"Old man, don't worry. Leave this to me." Yozora and his Aegislash quickly gave chase.
"Leave it to you? Boy, are you sure you can handle this? Those two bastards are vicious Pokémon poachers!" The rancher's expression was tangled with doubt and hope as he looked at Yozora.
On one hand, he was relieved that Yozora was willing to help.On the other, he feared Yozora might not be able to handle them.
"Relax. Everything will be fine." Yozora, still in his pajamas, spoke with absolute confidence.
Compared to the rancher, Yozora was young, with an exceptionally strong physique and presence.
Before long, Yozora and Aegislash had already outpaced the rancher, rapidly closing in on the fat and thin hunters.
"Good timing!"
The fat hunter stepped forward. "Boss, leave that brat to me. You keep going after the Miltank!"
"Fine." The thin hunter smirked, not objecting.
In his eyes, Yozora was nothing more than some fresh-faced rookie trainer. Even if the Pokémon at his side looked a little rare, so what? A brat was still a brat. How strong could he possibly be?
The thin hunter rested his hunting rifle on his shoulder, a cruel grin spreading across his face. If necessary, he wouldn't hesitate to fire to back up his partner.
"Hmph. Boss always tells me not to bite off more than we can chew, yet here he is—clearly coveting that kid's rare Pokémon!"
The fat hunter sneered inwardly before his gaze hardened. "Go, Rhydon! Knock them flying with Take Down!"
"Aegislash, use King's Shield!" Yozora shouted.
Take Down was a Normal-type move.
Ordinarily, Aegislash—as a Ghost-type—was immune to such moves. Ghosts were thought to have no tangible body.
But in truth, Ghost-type Pokémon did possess a physical core hidden deep within their forms. Unless a Normal- or Fighting-type move struck that core, it could never inflict damage.
The fat hunter didn't even recognize Aegislash, blindly commanding his Rhydon without understanding its typing.
That meant Rhydon's Take Down could never truly land.
But if Aegislash chose to meet the attack head-on—then that was a different matter.
"King's Shield!"
At Yozora's command, Aegislash braced itself. Rhydon's massive body crashed into its shining shield—only to be hurled backward in an explosive shockwave.
Boom! Rhydon smashed into the ground with a heavy thud, its eyes rolling back as it collapsed unconscious.
Impossible…
King's Shield was supposed to be purely defensive, not offensive. Yet just by reflecting the strike, Rhydon had been utterly knocked out!
"Pathetic."
Yozora glanced at the stunned fat hunter, scoffing. "With strength like that, you dare commit crimes?"
The fat hunter's eyes bulged, his face flushing with rage. To be insulted by a mere kid—it was humiliating. But he couldn't deny reality.
How could this boy be so strong?And what even was that strange shield-like Pokémon?His pride—his Senior-level Rhydon—had been defeated in one move!
"Ungh…"
The rancher, watching, was both shocked and overjoyed. His instincts had told him Yozora was extraordinary, but never had he imagined this level of power.
Still—
This was only the fat hunter. The rancher dared not relax, his gaze snapping toward the thin hunter.
And his blood ran cold.
The thin hunter was grinning wickedly, already raising his rifle and aiming directly at Yozora.
"Young man, watch out!" the rancher screamed, but too late.
The rifle fired. Even with a silencer, the shot cracked through the silent night.
Yozora's eyes narrowed. "Aura!"
Blue light surged from his body, forming a shining barrier before him.
Clang! The tranquilizer dart slammed against the aura shield—only to fall uselessly to the ground, leaving not even a scratch behind.
The hunters and rancher alike froze, eyes wide, jaws slack.
???
What had they just seen?That blue barrier—could it truly be human power?Had he just blocked a bullet?
Even if it was only a tranquilizer round, it was still fired from a hunting rifle!
"That kid… is he a Psychic? Or something even stranger?" The thin hunter's heart pounded with dread.
He had only wanted to poach a few Miltank. Yet now—twice—his plans had been ruined.
The first time, he and his gang had been crushed by the Miltank Queen herself, many of his brothers still rotting in prison.The second time, after spending millions to finally take her down, here appeared a boy wielding a power rivaling Psychics!
"No… he's still just a kid. His power can't be fully developed yet…"
A twisted idea lit up the hunter's eyes. If I capture him alive and sell him on the black market… the big bosses will pay fortunes to experiment on someone like him. I'll be rich beyond belief!
His lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin as he hurled two Poké Balls.
Bang! Bang!
Two towering Pokémon emerged.
The first—a Rhyperior, evolution of Rhydon. A hulking behemoth clad in armored plates, standing upright like a steel-plated tyrant.
The second—Venusaur, evolution of Ivysaur. A massive blue-green toad-like Pokémon, its broad back supporting a giant red blossom radiating raw vitality.
…
…
(End of Chapter)