"My, my, what do we have here? A herd of Miltank. Now that is some prime prey."
Two men emerged from the thick brush—One-Eye and Shengmu. These were the same two who had failed the assassination attempt on Dr. Fuji's family. That failure had tanked their reputation within the Stinger Syndicate, and now they had been relegated to grunt work: capturing mass quantities of Pokémon.
"I don't get what the Boss is thinking, demanding so many Pokémon at once," One-Eye grumbled.
"Don't question the Leader, One-Eye. He has his reasons," Shengmu snapped, though his eyes burned with greed as he surveyed the Miltank. "If we bring this herd back, it might just balance the scales for our last screw-up."
The Miltank leader glared at them, her scarred face twisting in a snarl. She loathed the way humans looked at her kind—like commodities rather than living beings.
"Go, Houndoom! Flamethrower!" Shengmu commanded. "And you, Sneasel, use Icy Wind!"
The Miltank leader didn't hesitate. She tucked her limbs and rolled into a high-speed Rollout. Rumble, rumble! She became a pink juggernaut of momentum, plowing through the flames without a scratch thanks to her Thick Fat ability.
"Not bad," Shengmu sneered, snapping his fingers. "But you aren't the real target."
Houndoom shifted its aim, breathing fire at the surrounding trees. The dry brush ignited instantly, creating a wall of flame that trapped the rest of the herd. The younger Miltank huddled together, shivering in terror.
"You're a fighter, but your herd is your weakness," Shengmu taunted. "Stop now, or I'll execute them one by one."
"Bastards," Kris hissed, her hand going to a Poké Ball. Feng Che caught her arm.
"Wait, Kris. Let's see what else they have," he whispered. "Bounty hunters like these are as slippery as foxes. They might be baiting an intervention. If you jump in now, you lose the tactical advantage."
Shengmu scanned the area. Seeing no one, he released an Ariados. "Use Spider Web! Bind the whole herd!"
The Miltank leader let out a furious bellow. Suddenly, her body ignited as she spun—a Flame Wheel variation.
Impressive, Feng Che thought. A Normal-type creating a giant fireball through sheer friction and spirit. If Litten learns that, it's a perfect Flame Wheel. If Froakie learns the rotation, it's a perfect defense.
"Go, Litten, Froakie! Froakie, use precision Water Pulse to douse the forest fires. Litten, deal with that Houndoom—we have unfinished business from the ship."
Feng Che looked at Kris. "Have your Parasect use Sleep Powder to calm the herd. I'll handle the hunters."
The Miltank leader charged Shengmu like a heavy tank.
"Useless cow! Meet my new partner. Go, Crawdaunt! Water Gun!"
The Crawdaunt emerged, its star-patterned head and massive claws gleaming. It was a vicious species known for relentless pursuit.
Pokémon: Crawdaunt Potential: Yellow Ability: Hyper Cutter Level: 43 Status: Arrogant. Evaluation: Highly experienced but refuses to listen to its trainer.
Crawdaunt opened its claws and unleashed a massive Hydro Pump.
[Crawdaunt: Hmph. Trainer said Water Gun. Such a puny move is beneath me. I'll show them real power.]
That was definitely a Hydro Pump, Feng Che thought, sweat-dropping. The blast struck the Miltank leader, throwing her back into a tree with enough force to snap the trunk. But her Thick Fat and natural bulk kept her conscious.
At that moment, Kris's Parasect released a cloud of silver spores. The Miltank leader and the Ariados inhaled the dust and collapsed into a deep sleep.
"Ambush!" Shengmu shouted, covering his face. One-Eye was already on the ground, snoring loudly, his face covered in drool. Shengmu felt his head swim. He fumbled for a syringe of stimulant to wake his Crawdaunt.
Zip! A Water Shuriken from Froakie knocked the syringe from his hand, drawing blood.
"Give it up," Feng Che said, stepping from the shadows in his mask.
"You... you think I'm done?" Shengmu swayed. "Go... Kingler! Wake the others! Destroy everything!"
He threw one last ball before collapsing into sleep next to One-Eye. The Kingler emerged and looked at its fallen trainer with disdain.
[Kingler: Pathetic. Eaten by a mushroom's dust.]
Kingler used a small Water Gun to wash the spores off Crawdaunt, waking the lobster.
"Kris, capture the Miltank while they're under," Feng Che ordered.
"On it!" Kris moved with practiced efficiency, kicking a dozen balls into the herd. Success! She smiled, enjoying the rush of a perfect capture. "Mr. Feng Che, do you need help with those two?"
"No, Kris. Look after the kids. These are high-value criminals. I'm arresting them on behalf of Elite Four Lance." Feng Che lied with a perfectly straight face. Kris, seeing his "righteous aura," believed him instantly.
Feng Che faced the Crawdaunt and Kingler. "Ivysaur, you're up. Froakie, support."
The two crustaceans fired Hydro Pumps. [Ivysaur: Water? How scary.] Ivysaur didn't even dodge. The water washed over it, and the Grass-type actually looked refreshed.
The Crawdaunt and Kingler were livid. They combined their Bubble Beam, creating a wall of hard-hitting spheres.
"Ivysaur, Vine Whip!"
Ten vines erupted from Ivysaur's back. It manipulated them with such grace they looked like a weaver's loom, swatting every bubble out of the air. It then plunged the vines into the earth.
Suddenly, vines burst from beneath the crustaceans, binding them tight. [Ivysaur used Bind!]
Green light pulsed through the vines as Ivysaur used Mega Drain. The Crawdaunt and Kingler slumped, their energy siphoned away until they fainted.
Feng Che recalled the defeated Pokémon and locked their balls. He then tied Shengmu and One-Eye with sturdy rope.
"I'll be taking these two to the League for 'questioning'," Feng Che told Kris as they exchanged contact info. "Keep up the good work. I'll be in touch."
"I will!" Kris nodded.
Watching her go, Feng Che's eyes turned cold as he looked at the bound hunters. "You two escapees from the Stinger Syndicate... you delivered yourselves right to me. I won't be as 'merciful' as the League."
He summoned Corvisquire and Aerodactyl, which snatched up the bound men in their talons and flew off into the distance.
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