Chapter 167: Success Achieved, Then Retire

"Heh heh, little guy, where are you looking? Your opponent is me, Gengar!" Gengar sneered in midair and conjured a pitch‑black Shadow Ball, smashing it hard into Steelix's head.

Huo La seized the chance, tossed a Pokeball containing Kingler; a red flash flashed, and Kingler landed at his feet.

"Kingler, use Shell Blade! Pry open all these iron cages, quickly!" he shouted, pointing at a row of iron cages in the camp corner, his voice urgent.

"Clamp!" Kingler responded at once, charging toward the nearest iron cage; with a "Crack!" it sliced the cage door, and the few Pidgeys inside immediately fluttered their wings and flew out.

"Don't think you can ruin the adults' plan!" Several Rocket Team fighters, seeing this, immediately brandished Electric Rods and surrounded them, forming a circle, ready to move against Huo La and Kingler.

Kingler instinctively tried to turn and protect Huo La, but Huo La stopped him immediately: "Don't worry about me! Save the Pokémon first! There's a Houndour here!" He said, pulling out another Pokeball; Houndour appeared instantly, its small eyes watching the surrounding fighters warily.

"Houndour, use Poison Gas with Ember! Don't let them get close!" Huo La knew Houndour was low level and inexperienced, not a match in direct combat, but the combination of Poison Gas and Ember was enough to create chaos.

"Houndour!" Houndour opened its mouth, spewing thick purple Poison Gas, then exhaled a string of embers—"Boom!"

The gas met the fire and exploded instantly, thick smoke and flames intertwining to form burning fire circles that continuously rose as Smokescreen.

The surrounding fighters, frightened, quickly retreated, fearing being burned by the flames or inhaling Poison Gas.

Seeing the Smokescreen formed by Poison Gas and fire block the Rocket Team fighters in place, no one dared to advance, Huo La instantly turned his head toward Gengar and Steelix's battlefield— the sight before him made him instantly breathe a sigh of relief.

The battlefield over there was a complete one‑sided affair.

Gengar darted through the air like a black phantom; Steelix's Iron Tail and Flash Cannon kept missing, and even its most favored Earthquake could only crack the ground, never reaching the wall‑phasing Gengar.

On the contrary, Gengar kept varying its moves: at times hurling Shadow Balls into the gaps of Steelix's scales, at other times using Hypnosis to cloud its judgment, even deliberately floating before Steelix's eyes to taunt it, making Steelix roar in fury, yet it couldn't even touch its hem.

Each attack, Gengar landed precisely on Steelix's relatively weak abdomen or around its eyes; although it couldn't shatter its steel shell, it continuously sapped its stamina, thoroughly disrupting its rhythm.

Steelix's original Deterrent Power was completely gone, looking like a giant beast being toyed with, only twisting anxiously in place.

"Useless! Worthless thing!" Chakra roared beside them, stamping his feet, his face flushed red, "Steelix, use Dragon Pulse! Blast that annoying Gengar down!"

Steelix immediately opened its mouth, gathering a blue energy wave and firing it at Gengar.

But Gengar was prepared, instantly turning into a black mist; Dragon Pulse passed straight through the fog and struck a distant machine, "Boom!" creating a large hole.

"Ha ha ha, Chakra Captain, your Pokémon isn't that great either!" Gengar reverted to its original form, hovering above Steelix's head, sneering mockingly.

"You're asking for death!" Chakra's brow veins flared with anger, yet he was powerless.

Houndour's stamina was ultimately limited; after repeatedly using its skills, its breathing grew rapid and its movements slowed.

The Smokescreen gradually dissipated, and the fighters saw Houndour on the brink of collapse, so they closed in again, the Electric Rod's current "zzzz" buzzing, ready to close in.

"Kingler, faster! Only two cages left! Finish them and we'll run!" Huo La, watching the fighters draw nearer, urged anxiously.

Although sirens wailed in the distance, given the current situation they couldn't hold out until Officer Jenny arrived.

"Clamp!" Kingler, aware of the urgency, swung its claws faster, and with a "Crack!" sliced open the second‑to‑last cage, releasing the Diglett inside instantly.

Kingler was about to charge the final iron cage when two black silhouettes burst from the side of the Smokescreen—two Rocket Team fighters who had circled around, clutching Electric Rods, lunging at Huo La: "Grab him! Don't let him destroy the cage!"

Huo La's heart tightened; as he was about to step back and dodge, a tiny figure rushed out first—it was the Diglett he had just rescued!

It barreled its round body into one fighter's shin, unbalancing him, who staggered and fell to the ground.

"Huh?" Huo La froze, before he could react, several silvery Air Blades shot from behind, whooshing past his shoulder and slashing straight at another fighter's Electric Rod—"Crack!" the rod split in two, the current instantly extinguished.

Huo La whirled around, seeing the Pidgeys that had just escaped the cage, now circling behind him with a few Pidgeys, their wings still flapping as Air Blades.

They tilted their heads, emitting crisp "Pidgey" cries at Huo La, as if signaling "We're here to help."

Even more pleasantly surprising, several newly rescued Grass‑type Pokémon—Kou Dai Hua and Bellsprout—also gathered around.

Stun Spore and Vine Whip were used together, instantly subduing the fighters present.

"Hahaha, well done!" Huo La felt a warm surge, his previously tense nerves fully relaxed; he nodded vigorously at the wild Pokémon, then turned to Kingler and shouted, "Kingler, the last cage, quickly!"

"Clamp!" Kingler, as if stirred by the fervor, drove its claws with all its might toward the final iron cage.

"Crack—" The sharp Shell Blade easily sliced the lock, and as the cage door sprang open, the little Ladas squeaked and rushed out.

Huo La hurried forward, scooping up the exhausted Houndour lying on the ground panting, gently patting its head: "You've worked hard, little guy."

"All set! Retreat! The rest is Officer Jenny's job!" Huo La, cradling the Houndour, shouted loudly at Kingler and Gengar, his steps already moving toward the forest edge.

"Ha ha ha, this is boring! I'll leave first!" Gengar cackled, casually tossing another Shadow Ball toward Chakra, then its form flickered, turning into black smoke that dove into the ground, vanishing instantly.

The rescued wild Pokémon didn't flee immediately; instead they spontaneously formed a circle, emitting deterrent cries toward the camp, as if buying time for Huo La's retreat.

The sirens grew nearer, red‑and‑blue flashing lights pierced the woods, illuminating the chaotic camp.

Chakra stood where he was, watching the blocking wild Pokémon, and gazing at Huo La's disappearing silhouette deep in the jungle, trembling with rage.

He raised his fist, smashing it hard onto the nearby Steelix's scales, then abruptly crouched, curling his fists, his teeth chattering, muttering low: "Damn! Damn little brat! Damn wild Pokémon! I'll remember today's grudge!"

His meticulously planned capture scheme completely failed, not only catching no wild Pokémon, but also injuring many of his subordinates and Pokémon.

The sirens grew nearer, Steelix shifted uneasily, and Chakra knew that if they didn't leave now, Officer Jenny would catch them.

He gritted his teeth, stood up, recalled Steelix, and casually tossed another Pokeball.

When Officer Jenny arrived, she only saw a silver‑shimmering bird Pokémon in the moonlit sky carrying a person away from the area.