"Sir, we've located Suicune. It's not far from the Lake of Tranquility," a subordinate reported excitedly.
It was no surprise they were so eager. Hunter J was never a stingy boss. Team Rocket had paid a huge price for this mission—if she shared even a small portion of the reward, it would be more than enough for them.
The poachers were already imagining piles of gold coins waiting for them.
After a short rest to recover their energy, Sam and the others set out again.
Inside the forest, traces of poachers could be found everywhere. At this point, Arcanine's tracking ability had become far less useful.
Just as Sam hesitated over which direction to take—
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion echoed from the south.
The group exchanged glances, then immediately rushed in that direction without hesitation.
At the tranquil lakeside, the situation was anything but peaceful.
Suicune stood by the water, its expression grim.
It had already been surrounded.
Poachers armed with specialized weapons encircled it from all sides.
From the crowd, Hunter J stepped forward, looking at Suicune with a cold, mocking smile.
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Surrender quietly, and you might avoid unnecessary pain."
Suicune didn't respond.
Instead, icy energy gathered in front of it.
That was its answer.
"Heh. Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty," Hunter J sneered.
"Come out—Salamence."
With a flash of red light, a massive dragon with blood-red wings appeared before Suicune.
The surrounding poachers erupted in excitement, clenching their fists in anticipation.
To them, this was no longer a hunt—it was profit.
Suicune was a Legendary Pokémon. Under normal circumstances, few Trainers could stand against it.
But today was different.
Its opponent was Hunter J—a notorious figure active across the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, powerful enough to trouble even Elite Four members.
This was not a battle Suicune could easily win.
The fight began.
After just a few exchanges, Suicune's heart sank.
Salamence was superior in both speed and power.
Every attack Suicune launched was either effortlessly dodged or completely ineffective.
The gap in strength was overwhelming.
What should it do…?
What could it do?
Its energy drained rapidly.
Defeat became inevitable.
Another Dragon Rage struck.
Suicune was blasted backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
At that moment, Hunter J raised her hand.
The poachers understood immediately.
They stepped forward, holding a specialized net woven from advanced materials.
In an instant—
Suicune was captured.
Despair filled its eyes.
Trapped inside the net, it struggled wildly—but it was useless.
This was no ordinary net.
It absorbed the energy of whatever it captured, constantly weakening its prey.
Suicune's strength was draining away with every passing second.
It bit at the net in desperation.
But nothing worked.
Hunter J smiled.
To her, this wasn't a victory.
It was money.
But just as she prepared to leave—
Something changed.
A shadow moved.
From Salamence's shadow itself, a mysterious Pokémon suddenly emerged, launching a sneak attack.
If Salamence hadn't reacted in time, it would've been seriously injured.
"Who's there?!"
Hunter J's expression darkened instantly.
She hadn't expected anyone to interfere.
It had been a long time since someone dared to challenge her.
"What a shame… Come back, Gengar."
A calm voice rang out.
Sam stepped forward.
He had hoped Gengar's surprise attack would take the enemy down immediately—but it failed.
As expected… Hunter J wasn't someone easy to deal with.
Hunter J finally saw who had interfered.
She smiled coldly.
"A bunch of brats… daring to interfere with me?"
"You must be tired of living."