With a flash of red light from the Luxury Ball, a light blue Pokémon appeared with wings resembling two tufts of white cotton.
It was Aoki's Altaria—no, the Altaria that had been subdued on Neverland.
She had agreed to follow Aoki's orders in Neverland.
Altaria had heard Aoki's command while inside the Poké Ball, so the moment it emerged, it immediately unleashed a powerful Dragon-type move.
Draco Meteor!
In the vast hall, fiery meteors materialized one after another, raining down from above. Most of them targeted the Nidoking.
When Altaria appeared, it immediately sensed the aura of Nidoking.
Though Nidoking was far weaker, it was still a Pokémon that could pose a threat under certain circumstances.
Regis and Han Song, who had been retreating, paled at the sudden appearance of Altaria.
"How is this possible?!" Regis shouted, unable to contain his shock.
He hadn't expected Aoki to possess a Pokémon capable of rivaling—no, surpassing—Nidoking in strength.
The moment Altaria appeared, Nidoking instinctively shifted into a defensive stance.
In all his time using Nidoking, Regis had never seen it react this way. It was proof of Altaria's overwhelming power.
Not all Dragon-type Pokémon could master Draco Meteor—only those with a deep draconic lineage could wield it effectively.
Drake, as a Dragon-type specialist, recognized Altaria immediately. His expression twisted with greed as he watched the majestic Pokémon.
This was an exceptionally powerful Dragon-type. If he could obtain it, his status would rise exponentially.
Meanwhile, Charizard, which had been attacking Aoki, didn't stop even after being intercepted by Altaria's Draco Meteor. Instead, it clashed with Slowking beside Aoki.
Charizard, a Fire- and Flying-type, was at a severe disadvantage against Slowking's Water- and Psychic-type abilities. Slowking's mastery of Psychic powers left Charizard struggling to keep up.
Altaria successfully cut off Regis and Han Song's escape route, while the remaining meteors pummeled Nidoking, leaving it no room to evade.
Nidoking, which had partially recovered thanks to Regis's earlier treatment, was now severely injured once more.
A single attack from Altaria had brought Nidoking to the brink of collapse.
Both were pseudo-Champion-level Pokémon, yet the gap between them was staggering. Altaria could contend with true Champion-level opponents, while Nidoking was merely an average pseudo-Champion.
Regis and Han Song stared in disbelief. They had assumed Altaria would only be a match for Nidoking—not utterly dominate it.
At this rate, just one or two more moves would render Nidoking unable to fight.
Han Song, usually composed, now looked visibly shaken.
He grabbed Regis's sleeve and urged him to flee.
Regis, still dazed, hesitated before casting a final glance at Nidoking. Then, gritting his teeth, he turned and ran.
He had spent months planning this operation, even going so far as to borrow a pseudo-Champion Nidoking at great cost.
This Nidoking had been painstakingly raised by its original Trainer, with the potential to reach true Elite status under proper training. Now, it was being crushed by Altaria. Regis would be held fully accountable for its loss.
Worse, most of his team had been incapacitated. Even if he escaped Neverland, recovery would take months.
"Nidoking! Hold Altaria back! Use Thunderbolt!" Regis shouted as he fled.
Nidoking hesitated. It knew it stood no chance against Altaria—this was suicide.
But before its original Trainer had lent it to Regis, it had been ordered to obey him unconditionally.
With no choice, Nidoking unleashed Thunderbolt at Altaria.
The Electric-type move would deal heavy damage to the Flying-type Altaria.
Aoki's expression darkened as he watched Regis and Han Song disappear into the distance.
"Gengar, pursue them. Eliminate them if possible."
If not for Drake's Charizard keeping Slowking occupied, Aoki would have teleported after them immediately.
But with Slowking tied up, he could only rely on Gengar.
These two were dangerous loose ends. Aoki preferred they didn't leave Neverland alive.
However, the hint Qingfeng had left him earlier weighed on his mind—Regis's background was complicated. If he were to be eliminated, it had to be done cleanly, leaving no trace.
But Qingfeng had already departed. If Gengar succeeded in killing Regis, Aoki would have to ensure Qingfeng didn't survive either—even if it meant being the sole survivor of this expedition. Without witnesses, no one could pin Regis's death on him.
If Qingfeng lived, the situation would become messy.
If Regis's backers were as influential as suspected, they would pressure Qingfeng to implicate Aoki. That would spell disaster.
So the options were clear: kill them all, or let them all live.
If Regis escaped, Aoki doubted he'd be foolish enough to openly retaliate.
Given Aoki's current standing as Sakaki's favoured operative, any accusation from Regis would only make him look weak.
After all, Regis had started with far greater advantages. Admitting defeat would undermine his own credibility.
Who would support him then?
Now, it all depended on whether Regis had another trick up his sleeve—whether he could evade Gengar's pursuit.
No matter the outcome, Aoki held the upper hand.
Even if Qingfeng hid, Aoki could find her.
When he had first touched her shoulder, Slowking had secretly planted a Psychic marker—something she remained unaware of.
For now, this Dragon specialist would serve as interest.