Just as the three Hu brothers were still immersed in the joy of their bountiful haul, many Pokémon in the forest had quietly gathered together, plotting a surprise attack on them.
At that moment, in the direction the Hu brothers were heading, a large number of Pokémon had assembled in the woods ahead, silently waiting for them to step into this "trap."
In that brief time, several groups—including Beedrill, Arbok, Butterfree, Swellow, and Talonflame—had converged there.
There were several hundred in total, with over a dozen reaching level 40 in strength.
Although the brothers' three Mightyena were higher in level, they were outnumbered, and there were plenty of high-level Pokémon among the attackers. So, in this ambush, the scales of victory clearly tipped in favor of the Pokémon.
Time passed slowly, and the Hu brothers drew closer to the ambush zone.
Just then, the strongest of the three Mightyena suddenly stopped. Its fur bristled instantly, and its eyes fixed warily on the path ahead.
Its nose twitched constantly, sniffing the air intently, as if sensing some dangerous presence.
Its tail drooped low, and its body arched slightly, adopting a defensive stance.
Then, it turned its head and barked urgently at the Hu brothers, as if desperately warning them.
However, the Hu brothers didn't realize the danger at first and kept urging the Mightyena to move forward.
The Mightyena paced anxiously in place, its barking growing more frantic, its eyes filled with unease and tension. It struggled to make its owners understand the immense threat ahead.
The Mightyena's intense reaction finally snapped the Hu brothers out of their money-making daydreams.
The eldest brother immediately sensed something was wrong. Frowning deeply, he said sternly:
"Second, Third, snap out of it. Something's off up ahead. Stay alert and stop daydreaming!"
Hearing this, the second brother's smile vanished instantly, his expression turning tense as he replied:
"Big brother, could it be an ambush set by those Pokémon?"
The third brother curled his lip and said dismissively:
"What's there to fear? We've got three elite-level Mightyena. Even if it's an ambush, we can fight our way out!"
The eldest brother shot him a glare and scolded:
"Don't underestimate them! If the Mightyena are this wary, it's no small matter. Grab your weapons and be careful!"
The second brother nodded, gripping his tool tightly, and said:
"Big brother's right. Let's play it safe."
Seeing this, the third brother dared not be careless anymore and muttered under his breath:
"Got it, got it. Whatever you say, big brother."
Meanwhile, the Pokémon lying in ambush in the forest noticed that the Hu brothers seemed to have sensed something unusual. Knowing they might not enter, several leading Pokémon exchanged glances and said:
"Since we've been spotted, they won't come in. Let's just charge out. With so many of us, what do we have to fear from them?"
With a command from the leading Pokémon, the once-quiet Pokémon groups surged forward like a raging tide.
Beedrill buzzed their wings with a deafening hum, sweeping toward the Hu brothers like a black whirlwind.
Their sharp stingers glinted with chilling coldness in the sunlight.
Arbok slithered their thick, scaly bodies, opening their gaping maws to spew streams of pungent, foul venom, trying to cut off the Hu brothers' escape.
Butterfree fluttered their beautiful yet deadly wings, stirring up gusts of wind laden with fine toxic powder, forming a hazy poison mist that obscured vision.
Swellow and Talonflame screeched as they dove from the sky, their sharp claws gleaming like icy blades, poised to deliver a fatal strike.
At first, the Hu brothers thought it was just a few dozen weak Pokémon and paid them no mind.
"Hmph, just these small fry dare to provoke us? Let the three Mightyena handle them!"
The eldest brother said confidently.
But this time, the usually obedient Mightyena didn't charge forward. Instead, they trembled and made moves as if to flee.
Seeing this, a bad feeling surged in the Hu brothers' hearts.
Then, hundreds of Pokémon burst out of the forest in a thunderous wave, their overwhelming numbers instantly draining the color from the Hu brothers' and Mightyena's faces.
"Mom, so many!"
The third brother shrieked in terror, his voice cracking.
Gone was their earlier arrogance. Without hesitation, the Hu brothers turned and ran.
"Mightyena, block those guys for us!"
The eldest brother shouted desperately as he sprinted, his voice filled with fear and panic.
Though terrified, the Mightyena hesitated at their master's command.
Ultimately, out of loyalty, they chose to obey, running alongside the Hu brothers while turning back to fend off the pursuing Pokémon.
Unfortunately, in the dense forest, crisscrossing trees severely hampered the Mightyena's movements.
The flying Pokémon were also hindered by the trees, unable to launch effective attacks quickly, giving the Hu brothers a brief chance to catch their breath.
But the situation was still dire. With so many pursuers, three Mightyena couldn't hold back the relentless assault.
"No good—we'll all die if this keeps up!"
The second brother's face was pale as paper, sweat beading on his forehead, his voice trembling as he shouted.
Panicked, the Hu brothers, desperate to buy time to release their flying Pokémon and escape, threw out their carefully raised non-elite Pokémon to slow the pursuit.
The poor creatures were instantly overwhelmed by the tidal wave of attacks as soon as they were released.
They barely struggled before going still, leaving only pitiful cries echoing in the air.
Seeing this, the Hu brothers' hearts sank. They knew they were in grave danger.
"No choice—release all the captured Pokémon and throw out all the berries!"
The eldest brother gritted his teeth, his eyes red, shouting with despair and reluctance.
With that, they frantically opened the Pokémon cages and hurled the berries behind them.
The pursuing Pokémon, seeing the berries and their freed comrades, fell into chaos.
They stopped, scrambling for the berries and the rescued Pokémon, creating a mess.
Seizing the opportunity, the Hu brothers recalled their nearly exhausted Mightyena and quickly released three Fearow.
"Quick, fly away!"
The three scrambled onto the Fearow's backs, fleeing toward the forest's edge, their pathetic state a far cry from their earlier swagger.
Whether lucky or unlucky, their flight path happened to head straight for Wen Qi's farm.
The pursuing Pokémon, seeing that the captives and berries had been released and that the brothers were far away, gave up the chase.
Though the Pokémon had won the battle and were overjoyed, a new conflict arose.
The stolen berries originally belonged to the captured Pokémon. Now freed, they found the berries had been divided among the other Pokémon.
The rescued Pokémon's faces darkened. These berries were their future food supply. Without them, how would they survive?
Yet, they felt awkward attacking their fellow fighters, who had helped them escape.
In the end, the rescued Pokémon chose to back down.
"Forget it, consider it payment for everyone's help."
They said helplessly, their voices filled with loss and resignation.
Soon, the forest returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
But this upheaval left a deep mark on the Pokémon's hearts, becoming an unforgettable memory.