"Lucario, please go rescue that Skiddo!"
As the future Gym Leader of Shalour Town, Korrina had always been fiercely opposed to injustice. She didn't waste time arguing—she immediately gave Lucario the order.
"You little brat! You dare ignore me?! Nidoking, teach her a lesson!"
Fuming, Cole ordered his Nidoking forward.
Unfortunately for him, Nidoking hadn't been properly trained. Its strength was barely enough to deal with weak wild Pokémon. Against Korrina's well-trained Lucario, it was no contest.
With a single Aura Sphere, Lucario sent Nidoking flying faster than it had charged in.
"You bastard—die!"
Enraged by the quick defeat, Cole raised his hunting rifle and aimed directly at Korrina.
"What the—why can't I move?!"
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Cole froze in place. Panic filled his face.
It was thanks to Mai's Gallade. Using Psychic, it held Cole completely still, rendering him immobile.
"You—better let me go! If you don't, my boss will make you pay!"
Cole had originally intended to threaten Korrina, but seeing Rex and Mai walk calmly out from the woods, he quickly changed tactics.
Sure, it sounded like he was selling out his partner Gree, but he didn't care anymore. He just needed to stall until Gree arrived to take care of these meddling kids. And if not—well, then Gree could rot in jail with him. No way was he going down alone.
"So you're not alone, huh? Where's your partner? Spill it!" Korrina snapped.
Before getting answers, Rex walked up and confiscated Nidoking's Poké Ball and Cole's rifle. He even found some rope from Cole's own pack and tied him up securely.
Cole's spirit deflated instantly. Any lingering thoughts of resistance vanished. He glared at Rex with murderous fury—only to get punched hard in the stomach.
Rex had held back, of course. If he hadn't, his strength alone could have ended Cole's life. Still, the single blow made Cole collapse with a scream and start violently vomiting.
It took several minutes before Cole could even breathe properly again. From that point on, he didn't dare look Rex in the eye.
"Skiddo, you're safe now. Rex, would you mind asking Jumpluff to patch it up?"
Korrina checked the Skiddo's injuries—mostly exhaustion and some minor cuts. She nodded to Rex.
Rex called out Jumpluff, who created a Grassy Terrain that helped quickly restore Skiddo's energy.
The Pokémon nodded once in thanks, then leapt into the underbrush and vanished.
It was clearly still wary of humans—but none of them took offense.
"Alright, lead us to your camp—or I'll give you another punch," Rex said coldly.
Cole gritted his teeth but didn't resist. He obediently started walking, secretly praying Gree would avenge him.
As they followed behind, Rex noticed something strange: Carbink had been guiding them all along—and it was heading in the same direction Cole was taking them.
It was too coincidental. Something about it gnawed at Rex's mind, but the full picture hadn't yet formed.
Eventually, they arrived at the edge of the hunters' encampment. The group stopped and observed from a distance.
They saw two tents and an off-road vehicle—clearly, the location had been chosen for its accessible terrain. It would be easy to transport captured Pokémon from here.
A man, likely Gree, sat beside a campfire. Though tending to a pot of food, he was constantly alert, scanning the forest around him. His gaze returned frequently to several iron cages nearby, where captured Pokémon huddled together, trembling in fear.
They were rare species—mostly young or infant Pokémon, the kind that sold for high prices on the black market.
"Those bastards—we need to save them now!" Korrina cried, unable to hold back.
With Lucario at her side, she charged toward the camp without waiting.
Rex and Mai exchanged helpless glances. Tactically, this wasn't ideal. They had the element of surprise. A stealth attack using one of their Pokémon could've neutralized the threat much more efficiently.
But with Korrina already rushing in, Rex had no choice but to follow. Though it was one man, hunters with firearms were always dangerous.
Naturally, their approach didn't go unnoticed.
Gree reacted instantly, releasing his Weavile and grabbing his shotgun. He raised his guard, analyzing the situation. Though the intruders looked like kids, he wasn't one to let his guard down—especially when each of them had strong-looking Pokémon at their side.
Then, he smirked. His eyes were cold, but he was clearly pleased with something.
Just as Korrina and Lucario crossed into the campsite boundary, the ground beneath them gave way.
CLANK!
A steel trapdoor snapped shut, revealing an iron cage hidden in the earth. Korrina and Lucario were both trapped inside.
Stunned, Korrina stared in disbelief.
She'd been so focused on rescuing the Pokémon that she hadn't noticed the trap. Now she and Lucario were caged.
Lucario immediately tried to break free using its moves—but no matter how many it used, the reinforced cage wouldn't budge.