"I'm here. Where are you?"
After editing the message, Loryo tapped send.
"Just a moment. I'll be there soon."
The reply came quickly.
For some reason, Loryo felt a vague unease.
But the promise of a hefty reward was enough to suppress it—at least for now.
Still, he couldn't help wondering: What kind of Pokémon gathering spot would require so many Trainers, with a minimum qualification of High Elite?
While Loryo pondered, unaware, he had already become someone else's prey.
Gardevoir teleported in with a burst of light, Machamp materializing beside her.
Ignoring Loryo's stunned expression, Gardevoir unleashed a focused Psychic straight at him, while Machamp locked onto Loryo's own Pokémon with ruthless precision. They operated like seasoned assassins—each knowing their target and purpose.
Before he could react, Loryo collapsed—a lifeless body hitting the dirt.
Ron stepped out from cover, flanked by Persian and Bellossom. As they swept clean the scene—collecting Loryo's resources—Ron meticulously erased any traces of the skirmish.
Ever since discovering the bounty boards on the black market, Ron had visited three different ones.
The bounties were always the same: reports of a rare wild Pokémon nesting ground, numbers too small to take it alone. Recruits needed—minimum strength required: High Elite. Maximum: quasi-Elite Four.
What came next was always simple.
Ron just had to wait. The prey would come to him.
In just two days, he had eliminated six quasi-Elite Four–level Trainers and eleven High Elite–class Trainers. Far more efficient than tracking them individually.
As Ron finished clearing the field, another message buzzed in.
"Seriously… These prey just don't give me a break, do they? So eager to die…"
Muttering to himself, Ron gave the command. Gardevoir's Teleport shimmered again as they vanished.
They reappeared in Dwight's hidden base. After a quick debrief, Ron left Persian and Blaziken behind to guard Dwight.
Should any threat appear, those two had the speed and power to fend off almost any attacker—short of a speed-specialized top-tier Elite Four combatant.
Satisfied, Ron ordered Gardevoir to teleport once more.
"Ron, something's wrong this time."
Even before they landed, Gardevoir's voice echoed directly into his mind.
"What is it?"
Ron halted, speaking aloud to her.
Several minutes later, cloaked in a dark robe, Ron strode casually toward a lone figure beneath a tree.
"You're the client?"
Kuhn asked warily, Dodrio at his side, poised for combat.
"12138."
Only after hearing the passcode did Kuhn ease up a little, though he stayed on guard.
Double-crosses in bounty meetings were common—either the client or the merc could turn into the killer.
"It's not here. Follow me."
Ron gestured, signaling for them to walk side-by-side—to minimize ambush risks from either party.
"Alright."
Kuhn positioned Dodrio between them for protection.
Ron mirrored the setup, placing Nidoking at a respectful distance near Dodrio.
"So… what kind of Pokémon nesting ground needs this many Trainers?" Kuhn asked, curiosity finally overcoming caution.
"You'll see when we arrive. Trust me—it'll be worth it."
Ron smiled, but said no more, quietly leading the way.
Kuhn, realizing he'd get no answers, followed in silence.
From afar, another figure observed.
"Notify everyone to follow discreetly. Keep hidden—we might be about to hook a big one."
Farther down the ridge, Pym spoke with barely restrained excitement.
After eavesdropping on the conversation between Kuhn and Ron, Pym's finely honed instincts—a skill developed through years of survival—told him that the location Ron had mentioned had to be harboring something extraordinary.
Just the thought of all those resources—and the people guarding them—falling right into his hands made Pym's blood stir.
Half an hour later, Ron and Kuhn arrived at a secluded canyon.
After carefully scanning the area to confirm there were no threats, Ron turned to Kuhn, who had been watching him with quiet curiosity.
"Don't be impatient. The scouts I sent ahead are still gathering intel. They should be back any moment now. Let's wait a bit."
With that, Ron fell silent and moved aside with his Nidoking to wait.
Following the principle of "less talk, fewer mistakes," Kuhn merely nodded and sat down in the shade of a tree to rest.
As time ticked by, Ron's expression gradually darkened.
Kuhn, unfazed, stayed quietly where he was, as if he hadn't noticed anything.
"Those damned bastards! Come with me—now!"
Ron suddenly jumped up, rage burning in his eyes as he shouted at Kuhn.
"You'd better tell me what's going on first," Kuhn said calmly, rising to his feet with deliberate ease. "I'm not about to follow you into some unknown trap without knowing the full story."
The shift in control was subtle but clear—as if their roles had reversed. Kuhn now stood with the composed confidence of a tactician, while Ron seemed unbalanced and frantic.
After a moment of inner conflict, Ron cracked.
"Here's the deal," he said. "I found an Elite Four-level Dragon-type Pokémon. It's seriously injured. It's about twenty li north of here."
"But it's still strong—too strong for me to handle alone. And it's not alone—there are others with it. That's why I put out the bounty."
"I figured that once you arrived, we'd have the firepower to take it down. But now it looks like those bastards planned to ditch me. So, what do you say? If you come with me now, maybe we can pull a sneak attack and split the prize fifty-fifty."
His eyes darted nervously, waiting for Kuhn's reaction.
"I see," Kuhn replied. "Dodrio, Tri Attack!"
"What are you doing?!"
Ron stared in disbelief as Kuhn suddenly ordered an ambush.
Luckily, Nidoking reacted just in time, countering Dodrio's strike with a well-timed Fire Blast, the swirling flames forming a blazing sigil in the air.
"Move in—full speed!" Pym barked at his squad as Kuhn made his move.
An Elite Four-level Dragon-type Pokémon—no Pokémon hunter in their right mind could resist a prize like that.
"You'd best surrender now," Kuhn said smoothly, directing Dodrio to keep Nidoking off-balance with speed and feints. "Hand over everything you're carrying. I might spare your life. Otherwise... you'll leave here in a body bag."
"You think just because your Dodrio's at quasi-Elite Four level, you can beat me?"
Ron's voice was bitter. "Fine! I'll take you down first, and then I'll deal with those backstabbers!"
He roared as he commanded Nidoking to fire off another volley of Fire Blasts, one after another. But none of the attacks landed—a blur of movement and feathers was all that marked Dodrio's location.
Sloppy, uncoordinated attacks. Kuhn's disdain for Ron only deepened with every failed strike.
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