945 Final Encounter

Water sources are the gathering places for life. When Yuga was downstream, he didn't feel it deeply. However, as he gradually moved with Squirtle and Shasha towards the middle of the creek, he noticed that more and more Pokémon gathered by the stream. Even if they didn't live here, they would come to the creek because of the need for water.

Yuga, accompanied by Squirtle and Shasha, searched for clues about Arcanine while fending off the occasional wild Pokémon. Unfortunately, they hadn't encountered any high potential Pokémon along the way, which can allowed him to complete his mission.

Yuga had already captured eight high potential Pokémon, just two short of the system's requirement of ten.

Squirtle had encountered Arcanine by chance previously. It had been swimming upstream in the creek and had encountered a powerful Pokémon, a powerful Poliwrath, halfway. Squirtle had decided to turn back downstream but had been surprised to see two battling Pokémon arrive near it while preparing to leave.

One of those Pokémon was none other than Arcanine.

Unable to leave in time, Squirtle had hidden in the water and watched the battle unfold.

At the time, the Pokémon battling Arcanine was an exceptionally large Arbok, even longer than any Gyarados that Squirtle had seen before.

Squirtle didn't know how strong that Arbok was, but the imposing aura it emitted made Squirtle shiver. Even the Poliwrath that resided in the creek didn't dare to show itself.

That Arbok had somehow offended Arcanine and had been pursued by Arcanine throughout the battle. The intense flames that Arcanine spewed could be felt even by Squirtle, hiding in the water.

In the end, the Arbok couldn't match Arcanine and had been reduced to a pile of roasted meat, exuding a tantalizing aroma.

After dealing with the Arbok, Arcanine did not eat it but it left seemingly in a depressed state.

In Squirtle's eyes, that had been Arcanine's state at the time.

Once Arcanine had left, Squirtle, unable to linger in the area, had swum back downstream.

As for what happened to the dead Arbok afterward, Squirtle had no idea. Since then, it had never returned to the middle or upper reaches of the creek.

Squirtle had a vague sense of time. How long ago had that battle taken place? It couldn't remember clearly, but it was sure it hadn't been too long. Finding Arcanine was still a possibility.

Soon, Yuga, Squirtle, and Shasha reached the transition point between the middle and upper reaches of the creek. Squirtle pointed ahead and said: "The territory of Poliwrath is up ahead. I can't handle it, so you guys need to protect me!"

"Don't worry!"

Yuga also wanted to meet Poliwrath. Maybe it knew something about Arcanine. Judging from Squirtle's description, Yuga believed he could handle Poliwrath on his own.

They arrived at the water area where Poliwrath resided. Shasha took a step forward, intending to lure Poliwrath out. However, Yuga spoke up: "You've dealt with all the Pokémon along the way. Let the others handle Poliwrath."

Without saying anything, Shasha gave Yuga a glance and silently retreated. A little rest wouldn't hurt!

Yuga took out the Poké Ball containing his Serperior and released it. He commanded, "Serperior, use Leaf Storm on the water's surface!"

Serperior nodded and flicked its tail, creating a swirling green vortex on the water.

Boom!

The water's surface erupted into a huge wave, causing the Pokémon living in the nearby jungle to scatter in panic.

"Poliwrath!!!"

After the water splashes settled, a blue figure jumped out of the creek and landed on the shore. It roared angrily at Serperior.

...

[ Poliwrath ]

Type: Water/Fighting

Ability: Water Absorb

Gender: Male

Potential: Green

Level: 66

Moves: Water Spout, Hypnosis, Rain Dance, Double Slap, Giga Impact, Wake-Up Slap, Hydro Pump, Focus Punch, Belly Drum, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Bulk Up.

...

Yuga: So, it's an Elite level Pokémon. No wonder Squirtle said it couldn't handle Poliwrath.

The enraged Poliwrath raised its Ice Punch and charged at Serperior, shouting: Disturb my sleep, and no one will be forgiven!

Serperior was much faster than Poliwrath. As Poliwrath approached, Serperior swiftly moved behind it and unleashed a Leaf Storm.

Serperior's battle strategy was simple, relying on its speed and Leaf Storm to overwhelm the opponent.

The massive green vortex instantly threw Poliwrath into the air, and Serperior's aura reached its peak.

In this manner, Poliwrath was toyed with by Serperior's Leaf Storm several times. Serperior's confidence soared while Poliwrath went into a frenzy.

In its madness, Poliwrath used Belly Drum, a move that sacrificed half of its health to significantly boost its attack power. Its belly suddenly swelled, and it fiercely punched its own round belly.

After its belly returned to normal, Poliwrath's aura surged, far surpassing its previous state.

Belly Drum: Sacrifices half of its health to greatly increase its attack power.

After using Belly Drum, Poliwrath swung its huge fists like sledgehammers and launched a Focus Punch at Serperior.

Unfortunately, while Focus Punch was powerful, it had low accuracy. Coupled with Serperior's superior speed and agility, Poliwrath's Focus Punch was destined to miss.

However, the frenzied Poliwrath couldn't realize this.

Boom!

