This Is a Timid Pokémon?!
With a lead secured, the rest became simpler.
The Inner Val Range wasn't far from Ethan's current location. Still, he chose to wait until daylight before entering.
Night battles were risky.
The escaped Pokémon had already evaded the Divine Eagle Alliance's pursuit—its strength clearly wasn't ordinary. Fighting it in poor visibility would only increase variables.
Meanwhile — The Hotel Room
The woman from the bar lay tied to the bed.
Hands bound.
Mouth gagged.
She was alive.
Just restrained.
Ethan had gotten what he needed.
And left.
Entering the Mountains
By morning, Ethan headed straight into the Inner Val Range.
The density of Pokémon stunned him.
Wild species roamed freely in vast numbers.
Compared to Donghuang's territory—
The difference was stark.
Donghuang's population pressure meant:
Fewer wild PokémonMore trainersGreater resource strain
Here?
Abundance.
As he ventured deeper, wild Pokémon numbers decreased—
But their levels increased.
He spotted multiple Champion-tier Pokémon casually inhabiting the region.
"No wonder they expanded so aggressively," Ethan muttered.
"With resources like this, anyone would."
He released Meloetta to gather local intel.
Metagross' presence scared off nearby Pokémon.
Meloetta, however, could approach peacefully.
Within ten minutes, she returned.
"There was a very strong Pokémon passing through recently."
"It was injured."
"And extremely violent."
Strong.
Wounded.
Violent.
That narrowed it down.
"Direction?"
"Southwest."
Ethan immediately moved.
An injured Pokémon in the wild was vulnerable—
And dangerous.
The Interception
About ten minutes later, Metagross halted midair.
"Boss. Multiple humans ahead."
"How many?"
"At least twenty to thirty."
"Most have Champion-tier Pokémon."
"Five have Totem-tier."
Ethan's pupils narrowed.
That lineup was elite.
Even Victor only had eight Champion-tier Pokémon.
Here—
Twenty to thirty Champions.
Five Totems.
For one target.
He didn't rush in.
Instead, he found elevated terrain for concealment.
A natural canyon ridge provided the perfect vantage point.
Below—
A coordinated assault was underway.
The Target
At the center—
Surrounded by overwhelming force—
Was a single Pokémon.
Mewtwo
Level: 89 — Totem Tier
Type: Psychic
Nature: Timid
Ethan's breath stilled.
Mewtwo.
And—
Timid?
He stared at the battlefield.
The Pokémon was lashing out wildly—
Psychic shockwaves blasting in all directions.
Its expression wasn't arrogance.
It was fury.
Pain.
Desperation.
A Timid nature Pokémon—
Reduced to this state.
What had Divine Eagle done to it?
How far did they push it?
Below, a commander barked:
"Do not hold back!"
"Cripple it if necessary!"
"As long as it's alive when delivered, the mission succeeds!"
That sentence confirmed everything.
They weren't trying to subdue.
They were trying to break it.
The assault intensified.
Champion-tier Pokémon unleashed synchronized attacks.
Totem-tier pressure closed in.
Ethan's expression darkened.
A Timid Mewtwo—
Driven into madness.
He exhaled slowly.
"Metagross."
"Prepare."
The Golden Opportunity—
Had revealed itself.
And Divine Eagle was about to regret broadcasting that bounty.
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