strictlysupreme Chapter 1334: Pioneering Corps
Chapter 1334: Pioneering Corps
Chapter 1334: Pioneering CorpsLapras, who had remained silent all this time, wore an "I knew this would happen" expression as the situation unfolded. However, it didn't intervene, as this wasn't a big deal. Besides, it didn't have a bad impression of Weavile.
A little scheming here and there wasn't a problem, as long as it didn't cross any moral boundaries.
Upon hearing Dragonite's words, a flash of joy crossed Weavile's eyes, but it quickly put on an expression of hesitation.
"If it's only me getting guidance, I'd feel so guilty leaving my dear friend Diggersby out. Poor thing would be so lonely... I better not... But still... thank you."
As Weavile spoke, it even began to wipe away tears.
Diggersby: ⊙(◇)?
Lapras: (_)
Dragonite, seeing this, immediately patted its chest and declared, "What's the big deal? Diggersby can come along too!"
Lapras chuckled internally: What a gullible fool!
"Really? That's wonderful! Thank you! You're so strong and so kind—I truly admire you," Weavile exclaimed joyfully, effortlessly slipping in more flattery.
Dragonite, floating on the clouds of praise, immediately suggested, "Let's head out right now then."
"Sure, sure," Weavile eagerly agreed.
Dragonite turned to Lapras and said, "I'm heading out now. Let's have another sparring match next time, somewhere else. I definitely won't lose again." With that, it led Weavile and Diggersby away.
Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, Lapras shook its head helplessly before flying off toward the Ice Lake.
Meanwhile, Yuga's life continued its steady routine, uneventful yet fulfilling.
Far to the east of the Hoenn continent, in a towering mountain range, a group of people dressed in green uniforms was fleeing for their lives. Behind them, several Shiftry led a pack of Nuzleaf in relentless pursuit.
"Captain, what do we do? They're catching up!" a young man with a buzz cut riding on a Mightyena called out anxiously.
Another young man, this one riding on a Leafeon, shouted, "Brother, let me stay behind to cover you. You all go ahead!"
The leader, also riding a swift and agile Leafeon, didn't even look back as he said, "Cut the chatter! Just focus on running. Once we're past this section, we'll reach the camp's boundary, and those Shiftry won't dare cross it."
Then, he shouted into the sky, "Flygon, attack!"
"Flygon~"
Suddenly, a massive Flygon appeared overhead. Letting out a resounding cry, it opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of green energy at the pursuing Shiftry and Nuzleaf.
The Shiftry and Nuzleaf agilely leaped from branch to branch, undeterred by Flygon's Dragon Breath. The leading Shiftry waved its arms, summoning a fierce gust of wind that instantly dispersed the oncoming attack.
At this moment, the young man who had called the leader "Brother" shouted, "Flygon!"
Another Flygon descended from the sky, unleashing another Dragon Breath. This time, some of the Nuzleaf and Shiftry were forced to halt and defend themselves.
The two Flygon struck and retreated swiftly, avoiding direct confrontation. They knew they couldn't take on the leading Shiftry head-on.
After the Flygon's attacks, other Pokémon began to appear one after another, but none of them managed to significantly hinder the Shiftry.
The two Flygon belonged to none other than Kazuma and Shin, the brothers who had been absent from Verdanturf Town for quite some time.
Kazuma and Shin were apprentices at the Verdanturf Gym. Coming from humble backgrounds, they had trained under Yuga at the gym for an extended period.
Later, the League informed Yuga about an expansion force recruiting personnel and asked if he had any recommendations.
Originally, Yuga intended to decline the League's request, but when the brothers Kazuma and Shin heard about it, they took the initiative to volunteer. Yuga agreed to let them go.
The League's Pioneer Corps is a very special team stationed at the border between the human world and the wilderness. They are tasked with protecting human settlements and continuously expanding the range of human habitation.
The Pokémon world is vast—practically boundless—but only a small portion has been developed by humans. Most of the world remains wild, filled with countless dangers and untapped treasures.
Through exploration, the League gains significant wealth each year, which is used to nurture one generation of talent after another. Many of the League's evolution stone mines and elemental gem deposits were discovered by the Pioneer Corps.