With a slight twist of its agile body, Serperior evaded Poliwrath's punch, but the ground received a direct hit, creating a deep crater.

Avoiding the Focus Punch, Serperior used Dragon Tail to sweep hard against Poliwrath's waist. Poliwrath stumbled and fell.

After using Belly Drum, Poliwrath became quite fragile, and it couldn't get back up after Serperior's Dragon Tail.

With Poliwrath down, Yuga threw a Poké Ball and captured it.

Seeing Poliwrath defeated, Squirtle felt fortunate that it had chosen to hide!

After releasing Poliwrath and allowing Shasha to treat it, Yuga followed Squirtle's guidance to the battlefield where Arcanine and Arbok had fought. Arbok's body was nowhere to be found, leaving behind only a massive snake-like skeleton.

Aside from the bones, Yuga saw scorch marks everywhere on the scene. Clearly, Squirtle had not lied. The battle between Arcanine and Arbok hadn't happened long ago, or else the vibrant jungle would have concealed these battle scars.

With Shasha's treatment, Poliwrath quickly regained consciousness. Seeing Serperior by its side, it didn't dare to act recklessly.

"Do you know where Arcanine is, or do you have any information about it?" Yuga inquired. To ensure Poliwrath recognized Arcanine, Yuga described Arcanine's appearance.

Poliwrath certainly knew Yuga's description of Arcanine. It had vivid memories of their recent battle. However, its eyes shifted as it replied: I know. Are you looking for it? I can lead you there!

Looking at Poliwrath's seemingly honest and earnest demeanor, Yuga found it challenging to determine whether it was telling the truth or not.

If he accused it of lying, Poliwrath appeared honest and sincere. If he believed it, then it had been surprisingly cooperative, leaving Yuga somewhat uneasy.

After some consideration, Yuga said, "Alright, lead the way!"

In this way, the simple-minded Poliwrath led Yuga on the search for Arcanine.

Taking a detour, under Poliwrath's guidance, Yuga gradually moved away from the stream and soon arrived in a place filled with the songs of birds and the scent of flowers.

As soon as they reached this location, Hypno and Drowzee began to emerge from the grass and flower beds. It was evident that the seemingly naive Poliwrath had deceived him, but Yuga was prepared and not surprised at all!

Quickly, Yuga found himself surrounded by Hypno and Drowzee. The leader of this group, who was good friends with Poliwrath, had once discussed various uses of hypnotic techniques with Poliwrath, fostering a deep bond of camaraderie.

Seeing Poliwrath appeal to him for help, the leader of the Drowzee immediately ordered his subordinates to attack Yuga, sending waves of Hypnosis towards him.

Fortunately, Shasha had quick reflexes and used Safeguard to protect Yuga.

Yuga wasn't afraid of this group battle. He released all his Pokémon, and soon the Hypno and Drowzee were scattered and defeated.

While Hypno and Drowzee were skilled in hypnosis, they lacked combat abilities.

Seeing his little companions being thoroughly defeated, Poliwrath's heart sank. It knew that its friends were slightly weaker than itself, but it hadn't expected them to be this useless. It had hoped to overwhelm Yuga with their numbers, but it turned out Yuga had many allies of his own.

Looking at the defeated Hypno and Drowzee lying all around, Yuga shook his head in regret. How come there wasn't a single high potential Pokémon among them? He had hoped to catch one to complete his mission, but it seemed that hope was in vain.

After dealing with the situation, Yuga glanced at the trembling Poliwrath. "Looks like we're missing a whip of love here!"

After interrogating Poliwrath and extracting some information about Arcanine, Yuga set out once again on the journey to find Arcanine.

This time, Poliwrath didn't dare to play tricks. It honestly stated that it didn't know where Arcanine lived, but it did remember the direction in which Arcanine had left.

Following Poliwrath's guidance, Yuga arrived in a rugged area very close to the Nidoran Clan's territory. Hidden behind the rocks, Yuga could even see the Nidoran Clan that often appeared in this area.

"Growlithe, Growlithe, Growlithe!"

At this moment, Yuga suddenly heard a series of barks.

"What's this..."

Yuga's eyes lit up, and he immediately headed towards the source of the sound. He thought that Squirtle was too slow, so he recalled Squirtle into its Poké Ball, leaving only Shasha by his side.

Soon, Yuga saw the source of the noise, a brightly furred puppy-like Pokémon.

...

[ Growlithe ]

Type: Fire

Ability: Intimidate

Gender: Male

Potential: Blue

Level: 25

Moves: Bite, Roar, Ember, Odor Sleuth, Helping Hand, Flame Charge, Close Combat

...

Yuga hadn't expected to find Arcanine, but he had come across a high potential Growlithe instead.

When Yuga arrived, this Growlithe was in the midst of battling a Rattata, and it appeared to be winning. Upon noticing Yuga, the Rattata quickly ran away.

Seeing the Rattata flee, Growlithe didn't give chase. Instead, it remained cautious, gazing at Yuga with a low, yet still youthful growl, warning Yuga not to approach. It took a step back.

"Shasha!"

