Rain hammered down relentlessly on the exposed hillside. Near the entrance of a shallow cave, the Kangaskhan stood its ground, a bulwark against the storm and the three Pokémon relentlessly attacking it: a Machoke, a Primeape, and a Graveler.
But its stance was purely defensive. It blocked, parried, absorbed blows, using its thick hide and immense strength to weather the assault, but it launched no counterattacks. Its focus remained fixed on the cave mouth behind it, refusing to be drawn away, refusing to yield ground. Inside the cave, hidden from view, was its joey.
"A prime specimen like Kangaskhan, just wandering free here," one of the masked poachers observing from a short distance remarked, his voice muffled. "Told you this park was a treasure trove."
"Don't get cocky," another warned, mask bobbing as he spoke. "This one's strong. We wear it down first. Don't screw it up."
"Strong, yeah, but predictable," the third chimed in, gesturing towards the cave. "Protecting its young, its weakness is obvious. Just keep up the pressure."
The three men, clad in identical black rain slickers and cartoonish masks, directed their Pokémon remotely, coordinating the assault, methodically chipping away at the Kangaskhan's stamina, waiting for an opening.
As they conferred, oblivious, a shape detached itself from the rain-soaked shadows behind them. A figure coated entirely in thick, dripping mud rose silently, brandishing a heavy tree branch like a crude club.
WHACK!
The branch connected solidly with the back of one poacher's head. He crumpled instantly, collapsing into the mud without a sound.
The sudden attack stunned the remaining two. They stared dumbly at their fallen comrade for a split second before panic took over. They turned to flee, scrambling in opposite directions into the blinding rain.
But their escape was short-lived. Both men tripped almost immediately, sprawling face-first into the muck as if they'd run into an invisible wire. Tangled vines, seemingly placed with unnatural precision across their escape paths, were the culprits. Before they could untangle themselves, the mud-caked figure was upon them, branch swinging mercilessly. Two more solid thuds echoed dully through the storm. Silence.
The mud-man efficiently stripped the unconscious poachers of their gear, Poké Balls, and any valuables, binding them securely with their own ropes. He muttered to himself, his voice distorted by the mud still clinging to his face.
"Doesn't matter how strong the Pokémon are... trainers are always the weak link..."
Up on the hillside, the sudden cessation of commands threw the attacking Machoke, Primeape, and Graveler into momentary confusion. They hesitated, their assault faltering.
The Kangaskhan seized the opportunity. Roaring, it exploded into motion, dropping its purely defensive stance. Raw power unleashed, it charged, fists flying, each blow landing with devastating force. The brief melee was brutal and decisive. Within seconds, the three attacking Pokémon were incapacitated, joining their trainers in unconsciousness.
As the Kangaskhan surveyed the scene, panting slightly, the mud-caked figure below allowed the driving rain to wash away its disguise, revealing Xiu's pale, determined face.
He'd heard the Kangaskhan's enraged roars cutting through the storm as he approached the hill. Scrambling up the slippery slope, he'd assessed the situation quickly: three poachers, coordinating an attack, exploiting the Kangaskhan's protective instincts. It couldn't last long like that.
'No time for subtlety.' He'd signaled Abra, then used the storm's chaos as cover to circle around behind them. A quick mental command to Abra – bind the escape routes with nearby vines using Telekinesis – while he handled the direct assault. Crude, brutal, but effective.
He quickly gathered the spoils from the three new captives, adding them to the gear taken from George earlier. Then he hurried up the slope to the Kangaskhan.
"You alright?" he asked, panting from exertion and adrenaline.
The Kangaskhan turned, its breathing heavy but steady. It gave a short rumble and pounded its own chest lightly with a fist – a gesture of reassurance. Fine.
Xiu glanced at the battered Pokémon lying nearby. The Kangaskhan hadn't held back once its joey was no longer directly threatened. A few more seconds, and those Pokémon might not have survived.
Looking at the identical rain slickers, masks, and equipment taken from these poachers and the one from before, a worrying pattern emerged. This wasn't just random poacher activity. This was organized, coordinated. He looked up at the Kangaskhan, worry etched onto his face.
