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The moment the signal flare burst into the night sky, the Pokémon poachers immediately fell into chaos. The brilliant fireworks cast harsh light across their faces, revealing expressions of shock and fear. They had never expected to encounter the Patrol Team at four in the morning, especially not in such a remote location as Dragon Ridge Mountain.
From their distant position, they could only make out two or three shadowy figures, but the massive Sceptile stood out like a beacon in the darkness. Even more distinctive was the Glalie—Jayce's signature Pokémon, known throughout the region.
The poachers had heard stories about the Patrol Team's reputation, tales that sent shivers down their spines. Upon seeing that signal flare illuminate the sky, their first instinct was to flee. Even though that Gym Leader level Beartic was within their grasp—a prize worth millions on the black market—their lives held greater value.
Every person in their group understood the harsh reality: once the Patrol Team captured them, the minimum sentence was twenty years behind bars. Twenty years of imprisonment—what difference was there between that and death itself? Once caught, their families would lose all financial support, left to struggle without their breadwinners. They would rather die fighting than surrender peacefully, and they were prepared to battle their way to freedom.
"What are you all panicking about? Calm down, every one of you!" The leading poacher stepped forward, his voice cutting through the chaos as he roared at the men behind him. His presence commanded attention, and the group's scattered attention focused on him.
Just then, Jayce's voice rang out across the mountain wilderness, echoing between the trees and rocky outcrops.
"I am Jayce, Captain of Patrol Team One!" Jayce's voice carried authority and strength as he shouted toward the poachers' position. "You are suspected of illegally poaching Pokémon in the Wilderness Area. Immediately recall your Pokémon and surrender with your hands on your head!"
"It's really Jayce, Captain of Patrol Team One!" one of the poachers whispered, his voice trembling with recognition.
The poachers' hearts raced with growing anxiety, and they couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their voices filled with uncertainty and fear.
"What should we do now? If we run immediately, we might still have a chance to escape."
"Should we try to lose them in the forest?"
"All of you, be quiet!" The poacher leader, seeing that morale was beginning to crumble, let out a commanding shout that silenced the restless crowd. "Look carefully at what's in front of us. There are only three people on the opposite side. Besides Jayce, the other two are just kids—probably new recruits."
Upon hearing this observation, the poachers squinted through the darkness toward Jayce's position. When they clearly saw that Jayce's group consisted of only three people, their expressions began to change. The fear in their eyes was gradually replaced by something more dangerous.
The original terror and dread that had gripped them vanished, replaced by fierce expressions and unmistakable murderous intent. Their desperation transformed into predatory hunger.
Jayce also assessed the number of poachers at this moment, counting a dense mass of figures—approximately twenty people spread across the mountainside. Such a large-scale poaching syndicate was rare, something that might not be encountered even once in a year. Jayce had never expected to face such a situation on his first day of patrol with the two newcomers, Jacob and Amelia.
Jayce's expression darkened as the reality of their situation settled in. Having dealt with poachers frequently throughout his career, he understood exactly what kind of people they were facing. Poachers would kill without hesitation to silence witnesses and protect their operations.
He could accept the risk to his own life—it came with the job—but Jacob and Amelia absolutely could not be harmed. They were his responsibility, and he would protect them at any cost.
"Get ready to run," Jayce turned to look at Jacob and Amelia, his voice low and urgent. "There are too many of them. We are not their opponents in a direct confrontation."
"There are only three of them—we can take them!" one poacher shouted, his voice filled with bloodlust.
"Kill Jayce! My brother was caught by him last year!" another voice rang out from the group.
When the poachers confirmed that Jayce's side only had three people, they became dangerously excited. Those in their line of work were all desperate individuals who had long since abandoned fear of death. They had accepted a life lived on the edge, where survival depended on being more ruthless than their enemies.
They had prepared themselves to live with their lives constantly at risk—it was either kill or be killed. Morality and law had been cast aside long ago, having no restraint on them whatsoever. In these remote mountains, they followed only the law of the jungle.
The poachers' gazes grew fiercer and more predatory. Over twenty poachers, like a pack of hungry wolves, stared menacingly at Jayce and his two companions, calculating their next move.
"Follow me—let's finish them!" The leading poacher, Peter, who owned that powerful Kabutops, had a full beard and a face marked by years of illegal activities. His voice was low and threatening, his eyes holding undisguised murderous intent. "Let's act together and move quickly. Kill them and then leave this place immediately! They fired a signal flare, so other Patrol Team members will arrive soon."
As the poacher leader's command rang out, the poachers all reached for their Poké Balls and threw them in unison, filling the air with the distinctive sound of Pokémon being released.
For a moment, the forest was filled with dozens of Pokémon, their roars and cries echoing through the night air. The weakest of these Pokémon were Lord level in strength, with many Overlord Class Pokémon among them, and even several Gym Leader level Pokémon that stood as testament to their years of illegal activities.
