Timely

Encountering a rare Pokémon like Zorua would excite any Trainer, including Wisecat. Zorua and Zoroark were so scarce in number to the point that they were once considered as legendary Pokémon in many regions.

Then, to Wisecat's astonishment, the Zorua before him evolved into a Zoroark.

As Wisecat appeared, the Zoroark's older sister and father, Liepard, noticed him and moved in front of their younger sibling (daughter).

They lowered their bodies, claws ready to strike the ground, creating a harsh scraping sound. They roared menacingly, trying to intimidate Wisecat into leaving.

But Wisecat couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture a Zoroark, and he even suspected that these two Liepard might also be Zoroark in disguise, although the chances were slim.

At this moment, the Zoroark completed its evolution, and it saw a human with a Poké Ball not far away. Although it hadn't experienced the relentless pursuit by humans like its mother did, it had heard stories about it.

The freshly evolved Zoroark's sister, however, was startled. Subconsciously activating her Illusion ability, she transformed from a Zoroark into a Purrloin. Seeing her sister and father, she felt that reverting to a Purrloin was not right either, and she belatedly transformed into a Liepard.

But Wisecat couldn't help but find the Zoroark sister's behavior just "covering up the truth".

Facing the menacing threats of the two Liepard, Wisecat didn't back down. Instead, he released two of his own Pokémon, a Conkeldurr and a Eelektross.

Wisecat was a capable Trainer, and when his two Pokémon appeared, the Liepard sister and father sensed a strong threat from them.

In order to gain an advantage, the Liepard sister and father coordinated their attacks, unleashing Dark Pulses at Wisecat's Conkeldurr and Eelektross.

Conkeldurr took a step forward, placing itself in front of Eelektross. With two reinforced steel bars in hand, Conkeldurr vigorously swung them, dispersing the Dark Pulses.

At the same time, Eelektross lit up with electric energy, and a swift Thunderbolt shot towards the Liepard sister and father's heads.

"Liepard!"

"Liepard!"

The Thunderbolt speed was incredibly fast, and the Liepard sister and father couldn't dodge in time. They were hit squarely and let out a cry before collapsing to the ground.

Not far from them, the Persian leader patrolling the area suddenly noticed a golden light flashing by. It suspiciously halted its steps, hesitated for a few seconds, and then let out a "meow" to its wives and younger siblings before rushing toward the direction of the golden light.

On the other side, the Zoroark sister, witnessing her sister and father injured, grew furious. Despite her young age, it does not mean that it has no blood.

She leaped high into the air and used Dark Pulse, and then jumped again with the help of the wall when falling, and rushed towards Wisecat. In the direction of Wisecat, sharp claws appeared, and they used a Night Slash to attack towards Wisecat's neck.

The Zoroark sister had never received proper command from a Trainer and didn't understand the rule that Pokémon couldn't attack Trainers during battles.

All she knew was that her sister and father got hurt because of this human's commands. Without hesitation, she launched an attack on Wisecat, aiming to kill him.

However, Wisecat was a highly experienced Trainer, far more mature than the Zoroark sister.

Under his command, Eelektross's Thunderbolt dispersed the Dark Pulse, and Conkeldurr's reinforced concrete pillars struck the charging Zoroark sister in the abdomen.

Wisecat remained unharmed, and the Zoroark sister screamed as she was knocked back.

The moment she was hit, her Illusion ability deactivated, revealing her true Zoroark form.

The Zoroark sister crashed into her now recovering Liepard sister and father, sending them rolling away.

The concrete pillar strike from Conkeldurr used is Hammer Arm, a Fighting-type move, which not only had great power but also countered the Dark type of Zoroark. With just that blow, the Zoroark sister lost her fighting capability.

Seeing the Zoroark sister down, Wisecat wore a satisfied smile. As for the other two Liepard, he considered them insignificant.

Moreover, Liepard's degenerate form, Purrloin, was quite common in the Unova region. They could be found not only in forests and grasslands but also in the streets and alleys of cities.

Now that he had encountered such a precious Pokémon like Zoroark, the presence of the Liepard didn't matter.

