"Whooo…?"
No one had time to answer.
I barely had time to breathe or understand what was happening. Then another wave of attacks came, straight at them.
Hundreds of purple-glowing Poison Stings burst from the tall grass in rapid volleys, a storm of sharp needles slicing through the air.
They struck fast.
Too fast.
Every Poison Sting targeted the poachers and their Pokémon perfectly, curving through the air as if guided by an invisible hand.
Not one came near Lopunny or me. They swerved past us harmlessly, never even close.
As the glowing needles flew by, it hit me what they were: Poison Sting attacks.
Someone…
or something…
was helping us.
And they knew exactly who to hit… and who to spare.
My mind raced.
Who was doing this?
Why were they helping us?
A sharp sting hit Raticate in the side.
It let out a high-pitched screech and stumbled sideways, fur puffing up in shock.
Dark purple spots spread quickly across its body, like ink soaking into paper.
The poison burned deep.
Its legs buckled, and it dropped to one knee, shaking hard as it tried to stay upright.
More stings slammed into Nidoking before it could even turn.
"DOOOOOKING…!"
The massive Pokémon roared in pain, the sound echoing across the grassland.
Purple blotches bloomed fast across its thick skin, ugly and dark.
Machop wasn't spared either.
"CHOPPP…!"
It cried out as stings struck its shoulder and thigh.
It made the burning spots, face twisting as its muscles locked up, arms stiffening from the poison.
Beedrill buzzed wildly, trying to dodge, but three stings clipped its wings and abdomen.
"BZZZZZT…!"
Its frantic buzz broke into a pained whine as it lost control, spiraling down into the grass.
Pinsir snapped its massive pincers in rage.
"SIIIIIR…!"
A direct sting hit its back.
The huge bug froze instantly, body locking up as poison rushed through its joints.
Its pincers trembled but wouldn't close, stuck mid-air.
Even the poachers weren't spared.
One sting hit Viktor's leg. He cried out in pain.
The others shouted and swatted at the air, but more needles struck anyway shoulders, hands, calves each one leaving burning pain and spreading weakness.
The area exploded into chaos.
Roars.
Screams.
Curses.
Bodies staggered and fell as the stings kept coming.
Then the tall grass moved.
A low hiss rose up, soft at first.
"Ekansss…"
Not one voice.
Dozens.
Then a deeper, stronger hiss cut through them all.
"ARRRRRBOK!"
The grass parted.
Arbok slid forward, hood flared wide, eyes sharp and bright.
Dozens of Ekans followed behind it.
The fight ended almost instantly.
Ekans swarmed the fallen Pokémon, wrapping tight coils around legs and arms.
Their fangs hovered close but never struck, holding them pinned.
Minutes later, it was over.
The four men lay on the ground, wrists and ankles bound tight with thick vines dragged from the grass.
Strips of torn cloth were stuffed into their mouths, muffling their angry grunts.
After that, I pulled a Pecha Berry spray from my bag and applied it to the poisoned wounds.
The purple swelling faded quickly, leaving only sore red marks.
They wouldn't die from the poison just stay weak and dizzy for a while.
Their Pokémon were recalled into Poké Balls.
Arbok and the Ekans stayed close, watching carefully, making sure none of the poachers tried anything funny.
Lopunny stood beside me, ears perked high, a satisfied little hum escaping her.
"Lopuu~♡"
Her fluffy tail twitched as she leaned lightly against my arm, warm and proud.
Everything was quiet now.
The poachers weren't going anywhere.
And the herd was safe.
The Ekans gave one last warning hiss, then slipped back into the grass, disappearing from sight.
Only Arbok remained, hood slowly lowering.
My heart was still racing as I walked toward the trucks, Lopunny close beside me.
I opened the trailer doors carefully.
Inside, the Rapidash and Ponyta blinked at the sudden light, heads low, eyes wide with fear as they stared at me.
I released the little Ponyta first.
A soft red light flashed, and she appeared beside me, flames flickering gently.
She blinked, taking in her surroundings… then saw the open trailer.
Her ears shot straight up.
Her eyes went wide.
"Pony… pony-ta…"
Her soft cries trembled with joy as she saw her family through the cage bars.
Her flames flared brighter as she pressed close to the metal.
Inside the cage, the big Rapidash mother stepped forward, wary but proud.
She snorted, flames crackling low.
"Raaapidaaash…"
A clear warning.
Stay back.
Humans are dangerous.
Our Ponyta shook her head firmly.
She turned to her mother and the herd, then gently tilted her head toward me, voice shaking as she called again.
"Pony-ta… pony…"
He's not bad.
He saved us.
He's good.
The mother Rapidash paused.
Her flames dimmed slightly as she watched me closely.
The other Ponyta leaned nearer, listening.
Slowly, fear faded from their eyes.
Trust small, fragile, but growing.
Because the little Ponyta believed in me.
And that was enough.
One by one, I opened every cage.
The Rapidash mother stepped out first.
Her once-dull flames flared bright again, warm orange and red dancing high.
She lowered her head and gently pressed her forehead to her daughter's.
Their flames mixed into a soft glow, lighting the grass around them.
The rest of the herd followed, stretching stiff legs, flames growing stronger with every step.
They gathered close, nuzzling each other softly.
I stepped back, smiling, letting them have their moment.
This was why I loved the Pokémon world.
Pokémon understood each other.
Families stayed together.
They cared. Protected. Trusted.
Animals on Earth could be gentle too, but not like this.
Not when it comes to understanding and trust.
Seeing a mother and child reunited, flames burning brighter just from being together…
Moments like this made everything worth it.
Arbok watched quietly, its hood fully lowered now, clearly satisfied with what it had done.
Lopunny leaned against my arm, ears relaxed.
"Lopuu~"
They were safe.
They were together again.
And for the first time all day, everything felt right.
When they were ready, the herd turned to me, heads dipping in thanks, before walking away into the open grass.
The little Ponyta pressed her warm face gently to my hand one last time, a quiet thank you and a goodbye.
Then she ran after her family.
I watched until they were nothing more than small specks on the horizon.
****
Less than 100 power stones remain for the next chapter! 🔥