"Enemy attack!"
"Blizzard??? No... Powder Snow???"
"What's that pink thing???"
The poachers fell into chaos, but a leader quickly stepped forward.
"Quiet! Don't panic! You, you, you, and you, go check the bushes! Everyone else, get into the trucks!"
With the leader directing them, the poachers quickly regained order. However, just as they moved to inspect the bushes, the ground suddenly began to tremble—
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A massive Aggron burst straight out of the bushes, sending several Pokémon that had come to investigate flying.
And it did not stop there. Like an armored vehicle, the enormous monster charged up beside one of the poachers' cars and shoved hard with both hands, crushing the vehicle out of shape.
"League reinforcements! Everyone stay where you are and don't move!"
Qiao Ran leaped out of the bushes with Vulpix in his arms, shouting the League's slogan.
"League people...? You knew about our operation?!"
The poacher leader's expression darkened. Their operation was supposed to be top secret. How could anyone have known?
"Of course. Because I predicted your operation."
Qiao Ran held Vulpix like a turret. Having already reached level 31, she was more than capable of dealing with ordinary fodder.
Furthermore, Aggron was beside them, holding the line and wreaking havoc, while the research team had begun to resist as well.
At this moment—Qiao Ran was not fighting alone!
"I have a League search warrant. You'd better surrender now!"
Yet after hearing Qiao Ran's words and seeing the warrant in his hand, the poacher leader instead revealed a meaningful smile.
"Oh? Is that so? The League only sent one little brat? You think one Aggron and one Vulpix can solve this? Even if you've got some strength, you can't make up for numbers!"
"Then that's enough. Come out—you don't need to keep hiding anymore!"
At his command, a large group of poachers on motorcycles emerged from another side path.
"This..."
Looking at the huge crowd that had suddenly appeared, a bead of cold sweat slid down Qiao Ran's forehead.
"Didn't expect that, did you! I predicted that you'd predict our operation!"
The poacher leader wore a wild grin, as though everything was under his control.
"I knew it! I knew the League would set an ambush on the road! So I calculated the research team's return time and the time it would take reinforcements to arrive from Jinling, then planted an ambush at roughly this spot... Didn't expect that, did you?! Hahahahahaha!!!"
"Everyone, attack! This operation has to succeed!!!"
"Roar roar roar roar roar!"
Flashes of light burst forth as countless Pokémon were released from their Poké Balls. Faced with the endless sea of Pokémon—Qiao Ran actually smiled.
Despite being surrounded, Qiao Ran showed no panic at all. Instead, a smile appeared on his face.
"Is everyone here now? Then it's about time for us too."
"Come out! Axemen... no, reinforcements!"
He raised one finger and made a special gesture toward the sky. Following his motion, Vulpix fired a tiny snowball into the air.
At once, both sides of the road seemed to quake, and even the trees began to shake.
—Several steel behemoths charged out at full speed, scattering the poachers to either side of the road. Riding atop them was Iron Maiden, swinging her steel shovel and taking down one person with every strike.
"Didn't expect that, did you!"
Qiao Ran burst into laughter.
"We also predicted that you'd predict that we'd predict your operation!!"
"Damn it...!"
The poacher leader's face immediately turned a dark purplish red as he stared at the sudden appearance of so many Steel-type Pokémon.
Especially when he saw Iron Maiden riding another Aggron, he cried out in alarm.
That silver-gray long hair... that proud figure... and that shovel gleaming with cold light...
"That person... isn't she Iron Maiden, the Steel-type Gym Leader of Jinling Gym?!"
The poacher leader had heard of Iron Maiden's reputation. Although her strength had not reached the level of an Elite Four member, and she was still some distance from becoming a Quasi-Elite Four, she was considered one of the League's more formidable Gym Leaders. She was even known as "the woman in the League you should never provoke," a title closely tied to her terrifying physical strength.
Legend had it that when Iron Maiden was still in elementary school, she had personally torn apart an opponent's Rattata in battle as a novice Pokémon trainer. She had even beaten an opponent's Caterpie so badly that it evolved into a cocoon. It was because of this incident that the League issued regulations the following year such as, "Trainers are prohibited from personally entering battle, especially elementary school students."
Although the Pokémon Iron Maiden defeated barehanded had not been particularly strong, fighting Pokémon with a human body was already a heroic feat beyond ordinary people's imagination. Not to mention that Iron Maiden had only been an elementary school student at the time, her body not even fully developed.
"Who... did you just call Iron Maiden?"
The moment she heard the poacher leader's voice, black energy erupted around Iron Maiden. She hated it when people called her by that name directly, especially when it was used together with that word.
"Stick your neck out and die!"
The heavy shovel whistled through the air in her hands, completely transformed into a terrifying weapon of intimidation. Aside from a few exceptionally sturdy Pokémon, every poacher hurriedly backed away at the sight of it, afraid it would suddenly smash down on their heads.
"How could I let you get over here?! Tyranitar! Stop her!"
Cold sweat streamed down the poacher leader's forehead. Was this woman even human? Could humans ride Pokémon like cavalry???
On the other side, Qiao Ran was worried for Iron Maiden too. Watching her grip a shovel, ride Aggron, and battle two Tyranitar at once, his heart pounded uneasily.
Having stayed at Jinling Gym for so long, he was quite familiar with Iron Maiden's physical abilities.
It was true that Iron Maiden was stronger than an ordinary person, but that strength had limits. She might be able to hold on for a while, but once the battle dragged on, her disadvantage as a human would become apparent.
