Nozomi didn't do anything drastic to that Pokémon Hunter. He merely instructed Mewtwo to implant a psychic suggestion into the man's mind—ordering him to surrender himself at the nearest police station—and then let him go.
When he reached the center of the forest, Nozomi found Gary surrounded by a group of Pokémon Hunters.
"Nozomi!?"
Gary's face lit up with surprise and relief the moment he saw him.
Nozomi didn't respond. His gaze shifted past Gary to the circle of Hunters—each one wearing expressions of fear and confusion.
"Mewtwo. Take care of them."
Before his words had even finished echoing, a pulse of psychic energy exploded outward from Mewtwo, rippling through the clearing.
Wherever it passed, every single Pokémon Hunter collapsed to the ground, rendered unconscious in an instant.
Caught off guard by the sudden assault and overwhelmed by Mewtwo's overwhelming power, not one of their Pokémon stood a chance.
"That's enough. Let's go."
Nozomi looked to Gary as he spoke calmly.
The great offensive of the Pokémon Hunters turned out far weaker than Nozomi or Lance had anticipated. In truth, they were nothing more than rats scurrying in the dark—thriving only because no one had bothered to exterminate them. But the moment they stepped into the light… their destruction was inevitable.
For all their supposed strength and technology—mechanical traps, capture devices, and high-speed mobility to evade League pursuit—they crumbled the moment they dared to face the Pokémon League head-on.
Scattered and disorganized, these independent Hunters were no match for a unified League force.
"It's over."
Standing before the last Hunter, Nozomi looked down at the man without emotion.
If even Team Rocket couldn't stir his heart, how could mere Hunters hope to?
"Damn it all…"
The fallen Hunter let out a defeated snarl, face twisted in frustration.
They had been so close—so close to claiming their first territory in the Kanto Region for the Hunters' syndicate.
But in the end, their ambitions were nothing more than moths flying into the flame.
"Heh."
Nozomi had no interest in their motives or regrets.
He struck the man unconscious with a casual gesture, then turned to Gary. "I'll leave the cleanup to you."
And with that, Nozomi mounted Dragonite and vanished into the sky—leaving Gary standing there, utterly bewildered.
"Meow meow meow?"
Gary's face was full of question marks.
But Nozomi was already gone.
With the Hunter crisis finally resolved, the Indigo League Conference commenced in full.
Unsurprisingly, Nozomi dominated the tournament from start to finish, claiming the Champion's title in overwhelming fashion. Even without mentioning Mewtwo, his Dragonite alone was enough—none of his opponents could withstand even a single round.
Lifting the Indigo League trophy high above his head, Nozomi stood victorious.
Below the stage, Ash and Gary looked up at him with admiration and envy.
Though both had trained hard under Nozomi's guidance, strength wasn't something gained overnight. Gary managed to reach the semifinals, while Ash fell short in the quarterfinals. Still, with their progress, it was easy to imagine they'd go even further in the next tournament.
"Let us all give a round of applause to this year's Indigo League Champion—Nozomi!"
League President Goodshow announced with a broad smile.
Clap clap clap!
As thunderous applause swept through the stadium like waves, Nozomi raised his trophy high—and the scene froze in that shining moment of triumph.
(End of Chapter)