Whooo—whooo—
A cold wind drifted through the forest, carrying with it the biting chill of late autumn.
Now that it was almost the turning of the season into deep autumn, the temperature remained very low even during the daytime.
In the shadows beneath the trees, assassins lay hidden. They were well-trained, and even in this freezing weather, they could remain perfectly motionless, quietly lurking without the slightest stir.
But at that moment, one of the assassins suddenly felt a gust of cold wind sweep past his body. This current of air was different from before—it was far colder, biting into his skin like sharp ice.
His entire body gave an involuntary shiver. And then, in the very next instant, his eyes widened in horror as he realized that snowflakes—countless white snowflakes—were falling before his vision!
Immediately, frost and ice crept rapidly across his body, climbing from his feet all the way up to his head. He wanted to open his mouth and shout, but he found that his jaw had already frozen solid, unable to move at all. The frost spread faster and faster, and within moments, his consciousness was swallowed whole by endless darkness.
Whooo—whooo—
The cold wind continued to sweep across the forest clearing.
A shadowy figure of a Froslass slowly emerged from within the drifting wind and snow, her form faintly visible, and then just as silently, she melted back into the wind, disappearing again.
The moment Aven had stepped foot into the forest, a game of assassination and counter-assassination had already begun. In this deadly game, both sides were hunters—and both were prey.
At that moment, Shaco was crouched silently beneath the shade of a tree. His hands gripped a small crossbow with absolute steadiness, and he carefully, slowly, aimed the arrow toward Aven standing in the clearing.
At the center of the battlefield, Nidorino and the Skuntank were still locked in a standoff. Once the fight between the lord before him and the Skuntank colony truly broke out, that would be the perfect moment to launch his assassination.
He knew very well that this lord preferred to command his beasts in battle. If his attention was caught up in issuing orders, then perhaps, at that very instant, just a single arrow would be enough to put an end to everything.
Bzzz—bzzz—
Just as Shaco was patiently waiting for the opportunity, his chest suddenly gave an abrupt jolt.
The unexpected throb made his whole body tremble. Without the slightest hesitation, he instinctively loosed the arrow in his hand.
Whoosh!
The arrow sliced through the air, the friction drawing out a sharp whistling sound.
But just before the arrow was about to strike Aven, a sudden flash of blue light appeared out of nowhere. The arrow was instantly enveloped, suspended in midair—frozen in place and unable to move!
At the same time, Shaco had no chance to even look at the result of his shot. His figure twisted, rolled down from the tree, and immediately took cover behind another trunk.
In an instant, several concealed magical beasts darted out from around him, rushing to form a protective circle. Though they did not know who the enemy was, their instinct was to shield their master.
"Hah… what was that?" Shaco pressed his palm against his chest, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the clearing.
There, he saw it: the arrow he had fired, suspended motionless in the air. And then, he saw Aven—already turning his gaze toward him.
Awooo—awooo—awooo!
The released arrow was already a declaration of battle.
Immediately, howls erupted throughout the forest. More than a dozen Mightyena surged out from all directions, encircling the area.
From above, the sound of countless wings echoed through the air. Dozens of Golbat burst out from the trees, rising swiftly into the sky, filling the canopy with their screeches.
Deeper within the forest, faint human figures flickered, though they did not yet reveal themselves openly on the battlefield. These assassins remained hidden, waiting quietly for the chance to launch their next wave of attacks.
…
"They're here…" Aven's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hearing his words, Petilil gave a solemn nod. Her body glowed with energy, and the verdant power of Grassy Terrain quickly spread across the ground of the clearing.
Yet, even after unleashing her terrain, Petilil did not immediately attack. She could clearly sense the powerful life force emanating from these surrounding Pokémon.
There were twelve Mightyena in total. Among them, two were at advanced-level. The other ten, even if not quite as strong, were still only a small step away from that tier.
As for the Golbat circling in the air, one of them was also an advanced-level Pokémon, while the rest were intermediate-level. With the sheer numbers and their overwhelming aerial advantage, they posed an enormous threat.
