Since Nozomi had decided to head for the Safari Zone to investigate, and since the enemy's identity remained unknown, he naturally needed to prepare thoroughly.
"Lorelei, do you have a map of the Safari Zone on hand?"
Nozomi called Lorelei on his communicator.
"Huh? What do you need the Safari Zone map for? Don't tell me you're planning to catch Pokémon there too?" Lorelei's puzzled expression appeared on the screen.
"Not really. I just received a distress call from a Ranger there. I'm going to check it out."
"I see. I remember saving a detailed Safari Zone map somewhere. I'll send it to you right away… Be careful."
Nozomi chuckled. "Of course. With my strength, you don't think I can handle it?"
Truth be told, even without Mewtwo—just relying on Metagross and Dragonite—no one in Kanto could best him.
But if he unleashed Mewtwo… Nozomi feared no one.
Lorelei smiled helplessly, realizing she was overthinking, then hung up.
Meanwhile, as Nozomi was asking Lorelei for the map, a fierce battle was already raging within the Safari Zone.
A group of Pokémon hunters armed with high-tech weapons were flying over the wilderness, pursuing a herd of Kangaskhan.
"Hahaha! We're rich! I've long heard there's a rare Kangaskhan herd in Kanto's Safari Zone. But with Team Rocket monopolizing the region, we never had a chance. Now that they've fallen, these Kangaskhan are finally ours!"
A man in a long trench coat—clearly a Pokémon hunter—laughed maniacally from the cockpit.
Still grinning, he slammed the launch button. A massive net shot down from the aircraft, wrapping around one of the Kangaskhan below.
The trapped Pokémon tried to struggle free—but the spherical capsule at the center of the net cracked open, releasing a thick white anesthetic mist.
Engulfed in the gas, the Kangaskhan inhaled deeply and instantly lost all strength, collapsing to the ground. The hunters trailing behind swiftly threw a Poké Ball, capturing it with practiced ease.
"Grrraaaah!"
The rest of the Kangaskhan roared in fury as they saw one of their own fall.
But before they could turn back to rescue her, a volley of small bombs rained down from above.
The explosions weren't powerful enough to kill—but they were more than enough to leave the herd howling in pain.
Combined with the narcotic gas, the hunters quickly subdued over half the herd.
"Ha ha ha!" The trench-coated man laughed triumphantly.
"You'll pay for this! The League won't let you get away with it!" an elderly man, tied to a seat behind him, shouted angrily.
"Ha! The League?" The hunter sneered. "You expect them to stop me? I've been a Pokémon hunter for nearly ten years. I've faced countless enemies—and the League is the least threatening of them all!"
He leaned closer, grinning cruelly. "And you think those so-called police, who barely keep the cities safe, can take me down? Old man, your imagination's running wild."
The hunter burst out laughing again.
Just then, a voice crackled through his radio.
"Boss! Come quick to Dragon's Valley—I've made a huge discovery!"
"What kind of discovery?" The hunter's brows rose. It had been ages since he'd heard that phrase.
"It's true, boss! The old legend about the Safari Zone—it's real! There are Dratini living in Dragon's Valley!"
"What!? Are you certain!?" The man's tone shot up several octaves, his face lighting up with unrestrained joy.
In the back seat, Warden Kaiser's expression changed dramatically. He began struggling violently against his bonds.
"There's no mistake, boss! We used sonar scans—there are movement patterns underwater that match Dratini!"
"Excellent! Wait there, I'm on my way!"
Abandoning the remaining Kangaskhan, the hunter barked orders to his crew and turned the aircraft toward Dragon's Valley.
Compared to Dratini, Kangaskhan were worthless. A Dragon-type Pokémon capable of evolving into a pseudo-legendary was worth hundreds of times more on the black market.
Just one Dratini would make this operation an overwhelming success!
"Damn it! Don't you dare touch the Dratini!" Kaiser shouted, thrashing in vain.
Seeing his reaction only confirmed the hunter's suspicions—there truly were Dratini in Dragon's Valley.
When Nozomi finally arrived at the Safari Zone, the scene that greeted him was one of devastation.
The forest lay in ruins—trees toppled, craters pocked the earth, and smoke still rose from scattered fires. Injured Pokémon were everywhere, groaning weakly amid the wreckage.
"What on earth happened here…?"
Nozomi's expression darkened.
Without hesitation, he released Mewtwo. "Communicate with that injured Nidorino. Find out what happened."
Mewtwo closed his eyes, his psychic field linking with the wounded Pokémon.
After a moment, he opened them again. "It was a group of Pokémon hunters. They flew in aboard airships, using weapons to capture wild Pokémon en masse."
Mewtwo frowned faintly.
When he'd worked with Team Rocket, he'd helped them hunt wild Pokémon before—but he'd only used moves to knock them out, never to the point of mass destruction like this. The sheer cruelty and environmental damage before him left a sour taste in his mind.
"Pokémon hunters… So it's those scum."
Nozomi narrowed his eyes.
There weren't many Pokémon hunters in Kanto—that was thanks to Team Rocket. Their domination of the region had left little room for independent poachers to survive. Most hunters stayed far away from Kanto, seeing it as too dangerous and unprofitable.
That's why this attack was so unusual.
"So Team Rocket's fall has emboldened them, huh?"
A dangerous glint flashed in Nozomi's eyes.
He'd just wiped out Team Rocket—and now these hunters dared to swoop in to take advantage? The thought made his blood boil.
They were picking the fruit of his victory.
"Did you find out where they went?" Nozomi asked.
"They headed southwest," Mewtwo replied, pointing.
"Let's go."
(End of Chapter)