"Did you just look down on Team Skull!?"
The sneer in Bai Chen's voice made the three delinquents twitch with rage.
Their pride — such as it was — couldn't stand being challenged like this.
"We'll make you pay for that!"
"Go! Salandit, let's burn him up!"
"Zubat, take the sky!"
"Yungoos, bite him to pieces!"
Poké Balls flew through the air in quick succession — nine in total.
The three punks had clearly decided that quantity counted for courage.
Bai Chen's golden eyes flicked across the battlefield, quickly assessing.
Levels: 19… 20… 21… 22.
Average: Level 20.
Each is about five levels above him.
He smirked slightly. Not bad.
Their skills, though? Mostly low-grade — rarity two or three at best, all beginner level.
It was manageable.
He drew his iron katana with a calm, steady motion.
"If I defeat Pokémon trained by humans," he murmured, "the experience should be worth even more."
The three punks froze for a second.
Then, almost in sync, their eyes lit up — not with fear, but greed.
That sword.
That sleek, black blade is reflecting the sunlight.
They wanted it.
"Get him! Salandit, use Venoshock!"
"Yaaah!!"
Three Salandit leapt into the air, spewing gouts of purple venom like bullets.
The toxins hissed as they cut through the air — fast, accurate, lethal.
But Bai Chen didn't flinch.
His stance shifted just slightly, his center of gravity lowering.
His right foot pressed into the pavement — the concrete cracked beneath the pressure.
When the delinquents blinked, he was already gone.
A blur of motion —
A sweeping arc of steel —
Shing!
The three Salandit were sent flying before they even realized he'd moved.
"Wh—what!?" one of the punks shouted. "He's too fast!"
Another clenched his fists.
"Yungoos, use Bite! Go!"
Three Yungoos lunged forward, teeth flashing.
Bai Chen didn't dodge.
He let them bite down, their fangs sinking into his forearm.
The teeth pierced skin — just barely. Crimson-gold blood welled up, but it wasn't deep.
He assessed it coolly.
Proficient-level Titan's Physique… defense increased sharply. Even a rare 3 attack barely scratches me.
In the same instant, he moved.
His free hand shot out — grabbed one Yungoos by the skull — and slammed it into the ground.
Boom!
The impact cracked the pavement.
[EXP +45]
Bai Chen's eyes lit up.
As expected… fighting trained Pokémon gives more experience than wild ones.
He swung his blade again, stepping into motion like a machine of precision and power.
Three seconds later, all three Yungoos lay unconscious.
He picked up one of the stronger ones, pressed the Bond Stone to its head —
[Skill Acquired: Protect (★3)]
Replaced Skill: Poison Sting (★2)
Transferable Target Available.
"Salandit, use Flame Burst!" shouted one of the punks in desperation.
Three balls of fire streaked toward Bai Chen, bursting against his chest and shoulders.
The heat roared — flames engulfed him.
"Got him!" the leader cried, pumping a fist.
There was no way a human could survive that.
And then—
Step. Step.
Bai Chen walked out of the fire.
Completely unscathed.
The three punks' faces went white.
"H-how is he still standing!?"
With a single motion, Bai Chen flicked his sword.
A gust of air blasted outward — the flames vanished instantly.
He smiled.
"Your fire's too cold."
The truth was, his body could now endure over five hundred degrees of heat with ease.
The flames of a Level 20 Salandit barely tickled.
"Zubat, use Absorb!"
Three Zubat swooped down — and were promptly cut from the air in a blur of silver light.
"If that's all you've got…" Bai Chen said, his tone sharpening, "then it's my turn."
Fighting energy surged through his body.
The edge of his blade shimmered — a pale, white glow forming along the steel.
"Spirit Blade Slash — First Form!"
He lunged.
The katana flashed, slicing through the battlefield like a storm.
In less than a minute, all nine Pokémon lay defeated.
When Bai Chen turned his gaze toward the three Team Skull members, the bravado in their faces had evaporated.
Only fear remained.
"M-monster…"
The leader gulped, fumbling for his Poké Ball.
"R-return!"
The other two did the same in a hurry.
"Y-you'll pay for this! You hear me!?" the leader shouted as he jumped onto his motorcycle. "We won't forget this!"
He twisted the throttle —
Vrrr—Vrr—
Nothing.
The engine roared uselessly, the bike refusing to move.
A cold voice spoke behind him.
"Who said you could leave?"
The three turned and froze.
Bai Chen was gripping the motorcycle's rear frame. With one hand.
"W-wait, that thing weighs over four hundred kilos!"
Bai Chen lifted it like a toy and threw.
The motorcycle spun through the air in a perfect arc before smashing into the asphalt with a crash.
The other two tried to run — but he was faster.
A sharp tug, and their tires popped clean off their bikes like bottle caps.
They clung to each other, trembling.
"W-what do you want from us!?"
"Come with me."
They didn't dare to refuse.
Bai Chen hauled the wrecked bikes to the roadside, picked up a fallen steel handlebar — and bent it effortlessly in his grip.
"Don't make me say it twice."
The three nodded frantically like baby chicks pecking grain.
He led them — quietly, efficiently — through town until they arrived at a bright, clean building marked by a familiar red roof.
The Pokémon Center.
The nurse at the counter smiled warmly.
"Welcome to the Pokémon Center! Are you here to heal your Pokémon?"
Bai Chen gestured for the three to hand over their Poké Balls.
"We had a bit of a battle," he said. "Please help us get them treated."
Nurse Joy nodded kindly.
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
The three punks stood in stunned silence as she carried the Poké Balls away.
They looked at each other, confused.
They'd expected a beating, or maybe a trip to the police station.
Instead, this terrifying man had brought them… to heal their Pokémon?
"He's actually… kinda nice," one of them muttered in disbelief.
Half an hour later, Nurse Joy returned with a gentle smile and nine restored Poké Balls.
"All healed! Your Pokémon are back to full health."
The three scrambled forward to take them, bowing their heads deeply.
"T-thank you, miss! And, uh—thank you, sir!"
For the first time, the roughness in their eyes softened into something pure.
"Even though we tried to rob him," whispered one, "he still cared enough to bring our Pokémon here…"
"Maybe… not everyone's bad after all."
The three exchanged a look.
Right there, a silent agreement passed between them.
This man… this monster… is worth following.
Just as they were about to declare their allegiance, Bai Chen turned to Nurse Joy.
"By the way," he asked casually, "is there a battle arena here?"
The three froze.
"There is," Joy replied cheerfully. "Right behind the Pokémon Center. You're welcome to use it anytime."
Bai Chen nodded approvingly, then looked at the trio.
"Perfect. Since your Pokémon are all healed…"
His smile sharpened.
"…let's start round two."
The three punks: (⊙_⊙)
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