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

A flash of white light appeared, and a large black dog with long, curved bone horns and several light gray bone-like objects wrapped around its back appeared on the open ground next to the table.

This is a Dark/Fire type Pokémon, Houndoom!

The appearance of Houndoom also tore away the last layer of disguise of this group.

Diego finally revealed his ferocious face. "We'll escort you out of this dangerous forest, and your reward is these elves. How about it? Isn't that a good deal?"

BlackGreymon bared its teeth, its eyes flashing with ferocity, silently releasing a terrifying aura. The pressure formed by its energy made Xia Chen's breath catch in his throat.

Having sensed the aura of the Crystal Chandelier, Xia Chen could tell that this was an elite-level Black Rhino!

Xia Chen's heart tightened slightly. The enemy's strength had been tested, but this result was somewhat disheartening.

Diego leisurely picked up a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, and smiled.

"Pull all the elves into the ball and then hand them over. We won't hurt you."

It won't hurt?

Xia Chen scoffed inwardly. If he really did as you said, he probably wouldn't see the sun rise the next day.

He didn't believe that these desperate criminals didn't have a few lives on their hands.

However, the chances of winning are extremely slim if we take action now.

Xia Chen glanced at the two guardians behind Diego, whose fingers were just a step away from the Poké Ball, and focused intently. He calmed down and waited silently for the right moment.

…………

Xia Chen took out a Poké Ball and silently recalled Zoroar.

From the burning gaze of Diego in Yu Guangzhong's eyes and the gradually relaxing bodies of the two henchmen, Xia Chen knew that their vigilance was gradually decreasing.

That's normal, since most trainers are useless without their Pokémon.

Next up is Ralts.

But Ralts' reaction was somewhat unusual; it wasn't unusual worry, but rather an unusual calm that was different from the tense atmosphere at the moment.

"Laru."

As if bidding farewell to Xia Chen, Ralts called out, exchanged a glance with Xia Chen and Eevee, then lightly tapped the button on the Poké Ball and returned to its Poké Ball.

Apart from Xia Chen and Yi Bu, who were on the same wavelength, no one noticed this insignificant detail.

As Xia Chen's "strongest" Milotic was captured into the ball, the poaching trio relaxed even more.

Xia Chen observed silently, muttering to himself, "Not enough, just a little bit more."

Looking at Korne, who was clenching her fists tightly, Xia Chen sighed, "Korne, hand over Riolu."

Korrina clutched the Poké Ball tightly in her hand, head bowed in silence.

Xia Chen added in a soft but firm voice, "Kernie, trust me."

After all, they had only known each other for a few days and had absolutely no chemistry. All they could say was to give it a try one last time.

This girl has always had a fiery temper, and under these circumstances, Xiaoguahuang might do anything irrational.

Xia Chen prayed silently, hoping that she could believe in him and Yi Bu.

…………

Korni took a deep look at Eevee, who looked completely different from usual and was now shivering in Xia Chen's arms, and finally lifted the Poké Ball.

"Leo!"

With Riolu's incredulous exclamation, Xia Chen and his team's last Pokémon entered the Poké Ball.

Xia Chen and Korni placed the Poké Ball on the table, an act tantamount to a declaration of surrender.

"Oh right, and Eevee too."

Xia Chen suddenly pulled out the last Poké Ball, as if he had just remembered Eevee's existence.

Diego waved his hand dismissively, "We're not interested in this, you don't need to give it to us."

How much can an Eevee sell for?

At most, it would only cost tens of thousands, which is nothing compared to these four elves.

Diego was too lazy to wait for Xia Chen to put her away any longer.

As for Xia Chen's comeback thanks to Ibrahimovic and his teammates?

Diego never even entertained this absurd idea.

Unbeknownst to him, at that moment, Ibu, curled up in Xia Chen's arms, quietly tore off the rope tied around his neck.

At the bottom of the rope was an Everstone.

…………

With only one step left to pocket tens of millions, even Diego, who had seen a lot in his life, was trembling slightly.

I never expected to catch several big fish in this shallow sea.

The feeling of getting something for nothing made Diego a little dizzy, and he, who was usually very vigilant, completely relaxed at this moment.

Diego, who has a strong sense of self-control, quickly realized his mindset had changed, but he didn't think much of it.

