Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game

A sensation that was both pleasurable and painful traveled from her body to Zeraora's mind.

Even legendary spirits find it difficult to confront the power of nature head-on, and using heavenly lightning to charge and temper their bodies is inherently a risky endeavor.

However, after the pain, a feeling of complete satisfaction arises spontaneously.

comfortable.

Zeraora let out a long sigh of relief, then focused his mind to compress and concentrate the still chaotic electrical energy within his body into one place.

At this moment, its physical condition was already somewhat beyond its limits. In the past, it would most likely have stopped there, but Zeraora inexplicably thought of Xia Chen.

To be precise, it was the ridiculously strong red lizard beside Xia Chen.

Zeraora used to live on the mountain of Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain. It's no exaggeration to say that even if it used only 10% of its power, no Pokémon could rival it.

Now, with comparisons to its past self, it felt like a frog in a well, and a desire to become stronger naturally arose in its competitive heart.

So, let's do it again.

Zeraora looked up at the overcast sky, preparing to endure the baptism of lightning once again, even though its body was already somewhat overwhelmed.

…………

At this moment, in a secluded grove on a mountaintop not far from Zeraora, several burly men were staring greedily at Zeraora's location.

Unlike trainers who usually travel and explore in the wild, they have all kinds of sophisticated instruments and firearms around them, including several hand-held rocket launchers.

These things, which are completely contrary to the "way of a trainer," all demonstrate the identity of these people—Pokémon hunters.

A group of despicable individuals who disregard the means and safety of elves for their own benefit.

However, not all Pokémon hunters have the sophisticated equipment of this group. They are the top Pokémon poaching group from the Unova region – the Dragon Poaching Group.

The team is small, with only five people, but three of them are powerful trainers with gym-level strength. The team leader, Jarvis Wade, is even recognized in the underworld as having Elite Four level strength.

No one knows why someone with fame and fortune readily available would choose to take this path.

Perhaps driven by the thrill of crime, or perhaps by the widely circulated claim that they work for Team Plasma, the dark forces of the Unova region, they are, in any case, the most notorious Pokémon poaching group in the world.

Perhaps the word "infamous" would be a more apt description.

Legendary Pokémon, Shiny Pokémon, and unique mutated Pokémon like Crystal Onix and Snorlax are said to be able to be brought to the richest bidder if you provide the information and enough money.

However, this particular job wasn't a bounty offered by a wealthy collector; Wade felt those offers were too insulting.

It's not an insult to them, but an insult to this Xenomorph Zeraora.

Three billion to buy a Super Champion-level Shiny Mythical Pokémon?

Go dream!

Wade can guarantee that as long as the news circulates for a little longer, there will definitely be top-tier billionaires offering tens of billions for it.

What I need to do is to grab this treasure first.

"Matthew, when do you expect to make our move?"

He turned to look at the long-haired man who was staring intently at the dense lines and numbers on a machine.

Matthew didn't look up, replying without the slightest sign of relaxation, "Wait a little longer. When Zeraora absorbs the next bolt of lightning, that will be the best time for us to make our move."

"Zeraora has the highest energy level during the period after it is recharged, but it is also the most vulnerable time for its body, and the success rate is the highest during this period."

Wade nodded calmly, remaining still.

He fully trusted the information provided by the data analysts in Matthew's team, which was based on their experience from countless successful poaching operations over the past decade.

Even if it is an extremely rare legendary spirit, he would never be wrong.

He was absolutely confident about this poaching operation. Zeraora's energy level surpassed that of a champion? So what?

Do you really think that modern elf poaching groups would just foolishly send elves out to launch sneak attacks?

My lord, times have changed!

In short, Zeraora is nothing to fear; the only thing to worry about is...

That man.

Although the operation was confirmed, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning that somewhat chilling name.

But undoubtedly, the man's image still loomed over their hearts like a dark cloud.

But there's no way around it, the allure of this shiny Zeraora is just too great.

…………

"Boom—"

The thunder from the high mountains seemed even more awe-inspiring, and it also jolted Wade, who had been slightly distracted.

He glanced at Matthew again, asking with his eyes, "Is it okay now?" The latter's gaze lingered between the data on the instruments and Zeraora, who looked terrible in the pouring rain.

After observing for about three seconds, he nodded firmly.

Without further hesitation, Wade firmly declared, "Initiate the original plan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other four people behind him dispersed and began to move. Then, several white lights flashed in the hidden bushes.

The first sound was the piercing whistle of the rocket launcher firing at high speed. With the four strong arms holding it steady, the rocket launcher flew accurately towards Zeraora.

