Chapter 294 – Team Skull

“Arcanine, Flame Wheel!”

John’s golden Arcanine, its body wreathed in brilliant golden flames, charged forward in a fiery blur and sent the Garbodor flying through the air.

With that decisive strike, the 1-versus-3 battle came to an end.

The three Team Skull members quickly recalled their Pokémon and backed away, hurling threats as they retreated.

“Don’t get too cocky!” shouted Dapa. “You’ll regret messing with Team Skull when you least expect it!”

“Just wait,” Zipp added, adjusting his crooked bandana. “Our Admin will make you pay for this!”

Rapp pointed dramatically at John. “Don’t run away if you know what’s good for you!”

John watched as the three troublemakers ran farther and farther away, but made no move to pursue them. None of their Pokémon had been above level 40. Despite their bravado, they were just low-ranking grunts, not Executive-level members of Team Skull. Catching them would be pointless.

As John recalled his Arcanine, preparing to continue toward Ula’ula Island as planned, he spotted three small objects glinting on the ground.

[You found 3× Totem Stickers dropped by Team Skull]

“Huh?” John raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He opened his backpack and confirmed that these three stickers counted toward Professor Oak’s collection quest. His Totem Sticker count had now reached 53!

“So you can get Totem Stickers by defeating Team Skull?” John recalled that Captain Ilima had mentioned something about Team Skull having a habit of tearing down Totem Stickers wherever they went.

Was finding stickers after beating Team Skull members just luck, or a game mechanic he could exploit?

Either way, as long as it produced more stickers…

John’s eyes brightened as a bold idea took shape. “Team Skull’s headquarters is in Po Town on Ula’ula Island, isn’t it?”

“Time to pay them a visit!”

John immediately used Surf from Heahea City and headed toward Ula’ula Island.

The main harbor city of Ula’ula Island was called Malie City—the largest settlement on the island. Its architecture featured distinctly Eastern influences, with bamboo decorations throughout the streets.

While the Alola region was famous as a tourist destination, not every island catered exclusively to visitors. Ula’ula Island stood out as an industrial center, housing a waste processing facility and the region’s main police station.

Upon reaching Malie City, John first visited the Pokémon Center to heal his team, then methodically searched the entire city for Totem Stickers and useful items.

By the time he finished his thorough exploration, dusk had fallen. Heavy rain clouds gathered overhead—Ula’ula Island was known for its reliable evening downpours.

John had collected 8 Totem Stickers throughout Malie City.

His total sticker count now reached 61, meeting the threshold to redeem another Totem Pokémon from Professor Oak.

“I’ll save these for now,” John decided. “After clearing Po Town, I might collect enough for two redemptions at once.”

The journey from Malie City to Po Town was considerable.

He would need to traverse Route 11, Route 12, Route 13 to Tapu Village, then continue through Route 15, Route 16, Ula’ula Meadow, and finally Route 17.

Only then would he reach the gates of Po Town.

Along the way, John collected another 10 stickers, bringing his impressive total from 61 to 71.

He was surprised at how quickly the stickers were accumulating. With no story restrictions in the Alola region, he could access nearly any location. At this rate, he might collect all 100 stickers and claim the Totem Kommo-o before completing the island challenge.

Po Town itself would surely contain more stickers.

John stood at the town’s entrance, taking in the scene. Po Town resembled a frontier settlement, surrounded completely by stone walls. The only ways in were to fly over the barriers or enter through the heavily guarded main gate.

Several idle Team Skull members lounged around the entrance, keeping watch.

As John approached, a notification appeared on his handheld device:

[Enter dungeon “Po Town – Team Skull Base”? First completion grants special rewards. Yes/No]

[Recommended entry level: 75]

John’s eyes widened at the suggested level for the Team Skull hideout.

His Pokémon were approaching level 70 after his recent training. With their excellent individual values, John’s expert training methods, and the accumulated power from badges and hidden blessings, fighting 5 levels above his team’s average shouldn’t be a problem.

“Let’s check it out,” he decided.

John selected [Yes] and the scenery immediately shifted. Now he stood just outside Po Town’s gate, with Team Skull lookouts visible nearby.

As he drew closer, he overheard the three grunts he’d defeated earlier complaining to their companions at the entrance.

“What happened to you three? You’re covered in mud!” one guard asked.

“You wouldn’t believe it!” Dapa replied loudly, filled with indignation. “We met some arrogant trainer on Akala Island talking trash about our boss right in the street! Could we let that slide? We challenged him on the spot! We just had bad luck—didn’t bring our strongest Pokémon today, so he managed to beat us.”

“That’s right!” Zipp and Rapp chimed in together.

The Team Skull gatekeepers grew visibly angry at the thought of someone insulting their boss and defeating their comrades.

“Who does this trainer think he is? Nobody disrespects Team Skull in Alola and gets away with it!”

“Take me to this guy! I’ll show him what happens when you mess with us!”

“No need to look,” John announced, stepping forward with his golden-flamed Arcanine by his side. “I’m already here.”

“That’s him!” The trio immediately ducked behind their fellow Team Skull members.

The gatekeepers eyed John warily, sizing up both him and his impressive Arcanine.

“So you’re the one who beat our guys?”

“You’ve got some nerve coming to our turf in Po Town!”

“You’re dead meat now!”

“Salazzle, teach him a lesson! Use Poison Fang!”

A Pokeball opened with a flash, releasing a pitch-black lizard Pokémon that lunged toward John, toxic venom dripping from its fanged mouth.

“Arcanine, Extreme Speed!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep