"Metagross, use Bullet Punch!"
Although Aggron is Nolan's Pokémon, Julian also knows it very well, and its defense is indeed unparalleled, but its shortcomings are also obvious, that is, its bulky body.
"Metal Claw!"
Nolan wasn't backing down either. Aggron is known for its defense and strength, so hiding wasn't the best strategy.
The fists of both Pokémon collided, creating a powerful Sonic Boom that sent shockwaves throughout the arena.
"Dong dong~!"
Aggron's body was pushed back seven or eight meters, while Metagross stood firm, resembling a mountain and radiating calm strength.
"Metagross, use Earthquake!"
"Aggron, Earthquake, strike back!"
Nolan shouted urgently. The Ground-type move dealt four times the damage against Aggron, and it would hit even harder coming from Julian's Metagross.
The Earthquakes clashed violently, shaking the entire arena. With a loud cracking sound, the ground split, damaging a third of the Rock arena.
In the semi-finals, the battlefield is no longer an ordinary arena; it has type bonuses, and the settings are random.
In this case, Nolan was clearly lucky.
The field being Rock-type suited his main team perfectly.
Julian seems to have gotten used to this, so let's just call him unlucky.
After all, he has a strong family background, is handsome, and possesses a system. If he's lucky, he seems to have it all.
The power of Earthquake was clearly greater of the attack done by Metagross, and the cracks crept toward Aggron, sending vibrations through its legs.
Taking four times the damage, Aggron was seriously injured in an instant.
In terms of levels, the opponent was only level 43, while Metagross stood tall at level 51. For that reason alone, Aggron's powerful defense appeared as a joke in front of Metagross.
"Psychic!"
As Aggron fell to the ground, Nolan yelled for it to stand, but suddenly Aggron found itself lifted into the air.
Aggron: I can fly?
But in the next moment, it crashed down hard onto the ground and fainted completely.
Nolan withdrew Aggron expressionlessly, and didn't send out another Pokémon. The referee was about to remind him of the rules.
"I admit defeat in this match," Nolan said, raising his hand, after speaking, he walked into the player passage.
His action caused an uproar in the audience, with many murmurs. They thought Nolan was afraid of Julian.
Meanwhile, they had managed to grab tickets and felt disappointed to see him concede so easily.
"Player Nolan admits defeat. Does Mr. William also think he can't beat Julian's Metagross?" Host Zeke asked.
He didn't mention defeating Julian but focused on Julian's Metagross, implying it might still be possible to win with three Pokémon.
"Although Julian's Metagross is still at the Advanced level, from my point of view, even a pseudo-Elite Pokémon wouldn't stand a chance against it."
As the president of Lake City Trainer Association, he had some friendship with Julian's father and grandfather, so this made him even more confused about why Julian's Metagross was so powerful.
Even during the same time period, Julian's grandfather and father did not possess Metagross as powerful as Julian's today.
"As a skilled trainer, I advise you not to harm your Pokémon out of stubbornness. It's not shameful to admit defeat," Mr. William said seriously.
When there's a big gap in strength, the weaker side can't just cheer loudly and hope to win. Such words hold no weight.
It's the Pokémon who suffer, not just the Trainer.
Not everyone has the protagonist's halo, shouting at a Pokémon and reviving it with full health on the spot, defeating the strong with the weak, and winning against the type is as easy as eating and drinking for them.
Most trainers fail, not only losing but also risking serious harm to their Pokémon. Sometimes, Pokémon get seriously injured or even killed due to the opponent's strength.
In this case, you can't blame Rival for his heavy hand at all, but blame yourself for being stubborn and blind. Even after knowing the gap between the two sides, you still insist on letting Pokémon fight and fantasize about the happening of a so-called miracle.
Every year, countless Pokémon are crippled and even killed because of Trainer's stubborn blindness.
So admitting defeat is not shameful, it is a very rational behavior.
At this moment, Julian felt that Nolan should have a pretty good character, except that he was a bit of a p**sy and seemed a bit soft.
After all, admitting defeat also shows love for one's Pokémon.
At home, Julian's parents watched on live TV. They didn't attend the match, not because they didn't want to, but because Julian felt they didn't need to.
"Could it be that the power of Aura has the ability to improve the five basic stats of Metagross?" Jake muttered.
