Chapter 164: Riolu (Patreon)

"No, maybe it's not too late..."

Alex suddenly thought of a brilliant strategy.

Was there a way to make his original appearance become the disguise others saw, while his disguised face was actually his true face underneath a Ditto?

Alex pondered this for a moment and realized it wasn't impossible to pull off.

However, this operation would have to wait until the Mt. Coronet incident was successfully resolved. For now, he still needed to clean up the mess right in front of him.

Alex decisively had Altaria land swiftly. He had to admit, Salamence truly lived up to its title as an Elite level pseudo-Legendary Pokémon. Even after losing its ability to fly and plummeting straight down from a height of dozens of meters, it still managed to stagger to its feet relying on its sheer willpower and robust physique—it was simply awe-inspiring.

Seeing Alex land not far away, Hunter J's Salamence immediately bared its fangs and spread its remaining wing, wanting to launch a sneak attack. However, it quickly realized that even staying upright had become a luxury it couldn't afford.

Alex couldn't help but marvel inwardly; this pseudo-Legendary was indeed even stronger than he had imagined.

Then there was the Ariados. Thanks to Salamence acting as a cushion, it hadn't suffered injuries that were too severe; it had merely passed out. However, as for that pseudo-Elite tier Ariados, Alex wouldn't have cared about it even if it were at its absolute peak.

"Steelix, use Bind!" Alex shouted, releasing his colossal Pokémon.

The moment Steelix appeared, its solid, steel-cast body tightly coiled around Salamence, using its massive size and weight to crush it.

The immense pressure from Steelix's body caused the exhausted Salamence's eyes to instantly roll back into its head.

Considering the massive level gap between Steelix and Salamence, if both were in peak condition, Steelix probably wouldn't have been able to withstand a single Flamethrower from Salamence. Even caught in Steelix's Bind, Salamence would have had the brute strength to break free effortlessly.

But who told Salamence to put itself in a state where it was clinging to life by a thread? Its condition was absolutely critical; it could be rushed to the Pokémon Intensive Care Unit at any second. Under these circumstances, never mind using its signature moves, merely retaining a shred of consciousness was enough to prove the Salamence's tenacious willpower.

"Stop struggling. Your master has already abandoned you, you'd better just surrender obediently!" Alex taunted, sounding very much like a cartoon villain.

Seeing that Salamence's emotions didn't waver in the slightest, Alex couldn't be bothered to continue persuading it. Steelix completely restricted Salamence's movements, leaving it entirely defenseless. Seeing this, Alex threw the principles of fair play out the window and ordered several of his Pokémon to swarm Salamence, ending the battle in a single turn.

Finally, foaming at the mouth and on its last legs, Salamence was recalled by Alex using its stolen Poké Ball.

The Poké Balls used by dark syndicates and Hunters were unregistered, black-market Poké Balls. While the League couldn't constantly monitor these Poké Balls, people could carry as many as they wanted.

However, they came with glaring drawbacks: first, they couldn't be used to heal Pokémon at official Pokémon Centers; second, anyone who obtained them could use them directly without any hassle.

Alex deactivated the Mega Evolution for his two little ones. Even after Mega Evolving two Pokémon back-to-back, Alex didn't feel much mental fatigue.

He had to admit, ever since his psychic powers awakened, his mental fortitude had skyrocketed like a rocket. Now, even if he used his Key Stones to Mega Evolve several Pokémon simultaneously, it wouldn't pose too much of a burden.

He simply treated the injuries of the two unconscious Pokémon to ensure they wouldn't accidentally die, while simultaneously ensuring they wouldn't have the strength to resist him in the short term.

With everything settled, the next step was to excitedly examine the spatial backpack Hunter J had used as bait—in other words, the loot-checking phase.

A backpack she kept on her person at all times, even during a panicked, critical escape, undoubtedly held precious items.

The moment Alex opened the spatial backpack, his gaze was thoroughly captivated by a Pokémon Egg resting inside an incubator.

After using his appraisal skill, Alex's expression froze, and then a wave of wild ecstasy surged through his heart like a tidal wave.

[Species: Riolu (Egg)]

[Gender: Male]

[Type: Fighting]

[Ability: Prankster]

[Potential: Champion]

[Egg Moves: High Jump Kick, Detect, Mind Reader, Bullet Punch, Howl]

A Champion-potential Riolu boasting a whopping five Egg Moves, including the exceedingly rare Detect and Mind Reader!

Even though Alex had a hunch that the Pokémon Egg Hunter J treasured so deeply and kept in her personal spatial backpack was no ordinary item, reading this Riolu Egg's data still filled him with boundless joy.

This was the 'Blue Dog'! Riolu was hailed as the Aura Hero, exceptionally gifted in manipulating the power of Aura.

Moreover, Riolu was adorable before evolution and incredibly cool after. Not to mention, after Mega Evolving, it gained the staggeringly powerful Adaptability Ability. It was a practically perfect Pokémon, possessing both top-tier aesthetics and terrifying combat power.

While Lucario's base stat total wasn't exceptionally high—sitting at 525, which was even lower than fully evolved starter Pokémon—its distribution was incredibly rational, excelling in physical attack, special attack, and speed, while its defense and HP were barely passable at 70 each.

Furthermore, Lucario's rarity rivaled that of pseudo-Legendaries, and it was one of the Steel-type Pokémon Alex had always wanted to capture.

It could even be said that, in Alex's eyes, adding the captured Salamence and Ariados together didn't even come close to the value of this single Riolu Egg.

After all, those two Pokémon had long since exhausted their potential, and they belonged to a cold-blooded sociopath like Hunter J. Even if there was a way to truly capture them, Alex would never keep such Pokémon by his side.

Planting a bomb next to himself—Alex would never do something so idiotic. Therefore, the greatest value those two possessed was being sold off for resources.

Looking at the Riolu Egg, Alex liked it more and more.

Inheriting several Fighting-type moves clearly indicated this Riolu possessed quite an outstanding talent for the Fighting type.

"Good lord, this Hunter J really is a saint!"

Alex sighed. He finally realized that these Hunters were filthy rich; every time he robbed one, he made a massive fortune.

Furthermore, robbing them didn't trigger even a twinge of guilt. Alex found himself growing quite fond of these Pokémon Hunters.