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Hoshino suddenly swung a punch, landing it hard on Mihao's face, sending him sprawling onto the beach. The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.
"You—"
Mihao gritted his teeth and pushed himself off the ground. The sharp pain on his face finally brought him back to his senses, but before he could react, a foot came flying straight at him!
"Treating your Pokémon as mere commodities?"
"They choose to be with you because they recognize and trust you. That's the only reason they become your Pokémon and are willing to fight and stand by your side!"
"And yet, as a Trainer, you trample over that trust, turning it into a transaction?! Someone like you—I'm going to blast your damn teeth out!"
Hoshino's words struck like a hammer. There was nothing worse than deceiving Pokémon with trust and promises, using their dreams for personal gain. That was the true disgrace of a Trainer.
Ceruledge and Braixen heard these words loud and clear. Especially the former—his gaze flickered for a moment, as if something stirred within him, but he quickly returned to his usual cold demeanor.
Hoshino's punches landed solidly, each one carrying raw force. Mihao endured the pain and humiliation before finally snapping. Relying on others was useless—if he couldn't count on his Pokémon, then he'd count on himself.
As an adult who had spent years traveling as a Trainer, Mihao wasn't weak physically. He had simply been caught off guard, first intimidated by Chien-Pao and then sucker-punched.
Now that he had his bearings, he wasn't going to stay passive. He grabbed Hoshino's leg and slammed him onto the sand before flipping over and striking back.
"My Pokémon, my business! What the hell does this have to do with you?!"
The two immediately started brawling on the beach while a group of Pokémon watched from the sidelines. Gladion, watching the chaotic scene, muttered in shock, "So this is a Trainer battle that's even rarer than Pokémon battles..."
Despite his shock, he saw an opportunity. Those two were completely focused on beating the crap out of each other—
Cyclizar swayed side to side, glancing between Hoshino rolling on the sand and Lycanroc, unsure what to do.
Gladion's gaze locked onto Braixen. That was his target. With the current chaos, simply snatching her away would be easy.
But Ceruledge was still present. He had witnessed him take down Toxicroak in an instant. A direct fight was unavoidable—he just needed to buy enough time!
"So I have no choice but to use it..."
Gladion shifted his stance and tossed a Poké Ball. Ceruledge turned his attention toward's him.
The Pokémon that appeared had a bizarre appearance—its front legs resembled an insect's, while its hind legs and body looked more like a beast.
Its tail was distinctly fish-like, and its entire body was a dark color, giving it the appearance of a stitched-together creature made from different species.
On its head was a heavy-looking mask-like device, and its neck was locked by a cross-shaped restraint, as if its power was deliberately sealed away…
Gladion struck a dramatic pose, covering part of his face with one hand as he shouted, "Type: Null, show me your power!"
"…"
Ceruledge had never seen a Pokémon like Type: Null before, but the sight of its head being restrained by some device irritated him.
As Type: Null obeyed its Trainer's command and charged forward, Ceruledge immediately swung his blade.
Clang—!
Bitter Blade struck directly against Type: Null's mask, sending out a dazzling burst of firelight. Yet, strangely, it didn't leave so much as a crack.
"…"
Ceruledge was momentarily stunned, but in that brief moment, Type: Null lifted its front leg and brought down a Shadow Claw…
With all the Trainers and Pokémon occupied, Gladion finally made his move toward Braixen—
But he had severely underestimated Ceruledge's strength.
With one hand, he easily blocked Type: Null's attack. With the other, he slashed his sword, igniting a ghostly blue wall of fire between them.
"This guy…!"
Gladion's eyes widened in shock. He reached for his Poké Ball to recall his Pokémon, but at that moment, police sirens wailed from the distant night market.
The commotion on the beach had finally attracted the attention of law enforcement. While Pokémon battles weren't outright banned in public places, it was well past midnight, and a fight in a dark, unlit area naturally warranted police intervention.
"Tch…"
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Gladion recalled Type: Null and Lycanroc, abandoning any plans to take Braixen. He had no intention of being interrogated by the police and swiftly retreated.
Ceruledge didn't chase him. Instead, he leaped into the shadows and vanished, either leaving the area entirely or hiding nearby to observe.
Meanwhile, Hoshino and Mihao were still grappling in the sand, utterly oblivious to the approaching authorities. Blood splattered, gear lay scattered everywhere—
But after two days without rest, Hoshino's stamina had finally hit its limit. Though he had started the fight, he was now the one being beaten senseless.
"Cyclizar!"
Cyclizar rushed forward to help, clenching his fists. But the two men were rolling around so much that he couldn't find an opening to intervene.
A barely-conscious Hoshino struggled to shout, "Hit him in the head! Just go for his head! I'll hold him still!"
"Cycli…zar…"
Cyclizar hesitated no longer. He aimed carefully and threw a punch—
But Mihao had been waiting for this. In an instant, he shifted his weight and reversed their positions!
Before Hoshino could react, Cyclizar's punch landed squarely on his face. His legs went stiff, and he passed out on the spot.
"Cyclizar!!!"
Seeing Hoshino collapse, Cyclizar let out a devastated cry, overwhelmed with guilt. Mihao, on the other hand, pulled himself free and sneered at the pathetic sight.
"A brat from some school thinks he can take me on?"
Hearing the distant sirens, Mihao knew he had to escape quickly. Cyclizar was still frozen in shock—this was his chance.
His body ached from multiple bruises, but at least he wasn't seriously injured. Still, getting beaten up by some kid? That was humiliating.
He retrieved his Poké Balls, recalling Toxapex and Toxicroak. Then, he grabbed another Poké Ball and turned to Braixen. His frustration grew—it was because of this damn fox that everything had gone to hell tonight!
"Get back here, you useless piece of—"
Mihao pointed the Poké Ball at Braixen, but just as the red beam shot out, the Pokémon slowly stood up, her back still facing him.
In her hand was a small branch—one of the items Hoshino had dropped during the fight.
Then, the tip of the branch suddenly ignited.
At the very moment the Poké Ball's beam was about to hit, Braixen's despair-filled gaze hardened into determination.
She spun around and blew out a fierce Fire Spin straight ahead—
"AHHH!!!"
A blood-curdling scream rang out. The police officers quickened their pace as Mihao collapsed, his right arm engulfed in flames.
He fell to his knees, desperately trying to smother the fire with sand. But within the flames, the Poké Ball in his hand was incinerated to ashes.
The bond between Braixen and him was completely severed.
"Braixen!"
Braixen extinguished her flaming branch and tucked it back into her tail. She no longer paid Mihao any attention and instead rushed toward Hoshino.
Wee-woo~ wee-woo~
The sound of sirens filled the air as police cars and ambulances arrived at the scene.
Mihao's injuries weren't severe, and after a quick treatment from Nurse Joy, he was handed over to Officer Jenny for questioning.
Cyclizar and Braixen, as key witnesses, were also taken in.
Hoshino, the most seriously injured, was immediately loaded onto a stretcher and rushed to the hospital.
As he lay on the stretcher, barely recognizable from the beatdown, Slowking stood beside him, speaking through telepathy.
"How pathetic. If you're not cut out for fighting, don't pick one. And if you do, at least don't get your ass kicked this badly. You nearly died."
At those words, the seemingly unconscious Hoshino suddenly cracked open an eye and smirked.
"Doesn't matter… I'll make this into content."
"Whatever. I've added your medical bills to your tab. Pay up after you're discharged."
"…Shit!"