gym apprentice training here.
“His Beedrill may never be able to battle again in the future. I can tell… this has dealt him a huge blow.”
“I understand.”
Terrance let out a deep sigh. Given the injuries Troy’s Beedrill had suffered, it had already missed the optimal treatment window. Even Altaria’s Flame of Life could only ensure it would not die from worsening injuries, but restoring it to its previous condition was beyond Altaria’s current abilities.
The main reason was that Beedrill itself possessed very little vitality. With injuries of the same severity, other Pokémon might still have a chance to recover, but for a short-lived Bug Type like Beedrill, the odds of recovering were simply too small unless a miracle occurred.
Although the incident had only happened recently, Troy looked even more haggard than Kotoko. A boy barely over ten years old experiencing something like this; the blow he suffered was something outsiders could hardly imagine.
“Stay strong. It’s not necessarily hopeless yet. Although Bug Type Pokémon have short lifespans, they still have possibilities for improvement.” At this point, Terrance could only do his best to comfort him.
The possibility he spoke of was Genetic Potion.
Although Genetic Potions were extremely expensive, Troy and Beedrill had been injured while protecting Fallarbor Gym, and Terrance would not stand by and do nothing.
“My Beautifly once improved its vitality before. The same method might work for Beedrill as well. After that, there are still countless ways for Beedrill to recover again. It’s still far too early to give up.”
As Terrance spoke, the eyes of Troy, who was sitting by the bedside taking care of Beedrill, gradually regained clarity.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Leave this place to Nurse Joy for now. I don’t think Beedrill would want to see its Trainer so dispirited either.”
“Okay…”
Troy slowly stood up, then suddenly spoke:
“Gym Leader Terrance, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to challenge the Ever Grande Conference, travel outside, and search for a way to heal Beedrill.”
By now, Troy had already obtained a Trainer license through his status as a Gym apprentice and was qualified to challenge the Ever Grande Conference. After looking into his eyes for several seconds, Terrance said, “Right now you only have Heracross as your sole Pokémon. You probably won’t make it in time for this year’s Ever Grande Conference, but I’ll be looking forward to the day you stand at the peak of Ever Grande one year from now.”
Troy’s talent would never allow him to remain merely a Gym apprentice. As for whether this unfortunate event would have a good or bad influence on him, even Terrance could not say.
But Terrance respected his choice.
“Thank you…” Troy’s expression became incomparably serious. He looked toward Beedrill again, and his goal became even clearer.
…
…
The ten deceased Pokémon were laid to rest by Terrance in Mt. Pyre with the highest honors, and monuments representing their achievements were erected for them.
There was only so much Terrance could do. Death naturally brought sorrow, but both Kotoko and Terrance knew that the enemy would not stop simply because they were grieving.
After that, Terrance received detailed information regarding Team Magma and Team Aqua.
Under Kotoko’s strong insistence, Terrance also copied a portion of the information for her.
Team Magma leader Maxie and Team Aqua leader Archie were genuine Elite Four-level powerhouses proficient in actual combat and willing to do anything for victory.
The admins of both organizations were also veteran Trainers close to top-tier combat strength, fully capable of taking on ordinary Gym Leaders alone.
Beyond that, the two organizations excelled at squad coordination, often displaying power in group battles beyond that of ordinary Trainers. Most importantly, they understood how to utilize technology, Pokémon, and the wild environment to create all kinds of advantageous conditions. All these factors were why the Hoenn League viewed them as dangerous and urgently wanted to eradicate them.
The more Terrance learned about the two organizations, the more unfathomable they seemed.
Although their actions were audacious to the extreme, every step of their plans was incredibly meticulous, rarely showing any flaws, making it difficult for the Hoenn League to seize opportunities to wipe them out entirely. The word “cunning” was no longer enough to describe them.
Judging from their style of operation, unless they reached a critical moment in fulfilling their ambitions, they likely would not expose any weaknesses for the League to exploit.
“A criminal organization capable of remaining active under the League’s nose for so long really does have some ability.” Terrance fixed his gaze on the photograph of “Maxie.” After memorizing his appearance, he directly walked out of the study.
As the League’s newest Elite Four, he now had to maintain a certain degree of public exposure, so among the Hoenn Elite Four, he would likely become the busiest one in the near future.
At the same time, Terrance had also locked onto Ash’s itinerary. That guy was still wandering around the Johto region, and it would probably still take some time before he reached the Hoenn region.
The Ever Grande Conference, as the most widely viewed competition in the Hoenn region, was even more popular than the Champion Challenge and the Elite Four Challenge Competition, despite being held annually. Even Terrance himself found this rather curious.
This time, Terrance, the newly appointed Fairy Elite Four, would appear as a special guest to perform an opening exhibition match at the Ever Grande Conference.
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