"This feels big," He said, speaking his thoughts aloud, knowing the Pokémon likely wouldn't understand the words but might grasp the tone. "A large force invading the park... all at once. The main security, the staff at the gate... they're probably overwhelmed, dealing with the main assault. We can't rely on them reaching us out here. We're on our own."
His original plan – make for the main gate – now seemed suicidal. If this was a planned invasion, the primary targets would be the central facilities, the main Pokémon populations. Heading there would be walking straight into the heart of the conflict.
A new plan formed, born of desperation and proximity. "This is the northern edge of the park, right?" he asked the Kangaskhan, pointing vaguely northwards through the rain. "If we keep going this way, just a short distance... we should reach the bay. The coast. Outside the park boundaries." Away from the main chaos.
With the Kangaskhan's power beside him, surely they could handle any stray poachers or wild Pokémon they encountered on the way out. It felt safer than trying to reach the besieged main gate.
He explained his idea as best he could, gesturing, hoping the Kangaskhan understood the urgency — after a moment's consideration, the giant Pokémon seemed to agree, nodding its massive head. Together, they set off, leaving the unconscious poachers and their Pokémon tied up in the mud, abandoning the relative safety of the cave, plunging deeper into the storm-wracked north.
Using his familiarity with this remote sector, Xiu guided them, Abra scouting psychically ahead, avoiding several more small groups of masked figures moving through the woods. They were getting closer.
"Almost there," Xiu muttered, peering through the deluge. "Just over this ridge... the bay should be right behind it."
Suddenly, the Kangaskhan, which had been moving steadily beside him, stopped dead. It spun around, letting out a low growl, and lashed out with blinding speed, punching sideways into the thick trunk of a massive tree bordering their path.
THUD!
The sound was dull, heavy. Xiu whipped his head around just in time to see something long and serpentine severed cleanly in two by the force of the blow. The upper half of an Arbok, which had apparently been coiled silently on a high branch, ready to strike, hung limply for a second before tumbling down through the leaves. The lower half remained draped over the branch.
Blood, diluted instantly by the rain, streamed down the tree trunk. The severed halves hit the ground almost simultaneously. Only then did the deep indentation of the Kangaskhan's fist become visible on the tree's bark.
'Arbok... ambush...' Xiu's mind reeled. 'That punch... incredibly fast.'
Before he could process further, the Kangaskhan grunted again and charged forward, disappearing almost instantly into the thick curtain of rain ahead. Visibility was practically zero. Xiu stood frozen, hearing only muffled thuds, impacts, and then, briefly, a choked human scream, quickly swallowed by the roar of the storm.
Silence returned, save for the drumming rain. Xiu held his breath, straining his ears. After what felt like an eternity, the towering silhouette of the Kangaskhan re-emerged from the dense foliage. It was dragging something – another unconscious poacher.
"Ambush?" Xiu asked redundantly, stepping forward. The Kangaskhan dropped the body unceremoniously at his feet.
'No time for questions.' Xiu quickly disarmed the new captive, his eyes widening as he pulled dozens of Poké Balls from the man's waterproof satchel. 'How many did this guy catch? And why was he lurking out here, so close to the park boundary? There are hardly any valuable Pokémon in this specific area.'
The situation felt increasingly strange, increasingly dangerous. Shoving the troubling thoughts aside, Xiu stuffed the captured gear into his already bulging backpack and urged the Kangaskhan onward.
They scrambled up the final low ridge. As they reached the crest, overlooking the churning, grey expanse of the bay beyond the park fence, the sky ripped open with another blinding flash of lightning.
In that instantaneous, stark illumination, Xiu saw them. Two figures locked in combat high above the storm-tossed waves.
One was serpentine, elegant, blue – a Dragonair. The other was vast, monstrous, enraged – a colossal Gyarados. They battled amidst the lightning and rain, silhouettes against the bruised sky.
He stared, mesmerized, excitement warring with fear. 'Dragonair... just one step away from Dragonite... a pseudo-legendary!' To witness such a creature, let alone see it fighting a Gyarados of that magnitude, barely a month into this new world... It was terrifying. It was incredible.
'A pseudo-legendary... The term echoed in his mind, filled with awe and sudden, dawning comprehension. That's what the high-level poacher was after... That's why they're here.'