The injured Liepard sister and father stood back up, positioning themselves in front of their unconscious Zoroark sister. They let out intimidating roars, warning Wisecat not to approach them.

Wisecat's Eelektross swiftly moved forward and used Crush Claw, sending both Liepard flying.

The hit Liepard sister and father couldn't get up again.

Wisecat didn't even spare a glance at the two Liepard. He took out a Poké Ball and threw it at the Zoroark sister, but after a flash of red light, the Poké Ball was deflected.

???

After a moment of confusion, Wisecat quickly realized that this Zoroark had an owner. That was the only explanation for why it couldn't be captured in a Poké Ball.

He couldn't believe that such a rare Pokémon like Zoroark would be left wandering the streets. Wisecat felt a surge of frustration within him.

Just give up like this?

Wisecat slowly took out another Poké Ball, his fingers gripping it tightly, his face pale, revealing his inner reluctance and hesitation.

He realized that if he missed this opportunity, he might never encounter another Zoroark again in his life.

After much hesitation, Wisecat's greed finally took over.

To prevent his sister's (daughter's) identity from being exposed during evolution, the location chosen by the two Liepard was very secluded, with no pedestrians around, which made it convenient for Wisecat to carry out his plan.

Since Zoroark couldn't be captured in a Poké Ball, he planned to drag it away. Once he left this place, there were plenty of methods to sever the connection between the Pokémon and its original Poké Ball.

Even if he couldn't make Zoroark submit himself, he could sell it through special channels.

How much would an incredibly rare Zoroark be worth? Wisecat couldn't calculate it precisely, but he knew that if he could sell Zoroark, he would become wealthy.

However, before leaving, he planned to deal with the two nearby Liepard. Leaving them behind would pose a risk of exposure, as Wisecat was aware that the small Verdanturf Town had a Gym Leader who was considered a Elite level Trainer.

No matter how skilled he was, he didn't dare to provoke an Elite level Trainer.

He wasn't inclined to take the two Liepard with him directly, but he had just tried, and the two Liepard couldn't be captured in Poké Balls.

Without the aid of Poké Balls, it would be extremely challenging to drag three Pokémon away without drawing attention.

There was no other choice! Wisecat was not a rookie Trainer, nor was he a naive newcomer to society. On the contrary, he had been in the world of Trainers for many years.

Since he had decided to take this risk, he didn't care about the lives of two more Pokémon in his hands.

Under his command, Conkeldurr swung a concrete pillar at Liepard sister's head just as it was about to hit.

At the moment when Conkeldurr's concrete pillar was about to hit Liepard sister, a nimble Persian leader suddenly jumped out from the nearby wall. It pounced on Conkeldurr, its sharp claws directly scratching Conkeldurr's face.

In pain, Conkeldurr dropped the concrete pillar and howled while covering its face with both hands.

Wisecat hadn't expected this turn of events. He was about to command Eelektross to counterattack, but three Delcattys had appeared beside him and Eelektross.

Two of the Delcattys used their Feint Attack move, to launch a surprise attack on Eelektross, pushing it back. The third Delcatty used a Fury Swipes against Wisecat's face, leaving him with a swollen, pig-like head.

After the attack, all three Delcattys landed gracefully on the ground. An infuriated Wisecat immediately tried to command Conkeldurr and Eelektross to retaliate against the Persian leader and the three Delcattys.

Although the Persian leader and the Delcattys were stronger than the Liepard family, they still weren't a match for Conkeldurr and Eelektross. The earlier attack had been successful because it was unexpected and caught them off guard.

However, Wisecat's face had swelled up, making it difficult for him to speak clearly, and it slowed down his commands. This gave the Persian leader and the Delcattys enough time to act.

At this moment, the Persian leader's gang of underlings finally arrived, launching all kind of chaotic attacks towards Wisecat, his Conkeldurr, and Eelektross.

The Persian leader's subordinates were relatively weak and couldn't cause much harm to Wisecat's Pokémon, but they managed to create chaos and confusion.

Wisecat knew he couldn't afford to stay here any longer. If he did, he'd end up behind bars. So, he released all of his Pokémon, hoping to finish this quickly and make his escape.

