Pokemon: I am a God-level Player

On Eddie's battlefield stood Mega Charizard X, Mega Sceptile, Greninja, and Riolu. The first two were his primary powerhouses, while the latter two, though unable to directly challenge Mega Manectric, provided valuable support and harassment tactics.

As for Lt. Surge's side, he had begun the battle brimming with confidence. With three Peak and one Gym Leader level Pokémon, his advantage had seemed overwhelming. But now, only a burned Mega Manectric remained on his field.

Earlier, Eddie and Ash had been strategizing how to defeat the formidable Lt. Surge. Now, the tables had turned completely—the once-powerful Lt. Surge was desperately trying to figure out how to overcome Eddie.

"This isn't good... no, it's downright terrible," Lt. Surge thought, his face maintaining composure while panic surged within. "Just two Advance-level trainers have pushed me to this point."

Although Lt. Surge believed Mega Manectric might win in another round of combat, he didn't dare to gamble anymore. After all, he had started with an overwhelming advantage, yet here he was, forced to rely on chance for victory. This alone demonstrated the remarkable strength of Eddie and Ash.

Ash had completely exhausted his battle capability, but Eddie remained virtually untouched. Lt. Surge was especially wary of Eddie's Mega Sceptile, which posed a severe threat to his Electric-type.

If Lt. Surge had known that Mega Sceptile's ability after evolution was Lightning Rod, he would have certainly eliminated Sceptile while it was still a Grovyle at the beginning of the battle. Unfortunately, the world doesn't deal in "what-ifs," and Lt. Surge's defeat seemed inevitable.

"Though he can't openly act against me in public, I can't be sure he won't do something in secret," Lt. Surge calculated. "The warehouse below has been exposed and I'll definitely be implicated. I can't afford exposure now. It seems Plan B is my only option."

Plan A, naturally, had been to eliminate Eddie and Ash, but that was clearly impossible now.

Lt. Surge discreetly activated a signal generator concealed on his person. Once activated, Team Rocket members stationed at the bottom of the cruise ship would receive a message indicating the implementation of Plan B.

Lt. Surge's movements were subtle, nearly imperceptible to onlookers. But Eddie, well-acquainted with Team Rocket's methods and already suspicious of Lt. Surge, noticed the gym leader seemed to be doing something covert.

Not caring about the consequences, Eddie prepared to command Mega Charizard X and Mega Sceptile to launch an all-out assault. Though he wasn't certain what Lt. Surge planned, Eddie was determined to thwart any scheme the man attempted.

"Hahahaha, I must admit you're stronger than I anticipated!" Lt. Surge suddenly erupted into laughter, interrupting Eddie's commands. "There's no doubt you've won this gym battle. Catch this! It's what you two deserve."

As Eddie was about to order his Pokémon to continue fighting, Lt. Surge tossed something toward him with an expression that seemed to say, "I'm very impressed with you."

Eddie, wary of trickery, didn't catch it himself. Greninja, standing nearby, intercepted the object and examined it before handing it to Eddie.

They were two sun-shaped badges—Thunder Badges. Lt. Surge was actually awarding them now? Could it be that he wanted to work something out?

"Lt. Surge, do you want to—"

"BOOM!!!"

"Long live Team Rocket!!!"

Just as Eddie began questioning Lt. Surge, an explosion rocked the ship, followed by declarations of Team Rocket allegiance.

Eddie and all spectators on the battlefield froze in shock before turning toward the source of the explosion.

It came from the stern of the cruise ship. Numerous individuals wearing Team Rocket uniforms were riding Flying-type Pokémon, dropping bombs on the ship's rear section.

"Team Rocket! What are they trying to do?!"

"This is a terrorist attack! We must stop them!"

Trainers aboard the cruise ship spontaneously released their Pokémon to confront Team Rocket. Their motivation wasn't primarily a sense of justice, but self-preservation—they were in the middle of the sea! What would happen if the cruise ship sank?

These realistic concerns drove even the trainers to action. The wealthy passengers and League executives weren't any less practical, directing their bodyguards or deploying their own Pokémon against Team Rocket.

The scene devolved into chaos. Not everyone could maintain composure during such an emergency. Many screamed and ran frantically, searching for safety.

"Ding! Your enemy Lt. Surge has chosen to escape, and escaped successfully! Due to his escape, the system determines that you win!"

"Ding! You defeated Gym Leader Lt. Surge and obtained 50,000 Pokédollars, TM Dark Pulse, and Black Glasses!"

Eddie: "???"

Upon hearing these notifications, Eddie initially stood dumbfounded before quickly turning to look at the battlefield.

Due to Team Rocket's bombing, the scene was complete pandemonium, yet no one dared approach the deck where he and Lt. Surge had been battling—the aftermath of their high-level combat could prove lethal to bystanders.

However, Lt. Surge, who had been opposite Eddie just moments ago, had vanished. The Electabuzz that had been knocked down earlier was also gone, presumably recalled to its Poké Ball.

What does a Trainer do when they can't win a battle? As both a Gym Leader and one of Team Rocket's three executives, Lt. Surge chose to flee!

Yes, he ran away! He actually ran away!

"Is this... is this the strategy passed down through generations in the Joestar family: the Secret Joestar Technique?!"

"I never expected Lt. Surge would know this trick. It seems he might also possess the golden spirit."

Eddie didn't know what expression to make in response to this situation.

Although no rule explicitly prohibited Trainers from fleeing during Pokémon battles, this was the first time Eddie had witnessed someone who actually ran away when defeat seemed certain.

Lt. Surge had even orchestrated Team Rocket's attack on the ship to create a diversion, allowing him to escape in the ensuing chaos.

So this was Lt. Surge's escape route...

"Mega Charizard X, Mega Sceptile, go help too. Try to capture as many Team Rocket members as you can," Eddie said through gritted teeth. He wanted Lt. Surge to learn that even running away had consequences, though Lt. Surge likely wouldn't care.

Hearing this command, Mega Charizard X and Mega Sceptile headed toward the stern to join the battle.

They had just undergone Mega Evolution and had anticipated an intense battle to demonstrate their power. Instead, after only a few exchanges, their opponent had fled. They felt their strength had been wasted, hitting nothing but air.

Naturally frustrated, fighting Team Rocket would at least allow them to vent some of that frustration.

Eddie didn't plan to pursue Lt. Surge now, suspecting the Gym Leader had already left the cruise ship. More importantly, Ash was severely suffering, and his situation was critical. Eddie needed to get Ash treatment immediately, or his friend might truly die.

Eddie considered Ash a genuine friend, and the life of a friend was naturally far more important than chasing an enemy.

[T/N:This Ash isn't the Ash from the anime. Ash Gary is based on Red from the games! The reason he's called Ash Gary is because if we called him Red, we'd have to call Gary "Blue"! Everyone knows the word Blue! So I still write Ash Gary, and that's that. Thank you for your understanding and support.]