"Boy, be careful!" The old rancher's face was full of worry.
Just moments ago, Yozora had unleashed his Aura to block bullets, leaving the old man stunned and awestruck.
But now, as the skinny hunter released a Venusaur and a Rhyperior—two massive Pokémon—his heart tightened once more.
At his age, he could hardly endure this kind of stress…
What's worse, he had never once been a Pokémon Trainer. He had no real grasp of levels, strength, or classifications.
All he knew was: the bigger the Pokémon, the stronger it must be.
And on the other side, those two towering giants loomed menacingly, while the strange shield-like Pokémon at Yozora's side looked so small and frail. How could such a tiny thing possibly stand against them?
Sigh…
The thought alone made the old rancher shake his head, sighing again and again.
"Take down his Pokémon first! Venusaur, Vine Whip and restrain it! Rhyperior, use Take Down!" the skinny hunter barked.
Whoosh!
Two thick vines lashed out with terrifying speed, instantly binding Aegislash in a tight grip.
But Aegislash was utterly unfazed.
It had not yet unsheathed its blade and remained in Shield Forme. In this state, its defense was unparalleled. Being bound meant little—it had no reason to fear.
Yozora was even calmer. Aegislash might be restrained, but its shadow was still free to act!
"Aegislash, use Shadow Sneak!" Yozora shouted.
Zwoosh!
The black shadow stretched forward like a streak of lightning, darting across the ground faster than the eye could follow. In the blink of an eye, it appeared before Venusaur and slammed upward, striking hard beneath its jaw.
Though Aegislash itself had not unsheathed, its shadow still mirrored Shield Forme. Compared to Blade Forme, its offense was weaker—far weaker.
Even so, the attack was devastating. Venusaur let out a shriek, its massive body staggering backward and crashing heavily onto the ground.
At the same time, its Vine Whip bindings loosened, falling slack around Aegislash.
The difference in power was simply too vast.
After all, Aegislash stood at Commander-tier high level, while Venusaur and Rhyperior were barely at the peak of Senior-tier.
The gap was insurmountable.
Even without unsheathing its blade, Aegislash could deal crippling damage.
"King's Shield!" Yozora commanded as Rhyperior charged in.
With a gleam of white light, Aegislash's body flashed, its defenses hardening further.
Bang!
Rhyperior rammed headlong into the glowing shield and was instantly repelled, knocked backward violently. Shimmering beams of white light fell upon it, clearly signaling a weakened state.
"Finish it—Sacred Sword!"
Yozora swept his hand downward.
Aegislash unsheathed in a blur, releasing a dazzling arc of emerald sword energy. The wave cleaved forward, slashing through both Venusaur and Rhyperior.
Crash!
In an instant, both Pokémon were hurled backward, battered and unconscious.
"What?!"
The skinny hunter's eyes bulged in disbelief. He was no rookie—he was an Elite Hunter, fighting with his full strength.
Yet he had been crushed by a kid.
"Damn it… I'm done for this time. That brat is terrifying!"
The icy glint in Yozora's eyes made the hunter's skin crawl. Shivering, he spun on his heel. "Fatty, run! We're no match for him!"
"Hhh—!"
The fat hunter finally snapped from his daze, trembling, and bolted after his partner.
But they hadn't gone more than a few steps before they froze.
Two Pokémon stood blocking their path, both grinning menacingly.
A Machop. And beside it—a golden Graveler.
Machop's hands glowed with searing white light, shining vividly in the dark night. In a flash, it dashed forward, landing a brutal Brick Break across the skinny hunter's neck, dropping him unconscious instantly.
Graveler cackled wickedly, then hurled itself forward with Take Down. It slammed its massive body into the fat hunter's stomach, sending him spitting blood as he was flung backward, hitting the ground with a bone-jarring crash. He too lay completely unconscious.
"We… won? We won?!"
The old rancher couldn't believe his eyes. He shut them tight, rubbed them hard, and opened again—only to see the hunters defeated. Tears welled up and streamed down his cheeks.
Bang, bang, bang…
Graveler roared in triumph and smashed apart the black iron cages in mere moments, freeing all the Miltank inside.
Machop, not wanting to be outdone by its junior, clambered atop the special reinforced cage. As Graveler's senior, it had no intention of being shown up.
It unleashed strike after strike—Brick Break, Comet Punch—yet the reinforced cage didn't budge.
"Heh-heh-heh…" Graveler laughed mockingly, eyes gleaming with smug amusement.
Before evolving, it had never been able to defeat Machop. But now, the tables had turned completely. Its strength far outstripped its elder.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm…" Graveler chortled again, gesturing for Machop to step aside and let it handle things.
Machop's face flushed red with rage, but it begrudgingly jumped down, curious whether Graveler could really succeed where it had failed.
Boom!
With a bellow, Graveler hurled itself forward in another Take Down, slamming into the cage with full force.
The cage rattled violently… yet not a single bar bent.
Snarling, Graveler tried again, this time rolling forward with Rollout to build speed before striking.
But the result was the same—completely undamaged.
"Machop, Machop-macho!" Machop fell back laughing, clutching its belly and pointing at Graveler with gleeful mockery.
So much for being impressive after evolution—turns out it wasn't so different!
"Grrr!" Graveler lunged at Machop in fury, while Machop's eyes blazed crimson. Its aura flared as the two began trading wild blows.
Yozora simply chuckled, unconcerned.
Both had explosive tempers—Graveler with Rock Head, Machop with No Guard.
They were natural brawlers. Yozora didn't mind letting them fight it out. Rivalry and competition could be excellent training in their own right.
"Young man, that cage… is there really no way to open it?" the rancher asked, walking up beside Yozora with a hopeful look. He glanced at Aegislash—having seen its power firsthand, he was deeply impressed.
Machop and Graveler couldn't break the cage, but perhaps Aegislash could?
Yozora smiled faintly. "No need for that trouble, old man. The skinny one should have the key on him. I'll search them and bring it to you."
With that, he strode toward the unconscious hunters and began rifling through their belongings.
(End of Chapter)