In the Dark Caves
Paul crouched in the dimly lit cave, waiting in silence alongside his four Pokémon, ready to ambush Hunter J.
This cave had no deep tunnels or hidden pathways—just a relatively open chamber, barely ten meters beyond the entrance, where everything was in plain sight.
A normal person being pursued would never risk entering such a place.
But Paul was different. He dared.
If Hunter J had the audacity to come after him, then he had the courage to set a trap and strike back.
The moment Hunter J stepped inside, he would seize the opportunity. All of his Pokémon, pushed to their absolute limits, would launch a coordinated assault, taking on Hunter J head-on and ending her reign as a ruthless poacher right here in this cavern.
What good was a near-Elite-level Salamence in such a confined space?
Let's see if it could still protect her when the walls closed in, and an ambush struck from every direction.
As for the possibility of a cave-in burying them all—Paul wasn't concerned in the slightest.
With Ursaring, who had mastered Stomping Tantrum and Earthquake, alongside Gabite, who could carve through rock with its fangs, digging an escape tunnel would be no trouble at all.
—
Elsewhere
Hunter J soared above the forest on her Salamence, scanning the area rapidly with high-tech tracking equipment.
Her aircraft hovered as it prepared to deploy a squad to intercept the moving vehicle and rescue her captured subordinates.
However, before she could give the order, her eyes narrowed as she spotted the scene below—the vehicle had already been forced to a halt by Officer Jenny and her police force.
Several police cars had surrounded the armored vehicle, their red-and-blue lights flashing ominously. Standing beside the officers were teams of Arcanine and Growlithe, all gazing up at the hovering aircraft with sharp, watchful eyes.
But that wasn't all.
Nearby, a red off-road vehicle was parked, and stepping out of it was an elderly woman with graying hair, wrapped in a white coat and scarf.
She gazed up at the sky with an air of composed indifference.
Inside Hunter J's earpiece, a voice suddenly crackled through—
Beep beep—
"Boss, Officer Jenny's here with the police. Should we proceed with the rescue?"
"Stand by for my signal." Hunter J responded, clenching her fist as she cast a hard glare toward the forest, forcing herself to stay calm.
Then, she patted Salamence on the head, signaling it to cease the search and return to assess the situation.
"Rooaar~"
Salamence let out a low growl before flapping its wings and soaring back.
As Hunter J approached, she saw Officer Jenny's unit glaring up at her from below, ready to engage at a moment's notice.
"Hunter J! You are wanted by the Pokémon League for illegal poaching, theft of Pokémon, and multiple assaults on civilian areas!"
"You have violated numerous League laws! Surrender now!"
Officer Jenny's authoritative voice echoed across the clearing.
"Heh." Hunter J scoffed, unfazed by Officer Jenny's words.
She had heard this speech countless times before—only with a longer list of accusations each time.
Hunter J had little regard for Officer Jenny's skills and was confident in her own superiority.
However, she knew better than to push her luck. The League's reinforcements arrived quickly, and if she forced their hand, even she wouldn't escape unscathed.
After all, if she ended up dead or permanently on the run, how would she continue her lucrative trade?
Though she had lost both manpower and resources in this mission, setbacks like this were part of the game. A skilled poacher always accounted for occasional losses.
But the moment Hunter J's gaze landed on the elderly woman beside Officer Jenny, she made her decision without hesitation.
She turned and fled.
"Attack!"
Officer Jenny wasn't about to let Hunter J escape so easily. She ordered her officers to pursue.
The elderly woman, however, sighed.
In a standard battle, she had no fear of Hunter J—she could even assist in capturing her.
But an aerial chase? That wasn't her specialty.
"You go on ahead." She said, shaking her head. "I'll track down the boy who made the anonymous report."
She climbed back into her off-road vehicle.
"Understood. Thank you for your help." Officer Jenny replied, her tone carrying a hint of respect.
—
Inside the Cave
Beep beep—
Paul's phone vibrated. Seeing Officer Jenny's name on the screen, he answered.
"Hmm. Got it."
"Thanks for the help, Officer Jenny."
"Understood."
Ending the call, Paul let out a slow breath and said, "Alright, crisis averted. Officer Jenny's close by—we can leave now."
He and his Pokémon carefully made their way out of the cave.
Once at the entrance, Paul observed the sky, ensuring Hunter J's aircraft had vanished into the distance.
Only then did he step out into the open with confidence.
"Keep training. When you're strong enough, we won't need to worry about scum like her anymore."
Paul's voice was as cold as ice as he watched the last trace of Hunter J disappear over the horizon.
He hated unnecessary trouble.
He never sought it out.
But now that it had come knocking on his door, he found it intolerable.
The next time someone like Hunter J crossed his path, he wouldn't let them walk away.
"Grrrr…"
"Gaaaa…"
"Ursaa!"
"Bzzzt!"
His four Pokémon growled in frustration. This was the first time they had felt so powerless against an external threat, and they didn't like it one bit.
Just then, the sound of an approaching vehicle caught their attention.
A red off-road car drifted to a halt right in front of Paul.
The elderly woman stepped out, her sharp gaze sweeping over Paul and his Pokémon before she smiled.
"You must be the boy who was attacked by the hunters."
"Yes, Bertha, the Elite-Four." Paul replied politely.
With just one glance, he recognized the esteemed figure before him—Bertha, the Ground-type Elite Four of the Sinnoh region.
"Oh my, you recognize me? What a shame…"
Bertha sighed. She never liked being addressed by her title or status.
She had even considered using a fake name, but that idea had been completely ruined.
"Just call me Bertha. Let's keep things casual."
"Alright, Bertha." Paul replied.
Bertha clicked her tongue at his formal response.
"Such politeness is exhausting." She muttered.
But before she could say anything more, Paul's next words took her by surprise.
"Bertha, I challenge you to a battle."
His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with determination.
"Hah! Barely out of danger, and you already want to battle? Kids these days sure have lots of energy."
Bertha chuckled, then smirked.
"But I'm on vacation. Give me a reason to accept."
"You came here to assist Officer Jenny, which means you were already prepared for battle." Paul stated plainly.
"But now, your intended opponent has fled."
"So, why not fight me instead?"
Bertha studied him for a moment, then laughed.
"Not bad. I like your reasoning."
"Alright, I accept your challenge."
She turned and climbed back into her vehicle, gesturing for Paul to sit in the passenger seat.
"This place isn't suitable for a battle. Let's find a better spot."
Without hesitation, Paul recalled his Pokémon and got into the car.
"Hold on tight." Bertha warned.
The moment he buckled his seatbelt, she slammed on the gas.
The vehicle shot forward like a bullet.
As they sped past Officer Jenny's team, Bertha called out without slowing down, "I'm taking the kid. The rest is up to you."
Officer Jenny watched the red off-road vehicle disappear into the distance.
"Bertha sure hasn't lost her edge." She muttered.
Then, with a sigh, she turned back to the grim task at hand—dealing with Hunter J's captured hunters.
"Hurry up and find some clothes for them to wear later."
Bringing a group of naked criminals would certainly raise some eyebrows at the headquarters.
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