c142 – Smuggling?
"Solgaleo Stone Edge!"
Chen Xiaoxiao didn't hesitate. Solgaleo roared, its mane flashing as dozens of jagged boulders erupted from the ground, propelled with pinpoint precision toward the already battered Mega Salamence.
BOOM!
There was no time for Prince Hui's dragon to evade. The Stone Edge slammed home, striking hard against its armored body. With a guttural roar of pain, Salamence's Mega form shattered in a burst of light, its crescent wings melting back into their original shape. Its eyes swirled into fainting spirals battle over.
Both rider and mount began plummeting.
"Aerodactyl, go!"
Lin's command was instantaneous. His prehistoric Pokémon dove like a missile, snatching the falling Prince Hui in its claws before he hit the ground.
At the same time, Xiao Wang's Aerodactyl caught the unconscious Salamence, careful not to jostle its battered wings.
"Phew… Aerodactyl, land," Lin exhaled, his voice calm but tight.
The aerial battle had carried them beyond Guancheng's limits thankfully. Had this clash between Champion-tier Pokémon erupted above the city's streets, the panic and destruction would have been catastrophic.
Moments later, the three trainers regrouped on open ground, their Pokémon forming a protective ring. Even in defeat, a cornered opponent could be dangerous especially one with Hui's political connections.
Prince Hui was breathing heavily, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth, the lingering result of the concussive force from Solgaleo's Zen Headbutt and the shockwaves of the aerial fight.
"Solgaleo confiscate his Poké Balls," Chen Xiaoxiao ordered.
A blue psychic glow wrapped around Solgaleo's eyes. Every capsule on Hui's belt snapped free, floating into the air before drifting toward the Sunne Pokémon. With practiced efficiency, Lin's Kartana sliced open the locking mechanisms, rendering them unusable, while Xiao Wang injected a League-grade anesthetic into the dangerous ones before re-sealing them.
A quick check confirmed what Chen suspected: aside from Salamence and Golem, the rest of Hui's team was low-level around Hua Tian standard. At some point, he'd clearly abandoned serious training in favor of… other enterprises.
Lin stepped forward, voice low but firm. "Prince Hui, a sitting member of the Central Committee running smuggling rings in secret? I didn't expect this from you."
Kartana's blade arms were still poised, ready to strike.
Hui coughed, then actually chuckled. "Lin Yi… are you joking? Haha… don't get self-righteous with me. Winners and losers, that's all that matters."
Lin's eyes hardened. "With your position, you could have done anything for this region. Why throw it away?"
"Spare me the lecture!" Hui snarled, his pride stung.
Lin's expression flattened. "Xiao Wang your turn."
The younger man stepped up, releasing Hypno once more. "Hypnosis."
Hypno's pendulum swung in lazy arcs. Hui's eyes glazed over, body slackening. "Dream Eater retrieve the intel."
A few minutes later, Xiao Wang drew in a sharp breath. "Big fish."
Chen and Lin exchanged glances.
"It's cross-border smuggling," Xiao Wang said finally. "Most of the shipments head to Japan. This is bigger than us it'll need to go straight to the League's international crimes division."
He shot Chen a knowing look. "Japan again. Seems our problems keep pointing there."
Chen's brow furrowed. Lin's lips pressed into a thin line. They'd assumed Hui's black market dealings were domestic. But exporting? That was an entirely different scale of crime.
In the Pokémon world, many species were endemic to their native regions. A Pokémon common in one country might be considered a priceless rarity abroad. Some nations had fewer than 200 native wild species; in others, specific type specialists struggled to form full teams of their chosen type.
That scarcity drove prices into the stratosphere. A Pokémon worth the cost of a decent bicycle in China could fetch the equivalent of a starter Pokémon Yusanjia—overseas.
The profit margins were staggering. No wonder Hui had risked it.
But this wasn't just illegal, it was strategically dangerous. Chinese law strictly regulated the export of region-exclusive Pokémon. Foreign trainers could receive permits to tame a few, but mass acquisition was banned to protect ecosystems. The ecological differences meant many of these Pokémon couldn't survive long abroad without specialized diets rare berries, unique habitats, and seasonal migrations that didn't exist elsewhere.
Some rich foreign breeders could sustain them with high-grade energy cubes, but that cost was astronomical. Black market imports were far cheaper, and far dirtier.
"There's more," Xiao Wang continued. "Hui's main supplier is a man named Bai Mao. Runs out of Dongtai Night City in Guancheng. He's the boss behind the scenes."
Chen's eyes widened. "Bai Mao? The Bai Mao? As in the most notorious underworld operator in Guancheng?"
In the city's shadows, Bai Mao's name was synonymous with vice. On the surface, he ran a legitimate business empire; beneath, he controlled illicit entertainment rings and underground battle circuits.
Lin pulled out his Pokédex and ran a search. "Found him. Ten years ago, he was a quasi-Elite trainer. No updates since then, but anyone handling this level of poaching has dangerous strength. Membership numbers, combat capacity unknown. Don't underestimate him."
Chen gave a half-smirk. "So you can dig up dirt when you want to. Guess Mina doesn't have to handle all the background work after all."
Lin ignored her jab, but a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth suggested he'd heard it.
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