"Bring me that Frosmoth, that Sceptile, and Jayce's Glalie!" The poacher leader's tone was chilling, his murderous intent and greed completely undisguised. After seeing the impressive size of Jacob's Sceptile, greed had already stirred in his heart like a fire.
A Sceptile of such remarkable size would undoubtedly have extremely high potential. If sold on the black market, it would fetch at least several million Pokédollars—enough to set them up for life.
A horse grows fat on night grass, and a person gets rich on ill-gotten gains. For those in their line of work, robbery was a common occurrence, as natural as breathing.
If they couldn't poach wild Pokémon successfully, then they would kill and steal others' Pokémon instead! The moral distinction meant nothing to them.
As for the consequences of murder? And the law? They didn't care about any of it. In these remote mountains, strength was the only truth that mattered! Whoever had the bigger fist was right, and the law simply didn't apply in these lawless territories!
"Kill them all!" the leader roared.
All the Pokémon rushed toward Jayce and his two companions, their movements coordinated and deadly!
At the same time, many poachers raised their firearms, illegal weapons that gleamed menacingly in the moonlight. They aimed at Jacob and the others and opened fire without hesitation!
The bloodthirsty poachers, besides using their Pokémon, also carried illegal firearms and directly attacked the Trainers themselves! There were no battle rules here, no honor or sportsmanship—to survive, they would stop at nothing.
"Run!" Jayce shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Glalie, use Protect!"
Facing the swarming Pokémon and the poachers' fierce counterattack, Jayce reacted with the swift precision of an experienced officer. While having Glalie block the incoming bullets with its protective barrier, he immediately grabbed Jacob and Amelia and quickly fled backward through the forest.
Jacob and Amelia were experiencing such a situation for the first time in their lives. The poachers' strength and ruthlessness completely exceeded their imagination, shattering any romanticized notions they might have had about Patrol Team work. They could only try their best to follow Jayce and run, their breathing heavy and labored as adrenaline coursed through their systems.
The gunshots behind them continued to ring out like firecrackers during a festival, and dozens of Pokémon pursued them relentlessly through the undergrowth. The sound of their pursuit grew closer with each passing moment.
Jayce didn't dare to gamble on the poachers' marksmanship, so he could only have Glalie continuously use Protect to help Jacob and Amelia block the bullets that whistled past their heads.
"Your strength is limited, and staying here won't help me," Jayce said to the two newcomers, a hint of determination flickering in his eyes. "Go quickly—don't worry about me."
He, Jayce, could die if necessary, but Jacob and Amelia absolutely could not be harmed here! They were too young, too inexperienced, and had too much life ahead of them.
Jayce then took out two more Poké Balls and threw them with practiced precision. "You go first—I'll buy you time."
Two Pokémon appeared in flashes of light: one was a Zangoose, its claws gleaming and ready for battle, and the other was a Coalossal, its massive form providing an intimidating presence.
Listening to Jayce's roar, Jacob's heart pounded like a drum, but at this moment, he felt exceptionally calm. His thoughts raced, unable to stop himself from overthinking the situation they found themselves in.
The Patrol Team he had imagined should have been doing simple tasks like patrolling the mountain twice a day, checking on wild Pokémon populations, and ensuring the safety of the wilderness areas. But he had never expected such a dangerous scene, where life and death hung in the balance.
This made Jacob think of his father and his collegue. His father had lived in such circumstances for two years, facing dangers like this regularly, and his collegue had worked here for several years, accumulating experience through countless dangerous encounters.
Had they also encountered such life-threatening situations? He had heard his father say that the Patrol Team was a high-risk profession, with people dying almost every year. Jacob had originally thought it was an exaggeration, something said to make the job sound more impressive than it really was, but now it seemed this job was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined!
"Hurry up and go!" Jayce suddenly pushed Jacob and Amelia, signaling them to leave quickly, while he stayed behind to cover their retreat with his own body and Pokémon. "Glalie, use Blizzard!"
A powerful Blizzard erupted in the sky, ice and snow swirling with devastating force, temporarily delaying the pursuing enemies and giving the retreating trio precious seconds to escape.
"Roar!"
A Stoutland broke through the Blizzard with determination and chased after them, its powerful legs carrying it swiftly through the snow and ice. It lunged fiercely at Jayce and the two others, its teeth glowing with fire as it prepared to deliver a devastating Fire Fang attack aimed directly at Glalie.
With the first Pokémon breaking through the Blizzard's barrier, there came a second, and then a third! The temporary reprieve was ending.
"Hurry up and go!" Jayce said in a deep voice, his tone brooking no argument.
Looking at Jayce's serious expression, Jacob felt a strange calm settle over him instead of the tension he expected. He stood quietly in place, his mind processing the situation with unusual clarity.
With his two Pokémon, Alakazam and Iron Valiant, protecting him, this group of poachers posed no real threat to him at all.