As Shinx's eyes stopped scanning the surroundings. We slowly zipped open the tent.
The scene inside made my insides boil. It was simply inhuman. I was regretting killing that last hunter with mercy.
Even Archen and Shinx were shocked by the look inside.
Only Zeraora remained calm.
Inside the tent, there were four huge metallic cages with a blue light screen between the metallic rods.
Inside the cages were several Pokémon, all of them pale and injured. It looked like they hadn't been fed properly in weeks.
In the cage nearest to me, there were multiple Pokémon. There were a couple of Beldum, a shiny Gasly, a totem Bulbasaur, and a Huisian Zorua, which looked extremely pale. It also had an injury to its leg. And looking at the Totem Bulbasaur's vines emitting green light, it was probably using some Heal.
For some reason, I felt an instant connection with that Zorua, as if I knew it for decades.
Perhaps even Zorua felt it because it suddenly opened its eyes to look at me.
"Those cages look like they are built with metallic rods, and the inside of the metallic rods must be covered with special conducting alloys and emitters that can create such strong electromagnetic force fields. They basically look like the Light Screen defensive move that Psychic Pokémon use."
I said as I analysed the bars.
As I said that, the Pokémon inside seemed to notice me.
A few of them were scared and backed down, fearing something bad was going to happen to them. The fearless ones stepped forward with the little remaining energy they had left to fight their kidnappers.
The other two cages also contained fairy-type Pokémon and dragon-type Pokémon, while the last of the cages only had a singular, yet majestic Arcanine. It also stepped forward in the light room, making it a clear indication that it was ready to fight.
Not only that, but I also spotted about a dozen eggs in the make-shift cupboard behind.
But the most astonishing part was the number of Poké Balls and the boxes containing these Poké Balls.
They were probably locked in there, unable to come out.
I had read somewhere in my previous world that Poké Balls had a lock option that would prevent the Pokémon from coming out forcefully. I had no idea about its authenticity, but it might be true.
They were probably extremely valuable or powerful Pokémon; otherwise, the hunters would not have bothered to catch them with their limited assets, as they would have been able to carry so much into the mainland to profit from them.
At that time, I honestly was feeling a little bit greedy, although I was not going to admit it.
All the Pokémon here were incredibly rare and powerful in the anime as well as in the games.
There was a mythical Pokémon, a couple of pseudo-legendary Pokémon, a Totem Pokémon, an incredibly powerful-looking Arcanine, and many fairy and dragon types in the mixture. This was like striking a gold mine.
I slowly walked forward to the centre of the tent to catch the attention of all the caged Pokémon.
I morally would not be able to catch them, but it was never against my moral code if the Pokémon chose to come by itself.
As I came under the hostile and angry gazes of all the hungry, weak, and injured Pokémon, followed by Zeraora. Shinx and Archen were too busy checking out the eggs. It was probably their first time seeing one. It was even my first time seeing those eggs, but I had a job to do first.
I started,
"The people who captured you are all dead."
All the Pokémon looked surprised. They had expected that their lives would be over under those Pokémon hunters.
However, even if some of them had relaxed, the majority of them hadn't.
It was as if they knew they couldn't trust me to get their hopes up. I couldn't blame them; some of them must have lost their family, their home. It's no wonder they couldn't trust another human.
"Having said that, I know most of you won't trust me. And, I don't blame you."
"I promise to release all of you."
Having said that, I started dragging out a box of Poké Balls in front of the eyes of the caged Pokémon.
I wanted to show that I am indeed trustworthy to these Pokémon. Even if I can gain the trust of one of them, it is possible that I could gain a powerful ally.
Once I reached the entrance, I took a Poké Ball for the first time in my hands.
The Pokeball was a bi-coloured, rounded ball. It was both soft and hard to touch at the same time. Anyway, as I didn't have any prior knowledge or experience about how to use a Poké Ball.
The Pokémon in the cages all started watching with their utmost curiosity. They were amused by looking at me.
I felt their stares,
"This is my first time, okay?!"
I felt the need to explain my incapacity to use a Poké Ball. I felt like I was being judged by several Pokémon.
The Pokémon, on hearing me, just shifted their faces, as if telling me,
'Yeah, we can see that.'
'Yeah, clearly.'
For some reason, I am incredibly nervous. I started feeling up the Poke Ball for an, then any buttons, I pressed the middle circle, which looked like a button. The Pokeball, which was currently the size of a small golf ball, started expanding to the size of a ball used in baseball.
It was a bit too much for my small hand to hold.
Immediately, as that happened, the Poké Ball opened, and a beautiful shiny Butterfree came out.
"Butterfreeee !!!"
I had no idea what it meant. I mean, I started understanding Zeraora and his mother after we started living together and spending some time. Also, Shinx and Archen, because they mostly don't have much to say, but you figure out pretty much what they want to convey by their tone and expression. Because, after living with Pokémon for a while, I started observing and understanding their expressions. But, for a completely random wild Pokémon, I don't have a clue about what it just said.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about anything. You are free now. You can live your life as you want to."
While the others kept looking at me with a hopeful face, when I started realising the Pokémon from the Poke Balls, the Arcanine kept staring at me, with a complicated expression.