Coastline, Jubilife City's Northern Suburbs.
Austin, Ryu, and Zenith kept low, advancing toward the shoreline.
The Hyper Beam that hit Drakloak earlier came from that direction.
He and Ryu got down from Zenith. Austin then released Agni before positioning himself to get a clear view. He lay flat against the ground, observing the coastline where a boat was docked.
The calm shoreline had turned chaotic. The Wingull that had been soaring over the sea had already scattered.
A group of people in special combat suits and tactical goggles was chasing a Pokémon.
"Don't let it get away!"
"Golbat, Hypnosis!"
"Dragapult, another big catch!"
"Dragapult and Drakloak, both can be sold for a good price, hahaha!"
Austin recognized them at once as Pokémon Hunters.
At the center was Hunter D.
A captain-level member of Hunter J's network.
Austin had crossed paths with him before, but back then, with only Ryu, there had been no way to stop him.
At this moment, Dragapult stood in front of Drakloak, guarding it while watching the Mightyena, Houndoom, and others below.
"Houndoom, Flamethrower!"
"Mightyena, Fire Fang!"
On the beach, a small grass-like figure was running across the sand.
Austin Black recognized it immediately.
Land Forme of Shaymin.
"Zenith, Flash Cannon!"
"Ryu, Aura Sphere!"
"Agni, Flamethrower!"
"Aim for that boat!"
To catch the thief, first catch the leader. To stop their escape, destroy the transport.
Flash Cannon and Flamethrower collided, forming a white and red spiral, pushing the blue Aura Sphere forward.
BOOM!
The hunters' attention stayed locked on Dragapult and Shaymin. The strike from the cliff came without warning.
"Split up! Ryu, go rescue Shaymin!"
Only three standard hunters were chasing Shaymin. Ryu could handle them.
"Luca!"
"Zenith, Agni, move!"
The explosion shook the shoreline. The shockwave threw nearby hunters back like scattered debris.
Flames spread across the sand. Thick smoke rolled over the boat, blocking vision.
"What just happened?!"
"Show yourself!"
Hunter D stayed composed.
"Hoothoot, clear the fog!"
At the same time, the hunters chasing Shaymin turned toward the explosion. That moment of distraction was all it took. A shadow dropped from above.
Between Ryu's palms, an auric bone staff condensed in an instant.
Bone Rush.
Bang
Bang
Two hunters were launched in opposite directions.
The last one was struck directly in the face.
His tactical goggles shattered as he collapsed flat on the ground.
The exchange lasted less than two seconds.
After training under Cynthia's Lucario, Ryu's level had gone beyond his Platinum (Advanced) level.
He was an Emerald-tier Pokémon.
Without pause, yellow lightning thundered around his fist. A single punch dropped Golbat.
Houndoom was forced into defense, but Ryu closed the distance.
Close Combat chained through its stance until it could no longer respond.
At the final moment, another auric bone staff reformed and struck cleanly across its head.
Houndoom gave a short whimper and collapsed.
All three hunters and their Pokémon were down.
Shaymin froze for a moment, unsure whether to move.
Ryu lowered his head slightly.
(You are safe.)
(Th... thank you.)
(Come with me. I will protect you.)
Shaymin could sense intent clearly. It did not resist.
"Shaymin!"
Only then did Ryu notice how serious the injuries were.
At the same time, as Hunter D's Hoothoot began dispersing the fog, he could hear the siren sounds echoing in the distance.
"Damn it, the Jennys here!"
"The real problem is right in front of us!"
"A shiny Metagross!"
"An Arcanine, is that a police officer or an investigator?"
As the fog lifted, they could finally see the attacker's true face.
Austin stood in a high-neck sweater and a winter cotton jacket that did not look bulky. Black sunglasses covered his eyes.
Drakloak and Dragapult hovered on his left and right. Zenith and Agni stood in front.
" I know you. You are the breeder blowing up on PokéStream."
Looking at the damaged boat behind Austin Black and hearing the sirens approaching in the distance, Hunter D made a quick decision.
"Since that's the case, I'll use you to escape. Apologies in advance for making you a hostage."
Austin's lips curved slightly.
"It's not certain who the hunter is yet."
His gaze shifted to the armored launcher on Hunter D's left hand—a known device among Pokémon Hunters.
A petrification beam weapon. It could disable Pokémon on contact.
This was the method used to capture rare Pokémon across regions.
"Agni, Fire Blast."
"Drakloak, Dragon Pulse."
"Zenith, Psychic."
Austin Black did not issue a command to Dragapult. She had survived in the wild for twenty years and did not need step-by-step instruction.
A deep purple sphere formed in Dragapult's mouth.
Shadow Ball.
"Kangaskhan, Hyper Beam!"
"Drapion, Cross Poison!"
Hunter D was strong, but the rest of the hunters were far below his level.
Explosions tore across the shoreline.
Then a thin beam of light fired from the launcher.
Hunter D's tactical goggles locked onto targets using infrared tracking. He had already calculated his shot.
Before the beam fired, Austin gave a single order.
"Dodge left and right."
He did not gamble on unknown mechanics. He was unsure whether Protect, Light Screen, or Reflect would block the effect, so he chose movement instead.
The beam missed.
Hunter D's expression tightened.
"How is that possible…"
"Zenith, destroy his launcher."
"Grosss!"
Zenith used Confusion. Surrounding rubble lifted into the air, shifting under constant calculation.
(Dodge route confirmed. Resistance path optimized. Calculation complete.)
Zenith turned slightly toward Dragapult.
"Metagross!"
(I need your help.)
"Pult."
(Understood.)
The hunters around them were already collapsing, clutching their wounds and groaning. The formation had broken completely.
Hunter D scanned the battlefield again, already planning his escape route.
. . .
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