Chapter 223: The Pokémon Hunters' League

"Larvitar, use Screech!"

Amidst the raging sandstorm, Paras' Poison Powder and Stun Spore were disrupted, failing to exert their full effects.

With no other options, Paras chose to charge forward with Scratch, but Larvitar's Screech took effect, causing it to halt involuntarily.

Seizing the opportunity, Larvitar quickly closed the distance and sank its fangs into Paras with Bite.

With a powerful swing, Larvitar hurled Paras into the air.

The defense drop from Screech allowed Larvitar's Bite to deal tremendous damage.

Under the sandstorm's relentless assault, Paras had already expended much of its stamina even before being bitten. Now, it struggled just to stand.

Charging straight ahead, Larvitar prepared to unleash its favorite move—Iron Head.

It seemed that headbutting opponents brought Larvitar the greatest joy in battle.

With a resounding impact, Paras was knocked unconscious, unable to continue fighting.

As the sandstorm subsided, Larvitar walked steadily back to Ron, pretending to be composed as it awaited praise.

Not disappointing Larvitar, Ron reached out and gently patted its small head in encouragement, simultaneously using his Fighting Aura to restore its stamina.

After also healing Paras, Ron recalled Larvitar back into its Poké Ball.

Ron had set a simple goal for Larvitar—to break through from level nine to level ten. Now that the objective was achieved, it was time to resume hunting.

Ever since awakening his psychic abilities, Ron's intuitive perception had grown increasingly sharp and accurate.

Even though there were no surveillance personnel nearby, Ron still had a lingering feeling that Bruno's monitoring hadn't stopped. This was precisely why he hadn't released Gastly to train its strength.

...

Inside a hotel room, several men sat in silence, their eyes occasionally flashing with anticipation.

No misunderstandings here—they weren't engaging in anything inappropriate, just brimming with excitement for their upcoming mission.

However, the most important person had yet to arrive, so no one spoke first, resulting in an oddly quiet atmosphere despite the crowded room.

As if sensing their anticipation, the door suddenly swung open. The scattered individuals in the room immediately tensed, their gazes locking onto the entrance. Only after confirming the identity of the newcomer did they finally relax.

"Now that everyone's here, let's get straight to the point. As we discussed before, our target is the man known as 'Blood Shadow'—Ron!"

"I won't waste time with fancy words. We've gathered here for one reason: Ron's incredible resources. Forget the benefits he reaped from winning the Indigo League Championship—just within a month of hunting, he's accumulated astonishing wealth."

"So, once we take him down, I'll take 20%, and the rest is yours to divide. How about it?"

The moment the man finished speaking, the others fixed their gazes on him, their expressions shifting unpredictably as they contemplated the offer.

For a brief moment, the atmosphere turned cold.

"I agree."

A calm, indifferent voice broke the silence.

The others turned toward the speaker—a frail-looking man hunched in the corner of the room. He had been the first to respond.

Paying no attention to their stares, the thin man closed his eyes, appearing to rest.

Moments later, one after another, voices of agreement followed.

"Good. Now it's up to all of us to locate him as soon as possible. But remember—once the job is done, leave immediately. Be wary of the other hunters tracking us."

Having said his piece, the man named Kano was the first to leave the room.

The rest of the group, though somewhat resentful, remained silent. After all, Kano was a quasi-Elite Four-level trainer, the strongest among them.

If not for the fear of drawing the intense scrutiny of the rangers by assassinating the rising Forest Hunter, Ron, he wouldn't have needed to rally them together for this plan.

Thinking along these lines, the other hunters suddenly found Kano's 20% share more acceptable.

Just like Kano, the rest were also Pokémon Hunters. They had assembled here after receiving his summons to hunt Ron down.

One by one, they left the room in pairs, planning to gather intelligence on Ron's whereabouts.

Only the gaunt man named Ingo departed alone, but no one found this unusual.

Among Pokémon Hunters, internal conflicts were rare unless they targeted the same prey.

After all, the rangers and Forest Hunters were already enough of a headache. With countless wild Pokémon and novice trainers around, there was no reason to fight amongst themselves over a single Pokémon.

Over time, some Pokémon Hunters even formed alliances and went on joint hunts.

But Ingo was a true lone wolf. No one had ever heard of him making allies.

Still, his strength was undeniable—he was among the top ranks of the High Elite tier.

...

While the Pokémon Hunters began their operation, Ron resumed his own hunt.

With Gardevoir at his side, he could track targets without them realizing, striking at the perfect moment for a swift kill.

This was the key to his remarkably efficient hunting speed.

"P-please don't kill me, Ron! I have a secret that concerns your very survival!"

Lying in a pool of blood, Jackie used his last ounce of strength to cry out.

He had read and heard about such ambush tactics countless times from newspapers and other sources.

At first, Jackie thought there might be a flaw in the strategy he could exploit. But after experiencing it firsthand, he realized just how terrifying this lightning-fast assault truly was.

If not for his rare condition of having his heart on the right side of his chest, he would already be a corpse.

Hearing Jackie's desperate plea, Ron was curious but had no intention of showing himself. Who knew if it was a trap?

He shot a glance at Gardevoir, who, after confirming there were no others nearby, teleported before Jackie.

Lifting Jackie into the air with Psychic, Gardevoir used Hypnosis to extract information from him.

After repeatedly verifying the truth through her unique sensory abilities, Gardevoir confirmed that Jackie was telling the truth.

Without hesitation, she used Psychic to crush him, granting him a painless death as a form of mercy for his cooperation.

"So, the Pokémon Hunters have banded together to take me down? Too bad for them—my strength is no longer what it once was. I'll use them to declare my newfound power to the world."

Indeed, Jackie and another corpse lying nearby had been among the group in that hotel room. They had set out to gather intel on Ron.

In the end, they failed to acquire any useful information, lost their lives, and, ironically, ended up revealing the entire plan to Ron.

Now, the hunter had become the hunted.

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