She did not have the recovery ability of Pokémon, and apart from basic shovel swings, she had no skills. She certainly could not fire beams from her mouth.
"Vulpix! Powder Snow! Dianxi! Earth Power!"
Thinking of this, Qiao Ran released Dianxi and had her join the battle. This was not the time to hold back. He still needed to clear out the fodder around the edges. Of course, besides him, the ones contributing the most combat power on the battlefield were Iron Maiden's main Pokémon. In particular, that blue Empoleon charged straight toward the research team's truck, attacking the poachers trying to enter it.
"Empo—leon!"
Water suddenly wrapped around its body. Its originally cumbersome frame began moving rapidly toward its opponents, and under its attacks, the poachers' Pokémon fell one after another.
Qiao Ran took out Rotom and checked it. This Pokémon had actually reached level 47. It was only three levels away from crossing the level-50 threshold and entering the qualification line for Pokémon at the Elite Four level!
As expected of a Gym Leader's ace. It really was incredibly powerful.
Qiao Ran could not help sighing, but he also thought of something else.
It might sound like it only needed three more levels to reach level 50, but sometimes those three levels were like an uncrossable chasm—visible, yet unattainable.
The higher one went, the harder levels became to raise. Though the gap from level 1 to level 2 and from level 49 to level 50 was both just one level, the difficulty increased geometrically. At this level, accumulated experience alone was not enough; a Pokémon also needed talent. Some untalented Pokémon could never reach level 40 in their entire lives, or even break through level 30, much less reach the unimaginable level 50.
Of course, none of those problems were problems for Qiao Ran. All he needed to do was fight, fight, keep fighting, and keep winning—as long as he kept winning, his experience would keep growing.
"Dianxi, keep using Earth Power!"
"Dian—!"
Following Qiao Ran's command, the power of the earth erupted. Like an elegant conductor, Dianxi precisely struck the poachers.
"Looks like I can gain quite a bit of experience this time."
Looking at the many level-twenty-something Pokémon lying on the ground, Qiao Ran nodded in satisfaction. Whether in training or level, these Pokémon were far inferior to Iron Maiden's Pokémon. Dianxi found it quite comfortable dealing with them.
Standing there, Dianxi was like a wolf among sheep. Aside from a few particularly powerful Pokémon, almost no one could resist her attacks.
Without realizing it, she had already become very, very strong.
Meanwhile, inside the truck.
"Dr. Lilia, what's happening outside? Should we go out now?"
Mei gripped her Poké Ball, ready to battle at any moment, but she still sought Lilia's opinion.
If Lilia disagreed, she absolutely would not go out.
"It's about time. We'll go out and provide support as well."
Dr. Lilia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
After calming herself, she took out her communicator and issued orders to every member of the research team.
"Everyone, get out of the truck! Counterattack against the attackers! Don't panic, our reinforcements are already fighting the poachers! This time, we must capture them all!"
"Yes!"
"Received!"
Hearing the responses from the communicator, Dr. Lilia nodded in satisfaction. Then she took the lead, preparing to open the truck's rear door.
"Let's go out too, Mei."
"Okay!"
Mei nodded, vigorously pumping her little fist as an excited smile appeared on her face.
After being quiet for so long, she had actually been longing for a Pokémon battle.
The rear door opened, and they stepped outside the truck.
"Come out! Serperior!"
At her sweet shout, a long snake-like Pokémon appeared on the ground—it had red eyes and golden patterns across its body. Yet her head remained held high, making her appear incomparably proud and noble.
"Show them the dazzling power of Grass!"
Mei gave her partner her first command.
"Serperior—"
"Blooming Leaf Storm!"
"Hisssh—"
Under Mei's command, Serperior raised her head high and spun her tail. Immediately, a powerful gust surged around her, sweeping up countless emerald leaves.
This was one of Grass-type's ultimate moves, a terrifying skill with a power of 130.
—Leaf Storm!
"...!"
The poachers surrounding the truck were startled and hurriedly sent out their Pokémon to block it. However, they had ultimately underestimated this Serperior and the strength of this seemingly young girl.
The emerald storm surged forward like a giant serpent... no, like a dragon. In only one second, the ever-expanding Leaf Storm swallowed every one of the poachers' Pokémon.
Some Pokémon that lacked sufficient strength could not withstand the overwhelming power and soon collapsed. After the leaf-filled gale had ravaged the area, only a handful of Pokémon remained standing. All the rest lay sprawled on the ground, their eyes spinning in spirals.
"This...!"
"Who is she?"
Every poacher was stunned. The people approaching the truck were not peripheral fodder. To crush them all with one move required at least the strength of a Gym Leader... no, perhaps even the strength of the very strongest Gym Leaders!
But was the person standing before them now a Gym Leader?—Without question, she was not!
Not only was she not, she was a girl who looked young, perhaps even underage!
Since when had people like this existed in the world?! She had only just set out on her journey and already possessed top-tier strength???
The poachers were so shocked that they stood frozen in place. If Qiao Ran had been present and could see Serperior's level, he would probably have worn a similar expression.
—Level 42.
That was right. Mei's Pokémon had actually broken through the level-40 barrier and reached level 42.
As a girl with special talent, Mei's level progression had been smooth sailing ever since she began her journey. It had not taken her long to step into a realm that others might never reach in their entire lives.
Of course, this was also related to the fact that trainers in the Pokémon world began their journeys relatively early. Although the Unova region where Mei lived had once
Before you continue