Dahara City was quite far from Azoth Kingdom, so Angie had to take an airship to Anistar City first before continuing to Dahara City.
After boarding, Passimian curiously observed the passengers and Pokémon around them.
Angie smiled and asked, "How does it feel to be on an airship for the first time?"
Aside from the bulky Volcanion and Espathra, Angie had let Diancie, Passimian, and Doublade stay outside their Poké Balls.
Diancie and Passimian had their own tickets, but Doublade, being small, didn't require one.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
The outside world was truly fascinating.
Angie led the three Pokémon to their seats, which were next to each other—Angie in the middle, Diancie on the left, and Passimian on the right.
Since Doublade didn't have a ticket, it had no seat and had to hover between Angie and Passimian, sometimes even floating above Angie's head.
After sitting down, Angie planned to close his eyes and take a short nap, but suddenly, a voice from across the aisle called out to him.
"Hey, bro! Hey, bro! The one with the Passimian!"
"Are you talking to me?" Angie looked at the speaker in confusion—it was a chubby, fair-skinned middle-aged man.
"Yeah, yeah!" The man nodded repeatedly.
His goofy appearance reminded Angie of a Snorlax.
"Can I help you?" Angie asked.
The man asked mysteriously, "What's that Pokémon beside you? I've never seen it before—it's so cute!"
Hearing someone praise Diancie, Angie smiled. "She's called Diancie. She really is cute."
Diancie, a little shy from the compliment, secretly pinched Angie's waist.
"So it's called Diancie!" The man pondered for a moment before asking, "This must be a rare Pokémon, right?"
Then he asked excitedly, "Bro, can you tell me where I can catch a Diancie? I really want one too!"
Angie looked troubled. "I'm afraid I can't help you. I don't know where to find another Diancie either."
"What?!" The man looked disappointed.
He then started chatting away endlessly with Angie.
Originally, Angie had planned to get some rest, but the man's chatter completely disrupted his plan.
At first, Angie had responded out of politeness, but he hadn't expected the man to be so talkative. Eventually, Angie grew annoyed and stopped replying.
The man must have realized he was being a nuisance, as he gradually quieted down.
Once the surroundings fell silent, Angie was finally able to rest.
...
About a day later, they arrived safely in Anistar City.
However, the moment Angie stepped out of Anistar City's airport, he noticed that he was being followed.
For someone who had mastered Aura, it was effortless for Angie to determine whether someone was following him or just coincidentally heading in the same direction.
After some thought, Angie deliberately walked toward a quieter area.
Seeing this, Diancie asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Angie winked at her. Diancie immediately understood—she had already found that man suspicious back on the airship.
And now, it seemed she was right!
Unknowingly, Angie led them to an open space near a construction site.
The site was empty—probably because it was a day off—so there were no workers or Pokémon around.
Seeing Angie stop, the pursuers finally revealed themselves.
There were three of them, with the leader being none other than the chubby, fair-skinned man from the airship.
The man still wore his usual friendly smile as he chuckled, "What a coincidence, bro, we meet again."
Angie smirked. "You and I both know whether this is really a coincidence."
"Ohhh~" The chubby man chuckled. "You're quite sharp, huh? That makes things easier. Just hand over the Diancie, and we'll let you leave in one piece."
Angie grinned. "And if I refuse?"
The man's smile instantly vanished, and his tone turned menacing.
"Then we'll have to rough you up a bit. Don't blame us—blame yourself for parading such a rare Pokémon around."
Angie sighed and shook his head. "You sure are confident in yourself."
The man's expression shifted back to a friendly demeanor. "Not bad, huh? In our line of work, you need some real skills to survive."
Hearing this, Angie suddenly straightened up and said seriously, "I'd love to see your skills firsthand. Please battle me!"
The man was stunned by Angie's sudden challenge. "Huh? Oh—wait…"
Before he could finish his sentence, one of his lackeys impatiently cut in:
"Boss, what are you chatting with this brat for? Don't forget who we are—we attack together!"
The big guy realized he had been fooled and immediately flew into a rage. "Everyone, get him!"
As he spoke, he released his Pokémon, and Angie was quite surprised—it was a Goodra.
No wonder he was a Pokémon trafficker; the Pokémon he had were quite impressive!
Then, the big guy's two accomplices released their own Pokémon as well. Angie was even more surprised—they were both Sliggoo, the pre-evolved form of Goodra.
Before Angie could give any orders, Diancie, Passimian, and Doublade had already stepped forward.
"I wonder if your Diancie can take on my Goodra," the big guy said confidently. "As for your Doublade and Passimian... I doubt they stand a chance! Hahaha~~"
He laughed smugly, clearly having great confidence in his Goodra while looking down on Doublade and Passimian.
"Goodra, do a good job, or else..."
Hearing the big guy's words, Goodra trembled slightly, as if afraid of something. Then, its gaze toward Angie's group became firm.
"Goodra~ Goodra~"
"Sliggoo, you too!" The other two men grinned cruelly.
