First Team-Up, First Mission

"Don't think Giant Onix is the only monster among my Pokémon. I've got three more like him!"

"Come on out and play, everyone."

"Cubone, Cubone."

"Phanpy."

"Gabite."

The four Pokémon stood together, each giving off an aura unlike that of ordinary Pokémon.

These were Liu Xin's four unusual Pokémon.

Sure enough, he could manage them one at a time, but all four together were chaos.

Shiny Cubone tapped his bone club, then attacked Hippopotas without a word.

Before Liu Xin could give him an order, Super Gible lunged at the Dragon-type Bagon.

Mutant Phanpy and Giant Onix needed no prompting either. They charged their respective opponents.

It was four against five, with one enemy Pokémon left unoccupied.

Only Liu Xin would be bold enough to command four Pokémon at once.

"Don't worry. Leave the last bad guy to me."

"This is a good chance for my Croconaw to get some practice."

Croconaw:

Level: 21

Attack: 220

Special Attack: 180

As Totodile's evolved form, Croconaw looked more imposing and less cute.

The beige markings on his belly resembled an eggshell, and his matching beige jaws had a fearsome bite.

Red bony plates ran along his head, back, and tail.

Sen Anxiang really had been training her Pokémon lately.

His opponent was a Krokorok. It was a battle between two crocodiles, and they were evenly matched.

Bang!

Impacts rang out one after another. Watching his Pokémon lose ground, Liu Xin roared, "Every last one of you, settle down!"

"If you want to lose, keep fighting however you please. Otherwise, listen to me!"

He finally asserted himself and took control. All four Pokémon retreated together, much more obedient now.

That was the result Liu Xin wanted. He had been eager to see the four of them work together for a long time.

"Shiny Cubone and Super Gible, work together. Hit them fast and keep them distracted."

"Mutant Phanpy, keep attacking with Flame Burst and Fireball Technique. As long as you land a hit, Armor-Breaking Fire will take effect."

"Giant Onix, use Rock Slide for damage and support. Go!"

The orders were clear. The four Pokémon knew what to do and began their attack in earnest.

Shiny Cubone and Super Gible worked remarkably well together. They were about equally fast, and their attacks flowed one into the next.

Ground Spike. Boomerang.

Dragon Claw. Sand Tomb.

With those two working together, their opponents could barely move. It was a devastating combination of physical and special attacks.

"Damn it, move!"

"Crap, Giant Onix and that Phanpy are about to attack! Dodge!"

The trainers shouted for their Pokémon to evade, but how could they?

Caught between Sand Tomb and Ground Spike, with Boomerang hemming them in, they could not budge.

Now it was time to finish them off.

Rock Slide!

Countless stones gathered overhead, each one as big as a person.

They hurtled toward the trapped opponents with terrifying force.

Mutant Phanpy fired off Fireball Technique and Flame Burst in rapid succession, like a rifle. It was frightening to watch.

Boom, boom, boom!

Flames raged, and shattered rock shook the ground.

When the dust settled, all four opponents and their trainers had been knocked unconscious. It was a perfect victory.

Liu Xin let out a long breath and smiled. "See? You four work pretty well together."

"If you listen to me, how could you lose?"

"Now, for that guy."

While Krokorok and Croconaw were still locked in an even fight, the four Pokémon closed in.

Krokorok trembled.

His trainer did too. "Fight me one-on-one if you've got the guts! Don't gang up on me!"

"Noooo!"

How could they lose five against one?

Just like that, the five Treasure Hoarders members were captured, further thinning their forces in the middle tier.

So strong.

That was how everyone nearby saw Liu Xin, allies and enemies alike.

Ito Hei had done well too, tying up two people.

"I get the feeling they're weaker than ordinary trainers. As long as you have even a basic strategy, you can usually win."

Liu Xin sighed. "Their Pokémon are strong, but they lack battle experience. Once the fighting starts, their weaknesses become obvious."

"Hey, don't wander off!"

Liu Xin had only stopped to chat for a moment, and his Pokémon were already rushing off to fight elsewhere.

Ito Hei covered his mouth to keep from laughing. "Go after your Pokémon. Not one of them can sit still."

"Fine! After this, I'm going to make every one of you listen to me!"

"I'll train you until you're all obedient."

The lower and upper tiers were relatively stable. In the lower tier, rookies bumbled through their fights; in the upper tier, powerful attacks made for drawn-out battles.

The middle tier was the key, where fighters from both ends tested their strength.

But Liu Xin was terrifying. His four Pokémon swept through the area, taking down nearly a third of the trainers.

The people he had tied up made a bundle as thick as several tree trunks. It was quite a sight.

Gradually, the Treasure Hoarders began to take notice of Liu Xin.

The upper tier finally acted, sending an elite-level, level-60 Venusaur after him.

Liu Xin spotted it immediately, recalled his Pokémon, and ran.

"No way I'm fighting that! It'd knock me out in one hit!"

"Run, run! Of all the strategies, retreat is the best!"

Venusaur's trainer was dumbfounded. Could Liu Xin not at least face him? Why had he run straight away?

"Don't let him get away! Venusaur, use your vines and bring that kid here!"

"Venusaur."

Thick vines sprouted from the flower on Venusaur's back. Not just one, either—seven or eight reached for Liu Xin.

Was he about to be caught?

"Charizard!"

Flame Burst came down and burned the approaching vines.

One of the Lighthouse Guardians had commanded Charizard to intercept Venusaur. Wearing a grim expression, he said, "I don't know your name, but could you do us a favor?"

"We're under too much pressure fighting the robot on the front line!"

He wants me to fight the robot?

That thing was stronger than an ordinary level-60 elite Pokémon. Absolutely not.

The Lighthouse Guardian patted his own shoulder and said bitterly, "I'm not asking you to fight the robot. I only want you to destroy the cages."

"You're one of the strongest trainers here, so I'm asking you to help us!"

"If that monster loses its supply, we'll have a chance to win!"

Before Liu Xin could answer, a system notification sounded: Ding! The host has triggered a side quest: Help the Lighthouse Guardians destroy the cages and free the Pokémon inside!