Chapter 288: Cold Fury, Swift Action
Xiu rubbed Scizor's Poké Ball for a long moment, debating, before finally clipping it back to his belt.
For the first time, he truly felt the acute disadvantage of not having enough readily available, powerful Pokémon.
He had no choice but to find Xiaochun. He squatted down, placed his hands gently on her shoulders, and said, "Xiaochun, I need to ask you for a big favor…"
After arranging the security around the institute, instructing Xiaochun and her Ditto to be the last line of defense, Xiu took the meal Daisy had packed and left.
Before departing, he reminded Daisy again not to leave the research institute grounds, no matter what happened outside.
Xiu walked along the main street of Pallet Town. Many of the outsiders who had streamed in had lost their initial curiosity about the small town.
There was little to buy here now, so most had retreated to their vehicles.
Those with food ate; those without went hungry.
The townspeople, in turn, showed an obvious rejection of these newcomers, many unwilling to even venture out of their homes.
Although the scene was still somewhat chaotic, it was generally stable. At least the basic order had not completely collapsed.
As long as no one actively made trouble, the situation was… manageable.
Just as he was thinking this, a commotion erupted from an area where a group of refugee vehicles was clustered.
"Damn you! How dare you steal my things?"
"This is my family's property!"
"Still trying to argue? I'll beat you to death!"
Hearing a slightly familiar, desperate voice amidst the shouting, Xiu hurried over.
When he squeezed through the onlookers and got closer, he found that it was Chen who was in trouble— a burly, strong man had Chen by the throat, had dragged him out of his car, and was now beating him on the ground.
Two other men had forced open the back door of Chen's car and were removing the supplies Xiu had given them earlier. This violent intrusion terrified Mei, who was hugging Sol tightly, huddled in the back seat, her expression one of extreme fear.
Seeing this scene, Xiu's emotions suddenly surged, almost breaking through his carefully constructed psychological defenses. His muscles tensed, and his facial muscles even trembled slightly.
His eyes became colder and colder. He walked towards the unfolding assault without saying a word.
Because of the strongman's brutal attitude, the surrounding crowd had instinctively backed away, forming an empty circle.
Xiu didn't walk directly into the center but instead moved along the edge, sticking close to the thugs' own vehicle, which was piled with goods presumably looted from others.
As one of the men carrying supplies from Chen's car passed him, Xiu lashed out with a single, precise punch to the man's temple. The man crumpled to the ground without a sound, instantly unconscious.
Everyone was so engrossed by the brutal beating Chen was receiving that no one had noticed Xiu's swift, silent action.
After dealing with the first man, Xiu moved towards the second. The moment he was within range, he snapped his hand up, striking the man hard under the chin with an open palm.
Xiu moved past him without breaking stride. The man's body suddenly tensed, then he toppled backward, the supplies in his hands scattering across the ground.
By this time, some of the onlookers had noticed something was amiss, their attention shifting from Chen's plight to Xiu.
But the strongman leader, indulging in the pleasure of plunder and violence, hadn't noticed Xiu's approach at all.
When the distance was right, Xiu's pace suddenly quickened, closing the last few meters in an instant. He ducked low, rushing towards the sturdy man.
The moment they made contact, Xiu's elbow, previously hidden, shot out, striking the man heavily in the lower back, specifically the kidney, sending him staggering away.
"Argh!" The sturdy man clutched his back, screaming in pain as he stumbled backward.
It was obvious he hadn't expected anyone to intervene, let alone attack him.
Xiu took advantage of the opening, positioning himself between the thug and Chen, shielding the downed man.
The strongman's physique was not bad; he had managed to withstand the blow without completely losing his ability to fight.
He looked around wildly and saw his two accomplices lying on the ground, their conditions unknown.
Feeling the intense pain throbbing in his back, the man understood that such ruthlessly efficient strikes were not the work of an ordinary person.
Even common Trainers wouldn't fight with such brutal precision, aiming to incapacitate or kill. As if realizing how dangerous Xiu was, the man hesitated, a flicker of calculation in his eyes.
"Friend," he said, his voice attempting a placating tone, "if I've offended you in some way, please speak up. Let's not hurt our friendly relations."
It would have been better if he hadn't spoken. As soon as the words left his mouth, Xiu began to walk towards him, silent and implacable, his eyes fixed on the man, like a lone wolf stalking its prey.
When the strongman met this predatory gaze, he didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a chill of fear. He took a few involuntary steps back. "Brother," he stammered, "I am also well-known among the Hunters in Viridian City. Please, give me some face."
"Who the hell are you to ask for face?" Xiu shouted, his voice merciless. "Trash!"
When the man heard Xiu's blatant disrespect, his expression instantly twisted into a ferocious snarl. His earlier caution was replaced by a wave of ruthlessness, and his hand moved towards his belt, likely for a Poké Ball. "I didn't want to—"
But before he could finish his threat, a massive shadow was projected over him, completely engulfing him.
As if sensing something, the man paused, his neck craning backward. All he saw was a looming darkness. He looked up and met the cold, golden, multifaceted eyes of Scizor.
Impossible! When was it summoned…?
But before the man could react further, Scizor's pitch black pincers shot out, clamping down on his left and right arms.
With effortless strength, Scizor lifted him clear off the ground.
The man struggled desperately to break free, but it was useless. His struggles only made the pincers grip tighter, the pressure immense.
Human strength seemed utterly fragile before a Pokémon of Scizor's caliber.
Xiu slowly walked up to the suspended man, his voice calm. "I want to know how you were planning to deal with me. Were you going to rely on your little Pokémon?"
Xiu reached out and plucked the Poké Ball from the man's belt, tossing it lightly in his hand.
"Brother! I was wrong! I was really wrong!" the man babbled, his bravado gone. "I shouldn't have caused trouble here!"
"You're just a common Hunter," Xiu said, his voice flat. "Who gave you the courage to cause trouble here? Do you even know where this place is?"
The loss of his Poké Ball and the overwhelming pressure emanating from Scizor completely broke the man's mentality. At such close range, his life was clearly not in his own hands.
Xiu had no intention of continuing the conversation. He merely glanced at Scizor.
The tacit understanding between them required no words.
The next second, Scizor exerted its full force. Human bones were as fragile as cheap candy sticks before its powerful claws.
A sickening crunch echoed, and the man's entire right arm was severed at the shoulder. He fell to the ground, a horrific, gurgling wail tearing from his throat. The cut surface was surprisingly clean, but blood geysered out like a macabre fountain.
All of this, however, had no visible impact on Xiu's composure. He had originally intended to dismember the man further, to make an unforgettable example.
But then…
Xiu glanced back towards Chen's car and saw Sol, peering out through the car window, witnessing the gruesome scene.
For a moment, Xiu's cold, murderous intent wavered, then subsided.
"Get lost!" Xiu turned back to the bleeding man, his voice an icy command.
The man, despite his agony, was indeed a ruthless individual. He clutched his severed arm to his chest, scrambled to his feet, and stumbled towards his own vehicle.
"Remember to take your trash with you," Xiu added casually, gesturing towards the two unconscious accomplices.
The remark almost gave the man a stroke. The blood oozing from his mangled shoulder seemed to increase sharply as he and his remaining conscious lackeys hastily dragged their fallen comrades and fled.