Chapter 163: Sudden Shift

The mountain wind carried the scent of grass and trees over the camp, the dense violet Poison Gas gradually dissipated, revealing the final scene of the battle.

Houndour squinted its round eyes, a little paw proudly stepping on Cocona's head, its tail swaying side to side, looking just like a young general fresh from victory;

Cocona lay on the ground with its four legs up, eyes closed, clearly unable to fight, and more strikingly, its silver shell was speckled with tiny black Corrosion marks, making it especially conspicuous.

"Cocona!" Xiaogang Ge hurried over, gently lifting Cocona, his fingertips brushing those Corrosion marks, his expression instantly turning serious, "What's going on? Steel type is supposed to be immune to Poison Type damage, so why is it corroded like this?"

Huo La stroked Houndour's head, walked over slowly, and said frankly, "Xiaogang Ge Ge, type advantages aren't absolute. My Houndour's ability is 'Corrosion'—this ability lets Poison Type moves, which are normally ineffective against Steel and Poison types, still deal damage, albeit at reduced power."

He paused, then continued, "Earlier in the Poison Gas, Cocona and Houndour were constantly colliding, each second exposed to the gas. Houndour's Poison Gas combined with its 'Corrosion' ability, over time naturally corrodes Cocona's Steel-type shell."

Xiaogang Ge finally understood, set Cocona down, stood and patted Huo La's shoulder, his tone mixing teasing and helplessness, "Alright, kid, pairing Houndour against Cocona wasn't just a simple spar, you were testing the 'Corrosion' ability, weren't you? I was worried Cocona couldn't win, only to be outplayed by your ability."

"I did have that idea," Huo La nodded without hesitation, showing no concealment, "I haven't fully grasped the effect of Houndour's 'Corrosion' ability yet, and Cocona's Steel type is the perfect test subject."

Xiaogang Ge laughed at his blunt words, shook his head and turned toward his backpack, "Sure enough, you Poison Types are all 'dirty', even battles have experimental motives. Hold on, I'll get some medicine for Cocona; the corrosion isn't severe, a coat of medicine should have it recovered by tomorrow."

Huo La watched his silhouette, rubbed his nose, and offered no rebuttal—after all, testing an ability on a freshly hatched Cocona was indeed a bit unsporting.

Houndour seemed to sense the mood, nudged Huo La's hand, and let out a soft "Houndour~", sounding like a whine.

Soon after, Xiaogang Ge returned with medicine, carefully applying the remedy to Cocona's shell, murmuring, "Next time we can't battle Huo La's Poison-type Pokemon again; he's too good at these little tricks, we can't beat him."

Huo La was about to speak when the ground beneath his feet suddenly shook violently, followed by a terrifying roar from deep within the mountains, even the nearby trees swayed, leaves fluttering down with a whoosh.

"What's happening?" Xiaogang Ge immediately halted his medicine‑applying, stood up, eyes alert toward the source of the tremor, his brows knit tightly—this disturbance was too great to be a normal landslide.

"I don't know, send Pokemon to scout first!" Huo La reacted swiftly, shouting into the air, "Flying Mantis, Golbat, and you, Beedrill! The three of you go ahead, stay safe, and report back immediately if anything arises!"

Three figures burst from the camp: Flying Mantis flapped its wings over the treetops, Golbat glided low, and Beedrill darted agilely through the underbrush, disappearing quickly into the deep forest.

"Huo La, we'll go check too!" Xiaogang Ge recalled Cocona into its Pokeball, his tone serious, "This disturbance is too abnormal, not a natural earthquake; someone might be sabotaging the mountain."

Huo La nodded, quickly recalled his other Pokemon, then ran with Xiaogang Ge toward the source of the tremor.

The mountain path was rugged; the two kept a wary eye on their surroundings while quickening their pace, soon hearing the "buzz" of machinery.

At that moment, a voice of Gengar echoed in Huo La's mind: "Jie Jie, there's a situation up ahead! Golbat reported that someone is using huge machines to cut trees, spraying anesthetic, and tossing captured Pokemon into the machines' iron boxes—moving incredibly fast!"

"Sheer Force capture of Wild Pokemon?" Huo La's brows furrowed even tighter—poachers now daring to use such massive machines was outright brazen.

He turned to Xiaogang Ge and said, "Xiaogang Ge Ge, there are people ahead using machines to Sheer Force capture Wild Pokemon; judging by the scene, they have a sizable crew, they might strike any moment."

"If they move, we move!" Xiaogang Ge immediately clenched his fists, his gaze firm, "By the way, does your Pokemon Pokedex have signal here? Call for help, let the League send support so we don't get disadvantaged."

"Alright, I'll try!" Huo La pulled out his Pokedex, the screen showing a faint signal, and he promptly called out.

The two slowed their steps, quietly slipping behind a dense thicket, parting branches to peek out: ahead a large clearing had been cleared, several human‑height machines whirred nonstop, their mechanical arms each assigned a clear task.

Some wielded chainsaws to fell trees, others sprayed a pale‑blue anesthetic, and some, like claws, seized the anesthetized Wild Pokemon and tossed them into the machines' side iron boxes.

"Rocket Team!" Xiaogang Ge inhaled sharply, instinctively glancing at Huo La; the machines bore a red "R" emblem, instantly identifying their affiliation.

Huo La's face turned awkward, he waved his hands quickly, "Don't look at me, I know nothing."

Xiaogang Ge didn't doubt Huo La's words; he rubbed his chin, brows furrowed, "We really can't go head‑on now. I'm not a battle‑focused Trainer anyway; even if the Rocket Team sent ordinary fighters, their numbers plus those big machines guarantee we won't stand a chance."

He spoke honestly; his own Pokemon leaned toward defense or support, and in a real fight it's hard to quickly suppress the enemy, instead they'd likely be overwhelmed by the opponent's numerical advantage.

"If a head‑on clash won't work, we need a breakthrough," Huo La analyzed calmly, his gaze sweeping over the Rocket Team members on the clearing, "A large‑scale Wild Pokemon capture operation can't be led solely by ordinary fighters; find the leader first."

Xiaogang Ge nodded, acknowledging Huo La's suggestion; the two crouched low, using the thicket as cover, and slowly circled to the side of the clearing.

"There!" Xiaogang Ge elbowed Huo La, whispering low as he pointed toward a corner of the clearing—there stood a black‑coated tent, and at its entrance a man in a black trench coat, a cigarette between his fingers, with an Absol beside him that exhaled a faint mist; his aura was clearly unlike that of ordinary fighters.

Even more noticeable was the blond‑haired boy beside the man: he had a strawberry‑flavored lollipop in his mouth, his small hand flicking rapidly across a tablet, appearing nonchalant yet exuding an indescribable eeriness.