He was very clear about the resources Julian had invested in his Metagross and those resources were all given by him to Julian, but the strength that Metagross showed obviously exceeded the strength it should have according to the invested resources, which made him very puzzled.
So, it had to be attributed to Julian's awakening of Aura power; even Julian's grandfather, John, believed that.
The power of Metagross came from the system, but Julian naturally can't say that.
Seeing the Rival concede meant Julian won, prompting Jake to smile. He stood up and grabbed the Poké Ball belt from the coffee table.
"Where are you going?"
Tina was happy for her son, and when she saw Jake seemed to be going out, she couldn't help asking.
"I'm going to the secret realm. The Aggron Valley leader is about to give birth to a cyan aptitude Pokémon. The father is my Aggron, so their child will likely have a cyan aptitude too."
Pokémon parents with the same aptitude typically produce offspring with similar traits.
The iconic Pokémon of the Walker family are silver Metagross and Aggron. As Julian is the only heir of the Walker family, Aggron is naturally indispensable.
"Be careful"
"Don't worry, I have been to the Aggron Valley several times, and there will be no problem," Jake said.
The advanced secret realm is filled with dangers but also opportunities. Its area is massive, comparable to a province.
Some advanced rifts are even larger than a province.
"The 86th Yale Provincial High School League Individual Tournament is now over. Congratulations to Julian from Lake No. 1 Middle School, Class 3 for winning the individual tournament!"
With the host's excited words and the cheers of the crowd, Julian had defeated his final rival and won the first championship of his life.
"The award ceremony will be held at 8 o'clock in the evening. All contestants are welcome to join. Just remember not to be late, especially the top three contestants. But don't worry, even if you are late, you'll still receive your rewards and trophies!"
The host made a light joke, but Julian was too busy to care. He was lost in thoughts about the rewards he had received from the system.
"Ding!"
"Main quest completed."
"Reward settlement:"
"Win the team championship: Psychic Intermediate, Mewtwo Fragment x3, Rare Candy x3 (only for Pokémon below level 60)."
"Win the individual championship: Mega Pallet Town physique, one Totem soul (usable only by Pokémon below level 10)."
Julian was shocked after reading this. To others, he just looked thrilled about winning the championship.
The cheers from the crowd pulled Julian back to reality. Realizing it wasn't the time to check the rewards, he quickly walked toward the player channel.
There, Will, Han, Zosh, and Shen were already waiting. When they saw Julian, the four immediately rushed to greet him.
Although they had expected Julian to win, seeing him actually claim the title felt surreal, leaving them both amazed and a bit envious.
"I'll head back to the hotel first,"
Before the four could speak, Julian waved his hand and quickly made his way to the hotel.
The others exchanged glances but didn't stop him, sensing Julian's urgency.
"Is he rushing to the restroom?" Will wondered aloud.
"There's a bathroom in the player room. He must have something else to do," Shen replied, looking at Will as if he was an idiot. After all, the conference venue had plenty of restrooms.
On the way, many people recognized Julian, and a few wondered why the newly crowned champion seemed so anxious.
Once back at the hotel and after locking the door, Julian began to sort through the rewards from the main quest.
Main quests are rarely announced, but when they are, the rewards can be significant.
This main quest involved participating in the Yale Provincial High School League, but the rewards were based on Julian's final standings in the competition, not revealed in advance.
In this league, Julian had achieved first place in the team competition, first in the individual competition, and this made it first in two competitions, so naturally, the rewards were substantial.
It's just that Julian himself hadn't expected them to be so impressive.
If nothing else, just Mega Pallet Town physique alone could make him smile even in his dreams.
Being a Trainer is risky; one wrong move in a Pokémon battle can lead to a Trainer's injury or death.
In official matches, protective barriers shield the battlefield, ensuring Trainers and spectators are safe from the chaos of the battles.
But if you fight in the wild, secret realm, ruins, etc. where there is no protective cover, there are no so-called rules in the way of fighting.
In the case of wild fights, it is common to directly command Pokémon to attack Trainer.
So at this time, if Trainer has a super strong body, he will undoubtedly be safer in the face of danger.
The Mega Pallet Town physique refers to Ash's renowned resilience, which allowed him to endure powerful attacks and perform incredible feats.
Being baptized by Pikachu's Thunderbolt and Charizard's Flamethrower all the year round, and even Cosmeon, which is nearly a ton, can be picked up with bare hands.