However, with such a commotion going on, if other patrolling Pokémon failed to notice, it would be a dismissal-worthy offense for Yuga.

The first to realize that something was amiss was a Natu. They didn't like flying around and mostly stayed in one place, using their psychic abilities for surveillance, making it easier for them to spot issues.

Upon discovering that someone was attacking the Persian leader and its group, the Natu didn't rashly approach. Instead, it promptly informed its superior, Noctowl. In almost an instant, Noctowl arrived at the scene with her mate.

Wisecat was unaware that Liepard, Zoroark, and this group of cats were related to the Elite level Trainer he knew. When Noctowl appeared before him, he was instantly petrified.

Having been a Trainer for many years, Wisecat had seen Elite level Trainers and felt the aura of Elite level Pokémon. As soon as he saw Noctowl, he knew that it was all over.

Even before Noctowl had to act, Chatot stepped in for its mate. The six Pokémon Wisecat had released were not enough in its eyes, and they were quickly defeated.

Chatot, despite his quirky personality, was still a Pokémon with Indigo potential. Over the years, he hadn't been able to break through to the Elite level due to his personality, but he was a formidable force among the pseudo-Elite level and can easily bully several Pokémon whose levels are far lower than his own.

After Wisecat's Pokémon were all knocked out, the Persian leader, driven by a grudge, didn't feel satisfied yet.

It extended its claws and scratched Wisecat's face several times before delivering a finishing move by leaving Wisecat's pants in tattered into pieces.

Even Chatot winced, thinking: They're both males, why embarrass each other like this?

The Persian leader wasn't out for personal revenge but rather to avenge the two Liepard and Zoroark.

The Persian leader and his three wives didn't have many friends in the entire Ecopark, and only the Zoroark family was the closest to them. Seeing Liepard and Zoroark brutally beaten, the Persian leader couldn't swallow it.

The Persian leader typically had no concept of mercy or returning kindness for wrongdoings. If you scratched him once, he'd scratch you ten times in return.

Noctowl didn't stop the Persian leader's actions either. Seeing Liepard and Zoroark in such dire straits, she was not at all pleased with this human.

He instructed the Persian leader to keep an eye on Wisecat and his Pokémon while sending Chatot to call Great Flygon. Meanwhile, Noctowl took the injured Liepard and Zoroark and departed.

The Great Flygon arrived swiftly. After hearing the Persian leader's account of the situation, it grabbed the unconscious Wisecat and flew away. Chatot headed towards the New Store.

On the other side, Little Drew and his mom indeed met Yuga at the New Store, and Yuga was pleasantly surprised by Little Drew's presence.

Little Drew's mom and Eisuke's cousin, both being fans of Wallace, hit it off instantly. They quickly became friends, claiming that as long as you're a fan of Wallace, you're like sisters regardless of age.

Upon learning that Eisuke's cousin had purchased an Feebas here, Little Drew's mom decided she wanted one too.

Unlike Eisuke's cousin, who simply wanted a Pokémon matching her idol, Little Drew's mom had a unique sense of aesthetics. When she saw Eisuke's cousin's Feebas, she actually found it cute.

In the world of Pokémon, most people considered Feebas to be quite ugly, but Little Drew's mom didn't see it that way.

Such a cute Pokémon, especially when it's the same as her idol's, was a must-have! So, somewhat reluctantly, Yuga sold one to Little Drew's mom as well.

With the same pet, Little Drew's mom and Eisuke's cousin bonded even more.

While their lively conversation was heating up, Chatot flew into the store, screeching all the while.

"Boss! Boss! Something's wrong!"

"What's going on?" Yuga asked, puzzled by Chatot's anxious demeanor.

Knowing that some things shouldn't be discussed openly, Chatot said, "You'll know when you come with me. Hurry!"

Yuga apologized to Eisuke and Little Drew's mom with a regretful expression. "I'm sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to here. I'll leave for a moment."

Little Drew's mom, was chatting enthusiastically with Yingyou's cousin, and said nonchalantly: "You go ahead and take care of your business. Don't worry about us."

Yuga nodded and said goodbye, then hurriedly followed Chatot out of the store.