"Then let's head to the capital. The Water-type gym is located there," Zhang Tian proposed. "After I beat the gym, we can participate in the Global Junior Pokémon Tournament."
"Our thoughts exactly," Bea nodded. "We were just waiting for you to come out of seclusion. Otherwise, we would have left already."
"Let's go then. But first, I need to stop by the Pokémon Center and buy some supplies," Zhang said. He needed to get move machines and held items for his newly captured monsters.
"Good idea. We need to restock on energy cubes," Cynthia agreed.
After leaving the Pokémon Center, the three of them walked down the mountain with smiles on their faces.
"Wait a minute," Zhang's brow furrowed slightly as he stared at the woods ahead.
"What's wrong?" Bea asked, confused.
"There's a murderous aura," he replied. As he spoke, he raised his hand to the Poké Balls on his waist. "Gardevoir!"
The moment Zhang released it, Gardevoir used Teleport to instantly move all three of them back up the mountain.
"Damn, we were discovered," a man dressed in black with a large 'R' on his chest grumbled from within the woods. He was clearly a member of Team Rocket. Three Pokémon stood beside him: an Arbok, a Weezing, and a Drapion, all at the quasi-Elite Four tier.
Back in front of the Rock Gym, Gardevoir reappeared with the trio.
"A quasi-Elite Four Gardevoir… I didn't expect you to be hiding such strength," Bea said with a sigh.
"Stay calm," Zhang chuckled.
"Who was the enemy? What was their strength?" Cynthia asked, her focus, unlike Bea's, immediately on the threat.
"I don't know who they were, but their strength should be at the quasi-Elite Four tier," Zhang said, looking at the information his system displayed.
Arbok
Level: 53 (Quasi-Elite Four Tier)
Weezing
Level: 56 (Quasi-Elite Four Tier)
Drapion
Level: 58 (Quasi-Elite Four Tier)
The reason he had detected the enemy wasn't some sixth sense for "murderous auras," but his system's detection ability. No one could hide from him. No matter how well they concealed themselves, the information hovering over their heads was plain to see.
"Quasi-Elite Four," Cynthia frowned. Trainers of that caliber were top-tier powerhouses in any country. When had they offended someone so strong?
"Don't worry. I'll go get him," Zhang said calmly, raising his hand and releasing all his Pokémon. Without needing a word, they all silently began to use their buffing moves. The reason he hadn't engaged the enemy immediately was that they had come prepared and were likely already buffed. He planned to return the favor. Even though he was much stronger now, his cautious nature hadn't changed. Better safe than sorry.
Bea and Cynthia stared in stunned shock at the army of monsters that had appeared: Rathalos, Brute Dragon, Nargacuga, Crimsondog Beast, Redhelm Arzuros, Arcanine, Gardevoir, Barioth, Arzuros, Great Izuchi, Pidgeot, Tobi-Kadachi, Feraligatr, Gengar, and Rathian. Many were Pokémon they had never seen before, and all of them radiated incredible power. They were all at the quasi-Elite Four tier.
"Zhang Tian, so this is what you gained from your seclusion? I underestimated you," Bea sighed. Her eyes shone as she looked at the creatures from the Monster Hunter world, especially the Brute Dragon. "Your Pokémon are so fierce. I love it."
"We'll talk later, Bea," Zhang waved his hand, then pulled his Nargacuga armor and Long Sword from his spatial backpack. After changing, he silently began using Dragon Dance to strengthen himself.
"Incredible… Zhang Tian, I feel like you're no weaker than a quasi-Elite Four Pokémon yourself. Are you a martial artist too?" Bea asked, her mouth agape.
"Something like that," he nodded slightly. "We'll talk later," he said again, then vanished in a blur of speed.
Watching him disappear, Cynthia spoke quietly. "He's getting stronger so fast. We can't let him leave us behind, Bea. We have to work harder."
"Yeah, I'm fired up!" Bea nodded vigorously, her face full of fighting spirit.
On a mountain road, the Team Rocket operative was riding his Arbok down the mountain. The ambush had failed, and he wasn't foolish enough to wait around. Although Shilong had left, the Rock Gym still had plenty of other strong trainers. He was making a clean getaway.
"Where do you think you're going?" A pink light flashed, and Zhang Tian and his Pokémon appeared in front of the man.
"What?" The operative broke into a cold sweat as he saw the monsters arrayed before him. They were all quasi-Elite Four. How was he supposed to fight this?
"Team Rocket?" Zhang saw the 'R' on the man's uniform and understood immediately. "It seems you're here to steal Pokémon." Team Rocket must have taken an interest in his unique monsters and sent this operative to ambush him.
My caution was justified after all, he thought. If I had revealed my Great Izuchi back at school, when I was only at the Elite tier, I would have been killed.
"Kill them. Leave no one alive," Zhang ordered, his tone calm and cold.
"Hiss!" The Nargacuga, being the fastest, lunged forward.
Blade Wing!
Its massive blade-like wing swung out, its arc wide enough to encompass the Team Rocket operative and all three of his Pokémon.
"Protect!" The Arbok used Protect, and a translucent barrier rose to meet the attack. Almost simultaneously, the Weezing and Drapion retreated behind it and launched their own counterattacks.
Sludge Bomb!
Venom Drench!
Both Pokémon fired their ranged moves at the Nargacuga.
Whoosh! A pink light flashed, and Gardevoir teleported the Arbok directly in front of the Brute Dragon.
Bang! Bang!
The Sludge Bomb and Venom Drench slammed into the Nargacuga's chest. At the same instant, its blade wing sliced through the now-defenseless Team Rocket operative, Weezing, and Drapion, cutting them in half. Blood and viscera flew everywhere.
The Nargacuga could have dodged the attacks with Swallow-Tail Flash, but it didn't. In its eyes, the trade was worth it. It would be severely injured, but it could kill all three of its opponents. For a creature born in the cruel wild, trading injury for a kill was a good deal. It wasn't a coddled Pokémon raised in a greenhouse; ferocity was etched into its bones. It had no fear of pain. If it had dodged and then attacked, the Weezing and Drapion could have used Protect themselves, prolonging the battle.