"This is a real problem…"
Gary frowned as he looked at the two men closing in.
Even Ash could sense how bad the situation was.
"Delay them as much as possible. Master is nearby—once he hears the commotion, he'll come quickly."
Ash nodded firmly.
"I'm telling you—the League's main force is already nearby! You'd better surrender now!"
The short poacher immediately panicked upon hearing this.
After all, in the Pokémon world, the League was the undisputed top authority.
"Boss, maybe we should retreat first?"
"Idiot! Can't you tell they're stalling for time?! Stop talking—finish them quickly, then we'll help the second one and take them out one by one!"
"…Damn it!"
At this point, both Gary and Ash knew—
This fight couldn't be avoided.
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"
Ash launched an attack immediately!
Gary threw out a Poké Ball.
"Go, Eevee! Use Protect—stall for time!"
"Wartortle! Use Rain Dance!"
At Gary's command, both Pokémon acted instantly.
Wartortle launched a glowing orb into the sky—
Dark clouds gathered , and rain began to pour.
"A rare weather-based trainer, huh? Not bad… very nice. A Wartortle that knows Rain Dance—and it's been trained this well."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to sell it for a good price."
"As for you—since you're giving me such a fine Pokémon, I'll leave you with an intact corpse."
Gary snorted coldly but said nothing.
"Wartortle! Hydro Pump again!"
"Eevee, use Helping Hand!"
[Helping Hand: Boosts an ally's next move power by 50%]
With Eevee's support, Hydro Pump's power surged by 50%—
Combined with the 50% boost from rain, the attack became terrifying.
Even the poacher's Houndoom felt a sense of danger.
If that attack hit it directly, it would likely be a one-hit knockout.
But fortunately for them—
The attack wasn't aimed at Houndoom.
It was aimed at the poacher boss—the middle-aged man who still hadn't sent out a Pokémon.
"At your age, with this level of strength… you must be a direct-line League trainer, right?"
"And a talented one at that."
"Too bad. Someone like you is still going to die at my hands."
Gary felt something was off.
But seeing that the man hadn't released any Pokémon, he couldn't pinpoint the issue.
"Golem! Grab them!"
The moment the command was given—
The ground trembled violently.
Gary felt a chill run down his spine.
Beneath them, the earth suddenly collapsed—
A massive hole opened up, and a Golem burst out from underground!
Its target—
Gary.
With Elite-level strength at level 42, even a frontal assault would overwhelm Wartortle—
Let alone a sneak attack like this!
In the final second, Gary only had time to shove Eevee and Ash away.
The next moment—
Golem's massive stone hands clamped down on him.
With just a slight squeeze—
Gary's bones began to creak under the pressure.
"Haha! Kid, you're too young to fight me!"
The poacher boss laughed as he approached.
Wartortle and Ash could only glare helplessly.
With Gary in the enemy's grasp, neither dared to act recklessly.
The boss kicked Wartortle in the head without hesitation.
"Know your place—you're just merchandise!"
"If you move again, your trainer will be crushed into paste!"
Golem grinned and tightened its grip slightly—
Crack!
Gary's arm instantly went limp.
Cold sweat poured down his face from the pain.
"Gary! No!"
This was the first time Ash had faced such a situation.
He panicked completely.
Even if he sent out Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu together—
They still couldn't defeat that Houndoom.
They could only barely hold on.
"Dealing with League trainers is so easy. You only know rigid battle rules—you have no idea how brutal real combat is!"
"Li Lao San, stop playing around! Finish him and regroup with the others!"
"Got it, boss!"
The man released another Pokémon—
A Fearow appeared in the sky.
"Any last words? If you kneel and bark like a dog, maybe I'll let you live a little longer."
Clearly, the boss enjoyed tormenting League trainers and watching their despair.
Blood trickled from the corner of Gary's mouth as he muttered :
"My Master… won't let you get away with this."
"Your Master? That Gym Leader from Songzao City? He's probably already dead at my partner's hands."
"Enough. Since your Pokémon are decent, I'll make it quick."
At this critical moment—
Ash suddenly remembered Red 's instructions and shouted:
"Black Poké Balls! I know your secret!"
"What?!"
The boss's pupils shrank violently.
"How do you know about that?!"
Seeing his reaction, Ash felt a surge of hope.
At the same time, he anxiously scanned the surroundings.
Gym Leader Red … hurry!
"My partner already said it—your plan has been exposed! You're already on the League's wanted list!"
"If you run now, you might still have a chance!"
Ash's battle instincts kicked in.
With just a few words, he successfully bluffed the boss.
The man hesitated, unable to read them.
After a few seconds of thought—
He made his decision.
"Doesn't matter if it's true or not. Kill them first. Then we leave for another region."
Hearing this—
Ash's heart sank.
Gary closed his eyes.
At the very last moment—
A voice echoed through the forest.
"Sorry I'm late."
Ash instantly relaxed.
Gary opened his eyes.
The poacher boss turned toward the source—
Red stood there.
In one hand, he held a half-dead poacher.
His gaze was ice-cold as he looked at the remaining two.
"You injured my disciple… and hunted my Pokémon."
"Have you decided how you want to die?"
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