Seeing a Serched on Alex's shoulder, Julian uood how Alex had mao track him down.

  Swoobat's most distinctive feature is its heart-shaped nose, which is not only the in of its also the el for several of its moves.

  Beyond its abilities in battle, though, that nose has a lesser-known fun—its sense of smell.

  Swoobat is monogamous and doesn't have a particurly keen sense of smell in general. However, it has aremely sharp sensitivity to the st of its mate.

  Even if the st was left behind forty or fifty days earlier, a Swoobat still pick it up.

  When Juliaered the secret realm, he must have been marked with the st of a female Swoobat. This st would remain even after bathing, with time as the only way to fade it.

  Using this st, Alex's male Swoobat had been able to track him down.

  "It looks like those who harbor rese against the Walker family have finally decided to make their move"

  Julian wasn't naive, aher was Alex. For Alex to ehe secret realm and front him like this, he must have had signifit bag.

  As if in response, Julian's Akazam, a peak Elite-level Pokémon, appeared at his side, ready to protect him.

  Across from him, Alex's Mismagius, also at the peak Elite-level, appeared.

  "That's it?" Julian remarked calmly.

  "Today, you'll die here," Alex replied coldly.

  Killing Julian would earn Alex substantial rewards from the families cooperating with him. Those families might see him as a tool, but he was equally using them to eliminate his own rivals—though he didn't know precisely which families were involved.

  The noble families wouldn't directly i with Alex; they used intermediaries to maintain secrecy.

  As another Poké Ball opened, Alex's sed peak Elite-level Pokémon, a Geist, appeared.

  Both were Ghost-types, specifically chosen to ter Akazam.

  These two peak-level Elite Pokémohe stro support the families had provided Alex, f the basis of his fidenbsp;

  Even with Akazam's power, fag two Ghost-types at the same level would be a grueling battle.

  Akazam, locked onto by both Pokémon, grew tense, already preparing to teleport Julian to safety.

  Once a peak Elite-level Akazam decided to leave, it was nearly impossible for anyone even a Champion to stop it.

  As he assessed the two Ghost-types, Julian pondered which families might be behind this attack.

  It was likely a coalition rather than a single family, and they'd probably loaned Alex Pokémon that weren't only used by their family members, avoiding any clear ties.

  "Mismagius, Tri!"

  Telep away is usually the best escape strategy, but if the space around them was sealed in advahen unless Akazam's power was signifitly superior, they wouldn't be able to leave until the spatial lock faded.

  When Tri was activated, Akazam initially inteo teleport Julian away. But Julian, through telepathy, stopped it.

  Seeing Julian and Akazam trapped withiri, Alex smirked with fidenbsp;

  "So, this is the best Elite John's Pokémon do," he sneered.

  Akazam stood silently as Mismagius and Geist positiohemselves in front of Julian.

  Alex refrained from sending out his own Pokémon, believing that these two peak Elite-level Pokémon would be enough to hah Akazam and Julian.

  He was already picturing the spoils of his victory.

  He khat Metagross was wanted by the families bag him, so he wouldn't be able keep it, but he inteo cim the rest of Julian's Pokémon as his own;

  Dragoeelix, Lucario—eae a rare and powerful Pokémon.

  " you at least tell me which families want me dead?" Julian asked.

  "Sure, after you're dead. Attack!"

  Avoiding the cssic vilin mistake of talking too much, Alex didn't waste any time. Although he thought Julian was already as good as dead, he stayed alert, aware that Tri had a time limit.

  "Metagross, Mega Evolve. Melmetal, kill that punk"

  Julian anded, releasial to deal with Alex directly.

  Mega Evolved Metagross charged at Geist while Akazam fronted Mismagius.

  Withiri, Mismagius and Geist had the advantage of increased speed.

  "What's that Pokémon?"

  Alex's eyes widened as he saw Melmetal for the first time. Its massive, charging form radiated power, making him wary enough to send out his stro Pokémon, Haxorus.

  But Melmetal had a reputation; it had previously defeated a mid-tier Elite Gyarados while only at pseudo-Elite level.

  Against Melmetal's Dynamich, Haxorus, despite being a peak pseudo-Elite, was sent flying in a siurn.

  "Another Pokémon with Elite-level strength!"

  Alex's expression shifted—not to fear, but to excitement.

  Metagross might be out of reach, but this new Pokémon seemed just as powerful, if not more.

  It had never appeared in any of Julian's public battles, leading Alex to believe it might even be his stro.

  "Julian, I have to thank you for this ued gift!"

  Alex ughed, thrilled with the prospect of capturing this unknown powerhouse.

  He threw out another Poké Ball.

  This time, a peak Elite-level Zebstrika emerged.

  Now, there were three peak Elite-level Pokémon fag Julian.

  A cold glint fshed in Julian's eyes. Once he got out of here, he would make sure to find out which families were involved.

  At this point, the Tri tained four peak Elite-level Pokémon, and the intense aura they emitted was causing the entire space to tremble.

  "Zebstrika, kill that guy!" Alex ordered.

  Though the three Elite-level Pokémon wouldn't follow Alex's ands precisely, they shared the same goal: to eliminate Julian.

  Zebstrika, incredibly fast, was a challenge for Melmetal to stop with its bulky frame. Seeing no other optioal turo attack Alex directly, attempting to protect Julian by taking down the source of the threat.

  Just then, Haxorus, which had been knocked back earlier, reappeared, blog Melmetal's path.

  "Mel!!"

  Melmetal roared in frustration. In this life-or-death situation for its Trainer, it was infuriating to be obstructed.

  As one of the Elite-level Pokémon prepared to strike, Dragonite appeared in front of it, swiftly joined by Steelix.

  "Steelix, Mega Evolve!"

  Steelix, initially at mid-level pseudo-Elite strength, transformed, reag the strength of ary-level Elite upon Mega Evolution.

  Alongside the previously Mega Evolved Metagross, Julian had now activated dual Mega Evolutions for the first time.

  Thanks to his intermediate psychic abilities, he could mahis feat, though he still felt his mental energy draining rapidly. Fortunately, stamina wasn't an issue.

  "This guy must die"

  Alex seethed as he watched Dragonite and Mega Steelix hold off Zebstrika, even if only temporarily.

  His anger was only heightened by the realization of just how powerful each of Julian's Pokémon was.

  Yet the prospect was equally thrilling; once Julian was gohese extraordinary Pokémon, along with all the treasures Julian possessed, would belong to him.