"It was that Togepi causing trouble. Everyone be careful, it's extremely troublesome!"
"No matter how troublesome it is, it won't get away."
Togepi was surrounded by the poachers, bearing all their hostile stares.
In just a few exchanges, besides the poachers guarding the black market, many more rushed in from other places.
At the same time, the entire black market was sealed off by the poachers to prevent any Pokémon from escaping. Under such circumstances, Togepi was undoubtedly a turtle in a jar.
"Togepi, Togepi?" Even at a time like this, Togepi maintained its pitiful look, gazing at the poachers surrounding it with a confused expression.
"Is it really this Togepi? Look at how it seems…"
Seeing Togepi's weak and helpless appearance, one of the poachers began to hesitate.
"It's definitely it. Don't be fooled by its looks," the poacher beside him reminded in a tone that left no room for doubt.
"Tog~epi???"
When the evil Togepi realized that playing pitiful no longer worked, it helplessly shook its head, as if it had grown bored of the game.
In the next instant, it revealed a mocking, sinister expression, clearly not taking the poachers surrounding it seriously at all.
"B*stard, grab it!"
Togepi's sudden change in demeanor made veins bulge on the poachers' forehead as they showed vicious expressions. At the same time, the poachers' Pokémon launched their attacks.
Just as numerous moves were about to slam into Togepi, a figure suddenly leapt out from the side, scooped up Togepi, and sprang away. With two swift Pounds sweeping through, two Pokémon fell on the spot.
Landing on the ground, Froakie displayed astonishingly lethal techniques, striking the vital points of the Pokémon blocking its path and escaping the encirclement with Togepi in its arms.
At that moment, several moves collided after losing their target, whipping up a shroud of mist, but it did not stop the poachers from realizing that Togepi had been rescued.
Locking their gaze tightly onto the breaking-through Froakie and Togepi, the poachers were greatly shocked.
"How could it be that Froakie?"
They were no strangers to this Froakie from the Kalos region. The poachers had tried every possible method to tame it, but none worked. In the end, they gave up and simply threw Froakie into the black market.
Interestingly, no matter who bought this Froakie, they were unable to tame the troublesome Pokémon. Because of Froakie's temperament, the poachers regarded it as a recyclable money tree.
After all, once sold, Froakie would soon be abandoned, or escape on its own. Most of the time, however, it would be returned at half price…
After accidentally discovering this pattern, several poachers kept a close watch on this Froakie. Even after it was sold, its movements were always tracked.
With this cycle repeating, although the Froakie was difficult to sell permanently, it still brought in considerable profit.
"Was that Bounce?"
Seeing the sudden turn of events, Terrance was slightly startled. He hadn't expected Froakie to bravely step forward and rescue Togepi.
If he remembered correctly, this Froakie should have been seriously injured.
Terrance also noticed something else. Froakie's Pound was remarkably powerful, repelling two Pokémon in a single exchange. After thinking it through, he suddenly understood: because Togepi and Froakie had briefly swapped Abilities through Skill Swap, Froakie, now possessing Super Luck, had luckily struck the enemies' vital points.
Watching the scene unfold, Terrance couldn't help but smile. In truth, it couldn't quite be called a rescue. Froakie's efforts were in vain. Not long after carrying Togepi out of danger, Froakie suddenly sensed something was wrong and looked at the Togepi it was struggling to hold.
What it had rescued… clearly wasn't a living Pokémon at all, but something like a doll.
"It's the Substitute move. The real Togepi already ran off," Terrance said slowly after knocking out a poacher, noticing Froakie's shock.
"Fro~akie?" The stunned Froakie's cold and fierce expression faded. It blankly dropped the Togepi doll and froze.
It was precisely during that brief moment of hesitation that the poachers' Pokémon rushed over and surrounded it.
"Froakie! Froakie!" Froakie glanced at the Togepi doll in confusion once more before finally withdrawing its gaze and cautiously observing its enemies.
The pain coursing through its body told Froakie that it probably couldn't withstand attacks from so many foes.
In the end, it seemed it still couldn't escape the fate of being captured again. Caught and brought back over and over, Froakie had lost count of how many times it had endured this.
Actually, when it had been rescued from the cage this time, Froakie had felt something called hope from Togepi. At that moment, its feelings were completely different from the ones it had when being bought and led out of the cage before. But now, that hope had been shattered.
"Fro~akie!" Extending its hand, Froakie assumed Cut's stance. As the enemies stepped closer and closer, Froakie retreated a small step, yet its eyes grew even more resolute.
At that moment, many thoughts flashed through its mind—its destroyed homeland, the abuse from the poachers, and the repeated experiences of being bought and resold…
Shua!
As the enemy attacked, a streak of light cut across like a single horizontal line. At the same time, Froakie stood there blankly, staring at its own palm.
That attack hadn't come from it.
When it raised its head again, Froakie saw the Pokémon that had been blasted away, sprawled on the ground and wailing, and not far from itself stood an unfamiliar Pokémon.
With a body interwoven in green and white, standing in a swordsman's sheathing posture, the one who had repelled numerous Pokémon was Terrance's Gallade.
In that instant, Froakie's emotions surged wildly.
"Ahhh—!"
"What the hell is that?!"
"Help!"
At the same time, a group of poachers were seized by a powerful psychic power and lifted into the air. In almost an instant, all personnel in the black market were wiped out.
"A bunch of rabble." Terrance casually picked at his ear, watching Gallade and Gardevoir handle things on their own, finding it rather boring.
At this level, probably a Champion of any regional conference could sweep through them.
"Tog~epi…"
Just as Terrance was crushing the poachers, Togepi, hiding in a corner, felt the psychic power that blanketed the entire black market in that instant, and its face immediately darkened.
It abruptly suppressed the thought of escaping.
Meanwhile, countless Pokémon lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, staring in panic at the upheaval in the black market.
The vendors who hadn't managed to withdraw in time looked on in disbelief at the poachers and their Pokémon being restrained.
"Fro~akie!" Seeing Terrance approach, Froakie immediately revealed a wary expression. It still had some impression of Terrance, so it remained extremely cautious.
"Now it's time to reel in the net."
Terrance cast a faint glance at the Froakie before ignoring it, turning instead to the people still standing.
"Hello everyone, I've already called the police…"
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