"Boom!"
The sound of an explosion echoed once again.
Watching the flames erupt repeatedly, Gu Yuan signaled Charizard to cease its attack. As the smoke dissipated, the heavily injured Nidoking—now emitting a faint aroma of roasted meat—collapsed weakly, completely losing its ability to battle.
True to their agreement, Gu Yuan patiently treated Nidoking's wounds. Thanks to the natural self-healing abilities of Pokémon, Nidoking soon regained its health, though it immediately faced its second match.
As Sylveon and the others took turns on the field, Nidoking experienced the sensation of losing to Pokémon of nearly every attribute. Generally speaking, it found losing to Alakazam a bit easier to handle; that usually just left its head feeling dizzy and heavy, unlike the encounters with Charizard and the rest, which left its entire body covered in scars.
Through the series of battles, Nidoqueen gradually learned to ignore her husband's pathetic state.
"Thank you for your cooperation. As promised, this delicious food is yours."
Once the battle between Ditto and Nidoking concluded, Gu Yuan took out a generous amount of high-quality Pokémon food and gave it to the Nidoking couple. Looking at the delicacies he had worked so hard for, Nidoking felt as though tears were about to well up in its eyes.
Having no intention of capturing Nidoking, Gu Yuan prepared to depart. When Agatha gave him this map, she had advised him not to capture the powerful Pokémon in these forests. If a forest loses its leader, it often falls into chaos. Considering his official status, Gu Yuan naturally followed Agatha's wishes.
Just as Gu Yuan was about to leave, he unexpectedly discovered that other humans had set foot in the area.
How thoughtful. Knowing I just finished my trial, are they rushing here to hand me some merits?
After a soft murmur, Gu Yuan had Alakazam use Teleport to whisk them away. Once Gu Yuan's group had vanished, the Nidoking couple finally relaxed and began to enjoy their meal with satisfaction.
After several shifts, Gu Yuan and Alakazam appeared within a dense tree canopy. Having sprayed a scent-neutralizing potion, Gu Yuan didn't need to worry about being discovered by the people ahead.
Scanning their faces, he began cross-referencing their data. To ensure Gu Yuan could quickly identify poaching groups and Pokémon hunters, Elite Four Agatha had upgraded his clearance, allowing him to check the records of such criminals at will.
Gu Yuan soon confirmed their identities: they were indeed a poaching group. Their leader, Fidel, possessed two Leader Rank Pokémon: an Arbok and a Machamp. The stronger executives were only Ace Rank, while the rest were Senior Rank. This power gap was a typical reflection of most poaching organizations.
Groups like these were merely collections of Pokémon hunters joined together for profit. Even if trust existed between them, it proved extremely fragile when tested by greed. To maintain absolute authority, a poaching leader would never train subordinates who might pose a threat to them.
Judging by their movement, they seemed to be heading toward the Nidoking couple to capture them. With their identities confirmed, Gu Yuan no longer hesitated. However, before striking, he needed to make preparations.
Using Teleport to put some distance between himself and the group, Gu Yuan had Charizard and the others use various moves to buff their strength. Since Fidel was traveling through a region inhabited by many Leader Rank Pokémon, he didn't dare be careless and moved with extreme caution, which provided Gu Yuan with ample preparation time.
Once everything was ready, Gu Yuan had Alakazam use Teleport to bring the group back, launching the final general offensive.
"Burn!"
Searing flames surged forth as Charizard's Blast Burn descended, aimed directly at Fidel, who was in the lead.
"Enemy attack! Watch out!"
Fidel let out a furious roar and ordered his Machamp to counterattack. Machamp leaped into the air, meeting the Blast Burn with a Focus Punch.
In the next second, Machamp was sent flying. Against a Charizard that had boosted its physical and special attack to the limit, Machamp's Focus Punch simply couldn't hold its ground.
Beside Fidel, Arbok had also prepared for battle. Suddenly, an orange-yellow energy beam shot out, striking toward Arbok. Having been prepared, Arbok countered with Hyper Beam. However, the result was the same as Machamp's; facing a Sylveon with maxed-out special attack and the Pixilate ability, Arbok was utterly crushed in the clash.
The rest of the group stood on guard, scanning the surroundings. They couldn't easily interfere in a Leader Rank battle, especially when they didn't know if there were Ace Rank or Senior Rank trainers lying in ambush.
"Sylveon, use Sunny Day, then use Helping Hand to keep boosting Charizard and the others!"
"Ditto, transform into Charizard and attack from the rear to quickly eliminate their active forces!"
"Ceruledge, Skeledirge, Gengar—attack freely. Coordinate with Alakazam and don't let a single person escape."
"Annihilape, target Machamp. Rage Fist!"
"Charizard, keep releasing Blast Burn. Don't let Fidel catch his breath!"
A flurry of commands rang out as the team launched an orderly assault. At this level of combat, Gu Yuan wasn't comfortable letting Haxorus and the newer members move freely yet, so he kept them by his side for protection.
Ditto first transformed into Alakazam to Teleport behind the poaching group, then shifted into Charizard to unleash Blast Burn. Under the effects of Sunny Day, the power of the move was boosted even further. To the Intermediate and Senior Rank opponents, a Leader Rank Ditto was essentially a force beyond their dimension.
Simultaneously, Ceruledge and the others struck. Utilizing the eerie mobility of Ghost-types, they wove through the group, specifically targeting the Ace Rank opponents. Alakazam acted as a mobile turret, using Psychic to pick off the Senior and Intermediate Rank Pokémon. Some hunters, sensing the overwhelming power of Alakazam, tried to flee, only to be easily intercepted and neutralized by Teleport.
Using Phantom Force, Annihilape surged in front of Machamp and swung a Rage Fist. Machamp channeled its full strength into a Focus Punch to counter. Unfortunately, against an Annihilape with maxed attack and a fully powered Rage Fist, Machamp's resistance seemed pitifully small.
Crunch. The sound of breaking bone echoed as Machamp's arm was shattered by the impact. Annihilape's fist followed through, slamming into Machamp's body. Annihilape then used Phantom Force to reappear behind the staggering Machamp, delivering another Rage Fist to completely finish it off.
At the front, Charizard looked like a true demonic dragon, suppressing Fidel so heavily he couldn't even find room to breathe.