In the forest, the scent of damp, rotting leaves mixed with the fishy smell of soil drifted into his nostrils.
That shrill cry for help was like a sharp needle, piercing through the silence of the dense woods.
Jiang Han's brows furrowed slightly.
Trouble.
That was his first reaction.
He wasn't some righteous League Trainer, nor did he have a penchant for playing the hero or saving the innocent.
Before every action, he habitually assessed the risks and rewards.
"Help..."
The voice came again, tearful and growing weaker, as if it could be swallowed by the darkness of the forest at any moment.
Jiang Han stood up and brushed the dust off his pant legs, his eyes calm and devoid of emotion.
He didn't rush over immediately. Instead, he gave a silent command to the Sandile beside him.
Lurk.
A flash of ferocity crossed Sandile's crimson eyes as its massive body silently sank into the nearby bushes, merging with the shadows.
After consuming the bitter berry, not only had its strength increased greatly, but its instinctive hunting techniques had also been enhanced.
Only after completing this did Jiang Han unhurriedly walk toward the direction of the voice.
After walking about a hundred meters, the area ahead suddenly opened up.
In a clearing within the forest, a little girl with twin tails was leaning against a large tree, her face covered in tear stains, her body trembling violently from fear.
In front of her, three Poochyena were baring their teeth, low threatening growls coming from their throats. Saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths as they approached step by step.
Jiang Han's gaze lingered briefly on the little girl.
The fabric and style of the dress she was wearing were not things an ordinary family could afford, and she also wore an exquisite silver bracelet on her wrist.
A spoiled young lady who had secretly run out to play.
Jiang Han instantly made a judgment in his mind.
His brain operated like a precision instrument, rapidly processing and analyzing the situation before him.
Several options flashed through his mind.
One: turn around and leave, pretending he saw nothing. This was the safest, but it also meant giving up a potential opportunity.
Two: kill her to eliminate any future trouble and scavenge some valuables. But the reward was too low; a bracelet wasn't worth much. Instead, the disappearance of a child might trigger a thorough search by the local forces of Dewford Town, adding risk to himself.
Three: kidnapping. The reward was highest, but so was the risk. Dewford Town was only so big; if a child from a major family was kidnapped, the other party would definitely blockade the entire island and dig three feet deep to find them. He had just arrived and his foundation was not yet stable; once exposed, he would have no way to escape.
That left only the fourth option.
Rescue her.
Jiang Han's gaze swept over the three Poochyena, which were clearly wild and at most around Level 5. Dealing with them would be effortless for the current Sandile.
The cost was practically zero.
And the potential return... a favor from a major family.
For someone who had just received a mission and needed an entry point to investigate Fujiki, this was practically a perfect springboard delivered right to his mouth.
In a flash, Jiang Han had already determined the optimal solution.
His eyes became deep, like a pool of bottomless cold water.
Just as one of the Poochyena lost its patience and prepared to pounce on the little girl.
"Sandile."
Jiang Han's voice wasn't loud, but like a command, it clearly reached the bushes.
"Roar!"
A dark shadow suddenly lunged out from the side shadows, bringing with it a gust of foul wind!
It was Sandile!
At this moment, its ferocity was fully revealed.
Its thick limbs stomped heavily on the ground, making the entire area seem to vibrate.
It didn't even use any skills, just violently and unreasonably slammed into them!
Bang!
The Poochyena that had pounced first didn't even have time to scream before it was sent flying like a broken sack. It traced a parabola in the air, smashed heavily against a tree trunk, slid to the ground, and went still after a couple of twitches.
Insta-kill!
The remaining two Poochyena were so frightened by this bloody and brutal scene that their fur stood on end. They instinctively retreated, their threatening growls turning into whimpers of fear.
But Sandile gave them no chance.
Its figure flashed again.
Crack!
The tooth-grinding sound of bone snapping rang out.
That Poochyena's whimpering stopped abruptly. Its body went limp and was tossed aside by Sandile's mouth.
The last Poochyena was completely terrified. With its tail between its legs, it turned to flee into the depths of the forest.
"Want to leave?"
A cruel arc curled at the corner of Jiang Han's mouth.