Such a physique in this world is akin to a legendary one, similar to the Celestial Hegemony Body or the Innate Dao Body in fantasy novels.
However, Trainers here don't have these extraordinary physiques; they possess special abilities like Aura, Psychic, or Viridian power, etc. These are more about mental strength than physical capabilities.
After absorbing the Mega Pallet Town physique, Julian clenched his fists and mumbled, "It doesn't seem to change anything."
Then he squeezed his arm and felt a bit of pain.
"Metagross, come out!"
"Meta~
Metagross looked suspiciously at Julian standing in front of him.
"You come down first, don't float" Julian said.
Metagross landed slowly, noticing its Trainer bending down to grab underneath its body.
Metagross seemed to know what Julian was going to do, and subconsciously wanted to float.
"Don't move; I'll try to lift you and see if I can do it," Julian said.
Fortunately, he lowered his head and didn't see Metagross' eyes which seemed to be looking at an idiot.
Metagross: The trainer's brain is broken.
The normal weight of a Metagross is about 550KG, but Julian's has the Light Metal ability, reducing its weight by half.
Even with this ability, Metagross still weighed around 300 kg due to it's good development.
No ordinary person could lift a 300 kg object by hand.
Despite this, Julian gritted his teeth, bent his knees, and hoisted Metagross above his head.
Metagross: I'm being lifted?!
"It feels so light! Metagross, you're not floating, right?"
Julian could feel its weight, but it felt similar to holding a cup.
"Meta~ Metagross~"
After checking again, Metagross confirmed that it was truly being lifted by its Trainer.
Julian switched to lifting it with one hand, still feeling at ease, then switched to one finger.
"If only someone could take a picture of me now"
In ancient times, there were heroes holding great weights; today, it was Julian lifting a Metagross with a finger.
He tossed Metagross up and caught it again.
Throw, catch, throw, catch.
Julian had a great time playing.
Metagross: I feel like a toy!
None of Julian's other Pokémon weighed more than Metagross, so he didn't bother trying with the others.
He would save that for heavier Pokémon like Aggron or Snorlax in the future.
Once he set Metagross down, Julian finally believed he truly acquired the Mega Pallet Town physique, at least regarding strength.
As for resisting various attacks like Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, or Water Gun, Julian thought it best not to test that.
He might end up dead if things go wrong.
Although Julian didn't dare to test his defenses against attacks, he could still assess other aspects, such as his body's reaction speed and resilience.
"Lucario!"
With that in mind, Julian sent out Lucario.
"Meta~!"
Metagross: You won't believe this, I've been lifted up by our trainer just now.
Lucario: What the hell, You didn't wake up properly!
Seeing the two interacting Pokémon, especially Metagross, who rarely showed emotion, Julian cleared his throat and said, "Lucario, punch me with a hundred pounds of strength."
Lucario, as a Fighting-type, excelled in controlling his power. If he aimed for 100 pounds, he wouldn't exceed it by even a gram. Metagross, on the other hand, might hit 200 pounds.
For an ordinary person, a punch with that force will definitely hurt a lot, but it will not be fatal.
"Meta~!"
Metagross: The trainer is telling you to hit, just do it but don't be surprised later.
Lucario looked at Julian and Metagross, they were not acting normal, but then he delivered a quick punch.
Julian instinctively stepped to the left.
Lucario: [?_??]
"Cough, let's start with my reflexes. Gradually increase the speed of your punches."
Lucario's initial speed was impossible for Julian to dodge before; now, however, he managed it easily.
At this time, Lucario also found that his trainer was a little abnormal.
At one-fifth of the speed: dodge.
At one-quarter of the speed: dodge.
At one-third of the speed: hit.
It wasn't until Lucario used one-third of his speed that he hit Julian, with a hundred pounds of force hitting him. The latter didn't seem to feel much pain.
Looking at Julian, if it wasn't for the familiar Aura exuding from his body, Lucario would have thought that the other party was changed by a Ditto.
How did Julian suddenly become so strong?
After a series of tests, Julian grasped the extent of his Mega Pallet Town physique.
His speed, strength, reaction time, and combat abilities had all significantly improved, although the exact metrics were still unknown.
At least now, Mom wouldn't have to worry about him dying in a Pokémon battle's aftermath.
He took out some Rare Candy and let Metagross consume it, raising its level from 51 to 54.
Lucario had no opinion on this, Metagross is the strongest among them; the stronger Metagross became, the stronger Julian would be.
