The three Hu brothers sat on the backs of their Fearow, desperately fleeing the perilous forest. Only when they were certain they had completely shaken off the pursuit did they finally breathe a long, relieved sigh.
"Whew... we finally made it out. Damn, that was close—almost lost our lives back there!" the eldest brother gasped, his face beaming with the joy of survival, sweat dripping from his forehead.
The second brother chimed in, "Yeah, we barely escaped with our skins. Felt like we walked right past death's door."
But their joy didn't last long, quickly replaced by anger.
"Damn it! We got chased around by a bunch of beasts—this is a total disgrace!" The eldest brother's face flushed red with rage, his eyes blazing with fierce, almost fiery light.
"Never been this beaten down. Those bastards—I won't let them off!" the youngest brother growled through gritted teeth, his fists clenched tight.
After the anger came deep regret.
"Big brother, our losses are huge this time. All those Pokémon we worked so hard to catch, and the ones I carefully raised—gone just like that!" The second brother's face twisted in pain and sorrow, his brows furrowed.
The eldest brother's expression darkened further. "And all those precious Berries—all gone! That was a fortune!" His eyes were filled with loss and reluctance.
"It's all those damn Pokémon's fault. Once we recover, we'll make them pay!" the youngest brother cursed bitterly, his face slightly contorted.
After the cursing, the three fell into silence, their expressions gradually turning dejected.
"Sigh, this loss is devastating. All we have left are three injured Mightyena and these three Fearow." The eldest brother shook his head helplessly, utterly disheartened.
"We've lost all our supplies, not even a Potion. What do we do now?" The second brother's voice was laced with worry, his eyes showing confusion.
Just then, the youngest brother's eyes lit up as he pointed ahead. "Big brother, second brother, look—there's a farm up ahead!"
The eldest and second brothers followed his gaze.
"That... that looks like the farm we planned to hit before." A glimmer of surprise flashed in the eldest brother's eyes, as if he'd spotted a ray of hope.
The second brother grew excited too. "Maybe this is our chance—a good place to restock."
Their gazes turned greedy and cruel.
"Heh, in that case, we can't let this opportunity slip." A wicked smile curled at the corner of the eldest brother's mouth as he hatched a malicious plan.
"Right, we're in such a bad spot now—this farm can help us recoup our losses." The youngest brother's eyes were full of eagerness, as if he could already see the bounty.
"Let's go check it out," the second brother said.
So the three brothers rode their Fearow toward the farm, their minds filled with evil intentions.
Meanwhile, Wen Qi, who was lazily loafing around on the farm, had no idea trouble was coming.
As the Hu brothers neared the farm, the Scizor training nearby—which had been quietly meditating—suddenly opened its eyes. Its sharp, compound eyes flashed with alertness, as if piercing through everything. Its antennae twitched slightly, carefully sensing the unfamiliar, dangerous aura in the air.
The Scizor instantly straightened up, its massive pincers clicking with power and menace. Its hard carapace gleamed coldly in the sunlight, like a mighty warrior about to march into battle. It crouched slightly, leg muscles tensed, ready to strike at any moment, its gaze fixed on the direction the Hu brothers were coming from, standing guard.
Not far away, Wen Qi had been leisurely watching a show when he suddenly felt the Scizor's aura. That sharp, vigilant presence hit him like a jolt of electricity. His nerves instantly tightened. His heart skipped a beat, and he knew at once that enemies were approaching.
He immediately put down his electronic device, his expression turning serious and alert. His heartbeat quickened involuntarily, and fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Wen Qi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, his mind racing through possible scenarios.
He quickly stood up, ready to see what kind of enemy could make the usually steady Scizor so tense. To be safe, he hurriedly released his Heracross and Gogoat. At that moment, Venomoth also rushed over from the other side with Scizor.
Wen Qi thought it over and decided not to bring the Scyther over. Instead, he had Scizor tell them to find a place to hide and come out only if needed later. After arranging everything, Wen Qi spotted three figures in the sky heading straight for him. Instantly, he sensed their ill intent—the undisguised malice radiating from them was palpable.
At that moment, Wen Qi knew these people meant trouble. But judging by the look of things, they probably weren't after the special Energy Cubes. If real bad guys had found him, they'd send at least a pseudo-Elite-level fighter to ensure success.
Soon, the three Fearow carrying the Hu brothers landed in front of Wen Qi. The air on the farm was thick with tension and confrontation, as heavy as a leaden slab, almost suffocating.
The Hu brothers, perched on their Fearow, looked down at Wen Qi arrogantly. The youngest brother shouted aggressively, "Kid, be smart and hand over all your Pokémon, plus all your money and food! Or else, you'll be sorry!" His shrill voice cut through the silence, full of arrogance and tyranny.
Wen Qi stood still, his expression calm as water, ignoring the youngest brother's bluster. His gaze was cool and sharp as it swept over the Hu brothers, as if precisely assessing their strength and potential threat.
At that moment, the eldest brother stared at the Pokémon around Wen Qi, a strong unease rising in his heart. The more he looked, the more wrong things felt. That red Scizor exuded a mysterious, powerful aura he couldn't quite grasp, and the three Pokémon beside it were clearly Elite-level in strength.
The eldest brother's face turned grim. He silently cursed the informant: "That bastard said this farmer was a weak young man! This is a trap!" Sweat began to bead on his forehead, large drops rolling down his cheeks, his eyes revealing deep anxiety and endless regret.
But the youngest brother, oblivious, kept running his mouth: "Hmph, kid, you'd better do as we say. Don't think we'll let you off!" His voice grew even more grating, completely missing the change in his eldest brother's expression.
Hearing this, the eldest brother's cold sweat poured down like a waterfall, soaking his back. He suddenly barked, "Shut up, little brother!"
The roar was like a thunderclap, cutting off the youngest brother mid-sentence. For a moment, the scene fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the breeze.
The Hu brothers' faces showed varying degrees of shock. The second brother, startled by the eldest's outburst, stared wide-eyed at him in disbelief.
The eldest brother took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He looked at Wen Qi, attempting to break the suffocating silence: "Friend, sorry about that. Maybe there's been a misunderstanding." But his voice trembled, clearly lacking confidence, his words strained and awkward.
Wen Qi still said nothing, just stared coldly at them. His gaze seemed to pierce their very souls, sending a chill down the Hu brothers' spines, making them tremble uncontrollably.
The eldest brother grew more flustered. He knew they'd bitten off more than they could chew—their situation was dire. But at this point, he had no idea what to do. The feeling of being stuck between a rock and a hard place was agonizing, like an ant on a hot pan.
Even the three Fearow seemed to sense their masters' unease, flapping their wings nervously and letting out low, fearful cries.
Meanwhile, Wen Qi's Pokémon gathered tightly around him, all on high alert, their eyes steady, ready for battle at any moment.