However, the wilderness is home to many powerful Pokémon, some so formidable that humans dare not provoke them lightly.
For example, the Shin and Kazuma brothers were now in the ancient Guli Mountain Range, which stretches for thousands of miles like a primordial dragon. This mountain range is home to countless formidable Pokémon.
The mountain's ruler had an agreement with the Pioneer Corps: no human Trainer at or above the Elite level would enter the mountain's core area, and no Elite level Pokémon from the mountain would cross into the military's boundary.
After joining the Pioneer Corps, the brothers worked diligently. They gave their all to every mission, quickly earning the recognition of their superiors.
Now, both of the brothers had become Trainers nearing the Elite level. Shin, the elder brother, had even become a small squad captain, leading dozens of elite team members.
Although the work of the Pioneer Corps is dangerous, it is undeniably a place that fosters growth. Since joining, the brothers hadn't returned home even once, and their phone calls to family were rare.
This time, they were out on a mission.
Not long ago, a ten-person team from the Pioneer Corps ventured into the Guli Mountain Range for a mission and never returned. To find the missing team, the Pioneer Corps sent out four elite squads, one of which was led by Shin.
They had been
Just as the Shiftry were about to attack the remaining team members, a Blaziken suddenly descended from the sky, unleashing a Flamethrower that forced them back.
"Shiftry, you've crossed the line!"
Following this, a burly man in a green uniform appeared beside Shin and the others.
The Shiftry dodged the Flamethrower and scanned their surroundings warily. After exchanging a glance, they retreated cautiously, vanishing into the trees in an instant.
Seeing the newcomer, Shin exclaimed excitedly, "Captain Jason, Kazuma and the others have been captured!"
"We'll discuss it when we get back," Jason said with a helpless shake of his head. Although he was an Elite level Trainer and wanted nothing more than to stop those Shiftry, he was no match for them and couldn't hope to catch up.
Elite level Pokémon rarely ventured out of the inner regions of the Guli Mountain Range, yet now they had come chasing after humans. Clearly, something unusual was going on, and Jason thought it best to report the situation promptly.
Although worried about Kazuma, Shin could only obey the commander's orders for now.
Since Kazuma and the others had been captured by Sceptile's subordinates, it would be extremely difficult to rescue them without intervention from higher authorities.
Meanwhile, in Verdanturf Town, Smoochum, after months of spending every day with Shoryu, had finally managed to rid itself of its bad habits. The only lingering effect was that it would shiver all over whenever it saw Shoryu.
Because it had been forced to spend its sleeping hours meditating, Smoochum, whose potential was already excellent, had leveled up rapidly over the past few months, jumping from the 20s to nearly level 40.
Now free from Shoryu's control, Smoochum was in an excellent mood and joined Mime Jr. and Clefairy for a stroll around town.
The townspeople were familiar with Clefairy and Mime Jr., recognizing them as Pokémon from YoYo Day Care, and they loved feeding them treats. As a result, Smoochum also reaped the benefits and got plenty of free snacks.
The three Pokémon, all pink and adorably cute, attracted the attention of many young girls along the way.
Smoochum walked while licking a lollipop, but suddenly it caught sight of a white figure flashing through the crowd. Startled, it quickly pushed through the people to give chase.
However, the street was too crowded, and by the time Smoochum reached the spot, the white figure was long gone.
Mime Jr. and Clefairy, puzzled by Smoochum's sudden sprint, caught up and asked, "What's wrong? Why did you run off all of a sudden?"
Smoochum replied with a crestfallen expression, "I think I saw Seel."
"Seel?"
Mime Jr. and Clefairy exchanged confused glances, not knowing who Smoochum was talking about.
Smoochum explained, "Seel was my good friend from before. We accidentally got separated."
"Don't worry, you're bound to see each other again someday," Clefairy and Mime Jr. comforted it.
Because of Seel, Smoochum's mood turned gloomy, and the three lost their enthusiasm for playing and decided to head back.
When the trio returned to the day care's entrance, they saw a green-haired boy standing at the door, peering around curiously. Standing by his feet was none other than Seel.