The Sliggoo reacted just like Goodra did—at first, they looked fearful, but then they showed a determined resolve.
"Sliggoo~ Sliggoo~"
"Sliggoo~ Sliggoo~"
They called out toward Angie's group in unison.
Seeing this, Angie frowned.
Before he could think further, the other side had already started attacking.
One of the traffickers commanded, "Sliggoo, use Rain Dance!"
As soon as he spoke, dark clouds gathered overhead, and rain poured down.
Although Goodra wasn't a Water-type Pokémon, it liked water and was skilled in Water-type moves. The rain would allow it to perform at its best.
On the other hand, Diancie disliked water, and its brows furrowed tightly.
Then, the big guy ordered, "Goodra, use Aqua Tail!"
"Goodra~"
Goodra responded, swinging its thick tail. A massive column of water formed and lashed toward Diancie and the others.
Diancie stepped forward, extending both hands. A transparent barrier appeared before it—it had used Reflect.
Boom!!!
Aqua Tail struck the Reflect barrier, sending water splashing everywhere. The impact was loud, but the attack barely did any damage.
At the same time, Doublade and Passimian sprang into action.
Passimian leaped with impressive agility, instantly closing in on one of the Sliggoo. It raised its fist and aimed a Brick Break attack at Sliggoo.
However, Sliggoo didn't try to take the hit head-on. Instead, it quickly hid behind Goodra. Seeing this, Goodra used its strong, thick antennae to easily block Passimian's punch.
Goodra held Passimian firmly while swinging its tail, preparing to knock it out with Aqua Tail.
Just as Aqua Tail was about to strike, a flash of sword light cut through the attack—it was Doublade.
Sacred Sword clashed with Aqua Tail, slicing the water attack into countless droplets that scattered through the air.
At the same time, Diancie fired a colorful beam of light—it was the Fairy-type move Dazzling Gleam, super effective against Dragon-type Pokémon.
One of the Sliggoo leaped in front of Goodra to shield it.
Boom~~~
Diancie's attack landed with a loud explosion, but to Angie's surprise, although Sliggoo was covered in wounds, it still managed to stay standing.
Logically, a single Dazzling Gleam should have been too much for a Sliggoo to endure.
After a moment of thought, Angie understood—it had used Endure.
With this move, no matter how strong the attack was, the user would always survive with the slimmest amount of health.
Seeing Diancie's attack, the big guy frowned. "That Diancie is a Fairy-type Pokémon?"
Angie looked surprised and chuckled. "Yeah, didn't I tell you?"
The big guy gritted his teeth in frustration—he had miscalculated!
Fairy-type Pokémon were his worst nightmare!
On the other side, the other Sliggoo used Life Dew to heal the injured Sliggoo.
Clearly, the traffickers had a well-planned strategy for their Goodra and the two Sliggoo.
One Sliggoo was responsible for Rain Dance and healing.
The other Sliggoo acted as a shield.
And Goodra handled the attacking.
Using the Eye of Observation, Angie saw that the Sliggo responsible for summoning rain had the Sap Sipper ability, was holding a Damp Rock, and was using it to extend the duration of Rain Dance.
The tanky Sliggo had the Gooey ability, which reduced an opponent's Speed upon contact, and was carrying an Eviolite to boost its defenses.
Meanwhile, the Goodra had the Hydration ability, allowing it to recover from status conditions in rainy weather. It was also holding a Mystic Water, which enhanced the power of Water-type moves.
With this setup, no wonder that big guy was so confident!
And that Goodra's level was indeed quite high—otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to evolve in the first place.
Pokémon like Dragonite, Tyranitar, Metagross, Salamence, Garchomp, Hydreigon, Goodra, Kommo-o, Dragapult, and Baxcalibur—commonly referred to as pseudo-legendary Pokémon—were officially classified in the academic field as "Late Bloomers."
This term meant that they were generally very powerful but required exceptionally high levels to reach their final evolutionary stage.
The Passimian, whose arm was caught by Goodra, opened its mouth and spat out a green seed, launching it toward Goodra.
It was using the Grass-type move Seed Bomb.
At that moment, the Sliggo with Sap Sipper ability leaped in front of Goodra to block the attack.
Pokémon with Sap Sipper ability not only take no damage from Grass-type moves, but their Attack stat also increases when hit by one.
Sure enough, the Sliggo remained unharmed and retaliated with a Muddy Water attack aimed at Passimian.
However, Doublade was faster. A flash of steel sliced through the air, sending the Sliggo flying.
Goodra saw this and tried to counterattack with Muddy Water, attempting to take Doublade by surprise.
But Passimian wouldn't let it succeed. It swung its fist and used Brick Break, cutting through the murky water and striking Goodra directly.
"Goodra..." Goodra staggered backward.
Just then, Diancie's Dazzling Gleam struck once again.
The Sliggo stepped forward once more, enduring the attack with Endure to protect Goodra.
Meanwhile, the Sliggo that had been sent flying by Doublade used Life Dew, a group healing move.
