Pokémon: I just became a Gym Leader, and Cynthia proposed to me.

Chapter 827 Li Shuwen's Anger

Upon learning that Li Shuwen had defeated Kikuno, Li Dazhuang immediately came to his door.

He pushed open the office door, strode up to Li Shuwen, placed his hands on the table, and asked urgently:

"Son, when are you going to play against me? To knock me down from the rankings?"

Li Shuwen smiled and said, "Either is fine."

Li Dazhuang slammed his hand on the table. "Tomorrow then!"

A voice drifted in from the doorway. "I'm afraid that won't work."

Wusong walked in carrying a stack of documents, his expression helpless.

"A group of pirates has appeared on an island north of Xuefeng City and is poaching the local protected Laplace population."

"Shuwen is the most skilled in naval warfare among us, so I'll need you to handle this matter."

Li Shuwen asked, "To what extent should it be done?" (Wu)

Song flipped through the documents. "At the very least, we need to catch those pirates. It would be best if we could bring Laplace back, but it's okay if we can't."

Li Shuwen nodded, "I understand."

Li Shuwen took a plane and rushed to Xuefeng City as quickly as possible.

The newly appointed dojo master, Xiaosong, stood at the airport exit, looking apologetic and bowing repeatedly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Shuwen, I tried to capture those pirates, but they are really slippery at sea, and my Pokémon couldn't catch them."

Li Shuwen waved his hand. "It's alright, leave everything to me."

Meanwhile, news of Li Shuwen's arrival also reached the pirates' stronghold.

A gaunt pirate rushed into the cabin, his face ashen, holding a cell phone in hand.

"Boss, something terrible has happened! Li Shuwen is in Xuefeng City! That Midas Touch, one of the Sinnoh Elite Four!"

The expressions of the seven or eight pirates in the cabin changed simultaneously.

"What's there to be afraid of?" The pirate captain crossed his legs, a cigar dangling from his lips. "On land, we are indeed no match for Li Shuwen."

"But even Li Shuwen can't catch us underwater! If we can't beat them, can't we at least run away?"

A young pirate hesitated, "Boss, I think we should retreat. We've already made a lot of money; if we don't have a chance to spend it, wouldn't it be a waste?"

The pirate captain exhaled a smoke ring. "Are you scared?"

The young pirate gritted his teeth, "It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I feel it's not worth taking the risk."

"Bullshit!" A burly man with a face full of scars slammed his fist on the table. "I haven't made enough money yet! What kind of man runs away now?"

"You're afraid of Li Shuwen, but I'm not! He's just one of the Four Heavenly Kings. What can he do to us underwater?"

Another pirate chimed in, "Exactly! We're underwater, he's in the sky, how can he catch us? Besides, it's not like we haven't fought the Four Heavenly Kings before."

"Didn't we shake off that hippopotamus from Kikuno last time?"

The pirate captain stood up and glanced around. "Alright, stop arguing. Those who want to leave can leave now. Those who stay, come with me and finish this job."

"Let me make this clear: once you leave, don't even think about coming back."

The cabin was silent for a few seconds; no one stood up.

The young pirate lowered his head, and the burly man grinned.

The pirate captain stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray. "Then work hard for me!"

The next day, Li Shuwen received news that the Laplace tribe was being poached.

He rode his Milerton to the scene as fast as he could.

On the sea, several speedboats surrounded a group of Laplaces, and the pirates kept firing at them with electrified net guns.

The Laplaces let out mournful cries and struggled desperately, but the electric grid tightened more and more.

Li Shuwen descended from the sky.

The pirate captain looked up and saw the purple lightning bolt; his expression changed. "Retreat!"

He decisively ordered that even the few Laplace's that had already been captured be discarded.

"Release black fog, white fog! Cover the retreat!"

The Pokémon on the speedboat immediately spewed out thick black and white mist, shrouding the sea so that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

The pirates scrambled into the submarine, their propellers churning the water as they fled into the deep sea.

Li Shuwen did not give chase. He closed his eyes, and his waveguide power penetrated the sea surface, locking onto the submarines that were diving.