Just 7 more levels and Metagross could reach pseudo-Elite status— which is a brand new field. Before heading to Imperial University, Julian aimed to push Metagross to Advanced-level peak.
Julian also got three Mewtwo fragments from the rewards, plus seven he'd gathered before, leaving him just ninety fragments short of the one hundred.
'Hmmmm - ninety fragments more and I'll be able to summon Mewtwo.'
"Extract Psychic!"
With the extraction of the intermediate Psychic, Julian felt that his spiritual power had been greatly improved in an instant.
Since it was freshly awakened, his Psychic energy radiated uncontrollably, causing objects around his room to float.
"Meta~!"
Metagross quickly used its own Psychic to suppress Julian's uncontrolled outburst and looked at him with doubts.
"It's okay; I just awakened my Psychic," Julian comforted when he saw the worried eyes of the two Pokémon.
With Intermediate Psychic, he could now communicate telepathically with Pokémon and humans—one-way, unless the other had telepathy too.
With Metagross possessing both Steel and Psychic types, now Julian having awakened his intermediate Psychic. Once his power is combined with Metagross' Psychic, both their strength will be further increased.
Psychic served another critical function: as a radar. By radiating Psychic energy, Julian could visualize everything within 500 meters, though the larger the area, the more mental energy it consumed so it won't last for much time.
Psychic also has another important role, which is to increase the time of Pokémon's Mega Evolution.
A Pokémon's Mega Evolution length depended on the trainer's physical and mental stamina. Any exhaustion would prematurely end the transformation.
Julian's Psychic was closely tied to mental power. Stronger mental power meant more potent Psychic energy.
With his Mega Pallet Town physique and enhanced Psychic, Julian could make his Pokémon Mega Evolve longer— it will definitely make his Rivals despair.
'In the future, I will not use my feet to walk, but float.'
Then Julian looked at the last reward.
Soul of Totem: Converts a Pokémon into a Totem Pokémon (only for Pokémon below level 10).
(T/N: kind of like royal gene/ king's gene or alpha pokemon type stuff)
Totem Pokémon is another kind of existence that is different from ordinary Pokémon besides Shiny Pokémon.
Shiny Pokémon is a difference in color, and Totem Pokémon is a difference in size.
Totem Pokémon are more than twice the size of their peers.
The leader of a clan is not necessarily a Totem Pokémon, but a Totem Pokémon must be the leader of the clan.
Like Shiny Pokémon, Totem Pokémon are rare, usually found in the wild, secret realms, or ruins, nearly impossible for humans to cultivate.
And Shiny Pokémon involves a probability problem; as long as there are enough of the same species, a Shiny Pokémon will eventually appear.
For example, the most available shiny Pokémon is a Magikarp.
Gold Magikarp, Black Magikarp, Purple Magikarp, Blue Magikarp, etc., every year in some auctions there will appear a different colored Magikarp.
Lucky fishermen might catch one and sell it for a fortune.
As long as the heterochromatic Magikarp can not be evolved into a Gyarados, its biggest role is just a decoration.
There is a golden Magikarp in the Lake City Aquarium. It has been more than ten years and there is no sign of evolution at all.
Given the level restrictions for using the Soul of Totem, none of Julian's current Pokémon were suitable, so he'd have to wait for the right one.
No rush there.
Overall, the main quest rewards were impressive, and Julian felt secure knowing he could protect himself. He no longer had to fear being caught off-guard by a wild Pokémon.
Now, he especially hoped for the system to release the next main quest, but such quests typically arise from his usual encounters.
At 8 o'clock in the evening, the award ceremony was held at the venue, Most of the trainers came to participate, and looked at the three people standing on the podium with admiration.
Julian stood among them, expressionless, clutching the gleaming golden trophy that signified his victory in the individual competition.
The trophy, half a meter tall, gleamed under the lights, shaped like two hands clasping a Poké Ball. It bore the inscription: "86th Yale Provincial High School League, Individual Champion, Julian."
"That trophy can't be pure gold, right?"
Under the stage, Will looked at Julian's golden trophy. Because of the lighting, the golden light of the trophy was even more dazzling.
"Trophies are always gilded," replied Han.
"Pure gold? Only if you win the Elite Challenge and become one of the Top 18 Elite Trainers. Then the Drakorian Trainer Association will give you a pure gold trophy."