Droplets of water rained down on Goodra and the two Sliggo, rapidly healing their wounds.
Annoying... Angie couldn't help but think.
At the same time, one of the big guy's lackeys muttered under his breath, "Boss, this one's tough... I don't think we can win."
From the start, they had been on the defensive. If it had come to this, it meant the opponent was stronger than them!
"Should we retreat?" another lackey asked.
The big guy hesitated, staring at the adorable Diancie on the opposing side.
He had never seen a Pokémon like this before! If he could get his hands on it, they'd hit the jackpot!
But before he could make a move, Angie, growing impatient with the stalemate, said to Diancie, "Use Play Rough!"
Goodra had strong Special Defense, but its Physical Defense was relatively average, so Angie switched from the special attack Dazzling Gleam to the physical move Play Rough.
Diancie's body shimmered with pink energy as it charged straight at Goodra.
The Sliggo tried to intercept again, but the nimble Passimian suddenly leaped beside it, grabbed it, and carried it far away.
BOOM!!!
With a loud crash, Goodra was sent flying and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
With Goodra down, the two Sliggo were no longer a threat.
The one held by Passimian struggled fiercely but couldn't break free from its grasp.
The other was struck by Doublade's Sacred Sword and was knocked out.
With all three Pokémon defeated, the three Pokémon traffickers immediately turned to flee.
SWOOSH!!!
A sharp blade sliced through the air, carving a deep gash into the ground in front of them.
The trio froze, trembling.
The big guy chuckled nervously. "Hey, buddy, let's talk this out, alright? Let's just pretend this never happened. I've got money—I'll pay you!"
Angie shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "Begging for mercy already? I preferred your arrogant attitude from earlier."
The big guy's face darkened.
At that moment, Doublade noticed him making a sneaky move and immediately slashed the ground near his feet.
The big guy froze, no longer daring to act rashly.
Angie walked over to take a look and saw that the man was reaching for the Poké Balls at his waist.
Clearly, besides Goodra, the burly man had other Pokémon.
After a thorough search, Angie retrieved all the Poké Balls from the three men.
In addition to Goodra and the two Sliggoo, each of the three Pokémon traffickers had another Pokémon: a Vaporeon, a Jolteon, and a Flareon.
When the three Pokémon were released, they immediately realized that their Poké Balls were no longer in the traffickers' hands. Without hesitation, they launched attacks—Vaporeon used Water Gun, Jolteon used Thunder Shock, and Flareon used Ember—striking the three traffickers.
The men screamed in pain.
Clearly, they had not treated their Pokémon well, and now they were facing the consequences.
Judging by Goodra and the Sliggoo's condition, their situation was likely similar.
Angie recalled Goodra and the two Sliggoo into their Poké Balls and called the police.
While waiting for Officer Jenny, he stared at the Poké Balls in his hands, lost in thought. Then, he made a decision and tucked them into his belt.
He wasn't going to turn these Pokémon in.
He was going to keep them for himself!
He suddenly thought about an important task in his family's future—one that Goodra and the Sliggoo would be perfect for.
Once he gathered some Hearty Grains seeds, he could have Goodra and the Sliggoo help plant them.
Hearty Grains crops needed to be cultivated in water fields, similar to rice paddies, and since Goodra and Sliggoo were Pokémon that lived in swamps, they would be perfect for the job.
Then, he turned his attention to the three Eeveelutions sitting in front of him.
"What do you guys plan to do?" he asked.
The three exchanged glances before Vaporeon stepped forward.
"Vaporeon~ Vaporeon~"
Can we follow you?
Angie had saved them from the traffickers. From the way he treated them, Vaporeon could tell he wasn't a bad person. That was why it made this choice.
Angie was momentarily stunned, then thought to himself: I really am too charming!
"Alright, if you're willing, I have no objections."
Eevee were already rare Pokémon, and these three had even evolved using Evolution Stones. The fact that they wanted to follow him made Angie feel honored.
He recalled them into their Poké Balls, then sat in place, absentmindedly waiting for Officer Jenny to arrive.
Not far away, the burly man who was tied up noticed that Angie was lost in thought, and a sinister gleam flashed in his eyes.
He moved his wrist, adjusting a watch-like device strapped to it, and aimed it at Angie.
But while Angie appeared distracted, he was actually still on high alert. His Doublade also hadn't taken its eyes off the three traffickers.
So the moment the burly man made his move, both Angie and Doublade noticed.
Just as the device fired a strange beam of light, Doublade struck out, while Angie dodged to the side.
Zing!
The beam missed and struck a small tree nearby, turning it to stone in an instant.
What kind of black-market tech is this?! Angie stared at the gray, petrified tree, his heart still racing.
"You still dare to launch a sneak attack?!"
Furious, Angie stormed over, grabbed the burly man by his collar, and started punching him.
"I'll teach you to try sneaky tricks! How dare you!"
One punch after another rained down as the man howled like a slaughtered pig.
Before long, his face was swollen like a pig's head. Even his two subordinates weren't spared and ended up getting a beating as well.