With Kai's sudden involvement, the situation, which had been a difficult six-to-four standoff with the Forest Rangers struggling, was instantly reversed.
Ursaring loved such chaotic battles; with enemies clustered together, every move it made was guaranteed to find a target.
Just then, the roar of an engine cut through the sounds of battle. A jeep sped into view, carrying Officer Jenny and two other Forest Rangers. It turned out that after receiving the alarm from the weather station, they had split into two groups: one to intercept the poachers, while the other urgently guided the island's native Pokémon to evacuate.
The battlefield had changed dramatically. The poacher boss, who had been so aggressive just moments before, was now having second thoughts. When he engaged Kai's Pokémon, he instantly realized his opponent was on a completely different level, and now new reinforcements had arrived on the scene.
"Return, Golduck!" the poacher boss shouted, quickly recalling his heavily scarred Pokémon. Although it had taken a lot of damage, the Golduck was still one of his core combatants.
This unusual action immediately put Kai on high alert. He frowned, muttering to himself, "Oh no… does that Golduck have the Damp ability?"
Sure enough, just as Kai expected, a cunning and cold smile appeared on the poacher boss's lips. He roared, "Damn it, don't think I'll just sit here and take it! Golem, Electrode! Use your full power—Explosion!"
With his command, the two Pokémon simultaneously unleashed astonishing waves of energy, plunging the entire scene into chaos.
As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the two Pokémon that had chosen to self-destruct were now unconscious, comatose on the scorched ground. The Forest Rangers who had been holding the poachers head-on were all thrown to the ground by the shocking impact. Some of their more agile Pokémon had managed to use Protect to defend themselves, but those that reacted a bit slower were completely unable to withstand an Explosion of that magnitude.
On Kai's side, a uniform green light had suddenly glowed as Poliwrath shielded him from the blast. When facing such vicious poaching gangs, it was crucial to always be vigilant and guard against such ruthless tactics. Typically, ordinary trainers would never allow their beloved Pokémon to use an extremely dangerous move like Self-Destruct unless for a specific tactical need. For these deranged criminals who regarded life as worthless, however, the situation was completely different.
While the Forest Rangers were caught off guard, the other poachers were in a much more miserable state. Closer to the blast and with no prior warning, they had no time to react, watching helplessly as they were mercilessly engulfed by the raging energy waves.
The poacher boss pulled out his seventh Poké Ball, releasing an Advanced-level Golbat. He grabbed one of its feet, intending to make a quick escape.
"Boss, don't leave us!" the poachers wailed from the ground, begging their leader not to abandon them.
"Don't worry," Kai's calm voice cut through the chaos. "He won't get away."
A golden bolt of lightning accurately struck the Golbat in mid-air. Both the man and the Pokémon screamed as they fell from the sky.
After tying up the last of them, Kai was almost out of ropes.
Jenny first carefully checked the condition of the fallen Forest Rangers, ensuring they had not suffered serious injuries, before stepping forward with relief to help Kai subdue the poachers completely.
"Thank you so much for your timely help! If it weren't for you, the consequences would have been unimaginable…" Jenny said with sincere gratitude.
"Haha, no need to be polite," Kai replied with a smile. "I'm an officially registered trainer from the Orange Archipelago. These poachers were divided into three groups; I've already subdued the other two teams. Some were at the rock mountain, others were on the cliff face. I also have a companion waiting at the coastal landing point, and she's taken care of a few poachers there too."
Kai joined Jenny in the subsequent arrest operation. By the time all the poachers were locked up in the island's temporary detention center, it was already early morning. At Jenny's warm invitation, Kai and Professor Ivy rested briefly at the Forest Ranger station. After such a long journey and several intense battles, both people and Pokémon were exhausted.
At seven in the morning, Kai washed up and went with Professor Ivy to find Jenny. She hadn't slept all night, conducting basic interrogations with the two uninjured Forest Rangers.
"Jenny, you look exhausted. You should get some rest," Professor Ivy said, noticing her bloodshot eyes.
"Professor, thank you for your concern, but Tangelo Island is short-staffed right now. How can I rest?" Jenny yawned. "There were a total of 45 poachers. Four died on the spot in last night's explosion, and two more didn't make it. Among those caught at the rock mountain, four were attacked and killed by an enraged Nidoking, and the others have injuries of varying degrees. Six of the group on the cliff face are currently running persistent high fevers."
Listening to the report, Kai touched his nose. "Sorry, my handling was a bit rough."
"Mr. Kai, it's not your fault. It's the fault of these poachers," Jenny comforted him. She then turned to him with a proposal. "You're here to conduct research, but as the official in charge of Tangelo Island, may I invite you to temporarily serve as our safety consultant? Our manpower is very stretched, and the storm outside the island is strong, so the League's aid can't get through."
Kai glanced at Professor Ivy, a bit uncertain. "If I serve as a safety consultant, what would be my main responsibilities?"
"Because our staff needs to guard these poachers, there's no one to handle disputes between Pokémon on the island. Also, there's the release of the captured Pokémon. It just so happens that you are here to conduct an ecological survey, so…"
"Okay," Kai cut in. "Do I get paid?"
"I will calculate your salary based on the special mission allowance for a Level 3 Ranger," Jenny said with a grateful smile. "I hope you don't find it too little."
Forest Rangers also have internal ranks. A Level 1 Ranger corresponds to an Intermediate Trainer, the standard for recent graduates. Level 2 corresponds to an Advanced Trainer, and Level 3 corresponds to an Elite Trainer. Level 3 is the highest rank; stronger Rangers have mostly transitioned to administrative positions or moved to other departments. The salary for a Level 3 Ranger, based on the League's pay scale and various subsidies, was high enough to support a complete Elite-level team.
Last night's battle seemed to leave no trace on the island. After the sun rose, various pink Pokémon began to emerge to forage. Kai and Professor Ivy carried the net bags confiscated from the poachers, preparing to head into the island for their release and survey activities.
In the sky, the forest, and the plains, all sorts of Pokémon displayed their unique pink color. Due to the abundant Tangelo fruit on the island, conflicts among Pokémon were much less frequent than in the outside world. They coexisted peacefully, eating together.
This island was a paradise in the Pokémon world.
***
(End of Chapter)
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