Chapter 9: Police Dog Arcanine
"Come out, Beedrill!"
Without hesitation, Renjiro grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it high into the air. A flash of red light burst forth from the ball, and with a buzzing sound, his trusted Beedrill appeared before him and Liu Shuyun.
"Beedrill?!" Liu Shuyun's eyes widened in disbelief, unable to conceal the shock in her voice.
She had expected that Renjiro, with his calm composure, would have a powerful Pokémon up his sleeve—something that could actually stand a chance against the out-of-control Salamence wreaking havoc around them. But a Beedrill? Of all things?
Her heart sank. Was Renjiro out of his mind? Did he actually plan to face a fearsome Salamence with just a Beedrill?
"What… what level is your Beedrill?" she asked hesitantly, holding on to a fragile hope. Perhaps this Beedrill was no ordinary one. Perhaps it was trained to an extraordinary level that could stand toe-to-toe with a monster like Salamence.
"Level 19," Renjiro replied, his gaze unwavering as he stared at Salamence circling above.
"Level 19?!" Liu Shuyun gasped. For a moment, she doubted her ears. How could Renjiro possibly think a Level 19 Beedrill could handle a Salamence, which was clearly above Level 50? Where did he find such courage—or was it recklessness?
But to her astonishment, Beedrill showed no fear. It hovered steadily, its twin stingers gleaming in the light as it faced off against the mighty dragon Pokémon.
From a rooftop far in the distance, the man in the black windbreaker peered through his scope. He grit his teeth. His patience was wearing thin.
"Get rid of that Beedrill and finish off the woman!" he barked into his comm device. He couldn't afford to let his prize slip away now. The search team would arrive any minute, and with them, his window of opportunity would vanish forever.
Salamence let out a roar that shook the air and opened its massive jaws. Flames swirled within its mouth, and a torrent of Dragon Breath surged toward Beedrill.
"Dodge it!" Renjiro commanded without missing a beat. "Then go for its ear—use Twineedle!"
Beedrill zipped through the air, its body weaving elegantly as it evaded the searing blast of Dragon Breath. It arced around Salamence's attack and flew straight for its ear.
Renjiro had a plan. The Salamence wasn't acting alone—he had noticed the earpiece in its ear. The dragon's rampage wasn't random; it was being controlled. If they could destroy that headset, maybe they could break the chain of commands and buy themselves some time.
"Boom!"
The Dragon Breath smashed into the wall of the alley, sending chunks of concrete flying.
"This Beedrill… it's so fast!" Liu Shuyun's voice trembled with shock. Never in her life had she seen a Beedrill move with such precision, such grace. The difference in level was enormous, yet this little insect Pokémon was holding its own—at least for the moment.
"Damn it!" The man in the windbreaker cursed as he saw Beedrill dodging with impossible agility. "Salamence! Dragon Tail! Don't let it near the earpiece!"
Salamence roared again, this time twisting its massive body in the air. Its tail shimmered with energy as it lashed out like a whip, aiming to crush Beedrill in a single strike.
"Careful!" Liu Shuyun shouted instinctively.
But Beedrill, sharp and focused, darted downward at the last possible second. The Salamence's Dragon Tail whizzed by, narrowly missing its target.
"Now! Twineedle!"
Renjiro's command rang out, and Beedrill sprang into action. Its stingers glowed, and with a high-pitched buzz, it struck. The sharp needles found their mark, piercing through Salamence's ear and shattering the earpiece inside.
There was a small explosion of sparks, followed by Salamence's deafening roar of pain and confusion. The dragon writhed in the air, trying to shake off the sting of the attack and the sudden loss of its handler's commands.
On the rooftop, the man in the windbreaker stumbled backward, clutching his ears as the explosion echoed through his comms system. Pain shot through his head, nearly knocking him off balance.
"No! No! No!" he hissed, his face twisted in fury. "Five hundred million… gone because of that kid! Damn you!"
Below, Liu Shuyun was speechless, her gaze fixed on Beedrill. Her heart pounded in her chest.
"This Beedrill… incredible…" she murmured. Even with the massive gap in levels, it had managed to hurt Salamence—and more importantly, it had disrupted the assassin's control.
But Renjiro knew better than to let hope blind him. Without its trainer's orders, Salamence wasn't defeated—it was furious. An enraged, confused dragon was just as dangerous.
"Beedrill! Don't engage—just keep it distracted!"
Beedrill nodded and flitted around Salamence, using its speed to draw the dragon's attention. Salamence snapped at the nimble bug, slashed at it with its claws, and blasted the air with Dragon Breath—but Beedrill always stayed just out of reach, leading it further from the civilians below.
On the streets, people began to gather again, watching the impossible battle unfold overhead.
"Is that a Beedrill fighting Salamence?!"
"No way! Beedrill? You've gotta be kidding me!"
"I swear, the price of Weedle is going to skyrocket after this…"
Even the search team, monitoring the situation through their equipment, couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Commander! Salamence is being drawn away by a trainer's Beedrill! The police dog Arcanine is still engaged too! Civilians are safe for now, only minor injuries reported!"
"Good. Stall it until Master Li arrives. We can't let Salamence cause more destruction!"
"Yes, sir!"
Back in the alley, Renjiro clenched his fists. His eyes never left the battle above.
"Why isn't the search team here yet?" he muttered, glancing at Beedrill. The insect's movements were slowing. He could tell—Beedrill was tiring. Agility, while useful, was draining its energy quickly. It wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.
His gaze fell on the Arcanine clinging to Salamence's leg. The loyal police dog had been fighting valiantly, biting down on Salamence and refusing to let go, even as it was battered by the dragon's thrashing.
"If only I could command that Arcanine…" Renjiro thought. The dog was powerful—at least level 40, he guessed. If he could coordinate its attacks with Beedrill's, maybe, just maybe, they could bring Salamence down.
"Arcanine! Use Extreme Speed!" he called out on instinct, hoping, praying that the Pokémon would listen.
But nothing happened. The Arcanine ignored him completely, focused entirely on keeping its jaws locked on Salamence.
"It's no use," Liu Shuyun said, shaking her head. "That's a police dog. It won't obey anyone but its handler."
Renjiro exhaled sharply. So this was how it would be. He was down to his last card.
"Beedrill… hang in there just a little longer…" he whispered.
Beedrill buzzed in acknowledgment, determination burning in its tiny eyes.
Salamence, growing more furious, lashed out blindly. Its roars echoed through the city, its attacks becoming more and more erratic. The destruction it caused was staggering—rooftops were torn apart, windows shattered, and the ground trembled with every blast of Dragon Breath.
But Beedrill kept going, dancing through the chaos like a leaf on the wind.
And then, in the distance, a sound—sirens. The search team was finally arriving.
"We just need a little more time…" Renjiro thought, watching as vehicles approached. "Beedrill, you're doing great. Just a little longer."
Above them, the battle between dragon and insect raged on, as the city held its breath.
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