Crushing Victory

The next day, before dawn had even broken, Entei and the others were already awake, ready to prepare to deal with those villains.

Just as Entei was about to lead Yan Yang and Hawlucha to the villains' hideout, several Pokémon blocked their path, indicating they wanted to help too.

Among them were Primeape, Odistar, Noctowl, Venusaur... all relatively strong Pokémon, considered seniors to Yan Yang, and their children were friends with him.

Entei said there was no need for help—he could handle it alone. Having too many Pokémon join the fight would only increase the risk of something going wrong.

No matter how many or how strong the opposing Pokémon were, they couldn't beat Entei, whose level completely crushed them. Unless the enemy had Pokémon at level sixty or seventy, they might struggle a bit longer.

These Pokémon were a little disappointed. They truly hated those despicable Pokémon Hunters and wanted to teach them a harsh lesson, but if Entei wouldn't allow it, there was nothing they could do. After all, he really could take on a whole group by himself, and if they joined in, they might just hold him back. The villains' cunning was something the Pokémon had to guard against.

Though most of the Pokémon living in this forest only knew Yan Yang personally, they had still heard tales of some humans' despicable deeds. Add to that the fact that some Pokémon in the forest had been harmed by humans before, so they were all cautious around people. Even Yan Yang had taken quite a while to earn their trust.

Yan Yang knew everyone held a strong prejudice against humans, so he began to mediate: "Don't worry, we'll be back soon. You may not be able to come, but you can bless us! With your blessings, our mission will definitely go more smoothly."

After soothing them for a while, the Pokémon's emotions settled. "Alright, then you have to come back quickly."

"Make sure to teach them a good lesson—don't let those people off easy."

"Little Sun, don't get hurt. Stay close to your dad."

Meanwhile, Hawlucha and Primeape were glaring at each other, their eyes carrying a dangerous edge, as if they were about to throw down.

These two Pokémon seemed to be born with a mutual dislike.

Seeing the situation turn sour, Yan Yang quickly scooped up Hawlucha, jumped onto Entei's back, and signaled for him to move out.

If they stayed any longer, he was afraid those two would actually start fighting.

Entei understood and immediately broke into a sprint.

He moved fast, but not so fast that it made Yan Yang uncomfortable.

Soon, they arrived at the forest Hawlucha had mentioned.

This forest wasn't very large, but it was rich in resources—a paradise where wild Pokémon should have lived happily. However, a group of unscrupulous Pokémon Hunters, ignoring the laws of nature, had plundered innocent Pokémon from the distant Kalos Region and imprisoned them here in cold iron cages, preparing for shady transactions.

Most people were still asleep, with only a few guards on duty, chatting and laughing as if they were engaged in some grand undertaking—except their deeds were anything but righteous.

Their Pokémon also looked shifty-eyed, fierce and cold, like villains themselves. As they say, like master, like Pokémon.

The Pokémon themselves were technically innocent, merely following their trainers' orders, but that still didn't make them forgivable.

The contrast between the laughing people outside and the trembling Pokémon locked in cages was striking, highlighting the cruelty of human hearts.

Seeing the Pokémon trapped in iron cages, Yan Yang was furious. Almost every single one of them was covered in wounds—none were unharmed.

Even if they were going to be sold, shouldn't they at least keep the Pokémon in good condition?

It was early morning, and the sunlight had yet to fully dispel the night. The air carried the unique freshness and tranquility of dawn. But that peace was shattered by the mournful cries of the imprisoned Pokémon.

"Dad, do you hear that? Those trapped Pokémon are wailing," Yan Yang said, clenching his fists, his eyes shining with determination. "We have to rescue them right now, and then beat those scumbags until they're crippled."

He had originally considered going easy on them, but now it was clear there was no need for that. Not killing them was already an act of mercy.

Entei had never had a good temper to begin with. It had only improved a little over the years spent with Yan Yang, but that didn't mean he had truly changed.

Right now, he was really, really angry.

Hawlucha was a bit scared when it first saw those people, but then it steeled itself, and when it looked at them again, its eyes were filled with nothing but coldness.

Entei began moving toward them. As they advanced, the massive iron cages came into view. Many Pokémon were trapped inside—Chespin, Gogoat, Vivillon of various colors, Dedenne... Their eyes were filled with despair and fear.

And the fully armed hunters guarding these lives exuded a disgusting aura. The stench of evil people was always this nauseating.

Seeing Entei approach step by step, the hunters began to panic. After all, Entei's gaze was terrifying right now, as if it could pierce through their filthy hearts, and the aura he radiated was overwhelmingly powerful.

The hunters' Pokémon were also afraid, but they still stood in front to protect their masters.

Yan Yang quickly scanned their information—all of them were between levels forty and fifty, nowhere near enough to fight Entei.

"Dad, they're all weaklings. Just crush them."

Entei's flame-like mane rippled in the wind, as if cheering for the coming battle.

Without any further pleasantries, the fight erupted instantly. Entei unleashed a fierce blast of flame, and with Hawlucha assisting from the side, they tore a gap straight through the enemy's line.

Faced with such a powerful opponent, the hunters were thrown into chaos. Their strategies and counterattacks were utterly useless against Entei's absolute strength.

"Help!"

"How can there be a Pokémon this strong?"

"This is the Legendary Pokémon Entei, isn't it? Can our other plan even work against a Pokémon like this?"

"Don't just stand there! Reinforcements, now! We're about to get crushed!"

"We can't win. The gap is too big."

Entei was like a king on the battlefield. Every roar he let out triggered a sea of fire, forcing the enemy to retreat step by step.

And this was still Entei suppressing his own power. He was afraid that if he wasn't careful, he might burn down the entire forest, causing trouble for the Pokémon that originally lived here.

He also didn't want these villains' Pokémon to die. The Pokémon didn't deserve such a fate—they were only guilty of having a bad master.

Wearing the Entei mask, Yan Yang held tightly onto Entei. This battle required no command from him at all—Entei alone was more than enough. This was his domain.

Yan Yang seemed to serve little purpose, but his presence allowed Entei to keep itself in check. After all, it was better not to be too violent in front of a child; otherwise, Entei felt it might not hold back.

Moreover, Yan Yang would issue a few commands as the situation demanded, hastening the collapse of this rabble.

Just as the tide seemed to have turned entirely in Yan Yang's favor, one Hunter suddenly triggered a mechanism inside the cage, attempting to counterattack with a trap: "Get out of the way, let him taste this."

Yet this could not stop the march of justice. It was all futile.

Entei leaped into the air, its entire body wreathed in scorching flames, and shot toward the Control Device like a meteor, utterly destroying it.

With a deafening roar, all the cage doors burst open. The Pokémon, imprisoned for so long, were finally free!

The newly freed Pokémon, eyes bloodshot, brawled with the Pokémon Hunters and their Pokémon, as if venting their pent-up resentment and fury.

In truth, the level gap might have been significant, but thanks to Entei's prior attrition, they could barely hold their own.

"Not good—all the Pokémon have been released."

"Requesting backup! Requesting backup!"

"Backup my ass, run!"

"Help!"

All the Hunters fell into chaos. After recalling their dying Pokémon, they scrambled to flee. But how could Entei let them off? With a single burst of flame, every last one of them was scorched beyond recognition, left with only a breath of life.

The rescued Pokémon took the chance to land a punch or two, knocking them unconscious from the pain.

The liberated Pokémon looked at one another, then began to cheer for their regained freedom.

This battle was never in doubt. It ended in a complete rout.

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