The sweet aroma was highly enticing to most Pokémon. For those with weak willpower, resisting it was nearly impossible.
Celebi was clearly one of those with shaky willpower—yet it remained completely unfazed by the fragrance.
Seeing this, Blackstar couldn't help but admire: "Impressive... as expected of a mythical Pokémon."
After all, the Pokéblocks in his hand contained a scent extracted from an Elite-level Pokémon. Yet, Celebi was able to resist it.
Celebi: 'This stuff? Even a wild Poochyena wouldn't eat it. Does it taste like fried chicken? No? Then forget it.'
"What do we do if it won't come over?" the first vice-leader asked.
If Celebi refused to approach, they would have no choice but to use force. However, once they resorted to violence, the odds of successfully capturing it would become uncertain.
Blackstar shot a glance at Scizor, who nodded in response.
"Prepare the electric net," Blackstar said.
There was a high chance they would fail to capture Celebi. Worse, if they made too much noise, they could alert the Togekiss hidden in the treetops. If that happened, not only would Celebi escape, but Togekiss would likely flee as well.
In the end, they could end up with nothing.
The safest course of action was to abandon Celebi and focus on capturing Togekiss, whose capture rate was much higher.
But as a poaching group, how could they simply ignore a mythical Pokémon casually floating before them, practically taunting them with its presence?
In this situation, no poacher—or even any regular trainer—would be able to resist the urge to throw a Poké Ball at Celebi.
Besides, this Celebi really did seem a bit stupid, making it feel like an easy catch.
The poachers pulled out several weapons that resembled an RPG launcher . Upon Blackstar's command, they were ready to launch them at Celebi. Upon detonation, the projectiles would form an electric net, ensnaring the mythical Pokémon.
"Fire!" Blackstar shouted.
Seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Before Blackstar could even question his subordinates, he suddenly noticed Celebi turning to leave. His expression twisted as he hurriedly shouted, "Scizor, stop it!"
Scizor turned into a bolt of red lightning, dashing after Celebi.
Blackstar, who was about to lash out in frustration at his subordinates, glanced back—and his breath caught in his throat.
All of his men were sprawled on the ground, unconscious. Even the three vice-leaders had collapsed without a sound.
'When...?!'
Seeing this, a chill ran through Blackstar's heart.
Unexpectedly, without him even noticing, his entire crew had been taken down, and not a single sound had been made when they fell.
"Kehehe..."
A sinister laugh rang in his ears.
Then a white Gengar suddenly appeared before him.
Realizing the danger, Blackstar immediately shut his eyes, trying to avoid Gengar's Hypnosis.
Unfortunately, with a human body, even closing his eyes couldn't protect Blackstar from Hypnosis.
A powerful wave of drowsiness surged through his mind. Just as he was about to succumb, the hat on his head suddenly twisted and distorted—before transforming into another white Gengar.
Gengar was taken aback, staring in surprise at its "partner" with the exact same coloration.
Its Hypnosis subconsciously halted for a brief moment.
Seizing the opportunity, the "white Gengar" swiftly grabbed Blackstar and retreated.
The moment the drowsiness lifted, Blackstar immediately released two Pokémon in quick succession.
A Ninjask and a Shedinja appeared—both were mid-Elite stage Pokémon, combined with Scizor, who was early-Elite stage and still pursuing Celebi.
With three Elite-level Pokémon and the backing from a hidden influential family, it was no wonder that the Trainer Association had failed to capture him despite hunting him for over a decade.
With this level of strength, unless the Association dispatched a late stage Elite or even a peak-Elite trainer, capturing him was nearly impossible.
At the same level, it was almost unheard of for one trainer to successfully kill or capture another.
In Drakoria, there were over 500 Elite trainers, but the majority were at the early or mid-Elite stage.
Late stage Elite trainers typically held important positions, and even the few who were independent rarely accepted missions involving poaching groups.
Because it was simply too dangerous.
After all, the Trainer Association offered far higher point rewards for missions involving humans compared to those targeting Pokémon.
For example, capturing an early stage Elite trainer would earn significantly more points than capturing an early stage Elite Pokémon, even though they were both of the same level.
After all, dealing with Pokémon was far easier than dealing with humans.
"I knew it wouldn't be that easy."
A voice, tinged with regret, drifted into Blackstar's ears.
And a figure slowly emerged from behind a large tree.
The white Gengar was now floating in front of the man, grinning mischievously.
Julian patted Gengar with a smile: "That's not one of your kind—it's a Ditto."
Without Ditto, Gengar's Hypnosis would have already succeeded.
No one would have expected that the hat Blackstar had been wearing all along was actually a transformed Ditto.
Due to its ability to morph into anything, Ditto was strictly regulated by trainer associations around the world, including in Drakoria.
It was nearly impossible to find a Ditto in the wilderness.
Ditto was also one of the few Pokémon exclusively controlled by Drakoria's authorities.
Even for Julian, obtaining one required going through numerous layers of approval.
Unexpectedly, Blackstar possessed a Ditto.
Although Ditto's combat strength was average, its ability to transform into virtually anything made it nearly impossible to guard against. It was the ultimate Pokémon for committing crimes—be it arson, theft, or worse. A must-have for villains.
"Gen?"
Gengar turned to stare at the "white Gengar" in disbelief. It looked exactly like itself—how could it possibly be a Ditto?
As if to confirm Julian's words, the "white Gengar" wriggled slightly before shrinking back into its true form—a small, pink Ditto.
"Think carefully before you act. It's better for you to surrender," Julian said calmly.
As he finished speaking, Metagross and Lucario appeared to his left and right.
"So, you really did manage to find me."
The appearance of Julian did not make Blackstar feel flustered. He had weathered too many storms, even in the face of death, his expression might not have changed much.
Julian's eyes fell on the Ninjask and Shedinja by Blackstar's side—two Pokémon that originated from a single Nincada.
If a trainer owned a Nincada and had an empty Poké Ball on them during its evolution, the discarded shell would transform into Shedinja, while the original body evolved into Ninjask.
One Pokémon evolving into two—it was a unique phenomenon exclusive to Nincada.
Shedinja, in particular, was an enigmatic Pokémon. Its body was hollow, and it didn't need to breathe. Despite lacking wings, it could still hover in the air.
Its mysterious nature had baffled Pokémon scholars for years. In fact, its strange biological properties eventually led to the creation of an entire course dedicated to the study of Shedinja.
*****
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