Even the infamous Team Rocket would never use thermal weapons against Pokémon. The two poachers standing before him could only be described as utterly inhumane.
Sam was genuinely irritated.
He looked at the two men coldly, as though he were already looking at corpses.
Yet the poachers themselves sensed no danger at all. On the contrary, they felt lucky.
When the thin poacher noticed Sam, he broke into a wide grin.
"Hahaha! Brother, we've struck it rich. Here comes a kid who doesn't know whether to live or die."
"She's dressed so neatly, must be carrying plenty of valuables."
As he spoke, the thin man licked his dry lips.
Hearing this, the fat poacher laughed as well.
"We're destined to get rich. Even if fortune comes knocking, we can't stop it."
The two chatted brazenly right in front of Sam. In their eyes, he was nothing more than meat on a chopping board.
The fat man raised the thermal weapon in his hand, pointing it at Sam as he sneered.
"If you know what's good for you, kid, hand over all your money and Pokémon. Do that, and I might spare your life."
Those words made Sam laugh.
He was certain they would regret this very soon.
"Come out, Tyranitar!"
A massive, armor-clad monster appeared in front of them. The instant it emerged, a terrifying aura spread through the cavern.
The two poachers froze in shock.
"Tyranitar, the desert's executioner," Sam said calmly.
If his opponent had been anyone else, Sam wouldn't have acted so decisively. In his previous life, he had been a law-abiding citizen.
But these two had crossed a line.
Not only did they use thermal weapons to hunt Pokémon, they had even intended to kill him. Scum like this did not deserve to exist in this world.
Sand surged violently, condensing into two razor-sharp scimitars under Tyranitar's control. They slashed forward without mercy.
Feeling the fury in Sam's heart, Tyranitar held nothing back, striking directly at the poachers' vital points.
Before either man could even understand what was happening, their bodies were cut apart in an instant.
"Ding. Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Evaluation: SSS rank. Distributing mission rewards."
Perhaps because Sam had dealt with the poachers so decisively using Tyranitar, the system awarded him an SSS-grade evaluation, an unexpected surprise.
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining an SSS-grade reward: Spiritual Power."
"Spiritual Power: Passive skill. Allows the host to communicate with Pokémon during battle."
Spiritual power?
It sounded similar to the legendary Aura ability.
Judging by the description, this power allowed him to connect directly with Pokémon while fighting alongside them.
In actual combat, this was a near-broken ability. With such a connection, a single glance would be enough for a Pokémon to understand his intent.
Commanding Pokémon through eye contact instead of spoken orders was incredibly advantageous.
While others had to shout commands, Sam only needed a look, making him faster than his rivals.
In a high-level battle, even a fraction of a second could determine victory or defeat.
Satisfied, Sam nodded slightly.
When he approached the captured Clefairy, the ones trapped in the net began to tremble. They had seen the ferocious poachers die at Sam's hands, how could they not be afraid?
If Sam knew what they were thinking, he might have coughed up blood. He had risked himself to save them and even killed the poachers for their sake, yet they were terrified of him.
Fortunately, he had no idea.
Opening the cage holding the Clefairy, Sam said gently, "Don't be afraid. You're safe now."
"Clefairy."
Hearing his voice, the frightened Clefairy gradually calmed down and emerged one by one.
"Hello, is this Nurse Joy from Pewter City?" Sam said into his phone. "The Clefairy on Mt. Moon need assistance."
If you help someone, see it through to the end.
Many of the Clefairy were badly injured, and Sam couldn't just abandon them.
After ending the call, he found a clean spot nearby, sat down, and waited for help to arrive.
"Clefairy."
At that moment, one of the Clefairy who had followed him tugged gently at his pant leg.
"What's wrong, Clefairy?" Sam asked curiously.
The Clefairy opened its clenched hands, revealing several crystal-clear stones placed carefully at Sam's feet.
Moon Stones?
Sam recognized them instantly. The stones before him were precious Moon Stones, and judging by their clarity, they were of exceptionally high quality.
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