The oppressive aura from the pack of Pokémon was so overwhelming that Harry and the others could barely move.
Especially after they saw the leader clearly—the Houndoom. Their fear intensified instantly.
The Houndoom was wolf-like in shape, with two large, curved horns atop its head. Its orange snout protruded forward, ending in a black nose and two faintly visible fangs. Around its neck and back were gray, bone-like bands—three along its spine and one circular plate at its throat.
Its underbelly was the same orange shade as its snout, and its legs each ended in three sharp claws. Bone-like rings encircled its ankles, and a long tail shaped like a pointed triangle extended from behind it.
Its entire body looked as if draped in deathly bones, its tail curling like that of a demon from hell. If not for the fact that it had only one head and wasn't quite as large, it would have looked even more terrifying than Fluffy, the three-headed dog.
"This thing's straight out of hell!" Ron exclaimed in horror. "I'd bet anything it's either Ghost-type or Dark-type!"
"Thank you for your brilliant deduction. I could tell that much myself," Hermione snapped while rummaging through her backpack for the two-way mirror Charles had given them. She intended to call for help.
"Isn't it a bit embarrassing to call for help this soon? We haven't even tried to handle it ourselves," Harry objected. "If only we had our brooms, we wouldn't need to be afraid."
"Maybe I can try a Summoning Charm," Oliver Wood suggested, thinking hard. "I don't know if it'll work between the Reserve and Hogwarts. If the professors sealed the area off, it might not come through."
"Accio broom!"
Wood extended his hand and waited quietly.
Of course, nothing happened. The Reserve was sealed off from the outside world by powerful magic. Unless one possessed immense magical power, no spell could pierce through it.
While they waited, the pack of Houndour had lowered their heads and begun to search the area.
Watching them fan out and draw closer and closer, Harry and the others grew increasingly anxious.
"Hurry, Wood! Is it working or not?" Harry croaked, his voice strained.
"I—I don't know!" Wood admitted, his palm slick with sweat as he gripped his wand.
"They're coming this way!" Hermione's voice trembled.
"Then we fight!" Ron took a deep breath, clutching his wand in one hand and a Poké Ball in the other. He was terrified—but then he remembered his Ponyta, and a flicker of courage steadied him.
If he could face a mountain troll, what was there to fear now?
What Ron didn't realize was that the Houndoom before them was far more dangerous than any troll.
Wild Pokémon leveled up quickly in their early stages—but this Houndoom, hardened by countless battles in the Rocky Desert Region, had already reached Level 38. Among wild Pokémon, that was near the top of the food chain.
"Are you crazy?" Hermione looked at him in disbelief.
"No! Think about it—we've got four of us, and three Pokémon. The Rapidash and the other two Ponyta are probably waiting for us. If we can reach them, our numbers won't be that different." Ron's tone was serious.
Hearing that, Harry's eyes lit up. He had to admit, the big, powerful Rapidash might actually stand a chance against Houndoom.
"We'll fight as we move toward the plains. Once we see Rapidash, we can ask for help—and maybe even catch one of them!"
"Catch a Hellhound? Bloody brilliant!" Ron's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"I still think this is too risky," Hermione said, frowning.
But she was outvoted, and she knew there was no point arguing further.
"Alright then," Wood said, taking command as the senior student. "I'll take the lead against their alpha. You handle the rest. When I attack, move in!"
He raised his wand, eyes locked on the approaching Houndoom. His heart pounded, as if gripped by an invisible hand.
"Thirty feet… twenty feet… fifteen… Stupefy!"
A flash of red light tore through the darkness like lightning, hurtling toward Houndoom!
It was just like the time Barnard ambushed that Purrloin earlier—but Houndoom was far stronger.
The instant Wood shouted the spell, Houndoom's instincts kicked in. It opened its jaws and unleashed a roaring column of flame—
Flamethrower.
Boom!
The crimson fire clashed with the Stunner, sending violent shockwaves rippling through the air.
But Houndoom's power was overwhelming. After a brief struggle, its flames devoured the red light and surged forward, bearing down on them.
Wood staggered backward, barely holding his ground.
He was at his limit. Even an Auror would have struggled to defeat a Level 38 Houndoom one-on-one—and Wood was only a fifth-year student.
After all, not every fifth-year was used to taking on monsters for fun.
"I can't hold it—scatter!" he shouted hoarsely as the flames singed the ends of his hair.
Ron and Hermione immediately released their Pokémon. Three small figures appeared—Ponyta, Litleo, and Pichu—each launching their own attacks. Together, they managed to push the blaze back, just barely.
That gave Wood a chance to dive aside, rolling clear of the blast.
But the three Pokémon were caught by the wave of heat and knocked back several steps.
"Huff—"
"I have to say it—this was a terrible idea!" Hermione yelled.
"Sorry! I didn't think it'd be that strong!" Ron groaned. "Think it's too late to apologize?"
Houndoom had stopped moving. It raised its proud head, eyes cold and disdainful as it gazed down at them. Clearly, it no longer considered them a threat—its underlings could handle this.
The Houndour began spitting flames, closing in from all sides.
But that didn't make things any better. At some point, they had completely blocked off all escape routes.
Running for the plains was no longer an option. A hunter like Houndoom would never let its prey escape.
"Hermione! Use the mirror! Quick!" Harry shouted.
"I thought calling for help was embarrassing?"
"I admit I might've said that a bit too loudly…" Harry muttered weakly. "Can we not discuss this right now?"
Hermione was already pulling out the two-way mirror. "I'm looking for it!"
"Professor!"
"Professor, help us!"
Still, she wasn't sure if the professors could reach them in time from so far away.
(End of Chapter)
TL: Hey everyone, i'm thinking of continuing the novel of One Piece: Trainers on the Straw Hat Pirates that CosmicKaminari was doing but he dropped. if you would like to see it post a comment.