Nozomi wasn't an idiot. There was no way he would believe a single word from the trench coat–wearing man before him.
Trusting a Pokémon hunter to reform? That was as stupid as believing a Snorlax could go on a diet.
When Nozomi flatly rejected his plea, the man's expression twisted with desperation.
"Don't push me! Or we'll all go down together!"
He yanked out a remote control device—it looked suspiciously like a detonator.
"I've planted explosives all over the Safari Zone! One press of this button, and every Pokémon in this entire reserve will die with me!"
That was his final threat.
"You'd better think carefully," Nozomi replied calmly, a faint smile curling his lips. "If you surrender now, maybe you'll only spend eight or ten years in prison. But if you press that button… you'll never see daylight again."
His voice stayed steady. He even took two casual steps forward, completely unbothered.
The hunter flinched. "Don't come any closer! I—I really will press it!"
"Go ahead," Nozomi sneered. "If you don't, you're just a coward."
Did he think Nozomi was stupid? The Safari Zone was huge. Even if Team Rocket emptied its entire explosives stockpile, it still wouldn't be enough to blow up the whole area—much less a minor bounty hunter outfit like theirs.
Besides, Nozomi had been using his telepathy the entire time. Not a single trace of explosives had shown up in his scan.
That made it obvious—the man was bluffing.
Sure enough, as Nozomi drew closer, sweat began beading on the hunter's forehead. His thumb hovered over the button… but never pressed it.
With a flick of telekinetic force, Nozomi slammed him unconscious. Even then, the man's hand still clutched the useless remote.
"What an idiot," Nozomi muttered in disdain. "If you're going to lie, at least make it believable."
The trench coat man had really taken him for a fool.
Meanwhile, Metagross and Dragonite swiftly dealt with the remaining Pokémon hunters. Within moments, the Valley of Dragons was silent once more.
If the man had claimed he'd strapped explosives to Kaiser, Nozomi might have actually believed him for a moment.
Thinking of Kaiser, Nozomi looked around—but the warden was nowhere to be found.
"...Don't tell me the Draco Meteor crushed him to death." He frowned slightly. That would be troublesome—accidentally killing the Safari Zone's warden wasn't something he wanted on his record.
Fortunately, after searching more carefully, he found Kaiser unconscious behind a rock—knocked out cold by the shockwave of the meteor's impact.
Nozomi hurried over and untied the ropes binding him.
"Hey, wake up, Kaiser. Come on, wake up!"
Kaiser stirred groggily, blinking up at him. "You're... wait—what about the Dratini?!"
He didn't even finish his first sentence before blurting out his real concern.
Nozomi turned around. Dragonite was flying toward them—one arm holding the Dratini, the other cradling Dragonair.
"How are their injuries?" Kaiser asked anxiously.
Nozomi inspected both Pokémon's wounds carefully. "Nothing serious. Looks like those bounty hunters knew their limits. They didn't want to damage the merchandise, after all."
He let out a cold chuckle.
"Still, we should contact Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy right away. There are plenty of injured Pokémon elsewhere in the reserve—and these hunters need to be arrested."
"Right! I'll contact them immediately!" Kaiser scrambled to his feet. As the Safari Zone warden, it was his duty to protect and rescue these Pokémon.
"Also… thank you, Mr. Nozomi," he said sincerely.
He had already recognized Nozomi's identity. Without his intervention, Dratini and Dragonair would never have escaped the hunters' clutches. Kaiser was deeply grateful.
He had known Dragonair since his youth—their friendship ran deep. If Nozomi hadn't been here today, this reunion might have been their last.
"It's nothing," Nozomi said lightly. "Let's finish dealing with the hunters first."
He tied up the unconscious trench coat man tightly and confiscated his Poké Balls. Then he waited for Jenny and Joy to arrive.
They came quickly.
After all, this was the largest Pokémon sanctuary in Kanto—the Fuchsia City Safari Zone. Within minutes, several helicopters descended into the Dragon Valley, and dozens of officers surrounded the area.
When they saw the group of defeated Pokémon hunters lying on the ground, they froze in disbelief.
"Weren't the hunters attacking this place? Why are they all… down?"
Then their eyes landed on Nozomi.
Recognition dawned immediately. Of course—it had to be him. He'd already taken care of everything.
"Since Officer Jenny's here," Nozomi said calmly, "I'll take my leave."
"As for Dratini and Dragonair…"
"Please, Mr. Nozomi—take them with you." Kaiser's voice wavered slightly as he looked at the two fainted Pokémon. His eyes were filled with reluctance, but his tone remained firm.
Word that Dratini and Dragonair had appeared in the Safari Zone would spread across Kanto soon enough.
With his limited strength, Kaiser couldn't possibly protect them. Better to entrust them to Nozomi—someone capable of keeping them safe and helping them grow.
Nozomi hesitated briefly, then nodded.
Given the situation, he was the only one who could protect them. It was his responsibility now.
"I'll take care of them," he said simply.
Dratini and Dragonair didn't resist as he recalled them into Poké Balls.
From there, things went smoothly. Nozomi left the cleanup to Officer Jenny and headed straight for Fuchsia City.
The first thing he did upon arrival was make his way to the Pokémon Center.
Their injuries weren't severe—but they still needed immediate treatment.
(End of Chapter)