Chapter 173: The First Show of Brilliance

"Leader, this isn't going to work if we keep this up. We should hurry to a more populated area," Faul, the second strongest member of the Solid Rock Poachers after Jack, suggested after once again blocking an attack from Machamp.

In reality, while it may seem like hunters like Jack are constantly capturing wild Pokémon, they also need time to rest and relax.

If they spend too long in the wilderness catching Pokémon and outwitting rangers, exhaustion is inevitable.

Therefore, the poaching group would occasionally disguise themselves and enter small towns that are less monitored by the League to take a break.

However, this always came with a prerequisite: their disguises had to be flawless. If discovered, they would risk being ambushed and captured.

Faced with the relentless and elusive attacks from Machamp, Faul could only propose dispersing their group to lose their pursuer and then regroup later. They could also use this opportunity to locate whoever was orchestrating the ambushes.

"Alright. Have our members start moving, but remember—there must be at least six people in a group for safety," Jack ordered after a moment of thought. "If anyone spots the enemy, report immediately."

Jack understood Ron's strategy: to keep them on high alert and wear them down mentally.

This obvious war of attrition was frustrating for Jack, but unless he could locate Ron or keep up with Machamp's speed after each attack, he had no effective counter.

Most of the Granite Poachers' Pokémon were Ground- or Rock-types, fitting their group's theme. Outpacing Machamp was simply impossible.

Thus, Faul's less-than-ideal plan became their only option.

Once divided into smaller groups, the poachers moved out quickly while maintaining a safe distance to respond to emergencies.

For an ordinary adversary, this strategy might have worked. But against Ron, it was far too naive.

Targeting one group, Ron instructed Kirlia to teleport them over.

"Machamp, charge in and use Finger Pistol: Evening Elephant!"

"Persian, get ready! Finger Pistol: Shadow Claw Storm!"

Before Kirlia executed the final teleport, Ron gave orders to Machamp and Persian.

As soon as they appeared, Evening Elephant struck, its oppressive pressure casting a shadow over the six poachers' hearts.

"Use Protect!"

A sudden voice snapped everyone back to their senses, and they hastily commanded their Pokémon to deploy Protect.

A green barrier enveloped the group, shielding them within.

But while Machamp drew their attention, Persian silently flanked them.

Evening Elephant shattered the Protect shields of all six Pokémon with overwhelming force.

Bellossom followed up immediately, unleashing Hyper Beam—a bright orange-yellow beam barreling toward the six targets.

At the same time, Persian dashed out from its hiding spot, using Shave and Moonwalk in quick succession. Moving like a phantom, it was behind them in mere moments.

While five of the group commanded their Pokémon to counterattack, one launched a signal flare into the sky to alert the others.

Just as the flare lit up the air, Persian's claws slashed through their throats. Like a ghost, it glided past the group, leaving six arcs of blood in its wake.

The unexpected strike threw the six Pokémon into disarray.

Kirlia teleported over, whisking Machamp and the others away from the scene before reinforcements could arrive.

With Kirlia's radar-like senses, Ron avoided being surrounded and quickly locked onto his next target.

"Machamp, it's up to you! Use Finger Pistol: Morning Peacock!"

There wasn't enough time to heal Machamp's injuries, so Ron had to push it to draw fire once again.

Nodding, Machamp charged forward, using Moonwalk to hover in midair.

Morning Peacock erupted—a flurry of flaming air bullets rained down with heat so intense it seemed even more powerful than Evening Elephant.

Persian once again went into stealth, while Bellossom stood ready to provide support.

When Ron left Cinnabar Island, he thought his team was strong enough. Now, he realized gaps were forming.

Machamp and Persian had the strength, and Bellossom could hold its own, but Nidoking and Kirlia were struggling against increasingly powerful foes.

Not to mention Torchic and the yet-to-hatch Gastly and pseudo-legendary egg.

Ron could only train as much as possible in the two or three months before the Indigo Plateau Conference.

Against Machamp's high elite-level strength, the six poachers didn't dare let their guard down, quickly organizing their Pokémon to counter.

Unlike the previous group, this team coordinated better.

Three focused on using Protect to block Machamp's attacks, while the other three positioned themselves for a counterstrike.

Fortunately, Bellossom could draw some of the fire away from Machamp, though it couldn't avoid being tied down.

Especially with Machamp's injured arm severely limiting its strength—otherwise, it could have overpowered the six Pokémon on its own.

To protect themselves, they released more Pokémon, simultaneously firing a signal flare into the sky. The six individuals prepared to stall Machamp and Bellossom.

The only thing that made the six wary was the fact that, up until now, they still hadn't located the trainer of Machamp and Bellossom.

As they searched around, they unwittingly noticed a sharp claw resting against their throats.

The swift, precise, and deadly attack ensured they felt no pain as they passed.

With the derivative technique Blink Slash, even Machamp, despite its raw power, couldn't keep up with the pure speed of Persian, let alone the Pokémon of these poachers.

Using Poké Balls, the Pokémon were one by one captured. Then, with Kirlia's Teleport, they vanished swiftly, leaving behind six corpses and six crimson sprays of blood on the ground.

Lying low afterward, Ron tended to Machamp's injuries while instructing Kirlia to track Jack and the others, preparing for the next ambush.

Meanwhile, Jack and his team, upon seeing the signal flare, rushed toward the location. However, what awaited them was destined to be a fruitless endeavor.

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