The unusual sound naturally caught Zeraora's attention. Its spider-like warning allowed it to react in time, but because its body was too heavy from being tempered by lightning, it might not be able to dodge in time. It had to use two 100,000-volt attacks to intercept the sound as it flew toward it.

boom--

The direct clash between the Pokémon's moves and modern firearms unsurprisingly resulted in a violent explosion, with the raging electric energy and the energy from the gunpowder explosion creating an orange mushroom cloud.

Even with the torrential rain, thick smoke from the explosion still filled the air.

And that's exactly what Wade wanted to achieve!

Donning the thermal imaging goggles, he rode on the back of the three-headed dragon and rushed to the battlefield, his tennis balls poised to be fired.

This trap ball isn't the kind of Poké Ball that makes it easier to catch Water or Bug types; it's something that, when thrown, spreads out a large net to trap Pokémon within it.

The net is made of nanomaterials, which are not only expensive to make, but also incredibly strong, enough to withstand the full force of a Champion-level Pokémon!

Trying to break free with just your physical body will only make it harder.

The tennis ball was thrown as planned, but the effect was not quite what Wade had hoped for.

With a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, Zeraora slashed through the air with its claws, mercilessly slicing through the high-tech poaching tools, each worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Wade's expression remained unchanged; this was, of course, part of the plan.

Rather, it would be a huge joke if a legendary Pokémon were simply caught in a tennis ball net and unable to move!

Ultimately, whether it's a rocket launcher or a tennis ball, they are just insignificant steps in a tightly linked plan.

Wade squinted and looked behind Zeraora, where his men were already ready as promised.

…………

Several Poké Balls were thrown from above another Hydreigon, and with a flash of white light, Sandstalker, Alolan Marowak, and a Rhyperior crashed to the ground.

Having already accumulated energy within their Poké Balls, they unleashed three powerful attacks the moment they left the ball, hurling them at Zeraora—

Quicksand hell, earthquakes, and rock blockade!

Having just broken free from the net's restraints, Zeraora had no choice but to resort to other techniques to counter.

Its long-established fighting habits caused it to subconsciously use its most proficient electric-type move, Thunderbolt.

Although it knew that two of the three Pokémon sent by the enemy were Ground-type, Zeraora's only goal was to defend against those three attacks.

It has enough confidence to do this.

Just as the Thunder Dragon, rushing out from in front of Zeraora, was about to meet three attacks of different shapes, a strange scene unfolded.

The 100,000 volts bypassed them uncontrollably, surging towards Alola Marowak and Rhyperior.

Zeraora was stunned; it couldn't understand why this was happening.

But the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly, and the enemy will not give it time to react.

With the 100,000 volts mysteriously disappearing and his body too weak to dodge, Zeraora could only watch as these attacks magnified in his pupils before exploding around him.

The flowing mud and sand swirled beneath him, and the earthquake and rainwater made the sticky trap even harder to escape. Rocks blocked his way from all sides and above.

Zeraora, completely restrained, was furious but powerless to struggle.

If he were in his prime, he could easily break these little tricks with a single punch, and those weak and feeble elves would be a piece of cake with a single move.

But now...

The proud Zeraora recalled Xia Chen's words from a few days ago, which she had dismissed with disdain, and felt a little saddened.

He is right. My abilities are insufficient to support my pride.

Looking at Zeraora, who was now trapped like a caged beast in the inescapable net he had laid, Wade whistled lightly.

Because of Zeraora's poor condition and its own underestimation of its opponent, the plan went much more smoothly than it had imagined.

This is not surprising, as wild Pokémon have limited knowledge of humans and are mostly still in the stage of mindlessly battling and capturing them.

Not to mention the various targeted tactics employed by elf poachers.

From the very beginning of the battle, everything from the technological weapons, the Pokémon used, to the moves they employed was meticulously prepared for Zeraora.

Zeraora struggles against the Bazooka and Netball, the Alolan Marowak with the Lightning Rod ability, and the Rhyperior...

This is true for all of them.

Now, it's time to close the net.

Wade let out a long sigh of relief, and the dark cloud that had initially hung over his heart dissipated.

He waved his hand and commanded, "Concentrate fire! Make it incapacitated!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding spirits seemed paralyzed and did not move at all. The entire mountaintop was silent except for the torrential rain.

Wade's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be... that man?

The terrible thought had just arisen when a voice brimming with boundless rage suddenly exploded in his ears.

"You're very bold... It's been a long time since anyone dared to touch my spirit!"