While the Yale Provincial High School League was a notable event, the senior management viewed it as mere child's play.
The primary aim was to identify talented trainers and to let these students who have just become trainers not long ago to foster healthy competition among each other.
This will help them increase their strength faster.
"Ding."
"Hidden Mission Complete: First Trophy (First Prize)."
"Reward: A ten-minute Elite experience card (available only for Pokémon below level 70)."
The voice in his head made Julian, who had no expression at first, smile a little, this was really an unexpected gain.
'Although I have the protection of an Elite Alakazam, after all, that's grandpa's Pokémon, and it will not come out unless I'm really in danger.'
'If my own Pokémon also has Elite-level combat power, although it will only be short-lived, it can be used as a trump card for a comeback at a critical moment.'
The ceremony concluded in about half an hour.
"Julian, which cyan-qualified Pokémon will you ask for?"
On the way back to the hotel, Shen asked curiously, Will, Han, and Zosh also raised their ears.
The rewards for the first place in the Yale Provincial High School League were very generous.
The first-place prize included a cyan qualified Pokémon egg, a Yale province ticket for an advanced secret realm, and 80 million in resource exchange.
"I haven't decided yet,"
Julian shook his head, he now had four Pokémon, and he actually wanted an Aron for the fifth one, but he had yet to find an Aron with cyan qualification.
If he asked the Yale Province Trainer Association, they probably also didn't have one, so he was wondering whether to temporarily change his choice of the fifth Pokémon.
He also thought about the advanced secret realms in Yale Province. There are eight advanced-level secret realms in the entire Yale Province, and only two being special secret realms like Oreburgh Forest, which was guarded by the Walker family.
The other being the Grassy Green Grassland.
Advanced Secret Realms are suitable for trainers who are pseudo-Elite to Elite level. With Julian's current strength, although he can fight pseudo-Elites, Julian knew to maximize the benefits he should wait until he reached pseudo-Elite status to explore them.
There was no time limit for tickets anyway , so he was not in a hurry.
After returning to the hotel, Julian opened the Drakorian Trainer Association app to check his resource exchange balance—80 million had just been credited.
Although there was no shortage of money, but more money always makes people happy.
"Diamonds, three hundred pounds"
"Broken Dragon Fang"
He spent the entire 80 million resources on these two items, with diamonds costing 50 million and Broken Dragon Fang being 30 million.
The Broken Dragon Fang was from a pseudo-Elite dragon-type Pokémon, the price of a complete one was more than 100 million and an Elite-level one was even more valuable.
The Broken Dragon Fang was naturally not for Dragonair to hold, but to grind it into powder and let Dragonair eat it, which can more or less increase the dragon energy in Dragonair.
Post-shopping, he checked WeChat, receiving congratulatory messages from classmates and his teacher, Sam.
As he scrolled through Moments, Julian turned into a like madman again, and liked each one by one.
"I lost the Phoenix Cup qualifier. Am I really unfit to be a Trainer?"
*Like.*
"The leaves on my Oddish are turning yellow; any ideas?"
*Like.*
"Hahaha, I touched the trophy! are you guys Envious?"
This one was from Will, and the picture showed him holding Julian's trophy.
*Like.*
"My child won the championship, yet he didn't even call to share the good news—really?"
This was from his mother, Tina, with a proud picture of Julian on stage.
*Like.*
"My grandson is a champion!"
This was obviously his grandfather John, and the picture was exactly the same one as Tina's.
*Like.*
"Ding"
"Temporary Mission: Capture an A-level wanted criminal"
"Reward: Top quality Steel-type Energy Cube X20, Top quality Dragon-type Energy Cube X10."
Top quality energy cubes, one box was 2,000 points, very expensive. Usually Julian only buys it once every two weeks, and that too only one box.
The prospect of such valuable rewards made Julian leap from his bed.
The more lucrative the mission, the tougher it was likely to be.
A-level wanted criminals were definitely pseudo-Elite, while S-level ones were Elite.
A fast-moving red dot appeared in his mind, indicating the location of the wanted criminal.
"Dragonair, let's go!"
He called, opening the window. Dragonair understood, soaring out into the night.
With newfound courage from his Mega Pallet Town physique, Julian leaped after him, catching a brief moment of panic as he free-fell before Dragonair caught him.
"Whoo! So Exciting!"