Yuga excitedly called out to Shasha, and Shasha understood his intention. Using psychic, Shasha captured Growlithe.

Growlithe, being young and weaker, was no match for Shasha's power and quickly fell under the effects of Hypnosis.

Yuga threw a Poké Ball and captured Growlithe, thinking: If I couldn't find Arcanine, at least I found Growlithe.

Just as Yuga received the Poké Ball from Shasha, he heard an angry roar. He turned around to see a large Arcanine glaring angrily at him and Shasha.

Arcanine hadn't expected to return from a short outing to find his child was captured. This was his territory, and he had believed that no other Pokémon would dare to approach.

So, after capturing a Rattata to practice with his son, he had gone out in search of food, not anticipating this unexpected turn of events.

Not too long ago, Arcanine had lost his wife, and now it must not let anything happen to its son again.

Arcanine wife is a Ninetales, while she was out searching for food for their child. She had encountered an Arbok from the deep sea islands and was killed by it, mistaking her for prey.

Although Arcanine had avenged his wife by defeating the Arbok, his longing for her hadn't diminished.

Arcanine was a Pokémon known for its unwavering loyalty.

The furious Arcanine immediately used Flame Charge and charged towards Yuga and Shasha with the intent to smash them to pieces.

Upon first sight, Shasha knew that this Arcanine was not a Pokémon they could handle. In an instant, Shasha swapped control of the body with Nana.

The quick-thinking Nana, in response to Arcanine's impending charge, promptly erected a Reflect barrier, blocking Arcanine on the other side of the barrier.

Arcanine's strength was immense, and Nana, with a weaker physical constitution, was pushed back quite a distance from the impact against the Reflect barrier. Yuga, on the other hand, was knocked over by the shockwave generated by the collision.

Getting up from the ground, Yuga quickly distanced himself from Arcanine and Nana. At this moment, Arcanine's information appeared before his eyes.

...

[ Arcanine ]

Type: Fire

Ability: Intimidate

Gender: Male

Potential: Indigo

Level: 78

Moves: Bite, Ember, Odor Sleuth, Roar, Flame Wheel, Reversal, Fire Fang, Take Down, Flame Burst, Agility, Flamethrower, Crunch, Heat Wave, Outrage, Overheat, Flare Blitz, Close Combat, Iron Tail, Snarl, Overheat, Fire Blast, Extream Speed, Morning Sun

...

The son had excellent potential, and the father's potential was even more outstanding!

This was a Pokémon very close to Champion level strength, and it was no wonder that Squirtle and Poliwrath trembled when mentioning Arcanine.

Pinned behind the Reflect barrier, Arcanine couldn't advance any further. It spewed countless flames from its mouth, engulfing Nana, who was nearby.

Yuga was certain that Nana would be fine because, without his interference, Nana didn't need to directly confront Arcanine, especially since it wasn't a Fighting-type Pokémon.

As expected, when the flames dissipated, there was no sign of Nana. He had already used Teleport to appear behind Arcanine, followed by a gigantic Shadow Ball thrown directly at Arcanine.

While Arcanine was undoubtedly strong, compared to Nana, it was significantly weaker. The massive Shadow Ball explosion sent Arcanine rolling on the ground.

However, Arcanine, driven by the desire to protect his son, refused to give up. It spewed fiery flames of Fire Blast, each one delivered with full force.

Yet, each Fire Blast missed as Nana skillfully dodged them using Teleport.

Nana, with his outstanding potential and the amplifying effect of his immense psychic power, had a distinct advantage in using Teleport.

Seeing that Fire Blast wasn't working, Arcanine switched to the more potent Overheat. However, even after using Overheat, which greatly lowered its special attack power, Nana remained unscathed.

With every Overheat, Arcanine created massive craters in the ground, but Nana, with maximum Evasion stats, managed to avoid them all.

Frustrated by his inability to hit Nana, Arcanine became even more frantic. It activated its Ability, Intimidate, and launched a series of extreme moves, including Outrage, attempting to take down Nana at any cost.

However, Nana proved too elusive, dodging every attack with ease. This resulted in a chaotic battlefield, with Nana remaining unharmed.

Driven to the brink of madness and unable to land a single hit, Arcanine lost control of its rationality. It used Outrage indiscriminately, attacking not only Nana but also the surrounding environment, sometimes targeting the ground, other times targeting itself. It truly lived up to its title of "Frenzied Dog."

In the end, it not only inflicted multiple injuries upon itself but also shattered the already fragile terrain in the area. Meanwhile, Nana watched the chaos unfold from a safe distance.

All that was left was for Arcanine to exhaust itself, and then it would be an easy capture for Yuga.

Watching the crazed Arcanine, Yuga suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt. This was too brutal!

Whether it was due to the guilt in Yuga's heart or not, his retribution came swiftly. Arcanine slammed into the ground with such hugh force and the already shattered terrain continued to fracture.

The cracks spread beneath Yuga's feet, causing the ground to give way entirely. Numerous rocks fell down, carrying Yuga, Arcanine, and Nana along with them.

After a moment of dizziness, Yuga lost consciousness.