This ranch was only a medium-sized one, covering an area of roughly two hundred meters.
Aside from the Miltank Queen, the ranch had about thirty Miltank in total.
As for Tauros, their numbers were even fewer.
In less than half an hour, under the guidance of the old rancher, Yozora had finished touring the ranch, carefully observing every single Miltank.
Other than the Miltank Queen, the rest had very low potential. Barely ten had the talent of Senior-level Pokémon, while the rest only reached Junior-level at best, some even no higher than Rookie-level.
Clearly, they were bred solely for producing milk. Their potential was too low, their ceiling too limited—combat strength was almost impossible for them.
"Old sir, where does your grandson live?" Yozora asked.
"He comes here every morning to drink fresh milk. Tomorrow morning, I'll introduce you to him."
The old rancher chuckled warmly, his tone full of hospitality. "As for tonight, just stay here. I'll provide food and lodging."
"Alright." Yozora nodded without hesitation.
After dinner, he settled into the guest room for the night.
As night fell, across from the ranch in a small grove, two figures—one fat, one thin—watched the ranch through a telescope under the pale moonlight.
Both were Pokémon poachers, hunters who made their living capturing Pokémon illegally.
Wild Pokémon were everywhere, yet these two preferred targeting domesticated ones. After all, those kept by humans were often rare or valuable.
Take Miltank, for example. Capturing just a few could sell for millions, even tens of millions.
This wasn't their first time here. Just last month, they had already made an attempt.
But back then, they had not expected the presence of the Miltank Queen, a Pokémon of formidable strength.
That battle had ended in disaster—her overwhelming power had driven them off in humiliation. Some of their comrades had even been thrown into prison as a result.
But this time, the two had come fully prepared.
"Big bro, is that the tranquilizer dart you bought?" the fat poacher asked, lowering his telescope after confirming the ranch was quiet and peaceful. He watched as the thin poacher carefully examined a syringe-like dart in his hand.
The fat one clicked his tongue in amazement. That tiny dart alone was worth a million. Rumor had it that it was crafted from the Sleep Powder of a Gym Leader-level Butterfree, specially refined on the black market.
Such items couldn't be bought openly—only his partner had the right connections to secure one.
"Yeah. I'll put this dart right into the Miltank Queen. Once she's down, I'll handle her. You go grab the other Miltank. As for Tauros, don't bother—worthless trash that barely sells for anything."
The thin poacher loaded the dart into his gun, excitement flashing across his face. "This time, brother, the two of us are going to strike it rich!"
But at that moment, the fat poacher remembered Yozora.
They had already scouted the ranch earlier that day, preparing to act by night. That was how they knew Yozora was staying inside the ranch.
"Big bro… that kid…" the fat one hesitated.
The thin poacher glared at him, dismissive. "Just a brat. What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid!" the fat one said anxiously. "What I mean is—he's got several rare Pokémon. I couldn't get a clear look at his Golduck, don't know if it's a Shiny. But his Graveler is definitely a Shiny Pokémon! Big bro, I'm saying… shouldn't we take him down too?"
The thin poacher fell silent for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Forget it. Bite off more than we can chew, and we'll choke. Tonight, our target is the Miltank only."
"Yes!" the fat one nodded repeatedly.
"Good. Then we wait. Once the lights at the ranch go out, we move." The thin poacher's voice was cold and resolute.
Time passed—an hour, two, maybe more…
Finally, the ranch went dark.
The two hunters' eyes lit up.
Moving stealthily under the cover of night, they crept toward the ranch. From a distance, the thin poacher raised his gun and fired. The tranquilizer dart struck the Miltank Queen squarely in the back.
The Miltank Queen awoke instantly, eyes wide. But almost immediately, overwhelming drowsiness washed over her. Her eyelids drooped, and within moments she collapsed into a sleep far deeper and heavier than before.
The two Miltank nearby cried out in alarm. Their shrill cries pierced the night, loud enough to alert the old rancher and Yozora.
The poachers had expected this. They didn't care. In fact, grins split their faces.
"Success, big bro! You got her!" the fat poacher exclaimed, trembling with excitement.
The thin one licked his dry lips, equally ecstatic. Just the Miltank Queen alone was worth more than thirty million!
"Enough talk. The Miltank Queen's mine. Go take the others!" he barked, firing several more rounds.
These weren't special darts, just regular tranquilizers—but more than enough to subdue ordinary Miltank.
Soon, more and more Miltank collapsed one after another, and even a few Tauros fell.
"Go, Rhydon! Smash that fence apart!" the fat poacher commanded.
His Rhydon scraped its massive feet against the ground, then charged. With one devastating Take Down, the iron fence crumpled into twisted metal.
The fat poacher pulled out several massive black iron cages. With Rhydon's help, he began dragging the unconscious Miltank inside one by one.
On the other side, the thin poacher sent out a Machamp—the final evolution of Machop, a humanoid Pokémon with four muscular arms and overwhelming strength.
It wasn't long before Machamp had hauled the Miltank Queen into a specially reinforced black cage designed for powerful Pokémon.
The outcome was sealed.
Locking the Miltank Queen inside, the two poachers exchanged glances—and then burst out laughing.
In this world, spatial technology was highly advanced.
Various devices could hold vast storage spaces. Forget cages—they could even carry an armored vehicle in such devices.
However, except for Poké Balls, ordinary spatial equipment could not store living creatures—no humans, no Pokémon.
Click…
The racket they made, combined with the cries of the Miltank and Tauros, was too much.
Inside the house, Yozora and the old rancher woke immediately, rushing out to the ranch.
"My Miltank… no!"
The rancher froze at the sight of the devastation. His eyes widened, and he charged at the poachers, beating his chest and cursing them furiously.
His heart bled as he saw the Miltank Queen locked away. He knew, in that instant, everything was lost.
(End of Chapter)