"Who's there!?"
The moment Denar saw Nozomi, confusion flashed across his mind.Pajamas, a Poké Ball in hand—what a bizarre combination!
Perhaps it was precisely because of the pajamas that Denar didn't recognize who Nozomi was at first glance.
Of course, even if he didn't realize Nozomi's identity, that didn't stop Denar from being cautious. Having survived over ten years in the Pokémon hunter trade and escaped the League's pursuit more times than he could count, his survival depended on one thing—extreme caution.
So even though the newcomer looked only seventeen or eighteen, Denar didn't underestimate him in the slightest.
He knew that there existed such creatures as geniuses in this world—people for whom age was never a limitation. Until he knew who this boy was, Denar wasn't about to relax his guard.
"Honchkrow, use Dark Pulse!"
Those thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and Denar decided to test the waters first.
"Kwaa!"
The vicious-looking Honchkrow let out a cry and unleashed another Dark Pulse.
The wave of darkness rippled outward, sweeping across the battlefield. Several of the security guards' Pokémon collapsed on the spot, while even the humans clutched their heads, groaning in pain.
"Quite bold, aren't you."
Nozomi frowned. He hadn't expected these Pokémon hunters to still have the guts to attack him after he'd already taken down those "Sunglasses Hunters."
"Go, Steelix!"
He threw a Poké Ball, summoning Steelix to stand before him, its massive body shielding him from the Dark Pulse.
Then he gave a sharp command.
"Steelix—Stone Edge!"
The ground split open. Countless rocky spikes erupted upward, slamming into the hunters' Pokémon and causing significant damage.
"Steelix?"
Denar froze for a second when he saw the Pokémon before Nozomi.
Though Steelix was undeniably powerful—and this one looked particularly formidable—Denar actually felt a wave of relief.
The reason was simple. He suddenly realized the boy before him looked somewhat familiar. He resembled the young trainer rumored to have defeated the sunglasses-wearing hunter Morley in the Safari Zone—Nozomi.
But according to the information he'd received, Nozomi had used a Metagross and a Dragonite in that battle.
Yet this trainer was using a Steelix.
So, Denar thought, it couldn't be him.
"Good. As long as it's not Nozomi… a mere Steelix is nothing to fear."
Though Steelix was strong, Denar didn't consider it beyond his ability to handle.
"All Fire-type users, attack!"
Steel-type Pokémon were weak against Fire. Steelix's weakness couldn't be more obvious.
Though the hunters had been caught off guard by that first Stone Edge, Denar's elite subordinates quickly regrouped and counterattacked.
"Charizard, Flamethrower!""Houndoom, Fire Blast!""Camerupt, Lava Plume!"
Flames surged from every direction, painting the night sky red.
Nozomi frowned. With Steelix alone, he wouldn't be able to hold off so many opponents.
"Steelix, use Protect!"
As the barrier shimmered into place, Nozomi reached for another Poké Ball on his belt.
"Let's go, Aerodactyl—take care of these guys."
With a flash of light, Aerodactyl burst forth.
"Gyaaaahhh!!"
The ancient Pokémon shrieked, its cry piercingly sharp—it made everyone's eardrums ache.
"Aerodactyl!?"
The hunters froze for a moment—and then their faces lit up with excitement instead of fear.
"Yes! I knew it!""There really are ancient Pokémon here!""Get him! He's alone!"
A mob of Pokémon hunters surged forward like they'd been injected with adrenaline, shouting orders to attack.
Nozomi: "…"
He hadn't expected that kind of reaction. Maybe releasing Aerodactyl wasn't the best idea after all.
But it was too late to recall it now. He glanced at his Aerodactyl and gave it a meaningful look.
You caused this. You handle it.
You're already a mature Aerodactyl. You should know how to deal with your own problems.
In Nozomi's mind, since Aerodactyl's appearance had stirred up the chaos, it was only fitting that it fix things.
Aerodactyl's face twisted in frustration. You're the one who sent me out!
But then it noticed the increasingly dangerous expression on Nozomi's face—and suddenly remembered what had happened the last time it disobeyed orders. It had been "educated" by both Metagross and Dragonite… one after the other.
A visible shudder ran through its body.
Then it dove straight at the hunters' ranks in a blur of wings.
Better to face an army than to face Nozomi's wrath.
And as it glared down at the terrified hunters, Aerodactyl's ferocity reawakened. Though it acted timid around Nozomi, its primal instincts as a predator hadn't changed—it was still an apex predator from the ancient skies!
Its sudden dive caused chaos among the hunters' lines. Though they quickly tried to regain order, that split-second of confusion was all Steelix needed.
"Steelix—Iron Tail!"
Now was the time to strike. Nozomi's command rang out.
Steelix, already seething from taking multiple hits, didn't hesitate. It swung its massive tail upward, slicing through the air toward the hovering Honchkrow.
The whistling wind warned the bird just in time—it barely dodged the Iron Tail, but the resulting gust knocked it off balance.
Steelix didn't waste the opening.
As soon as Honchkrow's body lost control, Steelix twisted around, abandoning the Iron Tail—and bit down hard on the bird's wing.
Honchkrow let out a piercing scream.
Steelix's jaw strength was monstrous, capable of crushing rock and metal alike. The moment its fangs sank in, Honchkrow was gravely injured—its wing snapped, and Steelix slammed it into the ground with a thunderous boom, leaving a deep crater where it fell.