Julian exclaimed, feeling the rush of adrenaline. He quickly forgot his fears of heights, focusing on the mission ahead.
"Head to the White River Forest in the east"
He instructed, noting that the red dot had paused in the forest's midst.
White River Forest was not a part of Lake City, but a unclaimed wild forest, home to numerous wild Pokémon. The Forest was vast, covering 5,280 square kilometers, which was equivalent to the area of a prefecture-level city.
There were four wild forests like this in the entire Yale Province. In terms of area, White River Forest ranks third while fourth in danger rating.
Though Julian had traversed wild forests before, but they were all small, unlike this one.
However, The red dot lingered near the forest's edge, suggesting the criminal was wary of venturing deeper in the forest at night.
The wilderness at night can be dozens of times more dangerous than during the day.
With Dragonair's wings expanding, they accelerated.
Julian grabbed Dragonair's neck tightly, lowered his body, and looked at Ground below. He couldn't help but fear heights, thinking about whether to make a custom Flying seat.
On the outskirts of White River Forest, Tucker leaned against a towering tree, quietly devouring his meal. The silver light of the moon filtered through the branches, and his sharp eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings, ever watchful in the calm night.
Beside him stood his Fearow, a powerful and intimidating presence. The Pokémon's fierce aura made it clear it was no stranger to battle. A thin stream of blood dripped from the tip of its long, sharp beak, remnants of its recent hunt.
At Fearow's feet lay a lifeless Rattata, the unfortunate victim of the food chain that exists even in the Pokémon world. While some Pokémon are content with berries and plants, there are those, like Fearow, that hunt to survive, preying on weaker creatures.
In cities and towns, Pokémon raised by humans are typically fed special Pokémon food designed to meet all their needs. If they eat meat, it's usually from livestock like beef or mutton, raised specifically for this purpose by humans. But out here, in the wild, nature takes its course.
Within moments, Tucker finished the last bite of his meal, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Fearow, too, had devoured the Rattata at its feet. The air around them grew thick with a tense energy. In the silent forest, the aura of the man and his Pokémon was something that would send shivers down the spine of anyone who stumbled upon them.
Those who have faced real danger would recognize it instantly: the cold, heavy presence of murderous intent. For the average person, coming face to face with someone like Tucker would be terrifying enough without even a word being exchanged. The mere sight of his sharp, unyielding gaze would be enough to freeze them in place.
"If you're going to try and catch me," Tucker muttered under his breath, his voice low and dangerous, "then it's either you or me that's not leaving here alive."
He stood up, pulling a small device from his bag, and began placing it carefully around the clearing. Fearow remained on alert, its sharp eyes darting from shadow to shadow, acting as a lookout for its Trainer.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of White River Forest, Lin Lin, a third-year student from Shu University, landed gracefully from the back of a Flying-type Pokémon she had rented for the mission.
"Pichu!"
Came the small cry from her shoulder, where her partner Pokémon sat. Pichu clung nervously to her neck, its tiny body trembling as it gazed into the dark, dense forest ahead. To Pichu, the forest looked like a slumbering giant, full of unseen dangers.
"Don't worry, Pichu," Lin Lin said soothingly, patting the little Pokémon on its head. "Once we catch that bad guy, I'll get you a Light Ball as a reward."
Pichu didn't quite know what a Light Ball was, but the thought of receiving something special from its Trainer was enough to ease its fears. It nuzzled into Lin Lin's neck, reassured by her words.
"Come out, Electivire,"
Lin Lin called, releasing her strongest Pokémon from its ball. A spark of electricity crackled in the air as Electivire appeared, towering over her.
The wild forest was unpredictable, full of hidden dangers, even near the edges. A wild Pokémon at just Level 5 could still cause serious trouble to a human.
Electivire was her strongest Pokémon, at the peak of pseudo-Elite.
Her other five Pokémon had been injured to varying degrees in the process of capturing Tucker, and even Electivire's Condition was not very good.
Electivire, though injured, was her most powerful ally, and she needed it by her side.
Lin Lin carefully treated Electivire's wounds before heading into Forest. She knew that this wouldn't be easy, especially since her other Pokémon were still recovering from the chase earlier.
As she entered the forest, a Pokémon flew over her head quickly.
High above the trees, Julian flew swiftly on the back of his Dragonair, but as they neared their target, he ordered it to slow down.
