Ambushed, Qing Mu Rescued

On the way transporting Qing Mu and his group.

Li Gang was on the phone reporting the situation to his superiors, while Wang Yan stood beside him, whistling boredly.

After finishing his report, Li Gang let out a long breath.

This mission had been a matter of picking up the leftovers, but it was still completed.

They had caught a big fish this time—the fifth-ranking member of Dark Hunters, one of the international criminal organizations. This was a major achievement, and a commendation was practically guaranteed.

Li Gang was in an excellent mood.

Wang Yan mocked him from the side. "You're this happy over picking up leftovers?"

Li Gang's good mood vanished instantly. Everything about this guy was fine, except for the fact that he had a mouth.

As if remembering something, Li Gang looked at him with amusement. "Then how about I withdraw the application I submitted to my superiors about you joining the League? You keep criticizing us, so I guess you're dissatisfied with the League."

Wang Yan: "..."

This guy was actually using something like this to threaten him. Did he have no sense of public morality? I'm reporting him.

"Then forget it. I think you people are quite efficient after all. The League must be growing stronger by the day because it has people like you... so please take back what I just said."

Wang Yan felt like he had said a lot of things against his conscience.

This bastard. The League felt completely useless precisely because of people like you.

They turned a blind eye to far too many things. Did they think he didn't know?

Although Li Gang was fairly just and incorruptible, his head was filled with the ideals the League had instilled in him. He simply could not push Johto's development any further.

Wang Yan was ambitious. He wanted to become the League Champion, so that he would have a great deal of influence and could correct some outdated things.

Li Gang could tell that Wang Yan was a young man with plenty of ideas, but he had never imagined that this guy harbored such lofty ambitions. He merely saw him as an aspiring individual who wanted to serve the League.

"You don't need to be so scared. The application has already been submitted. I can't withdraw it."

"Wow, why didn't you say so earlier? I think you're just a bad guy. Not only are you inefficient at work, you have no morals either. You're definitely rotten to the core."

Li Gang: "..." Unbelievable. Here he went again. He shouldn't have said anything.

Qing Mu and his group were being held in the rear compartment.

Because of his special identity, Qing Mu was being held separately, and his Poké Balls had been placed outside the holding area.

The guards were watching him carefully as well. If they let him escape, they would lose their jobs.

Qing Mu glared fiercely at the guard who had been staring at him.

What are you looking at?

What if I am? The guard glared right back at him.

Still acting so arrogant after being caught. As expected of a bunch of desperadoes.

Qing Mu could not be bothered to glare at him anymore.

This plan had failed. The boss would definitely be furious.

Qing Mu was considered a ruthless man himself, but whenever he thought of the one who truly called the shots, he could not help but suck in a cold breath.

That guy was the truly ruthless one.

Once he was rescued and brought back, he would definitely be punished. But failing the mission did deserve punishment, and there was no excuse he could make.

Qing Mu did not care too much about his current predicament. Given his status, someone would definitely come to rescue him. Perhaps even that person's Pokémon would come personally.

Maybe the rescue would arrive very soon.

That terrifying leader—their organization's big boss—had an extremely terrifying Pokémon.

Thinking of that, Qing Mu relaxed considerably.

Though there was still a tiny worry in his heart.

His Houndoom would be alright, wouldn't it?

It had suffered such severe injuries. He did not know whether it could hold on until he was rescued.

He had invested so much effort into it. It would be a shame if it simply died like that.

He truly was a cold and heartless person, but toward the Pokémon he had raised himself, he could be considered merciful.

He recalled the instant Houndoom had blocked the Hydro Pump for him.

Damn it, Houndoom, you'd better not die.

Perhaps even he had not noticed that he cared a little too much about that big black dog, whose personality was completely unlike his own.

The vehicle continued onward.

Everything had been fine when it suddenly slammed on the brakes.

Wang Yan, who had just been about to sleep, was jolted awake at once.

"What happened? How are you driving?" Wang Yan was somewhat annoyed.

Li Gang, meanwhile, questioned the driver in front.

"The road ahead is blocked by a Pokémon I've never seen before," the driver shouted.

Li Gang led his men out of the vehicle, and Wang Yan got out as well.

