"Wineeee~" "Wineee~" "Woooo~"
One sorrowful cry after another pierced their ears. Sato and the others exchanged glances and instantly understood what each of them was thinking.
"If it keeps howling like that, we're probably not getting any sleep, right?" Mark blinked, pretending to state the obvious.
"Guess that cooldown walk didn't really work… I think we could use a bit more exercise," Joseph added deliberately. Then he silently stepped out of the igloo, already looking ready to go.
Sato curled his lips, not even bothering with excuses. He headed straight toward the source of the sound, with Joseph and Mark quickly following behind.
As the three drew closer, the howling grew louder and sharper. There were even other sounds mixed in… 'Was that… fighting?' Definitely fighting. This late at night, and it didn't sound like just some minor scuffle.
Before long, Sato -who was in the lead- was the first to spot the Pokémon responsible for those piercing cries.
Over two meters tall, with a body covered in thick brown fur for excellent insulation, and two long white tusks extending from both sides of its jaw, gleaming with a chilling light and exuding incredible intimidation.
"So many Mamoswine!" Mark caught up, and upon seeing the herd of Mamoswine in the distance, exclaimed in shock.
Mamoswine was the evolution of Piloswine, but its rarity rivaled that of Electivire and Magmortar.
After all, no regional Professor had yet developed a Electirizer or Magmarizer to trigger their evolutions, so Electivire and Magmortar remained extremely rare.
And Mamoswine's evolution method was even more unique; it evolved only after learning Ancient Power.
However, most Piloswine couldn't learn Ancient Power on their own, and even learning it deliberately was extremely difficult.
But now, the Mamoswine herd in front of the trio was easily over a hundred strong. These massive Pokémon gathered together, and every little movement from them felt like it could shake the ground.
"Boss, look at their feet!"
"It's Snover! And their evolved form, Abomasnow!" Joseph quickly followed up, and judging from the situation, it was likely a territorial dispute.
"The Mamoswine are in a tough spot. Their type is completely countered by Abomasnow, and the cramped icy terrain limits their charging power even more."
Sato stood silently on the side, listening to Mark and Joseph's discussion, but he had no intention of helping either side.
This was the natural order: survival of the fittest. Even if Mamoswine were rare, now that they were losing to Abomasnow, they had to pay the price.
Boom… Fwoosh~ Fwoosh~ Fwoosh~ Snap!
Suddenly, the sound of several explosive blasts rang out, followed by a sky full of iron nets raining down, ensnaring a large portion of the Mamoswine and Abomasnow alike.
Immediately after, the nets turned red-hot, rapidly tightening and making loud sizzling noises as they pressed against their targets.
The sound was terrifying…
Both Mamoswine and Abomasnow were Ice-type Pokémon, so high temperatures already caused them severe damage, let alone direct burns against their skin.
"Such cruel capture methods… Sinnoh's Pokémon Hunters?" Sato frowned, hand already gripping a Poké Ball.
He wouldn't interfere in natural survival, but when it came to Pokémon Hunters using weapons… he'd take down every one he met!
Sato looked over at Joseph and Mark. Their eyes gleamed with the same unwavering determination; clearly, they felt the same.
"Sato, sometimes you humans are truly despicable…" At some point, Ralts -who usually spent its days asleep in the backpack- had also been roused. Its blood-red eyes were filled with cold fury.
Sato had no response. Even he couldn't claim to be entirely guilt-free. Hadn't he personally killed a Caterpie to obtain Zoroark and Gengar?
The Mamoswine and Abomasnow were still under brutal assault from the scorching nets. Their massive bodies left them with almost no ability to escape.
But from the look of things, even if there had been a chance to flee, none of them would've taken it alone.
Because those who hadn't been caught -be they Abomasnow or Mamoswine- were fighting with everything they had to save their companions.
At last, the culprits they'd been waiting for appeared.
Four Pokémon Hunters in matching black combat uniforms closed in quickly on the Mamoswine and Abomasnow.
Each one was accompanied by a Magmar and a Toxicroak; Pokémon clearly chosen to counter Ice-types.
"Each of us take one. Take them out fast. Ralts, go after the one farthest away. Gengar, scout the area for any more Pokémon Hunters."
While issuing commands quickly, Sato glanced at M-J and their Pokémon.
"Move!"
"Togekiss, Air Slash the one on the right. Don't hold back!"
"Gallade, Teleport, then Psycho Cut!"
"Sharpedo, Extreme Speed."
"Ral~" Ralts didn't even need a direct command. The moment the word "move" was uttered, it had already vanished on its own.
"Geng~" Gengar faded into the darkness to scout the surroundings.
"We're under attack! Requesting backu-"
Fwoosh~ Fwoosh~ Fwoosh~
A series of cerulean Air Slashes sliced through the sky, landing squarely on one of the Pokémon Hunters before any of their Pokémon could react, taking him out immediately.
The rest weren't much different. Whether it was Gallade, Sharpedo, or Ralts, none of them held back; their opening moves were aimed straight at the Hunters.
Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, the frailty of human bodies stood no chance against the full-force strikes from Sharpedo and the others.
Only then did the Magmar and Toxicroak finally register what was happening and move to oppose them. But the sudden fall of their Trainers left them completely unprepared, they were overwhelmed in seconds.
Soon, one of the Toxicroak gave up, collapsing in the snow and letting the Air Slashes rain down on it without resistance.
Then, the remaining Magmar and Toxicroak followed suit, giving up the fight altogether.
Faced with their Trainers' deaths, these Pokémon surrendered almost instantly. To the Hunters, it was an undeniable humiliation.
But Sato understood all too well… it wasn't necessarily because the Hunters had mistreated them. Perhaps, after seeing so many of their kind bought and sold like goods, these Pokémon had simply grown numb.
If the day came when they were sold off by their Trainers, maybe all they'd do was blink… and feel nothing at all.
After rounding up the four Pokémon Hunters, Gengar drifted back with a sigh, dragging along two more who had never appeared.