"Easy now, Dragonair. We don't want to give ourselves away just yet,"
Julian murmured, his eyes fixed on the red dot. Tucker was close—less than three kilometers away—and he hadn't moved for some time. Julian didn't want to risk alerting him by rushing in.
As Dragonair's speed decreased, Julian was finally able to free one hand to check his phone. He almost dropped it as the movement made him sway dangerously in the air.
"I really need to get a proper saddle for Dragonair," he muttered. "It's too hard to hold on and use my phone at the same time."
Opening the Trainer App, Julian quickly reviewed the information on his target.
Tucker, real name unknown, was an A-level wanted criminal, a pseudo-Elite Trainer, and a professional Pokémon hunter.
Julian knew exactly why Tucker had become a wanted man. As a Pokémon hunter, it was likely that he had used illegal methods to capture rare Pokémon.
Hunters like him often went after Pokémon that didn't belong to them, sometimes even snatching ones with Trainers.
Being a Pokémon hunter was a morally gray job. Some hunters worked within legal boundaries, taking on tasks from people who needed specific Pokémon captured.
For example, someone might request a Level 60 Charizard, cyan aptitude, male.
In response, the hunter would take the job, track down the exact Pokémon, and capture it for a reward.
And for those who issued the task of capturing Pokémon, the Pokémon requested were basically rare, powerful, or highly prized.
These Pokémon weren't available for sale in regular markets. So, hunters had to explore dangerous places like wild forests, secret realms, or ancient ruins to capture them. These places were full of risks, and the chances of finding the right Pokémon were often slim.
Some hunters even lost their lives trying.
So the worst kind of Pokémon hunters took a darker path. Unable to find what they needed in the wild, they would mark Pokémon that already had Trainers.
They would steal them by force and sell them to the highest bidder. To make matters worse, hunters would often deal with the Trainers in a way that ensured they couldn't report the crime. It was a brutal business, and for those Trainers, the chances of survival were slim.
Nearly a third of all wanted criminals in Drakoria were Pokémon hunters.
This profession was infamous, and for good reason. It was viewed with disgust by many. People who found out someone was a Pokémon hunter often wanted nothing to do with them.
Still, becoming a Pokémon hunter required skill.
Among the top eighteen Elites in Drakoria, one was even a Pokémon hunter. That Elite still occasionally ventured into high-level secret realms to capture rare Pokémon for missions. This just showed how capable these hunters could be.
As Julian approached the area where Tucker was hiding, he was still about a kilometer away. If it had been anyone else, they might have landed by now and entered the forest to search on foot. After all, the dense trees and the darkness made it nearly impossible to spot anything from the sky.
But Julian didn't do that. The red dot in his mind told him that he was very close to the other party.
Julian recalled his Dragonair, whose long body would have struggled to move through the dense forest. Instead, he released his Metagross, whose tough, solid build was far more suited for the task ahead.
-
White Forest was vast, home to more than 100 different kinds of Pokémon, with a population numbering in the millions. The outer areas, where Julian currently was, were inhabited by the weakest Pokémon, but they were also the most numerous.
Using his Intermediate Psychic abilities, Julian could sense every creature within a 100-meter radius. There were more than ten Pokémon nearby, the closest of which was just ten meters away.
Suddenly, a bush rustled, and without warning, an Ekans lunged out, its fangs glistening in the moonlight. With only ten meters between them, the snake Pokémon closed the distance in a second.
Metagross was ready to strike, but Julian stopped it with a wave of his hand. Swiftly dodging the Ekans' attack, Julian sidestepped the deadly fangs and reached out to grab the snake by its tail.
"Twister—get out of here!" he yelled with a grin.
With a quick motion, Julian swung the Ekans into a small whirlwind. The Pokémon spun wildly before being flung far into the darkness, disappearing as a black shadow into the trees.
"Cool"
In the past, he would definitely not be able to avoid the close-range attack of Ekans, but now he had the Mega Pallet Town physique.
Meanwhile, Tucker, resting under the large tree, was startled when his alarm system went off. In an instant, his sharp eyes scanned the area. An Ekans, the same one that Julian had thrown, had gotten tangled in his steel wire trap. The snake's movements only made the wire dig deeper into its body, and it thrashed about in pain, triggering more of Tucker's traps.
Suddenly, a blast of fire erupted from the trap, followed by a massive explosion. The sound was deafening, echoing across the forest for at least ten kilometers.