Sure enough, an unfamiliar Pokémon stood ahead of them.

Its entire body was silvery white, while its eyes, tail, and abdomen were purple. A bundle of external nerves extended from the center of its back to the back of its neck, and its fingers seemed to be made up of three spherical joints.

Li Gang had never seen a Pokémon like this before.

Wang Yan was curious too. Could this be a newly discovered species of Pokémon?

Unsure of its intentions, Li Gang shouted from a safe distance, "Pokémon up ahead, you're blocking the road."

However, Li Gang's Arcanine beside him seemed to sense something and immediately stepped forward, barking furiously.

Li Gang instantly felt that something was wrong.

This reaction from his Arcanine could only mean one thing: the Pokémon on the other side was extremely powerful.

But what happened next was even more shocking.

The humanoid Pokémon actually spoke. "Hand over Qing Mu and his group."

Li Gang immediately gave the order, "Emergency alert!"

Right after that, everyone released their Pokémon.

They all watched the Pokémon across from them warily.

"I'll say it one more time. Hand those people over." The humanoid Pokémon released an oppressive aura.

Everyone present felt a shock that seemed to rise from the depths of their souls. The Pokémon before them was incredibly strong.

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed."

But before Arcanine could react, the Pokémon on the other side launched its attack first.

No one knew what move it had used. With just one strike, every Pokémon fell.

Wang Yan said, "Is this really that absurd?"

Cold sweat streamed down Li Gang's back as well. Such powerful Inner Focus and Psychic Power—this Pokémon was definitely a Psychic Type.

And with that level of strength, it was absolutely no ordinary Pokémon. It felt far stronger than even the League Champion's Slowking.

This seemed like the kind of power possessed only by a Tier 1 God.

The Dark Hunters actually had a Pokémon like this.

Li Gang's mind raced.

But the Pokémon across from them did not stop.

With a wave of one hand, everyone felt their minds turn hazy, and one after another, they all collapsed unconscious.

Only Wang Yan remained standing, along with his Charizard, though both were in terrible condition.

The Pokémon opposite them seemed somewhat surprised that a human and a Pokémon could still hold on.

"Y-you... who exactly are you?" Wang Yan demanded in a disheveled state.

Unfortunately, it ignored him. After approaching, it touched Wang Yan's and Charizard's foreheads with its hand. This time, they truly both fell.

If Yan Yang had been here, he would have recognized this Pokémon.

The artificial Pokémon—Mewtwo.

Mewtwo arrived at the place where Qing Mu and the others were being held, and all the guards there were knocked unconscious as well.

Looking at the Pokémon before him, Qing Mu knew that he had been saved.

This Pokémon called Mewtwo was utterly terrifying, but fortunately, it was on their side.

He had no idea where their boss had found such a Pokémon.

After counting everyone, Mewtwo used Teleportation to bring the entire group directly back to their organization's base in the Johto Region.

The first thing Qing Mu did was take his Houndoom for treatment.

However, when he released Houndoom, he was shocked to find that its previously severe injuries had mostly recovered.

Seeing that its master was fine, Houndoom happily pounced on him.

Qing Mu did not react in time and was knocked straight to the ground by Houndoom.

But this time, he did not immediately kick it away.

Instead, he pondered why Houndoom's grave injuries had healed.

It could not have been those League people. They would never care whether villainous Pokémon like theirs lived or died.

Nor could it have been Mewtwo. That Pokémon was far too cold and would not meddle in such matters.

An injury of that severity should have taken a long time to heal.

Qing Mu thought of one possibility.

As a true Johto native, he naturally knew the stories of the Legendary Beasts and had heard of Ho-Oh's powerful Sacred Fire.

It was said to be a miraculous flame, capable not only of burning everything to ashes, but also of healing all wounds.

Legend had it that Ho-Oh had taught this flame to Entei, who was also a Fire-type.

Then could Houndoom's recovery have been due to Entei healing them while burning them at the time?

But why had Entei done that?

Seeing that Qing Mu did not resist, Houndoom pushed its luck and licked Qing Mu's face.

Qing Mu finally came to his senses and shoved it away.

Whatever. As long as this guy was fine.