Nozomi and Mewtwo hurried southwest toward the Safari Zone.
While the two of them pressed on, deep inside Dragon's Valley the Pokémon hunters were already moving into position.
"Boss!"
A cluster of Pokémon hunters called out respectfully to the man in the trench coat.
"Where's the Dratini?" the trench-coated man asked, scanning the faces of his subordinates.
"We detected activity down at the bottom of that lake. There are signs of Dratini, but we can't figure out how to get it out," one of them reported.
The trench-coat man looked toward the lake. It seemed very deep.
"How many Water-type Pokémon do we have?" he asked.
"Only a dozen or so. This operation's mostly land-based, so we didn't bring many water types," the subordinate answered.
"In that case, we can't drain the lake. A dozen water types won't do it." The trench-coat man mulled it over, then continued: "What about Electric types? How many of those do we have?"
"About thirty."
"Good. Release all the Electric types."
The men exchanged glances between the lake and their boss, and an idea popped into one of their heads.
"You mean—"
"Electrocute the Dratini out of the water."
Electric shocks are a highly effective way to deal with Pokémon hiding underwater. With the lake's conductivity, a well-placed electric barrage would be devastating — and if Dratini were swimming in that water, it would have nowhere to hide.
"Understood," the subordinate replied, suddenly excited. According to their boss's plan, that Dratini wouldn't escape their grasp.
"Stop!" Kaiser bellowed, his face flushed with agitation where he'd been bound. "Don't hurt the Dratini! If you want something, come at me!"
"Hah. Old man, you're worthless. You're just a hostage — you don't get to tell us what to do." The trench-coat man waved and two of his henchmen stepped forward to tape Kaiser's mouth shut.
Kaiser hadn't been harmed — he was the bait the boss kept in reserve. If the League sent troops to surround them, Kaiser could be used as a hostage to force the League into negotiations and buy the hunters time.
At the trench-coated man's signal, Magneton, Electabuzz, Electivire, and even several Alolan rock-and-Electric-type Graveler were unleashed and let loose Thunderbolts across the lake.
Crack—!
Electric arcs leapt. Thunderbolts struck the surface, the lightning's glare turning Dragon's Valley blindingly bright.
Gurgle gurgle—
So much current was more than mere shocks; the electricity electrolyzed the water, making it bubble furiously.
Hydrogen and oxygen pooled in the air above the lake, and the electrical arcs ignited them in violent explosions.
Boom—!
Explosions tore the lake's surface apart.
Electricity and explosions combined — how could any Water-type survive? A wide swath of water Pokémon were either stunned or knocked unconscious and floated to the surface.
The trench-coated leader ignored the ordinary fish-and-frog Pokémon. His gaze swept the waterborne, searching for the Dratini.
But his expression darkened: "Nothing? How can there be nothing?"
He turned to a subordinate, who looked innocent. "Boss, we did pick up Dratini activity."
"All right, one more chance. Battle team — amp it up!"
Under pressure, the Electric types hurled more Thunderbolts at the lake's surface.
Sizzle sizzle—
Steam rose where current met water.
Just when the trench-coat man's patience was about to snap, a column of water shot upward from beneath the surface and slammed the Electric attackers, knocking them back.
With a splash, two figures — one large, one small — burst out of the water.
"Cheep—!""Wuu—!"
A Dragonair and a Dratini cried out in furious protest toward the hunters below. Deep gouges and scorch marks marred their bodies; clearly they could stand no more of the torment and had leapt up from beneath the lake.
If Dragonair and Dratini were angry, the hunters were exhilarated.
"There's not just one Dratini — there's a Dragonair too!" the trench-coat man grinned like he'd hit the jackpot. He'd come to capture a single Dratini, but now there was a Dragonair as well — two Pokémon that could evolve into a pseudo-legendary Dragonite. This windfall thrilled him.
No sooner had the joy flashed across his face than he barked, "Quick — grab them!"
He shouted to his men. If Dratini and Dragonair escaped now, the whole trip would be for nothing.
"Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt!""Magneton, use Tri Attack!""Graveler, use Rock Throw!"
The hunters ordered their Pokémon to strike.
"Wuu—!" the Dragonair roared. It twisted its massive body, sheltering the tiny Dratini behind it, then whipped its tail and sent up a surge of lake water to intercept the incoming attacks.
Splash. The barrage of water blocked many of the strikes, but with so many attackers swarming, Dragonair looked strained. Enemy blows pierced its defenses and slammed into its body.
Wuu—!
Dragonair let out a pained wail and collapsed back onto the lake's surface.
"Cheep—!" Dratini, seeing its mother injured, instantly turned crimson-rimmed, frantically nudging and head-butting Dragonair.
"Wuu!" Dragonair was too badly hurt to do more than make a weak cry and urge Dratini to flee.
Stubborn, the little Dratini shook its head and tried to hoist Dragonair up with its small, fragile body, but every attempt failed.
Across from them, the hunters showed no pity. As mercenaries who made their living capturing and selling Pokémon, they had long since lost any compassion. They would do anything for money.
"Fire tranquilizer darts!" the trench-coated man ordered.
He wouldn't prolong this any longer — if the Dratini slipped away, they'd lose everything. He intended to catch the Dratini now and sell it on the black market for a hefty profit.