Sandile's crimson eyes locked onto the fleeing target, and Ground-type energy rapidly condensed.
Sand Tomb!
A small Sandstorm immediately trapped the Poochyena!
It strangled the Poochyena tightly inside!
This was also the result of Sandile's battles throughout the afternoon.
Its proficiency with the Sand Tomb skill had improved significantly.
"Awoo..."
After a short cry of grief, the Poochyena collapsed to the ground, unable to get up again.
From Sandile's appearance to the end of the battle, the entire process took no more than ten seconds.
Clean, decisive, and efficient.
A faint smell of blood permeated the air.
The little girl was dazed. Tears still hung on her face, but she had forgotten to cry. She just stared blankly at the majestic Sandile, which radiated a terrifying aura, then looked at Jiang Han as he slowly stepped out from behind a tree.
Jiang Han ignored the corpses on the ground and walked straight to the girl, deliberately making his voice sound gentler.
"Are you alright?"
Only then did the little girl snap out of it. She peeked timidly at Jiang Han, then at the fierce-looking Sandile beside him. She shrank back slightly and said in a small voice:
"I'm... I'm okay now. Thank you, Big Brother."
"It's dangerous to run to a place like this alone."
Jiang Han's tone was calm, as if he were stating a fact.
"Where is your family?"
"I... I snuck out." The little girl's voice was as faint as a mosquito's. She kept her head down, not daring to look into Jiang Han's eyes. "My name is Teng Zhai. Big Brother, what's your name?"
"My name is Jiang Han. Where do you live? I'll take you back."
"My home... is in the Fighting Dojo."
The Fighting Dojo!
It was as if fireworks had exploded in Jiang Han's mind.
Truly, one can find something by chance after searching for it everywhere in vain.
Team Rockets' first mission had actually found a perfect breakthrough in such an unexpected way.
In an instant, countless plans formed in Jiang Han's mind.
A trace of a sincere smile finally appeared on his face as he crouched down to be at eye level with the little girl.
"So it's Teng Zhai. Don't be afraid. It's too dangerous here, let me take you home."
His smile looked exceptionally gentle under the dappled light of the forest, but beneath that gentleness was the calm and indifference of a hunter who had locked onto his prey and was determined to succeed.
"Mm!"
Little Teng Zhai nodded heavily, her eyes full of admiration and gratitude as she looked at Jiang Han.
"Thank you, Big Brother! You're such a good person!"
A good person?
Jiang Han sneered in his heart.
Little girl, in this world, there are no good people without reason... Along the way, little Teng Zhai was like a lark, chirping incessantly.
From her intermittent descriptions, Jiang Han pieced together what had happened.
It was nothing more than a child being playful, feeling bored at home, and slipping into the forest behind the mountain while her family wasn't paying attention. As a result, she got lost and encountered Poochyena.
A standard script of a brat courting death.
Soon, the two of them walked out of the dense forest.
A traditional building full of masculinity and a sense of power appeared before them. On the plaque at the entrance, three large characters were carved in a flamboyant style—Fighting Dojo!
At the entrance of the Gym, a lean young man with blue hair, wearing a loose black martial arts uniform, was pacing anxiously, frequently looking toward the forest with a face full of worry.
When he saw Jiang Han leading Teng Zhai out, he was stunned.
The next second, he rushed over in a single stride.
"Teng Zhai!"
The young man pulled the little girl into his arms, checking her over as his voice trembled slightly:
"Where did you go! Do you know how worried everyone was! Are you hurt?"
"Brother!"
When little Teng Zhai saw who it was, her mouth puckered and tears flowed again.
"I was wrong... I was surrounded by Poochyena, and Big Brother Jiang Han saved me!"
Fujiki.
Jiang Han looked at the man before him; the data from the pokédex in his mind instantly matched the real person.
Dewford Town Gym Leader, Fighting-type expert, and one of the genius Trainers recorded by the League.
He was also the target of his mission this time.
After Fujiki comforted his sister in his arms, he stood up straight and turned his gaze toward Jiang Han. His eyes were full of scrutiny, but even more so, a heartfelt gratitude.
He gave Jiang Han a deep bow.
"Hello, I am Fujiki, Teng Zhai's brother. Thank you so much."
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