"Gu Yuan!?"
The moment Gu Yuan revealed himself, Junshan recognized his identity. Unlike Fidel, Junshan paid close attention to the geniuses emerging within the League. It wasn't because he wanted to compete with them, but rather to avoid crossing their paths.
Junshan knew very well that people like Gu Yuan lived in a completely different world. With their potential, even if they were currently weaker than him or at the same level, it was only a matter of time before they surpassed him. Furthermore, considering the factions backing them, an encounter that might just be a thrilling adventure for a genius could mean utter destruction for someone like him.
Therefore, Junshan had always tried to avoid being targeted by such geniuses or engaging them in combat. To his dismay, despite his caution, he had still been found.
"Every man for himself! Unless you have the confidence to win against the combined pincer attack of Gu Yuan and these wild Pokémon."
"Here is a piece of advice: this Gu Yuan is the man who made history at the Regional Battle Tournament."
After speaking, Junshan did not hesitate and immediately began to retreat with his Pokémon. He chose to abandon the poaching group he had worked so hard to build. As long as he remained alive, the Rockbreak Poaching Group could be rebuilt one day. Karen and Theo did not hesitate either and immediately prepared to flee.
The Leader Rank wild Pokémon realized what was happening and instantly gave chase. The leaders' abandonment undoubtedly signaled the death sentence for the three poaching groups. Charizard's previous offensive had already put them at a disadvantage; now, caught between the wild Pokémon, Annihilape, and the Ditto, they had no hope of survival.
"Charizard, use Blast Burn to cut them off!"
At Gu Yuan's command, Charizard breathed a plume of fire into the sky. The flames exploded, transforming into several fire serpents that blocked Junshan's path and bought time for Scyther and the others.
Once the targets were cornered, Gu Yuan focused his primary attention on Junshan. First, Ally Switch was used, teleporting Onix directly in front of Sylveon. A prepared Hyper Beam slammed into the caught-off-guard Onix.
A jade-green barrier rose to block Nidoking's counterattack. Seizing the opening, Scyther and Pinsir launched a fierce assault to tie up the offensive of Nidoking and Golem. Alakazam ceased its hit-and-run tactics and poured out Psychic energy to assist in the fight.
Junshan threw out several Poké Balls, a look of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.
"Golems, use Explosion!"
At Junshan's shout, his Nidoking and the Leader Rank Golem retreated rapidly, focusing entirely on defending against the counterattacks from Scyther and the group. The other Golems that appeared directly behind Scyther and the others immediately triggered Explosion, and a blinding white light erupted.
Without a second thought, Alakazam used Teleport to leave the area. The well-prepared Nidoking and Golem had been in a defensive stance from the start, and the moment the blast surged, they used Protect to shield themselves and Junshan. Their polished execution showed they were highly experienced in this tactic.
While flames roared, despair was written all over Karen's face. While Gu Yuan had Sylveon and Alakazam dealing with Junshan, he had Charizard target Karen, who specialized in Grass-type Pokémon. Under the scorching heat of the intense fire, Karen could not withstand the pincer attack of three Pokémon. On Theo's side, the two flying-type Pokémon were enough to keep him pinned.
As the explosions cleared, Scyther and Pinsir were heavily injured. Conversely, Nidoking and Golem had only sustained minor injuries under their tight defense.
"Withdraw!"
Having no intention of counterattacking, Junshan chose to leave immediately, even abandoning his Onix. In reality, Onix was no longer capable of following him. With its naturally weak Special Defense, it had already been battered by Sylveon's continuous bombardment and was on the verge of collapsing.
"Alakazam, use a Triple Trio of Psychic. I want to see if he will abandon Golem as well, but be careful of Golem's Explosion."
Alakazam attacked Junshan once more.
"End this, Charizard! Clear the path with Blast Burn, then use Dragon Rush!"
Simultaneously, Charizard launched its final assault. The surging flames forced the already injured Victreebel and Vileplume to use all their strength just to resist. Concentrated dragon energy transformed Charizard into a giant dragon as it dove. During the impact, Charizard precisely located Victreebel and Vileplume, using Dragon Claw to ensure the heavily wounded pair completely lost their ability to fight.
Karen tried to flee, but Charizard caught up in the blink of an eye and tossed her aside. Gengar emerged from the shadows, knocked her unconscious, and carried her away. Since she was an important achievement for his record, Gu Yuan naturally wouldn't let the wild Pokémon kill her out of spite.
Exchanging glances, Ursaring and Nidoking charged toward Theo, leaving the most troublesome Junshan to Gu Yuan.
Flapping its wings, Charizard attacked Junshan. A white light began to glow as Golem prepared to trigger Explosion. Alakazam acted as if it didn't notice, continuing its assault on Nidoking. The dragon energy condensed as Charizard's dragon form charged, rapidly closing the distance.
At that moment, Junshan's eyes were filled with confusion. Where did Gu Yuan get the confidence that Alakazam could dodge Golem's Explosion? Junshan had only ordered the move as a desperate gamble to save his own life. To be honest, even Junshan didn't think his Nidoking would survive Golem's Explosion unscathed; he just wanted to create a path to escape.
Unfortunately, before Golem's Explosion could successfully trigger, the Ditto burst out of the shadows. It had transformed into a Water-type Pokémon with the Damp Ability, causing Golem to fizzle out instantly. The moment Alakazam's blast hit Nidoking, Charizard followed up immediately, engulfing Golem with Dragon Rush.
Annihilape appeared behind Junshan, knocking him unconscious with a light punch.
In what seemed like an instant, the three poaching groups had been completely wiped out, leaving only Theo struggling bitterly.
"I surrender!"
Seeing Charizard and the others rushing toward him after finishing off Onix and Nidoking, Theo made the wisest choice. After a roar, he recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls and threw them toward Gu Yuan while desperately running toward him.
The wild Nidoking and the others behind him had no intention of letting him go, launching various moves at Theo's back. Charizard's Blast Burn grazed the top of Theo's head, intercepting and blocking all the incoming attacks.