"Oh my god! What in the world is that thing?!"
"It's… it's a level 43 Nidoking!"
"I heard from the townspeople this morning that a powerful Nidoking and Nidoqueen live in this area. Could this be the one they were talking about?"
"I sure hope it's just passing by…"
Fear gripped the group as the massive figure of Nidoking emerged from the tall grass, its sharp horn glinting in the sunlight, its crimson eyes locked onto them. Though Nidoking was only level 43, the sheer aura it exuded made it feel like an unstoppable force.
Nobody dared make a move.
"What are you all standing around for? Run!" Zhang Xuewei's voice cut through the tension. "There's no way we can take on a level 43 Nidoking. Our only option is to get out of here without provoking it!"
Normally, wild Pokémon wouldn't attack unless threatened. If they stayed calm and didn't engage, they had a chance.
"Move it!"
"Let's go!"
Snapping out of their stupor, the members recalled their Pokémon and tried to steer clear of the Nidoking's path, hoping to slip past unnoticed.
But as they veered away, one member glanced over his shoulder, dread creeping into his voice.
"Wei Ge… I think this Nidoking's coming for us!"
The group froze for a moment, watching as Nidoking charged toward them, its massive feet thundering against the earth.
Zhang Xuewei's heart sank. The member was right—no matter how they changed direction, Nidoking adjusted its path, its sights clearly set on them.
"Damn it! Prepare for battle!" he roared. "Dodrio, use Tri Attack!"
Realizing escape was impossible at this distance, he hoped at least to slow the beast down.
"Prince Bo, Water Gun—now!" Zhang Tianyu ordered, his heart pounding.
"Dodrio!"
"Pidgeotto!"
Dodrio's three attacks streaked through the air, mingling with Prince Bo's Water Gun. The combined assault struck Nidoking head-on, kicking up smoke and mist.
"Did… did we get it?" one member whispered, eyes wide, straining to see through the haze.
But as the dust cleared, their hope vanished.
Nidoking stood unscathed, its hide unmarred by their feeble attacks.
"No way… not even a scratch…"
The ground trembled as Nidoking roared and charged, fury in its eyes.
"Scatter! Run!" Zhang Xuewei shouted, panic seizing him.
But how could they outrun a Pokémon like Nidoking?
Those with fast mounts—Dodrio, Ponyta, and the like—fared better. But trainers with slower Pokémon like Raticate or Machop were easy prey.
Nidoking bore down on one unlucky Raticate, ready to crush it beneath its foot. But at the last second, Nidoking remembered Renjiro's command—not to kill. Holding back its strength, it kicked Raticate aside instead of stomping it out.
Even so, the poor creature was instantly knocked out, its body limp on the ground.
Ding! Your Nidoking defeated the level 20 Raticate and gained 195 experience points.
Ding! You gained 50 combat points. Current combat value: 3180.
Renjiro blinked in surprise, having been watching from a distance.
"Huh? I can gain combat value this way too? Interesting…"
Nearby, the trainer of the fallen Raticate crumpled to the ground, terror in his eyes.
"P-please! Don't hurt me!" he begged, crawling backwards, his hands trembling.
Nidoking leaned close, its mouth wide in a fearsome roar.
The trainer's eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
With the first down, Nidoking turned to the next.
Ding! Your Nidoking defeated the level 19 Machop and gained 185 experience points.
Ding! Your Nidoking defeated the level 21 Poochyena and gained 209 experience points.
One by one, the Rocket members fell, their Pokémon no match for the rampaging Nidoking. Within minutes, more than half the team lay unconscious, either from exhaustion or sheer terror.
"Brother Yu! What do we do? It's still chasing us!" Cao Ruifeng gasped, nearly out of breath as he sprinted beside Zhang Tianyu.
"We need to catch up to Zhang Xuewei and get him to contact Boss Giovanni—er, Renjiro!" Zhang Tianyu replied, his voice grim. Their earlier attacks had done nothing; their only hope lay with Renjiro himself.
"Prince Bo, Water Gun at the ground!"
Thinking fast, Zhang Tianyu commanded his Pokémon to fire at the ground ahead of Nidoking, turning the hard soil into a slippery mess.
Nidoking's foot hit the wet patch, and it slipped, crashing face-first into the mud.
"Nice thinking, Brother Yu!" Cao Ruifeng gasped, admiration clear in his voice.
Zhang Tianyu smirked, though his heart was still pounding. "Let's not celebrate yet—run!"
But no sooner had they taken a few steps than Nidoking rose again, mud dripping from its armor-like skin.
"Hyper Beam!"
The ground shook as Nidoking unleashed the devastating attack.
"Down!" Zhang Tianyu tackled both Logan and Cao Ruifeng, throwing them to the dirt just as the beam sliced through the air where they'd been moments before.
"Holy hell…" Zhang Tianyu panted, heart racing. That was too close.
But then, horror filled Cao Ruifeng's eyes.
"Brother Yu! Look!"
The Hyper Beam had curved midair and was coming back toward them like a guided missile.
"Boom!"
The explosion rocked the landscape, a mushroom cloud of dust and debris rising into the sky.
Though Nidoking had aimed at the ground ahead of them rather than their bodies—following Renjiro's order not to kill—the force still knocked them out cold, along with their Pokémon.
Meanwhile, ahead of them, Zhang Xuewei urged his Ponyta faster, glancing back in desperation.
"Viagra, did you contact Renjiro yet?!" Zhang Weiliang shouted.
"No response!" Zhang Xuewei's voice was tight with fear. He'd been trying for minutes with no luck.
"Is this a scam?" Zhang Weiliang wondered aloud, dread gnawing at him.
"No!" Zhang Xuewei said fiercely. "Renjiro wouldn't trick us. There's nothing here worth scamming. We're nobodies. Why go through all this trouble?"
Their Pokémon suddenly reared up, Dodrio and Ponyta halting in their tracks.
A massive blue figure stepped out to block their path—Nidoqueen.
"It's Nidoqueen…" Zhang Liangwei said, his voice hollow.
They'd barely escaped Nidoking, only to run into Nidoqueen.
"Run! Nidoqueen can't catch up if we push our speed advantage!" Zhang Xuewei ordered.
But just as they turned, Nidoking blocked their retreat.
Twin Hyper Beams charged in unison from the mouths of the colossal pair.
"This… this is the end…" Zhang Xuewei thought as his mind went blank.
Boom!
The beams collided with the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth, knocking riders and Pokémon alike unconscious.
From a distance, Renjiro watched the scene unfold, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Tsk… Nineteen people, and they couldn't last half an hour."
The battlefield was littered with collapsed bodies—trainers and Pokémon alike—defeated under the might of Nidoking and Nidoqueen.
Renjiro sighed. "I expected more… but I guess this is the level we're starting at."
He turned to the sleek Persian lounging at his side.
"Persian, watch over them. Make sure no wild Pokémon mess with them while they recover."
"Meow~" (Leave it to me, Master.)
Persian's lazy demeanor melted away as it stood, alert and ready to guard the fallen team.
Renjiro crossed his arms, gazing over the field. The first training session was over. Now the real work would begin.
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more chapter available in p@tréøñ(Atoki_29)