A Vulpix suddenly burst from beneath Feng Che's cloak. Its six tails shimmered with a silvery-white light as they slammed violently into the man's wrist. The hidden dagger clattered to the stony ground.
"Agh!" The man cried out in agony, clutching his shattered hand and stumbling back.
The Liepard, however, was still watching him like a hawk. It saw its opening. With a powerful leap, its sharp claws pierced through the man's chest. The light vanished from the poacher's eyes instantly. He coughed up a spray of crimson blood and collapsed to his knees, a gaping wound in his chest gushing like a fountain.
The Liepard licked its blood-stained paw, eyeing the powerful aura radiating from Feng Che with wariness. Knowing it had met a predator it couldn't best, the feline turned and vanished into the shadows of the mountains.
Caitlin watched the grim scene, her breath catching. "The law of the Pokémon world is the survival of the fittest," Feng Che said, glancing at the cooling corpse. "This is the cruelty of reality. That Liepard was smart—it knew who it could afford to provoke."
However, Vulpix's appearance had drawn the greedy eyes of the surrounding poachers.
"Look at that! A Vulpix! That's worth a fortune on the market."
"Haha! If I catch that one, I'm set for life!"
"Forget the other targets, get the Vulpix!"
The poachers abandoned their current hunts, commanding their Pokémon to surround the duo.
"Vulpix, Shadow Ball!"
At Feng Che's command, Vulpix fanned out its tails. At the tip of each tail, a sphere of ghost energy the size of a ping-pong ball began to coalesce, crackling with dark electricity. As she channeled the energy, the spheres grew to the size of basketballs. She hurled them at the encroaching mob.
BOOM!
A series of explosions rocked the path, sending the poachers' Pokémon sprawling.
"She's strong! Her potential must be insane!"
"Capture her at all costs! I won't have to work a day in my life after this!"
"Vulpix, Will-O-Wisp."
Vulpix's tails stood erect. Suddenly, a circle of eerie, floating blue flames manifested around them.
"This is a Will-O-Wisp formation," Feng Che explained to Caitlin. "Any human or Pokémon that touches them will suffer severe burns and a lingering toxin. The cost of healing a Pokémon hit by this would be more than these poachers make in a year. That should give them pause."
"Let's go, Caitlin. With this barrier in place, they won't dare follow us. We need to find the Hydreigon."
"Feng Che, how do we track it?" Caitlin asked. "My psychic powers are countered by its Dark-type energy. I can't pinpoint its exact location."
"You only need to give me a general range," Feng Che replied. He hadn't expected her to be able to use a limited form of Future Sight to narrow down the search area. "My Heart Sight will handle the rest."
"My powers have recovered enough for a mid-range jump," Caitlin said, snapping her fingers. Under the synchronized power of her Duosion, the two disappeared in a flicker of blue light.
The Dragon God Mercenaries
Kaiser was casually flipping through a magazine, his Haxorus lazily drawing circles in the dirt with its tail.
"Lord Kaiser," Ryuhime said, approaching quickly. "Informants report a high-level psychic in the area. Multiple poachers saw two cloaked figures vanish into thin air."
"Let them come," Kaiser dismissed. "At a time like this, all sorts of ghosts and monsters appear. As long as we keep our eyes on the Hydreigon's nest, nothing else matters."
"Our real threats are the other big mercenary groups and Team Plasma. Word is Sage Ghetsis sent Zinzolin to lead their operation. He's powerful, second only to Ghetsis himself."
Kaiser's expression darkened. "Team Plasma is desperate for funds after that recent theft of their legendary resources. An egg worth 100 million is something they won't pass up. If they get it, we can negotiate—they need the cash. But if one of the other mercenary groups gets it, we'll have to take it from their cold, dead hands."
"We wait. My Xatu is using Future Sight to probe for the nest. Once it locks on, we move with full force."
Elsewhere in the Den
Sage Zinzolin sat cross-legged on a boulder, his muscular frame belying his age. He held a communicator in one hand while his Kommo-o stood beside him.
"Ghetsis, I know! I'll find the Deino!" Zinzolin barked. "You can't blame me for Colress's failures. I know we're short on funds, but I'm doing my best here. What? My dragon eats too much? That's my daughter you're talking about! I'm not going to starve her just to save a few credits! I'm hanging up."
Zinzolin stood up, brandishing a massive machete. He was over two meters tall, with a long white beard and an imposing presence.
"That old man... complaining about my Kommo-o's diet," he grumbled as the dragon crunched through a rare Dragon Blood Fruit. "If Ghetsis didn't control the Black and White Dragons, I'd have taken his head and led Team Plasma myself."
"Let's see if my Dragon-type resonance can find that nest. I didn't come here just for a pet; I want the resources the Hydreigon has hoarded. As for the Deino... I'm keeping that for myself. What I want, I take."
The High Peak
Feng Che and Caitlin materialized on a jagged, windswept mountain. The cliff face was nearly vertical, populated only by small, stubborn wild flowers.
[Swoobat Leader: Why are humans here? Have they found the Great One's nest?]
Feng Che's ears caught the thought instantly. He looked up, using his psychic sense to pierce through a hidden barrier. High above, perched on stone pillars, were a flock of Swoobat using their mental power to create an invisibility screen.
Looking down the slopes, he saw Gigalith and Boldore navigating the $90^\circ$ cliffs with ease. Excadrill were camouflaged as rocks, while Braviary and Mandibuzz circled the peaks like sentries.
Guardians everywhere, Feng Che thought. Hydreigon must be right on the other side of this peak.