With their ace Pokémon Houndoom in charge, even if those two little brats' Pokémon came out of their Poké Balls and attacked together, they'd probably be wiped out by a single Flame Vortex.

Diego was unusually relaxed, his confidence stemming from his formidable strength. He waved to his two underlings behind him, "Pee, Gil, put the Poké Ball away."

The two brothers, Pi and Kiel, were not as self-controlled as their eldest brother.

Excited heart, trembling hands.

Completely relaxed, they exchanged a glance, then strode over to the Poké Balls on the table, picked them up, and stuffed them into their backpacks.

Naturally, at this moment, their hands were a world away from the Poké Balls at their waists!

The time has come!

Xia Chen's eyes narrowed, and he was about to ask Eevee to make a move when he realized that, as if by telepathy, Eevee in his arms suddenly jumped up without warning.

The long-accumulated energy suddenly erupted, and a string of bright white, star-shaped energy bullets shot out from in front of Eevee.

Xia Chen, who had been planning for a long time, did not expect Ibrahimovic's sudden outburst, and the others were even less prepared for this unexpected turn of events.

…………

Diego still had a lingering, unrestrained smile on his face.

Pi and Gil froze on the spot as if they had been frozen in place, their hands completely stopping their movements as they grabbed the Poké Balls, let alone taking out the Poké Balls to counterattack.

At this moment, only a few shimmering white energy orbs remained in the seemingly frozen scene.

The target of the Swift Strike was none other than the Poké Balls hanging from the waists of the three of them!

No one knows how Eevee released its Swift Sphere, but after it detached from Eevee and floated into the air, several energy projectiles scattered like petals from a fairy's shower.

As is well known, high-speed stars, like wave missiles, have built-in tracking capabilities.

But each of these "stars" is chasing its own target; who has ever seen that?

Before the poaching trio could recover from their shock, they noticed white smoke rising from the Poké Balls on their waists after a few crisp sounds.

Three people and the switches for eleven Poké Balls were all destroyed!

What kind of magic trick is this?

The three were a little stunned; they had never imagined that an Eevee could do something so outrageous.

With a high-speed star, all the Pokémon they had left were a Houndoom that had been released beforehand!

If the switch on a Poké Ball is damaged, it needs to be repaired with specific tools or a move must be used to destroy the Poké Ball in order to release the Pokémon inside.

Even powerful Pokémon can destroy a Poké Ball from the inside.

A regular red and white ball can be easily destroyed by a few hits from a veteran Pokémon, let alone an elite Pokémon like Houndoom.

But the problem is, how could a poacher's Poké Ball be a regular red and white ball?

Even if the idea is to make poaching easier, all of these tools for making a living should be replaced with high-level balls.

At this moment, those yellow and black Poké Balls became a natural prison for these eleven Pokémon.

…………

After a moment of shock, Diego forced himself to regain his composure.

Having worked in this industry for many years, Diego has developed a strong heart.

The parents of the poached baby elves discover their situation, engage in a battle of wits with the rangers, and are pursued by Interpol.

Compared to these grand scenes, the current situation, while indeed quite surprising, is far from being panicked.

At least, my own Houndoom is outside.

No matter how intelligent or unique that Eevee is, it's still just an Eevee. How could it possibly be a match for its old friend Houndoom?

Therefore, the current situation is far from being a disadvantage. In an instant, several solutions to deal with the current situation came to Diego's mind.

The first, and also the safest, option.

Use Houndoom's power to destroy all the Poké Balls, although it might take a while because they are Ultra Balls.

But once released, it becomes a twelve-on-one situation, let alone twelve strong men against a little Eevee.

Diego felt it wasn't necessary to go through all that trouble, since a single Houndoom was enough to easily defeat this Eevee.

Even if they snatch their Pokémon back and fight together, they still won't be a match for Houndoom.

However, this was still too troublesome, and Diego's lips curled into a ferocious smile.

Don't forget I'm a despicable and shameless elf hunter!

Diego stood up and kicked the table that was in the way, scattering the food and Poké Balls all over the floor.

He ignored him and grinned maliciously, "Houndoom, use Fire Blast!"

Houndoom, which had remained motionless throughout and awaited its master's command, finally moved.

He seemed to have been waiting for this command for a long time, his open mouth revealing wisps of flame, and the cold night wind in the forest seemed to be circling around him.

The temperature continued to rise, and finally, crimson flames appeared in his mouth.