Pokemon: Sandstorm Elite

At Johto League Headquarters, chaos erupted. The Masked Pikachu Assassin had struck again, and this time, the victim was none other than the Supreme League Chairman.

The entire Johto region was thrown into turmoil.

Leaning on his cane, Pryce slowly stepped forward, his gaze locking onto the League's top security officials.

"What were the security personnel doing when this happened?" he asked coldly. "How did they fail to notice the intruder?"

One of the senior security officers hesitated before responding, his face filled with unease.

"A few days ago, the Supreme League ordered a security drill. Most of our forces were deployed to Mt. Silver for the exercise. The Chairman was supposed to receive the memo since he was scheduled to deliver a speech there."

"Check his emails," Pryce commanded.

After a moment, another officer reported back.

"The memo was sent. But an hour before the attack, the network experienced a failure. It's possible that the Chairman didn't get a chance to open it in time."

Pryce's expression darkened.

A security drill.

A network failure.

A perfectly timed attack.

This wasn't coincidence.

This was a meticulously planned execution.

His grip tightened around his cane, his hands trembling with anger.

"Hah… hahahaha…!"

His laughter was chilling, sending shivers down the spines of everyone in the room.

The very air grew colder, as if the room had become an eternal frozen wasteland. Those present could hardly breathe under the suffocating pressure.

In the Greater Kanto Alliance, only the Champion held absolute authority over both regions.

But beneath them, the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the regional councils all operated independently.

For years, certain factions had pushed for a true unification of Kanto and Johto. But while Kanto had actively supported the movement, Johto's leadership—led by the Supreme Chairman and his allies—had deliberately stalled progress.

And at the heart of this resistance was the Kamiyama family, one of the Chairman's most powerful backers.

But now, with the Masked Pikachu Assassin incident, the opposition had been handed the perfect excuse.

This was their opportunity to tear Johto apart—to wipe out the native factions and claim this beautiful land for themselves.

Not just the Greater League, not just Kanto's elite—but even those old snakes in Yanmoku City, the ones who had never let go of their greedy ambitions for Johto.

No more.

"From this moment forward," Pryce declared, his voice cutting through the air like a blade of ice, "Johto League will hunt down the assassin at all costs."

His next words were even colder.

"I will personally lead the charge. If anyone resists—kill them."

At the Shinto Ruins' Outer Boundary, Klein led his team forward atop Mega Salamence, only to be met with a wave of sinister energy.

From the darkness, a dozen Ghost-type Pokémon emerged.

And standing at the center—like a general commanding an army—was a fierce Incineroar, its burning gaze locked onto Klein.

Deep within the Shinto Ruins, the legendary power of creation pulsed.

A force said to hold dominion over the very laws of existence.

For generations, the Kamiyama family had sought this divine force.

Now, it was within their grasp.

Sakaki, as the heir to this legacy, had one mission:

Restore the Kamiyama family's lost glory.

He could not fail.

Controlling Giratina, Sakaki stepped into the heart of the ruins.

The very earth trembled, and a sacred golden light surged through the temple.

Raising his Griseous Orb-tipped scepter, he absorbed the divine energy—then redirected it into Giratina.

At that moment, a powerful shockwave of darkness erupted.

"Now then…" Sakaki smirked. "Let's see how long you can last."

The Griseous Orb pulsed ominously.

A wave of cursed energy spread outward, empowering the Ghost-type Pokémon under his command.

Under its influence, Giratina shifted into its Origin Forme, floating ominously above the battlefield.

Black wings spread wide.

Shadows surged like a living storm.

The dark aura boosted the Ghost-types' mobility, allowing them to move like wraiths in the wind.

"Tailwind?" Klein muttered.

A full-team speed boost.

The Kamiyama family's battle strategy was clear.

These were no ordinary Pokémon.

This was a trained combat unit—a disciplined force, developed through generations of elite training.

While Mirror Card's Steel Legion focused on overwhelming force, the Kamiyama Ghost Army was far more tactical.

Even their formations were highly organized—each Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar playing a specific role.

An actual war platoon.

In the midst of the eerie procession, a lone Banette drifted forward.

A Cursed Puppet.

With an unsettling stillness, it locked its soulless eyes onto Cradily, the core of Klein's sandstorm strategy.

Sakaki ran a gloved hand over its jagged cloth.

Then, the Griseous Orb flared once more.

"Mega Evolution… Banette!"

A shadowy light engulfed Banette's body.

In an instant, it transformed.

Floating effortlessly, it flickered like a broken marionette, twisted and unnatural.

Their eyes met.

And before Klein could react—

Curse activated.

Unlike the typical boosting effect of Curse, when a Ghost-type used it—

It became a death sentence.

Half its life force was sacrificed—but in exchange, Cradily was afflicted with a lethal hex.

Klein's eyes narrowed.

Sakaki had specifically targeted his core Pokémon.

Against Tyranitar, Curse would have been too slow.

But Cradily?

A slower, support-based Pokémon—perfect for an assassination.

Sakaki had learned from the past.

He had come prepared.

The battle at Seafoam Islands.

The ambush at Ilex Forest.

Every encounter had shaped this moment.

This wasn't just a fight—this was a calculated dismantling of Klein's team.

And now, Klein's core strategy was in jeopardy.

But before he could react—

Mega Banette struck again.

A pulse of static electricity surged forward—Thunder Wave.

At the same time, a wisp of ethereal blue flame followed—Will-O-Wisp.

A perfect blend of speed reduction and passive damage.

Two attacks, launched simultaneously, aimed directly at Cradily.

A flashing alarm triggered in Klein's battle HUD—his Dream Realm system had already begun recalling Cradily.

A split-second delay, and Cradily would have been lost.

Sakaki smirked.

He wasn't an Elite Four-level trainer.

But with Giratina's power…

With the Griseous Orb…

With the Kamiyama Ghost Army…

He had everything he needed to fight on equal ground.

And he knew it.

As Klein's Poké Ball snapped shut, Sakaki's voice rang through the battlefield.

"Now then, Sandstorm Elite—"

"How will you handle this?"

Klein's response?

A Mega Salamence Hyper Voice.

A sonic explosion, tearing through the ranks of Gastly and Haunter—

The battlefield erupted into a chaotic inferno.

But as the dust settled—

Sakaki was still smiling.

Klein's true test had only just begun.

(End of Chapter)