"Golden Gyarados, Greatsword."

Golden light shone from beneath the sea.

The golden Gyarados and the Greatsword simultaneously stirred up the seawater, creating two enormous whirlpools underwater.

It spun faster and faster, more and more violently, and sucked all the submarines that were diving in.

The submarine churned in the sea, tossing the pirates about inside.

The golden Gyarados roared to the sky, and a tornado rose from the sea, lifting the submarine in the whirlpool and the seawater into the sky.

The submarine tumbled through the air, and the screams of the pirates echoed from inside the cabin.

The Greatsword Demon leaped out of the water, his twin swords gleaming with an icy blue light.

snowstorm.

The biting wind instantly froze the seawater that had been swept into the air, and the submarine, along with the ice blocks, crashed onto the ice surface with a dull thud.

The ice layer was completely undamaged, but the submarine was unable to move.

Li Shuwen landed on the ice, and Gengar emerged from his shadow.

"Bring them all out."

Gengar grinned and dived into the ice submarine.

Moments later, one pirate after another was dragged out of the submarine by Gengar.

They were thrown onto the ice, soaked to the bone and shivering.

The pirate captain was the last to be dragged out, collapsing onto the ice, staring at Li Shuwen with fear in his eyes.

"How...how did you do that? Underwater...how is that possible..."

Li Shuwen did not answer.

He crouched down, looking into the pirate captain's eyes. "Gengar, Hypnosis."

Gengar's eyes lit up with a purple light, and the pirate captain's gaze became unfocused.

Li Shuwen asked, "Where did Laplace go?"

The pirate captain mechanically replied, "I don't know. We only communicate with them online; we don't meet in person."

"Laplace just places the item in the designated location and waits to collect the money. The seller and the middleman operate in a very secretive manner."

Li Shuwen frowned. "Gengar, control him to contact the middleman and say that another batch of Laplaces has been captured and is for sale."

Gengar nodded, and the purple light intensified.

Li Shuwen used the power of waveguides to communicate with Laplace, whom he had rescued.

"I need your help to bring down the masterminds behind buying your companions. Are you willing to help?"

He made Milton, Saber, and Golden Gyarados unleash their power.

The Laplaces stared in silence at the Pokémon that could churn the seas and skies.

The lead Laplace let out a low cry, indicating its willingness, and the other Laplaces responded in kind.

Li Shuwen had Gengar hide in Laplace's shadow while he rode Milton and followed at a distance.

The Aura Force locked onto the location of the eight Laplaces, watching as the pirate captain made the deal and eventually entered a huge private estate.

The estate is nestled between mountains and the sea, covering a vast area with neatly manicured lawns and a shimmering artificial lake.

But Li Shuwen wasn't in the mood to appreciate the scenery; he saw the scene by the pool.

Several Laplace's were chained to the edge of the pool, covered in wounds.

A well-dressed breeder, holding a long whip, lashed it hard across the back of a Laplace.

"Sing! If you don't sing, we'll beat you until you do!"

Laplace let out a mournful cry and was forced to open his mouth to utter a hoarse song.

Another breeder clapped beside him. "Good! That's it! Make the water dance movements even more graceful!"

Several Laplace's were forced to spin and wag their tails in the water, their movements stiff and painful.

Li Shuwen clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

He took a deep breath, took out his phone, and dialed Wusong's number.

"Wusong, I've found a buyer. It's a private estate where Laplace is locked in a swimming pool and forced to perform with a whip."

Wusong was silent for a moment. "Who owns that manor?"

Li Shuwen used waveguide power to probe deep into the manor.

"Registered under the name Werner, a wealthy man from the Sinnoh region."

Wu Song's voice turned serious. "Shuwen, wait for me to arrive before we act. This person is involved in too many things, and has countless connections with the Alliance. We need..."

The sound of Gengar's Shadow Ball exploding came from the other end of the phone.

Wu Song sighed, "Shuwen, don't be impulsive!"

"I can't wait!"

Li Shuwen hung up the phone, mounted his Milerton, and sped into the manor.

The various events at the manor infuriated Li Shuwen.