"Lil…"
Petilil let out a low cry. Immediately, countless blades of grass surged up from the ground, weaving themselves into layer upon layer of green walls around Aven, encircling him in protection.
Defeating such a group of Mightyena and Golbat with just her own strength was clearly unrealistic. The very first priority had to be safeguarding Aven's safety.
…
"…Nothing?" Shaco muttered.
"No… no, that's not right. There must be something nearby."
He raised his hand, letting a Golbat perch upon it, while his wary eyes swept across the surroundings.
Glancing once more at the distant battlefield where Aven stood shielded behind walls of grass, Shaco slipped a hand into his cloak and drew out a small wooden box, holding it tightly.
Whooo—whooo—
Suddenly, another blast of cold wind swept across the clearing.
And then, in Shaco's vision, countless snowflakes materialized out of thin air, filling the air before his eyes. In the midst of the swirling storm, he faintly glimpsed a floating silhouette!
Thankfully, at the very last instant, the Golbat perched on his shoulder spread its wings and soared up. With a single powerful flap, countless razor-sharp wind blades shot forth, dispersing the storm of snow before it could fully engulf them.
Only then did Shaco finally see clearly the form of the creature. It was exactly as the intelligence they had gathered described: Froslass, a terrifying magical beast with the power to command ice and snow.
'So… we've already been discovered.'
The thought struck him like lightning. His gaze snapped toward Aven, and his eyes locked on the young man's calm, composed expression.
Why was he so calm? Could it be… that everything had already been within his expectations from the very beginning?
A seed of doubt rooted itself in Shaco's mind. Looking back at the battlefield, he saw that Aven was already surrounded tightly by the Mightyenas and Golbats.
And at his side, there were only four magical beasts—Petilil, Ralts, Nidorino, and Nidorina. With just them, how could they possibly withstand the combined assault of so many Mightyena and Golbat?
Just as the question gnawed deeper into his heart, he suddenly saw Aven take something into his hand.
…A ball?
Before Shaco could even comprehend what Aven intended to do, the ball abruptly split open. From within, a brilliant flash of white light erupted outward.
From that light, the colossal figure of a Rhydon emerged, materializing directly in front of the charging Mightyena. Without hesitation, it swung its massive fist, striking with devastating force!
Caught off guard, the Mightyena was blasted backward, its body colliding violently with its companions. In the blink of an eye, several Mightyenas were thrown sprawling across the ground.
"RHYYYY!"
The Rhydon bellowed loudly.
It stomped heavily onto the ground, and immediately countless sharp stones burst forth, shooting like arrows toward the fallen Mightyena!
But their reactions were swift. Several Mightyena leapt forward, placing themselves in front of their injured comrades. Their bodies glowed with ghostly light, intercepting the barrage of rocks and shielding their pack.
Seeing his Stone Edge blocked, Rhydon's eyes narrowed. It glanced at the ground beneath its feet, then stomped again with thunderous force.
The earth itself split open in response, shockwaves rolling outward like waves. Cracks tore the ground apart, and several of the Mightyena tumbled straight into the rifts.
From the ruptured earth, fresh vitality welled up, transforming into fertile soil. Rich energy radiated outward, forcing the charging Mightyenas to falter in their steps.
"Lil!"
Seizing the moment, Petilil unleashed another Grassy Terrain.
Immediately, thick grass sprouted across the churned soil, lashing out to bind the legs of the leading Mightyena.
Shrrrip!
But in the very next heartbeat, sharp claws slashed through the vines, shredding the grass into countless fragments that fluttered to the ground.
"AWOOOO—AWOOOO!"
The Mightyena pack howled in unison, their auras surging violently.
It was the move Howl. It greatly amplified their battle spirit and attack power. With over a dozen Mightyena using it together, the soundwaves rolled like a storm, sweeping across the forest from every direction.
Amid the cries, one of the Mightyena broke into a charge, plunging directly into the grassy terrain. Its body glowed with a sinister aura, and with sheer momentum it snapped the vines of grass apart as it ran.
"RHYYY!"
Rhydon saw the onrushing wolf. Rock-type energy gathered at its fists, and it immediately unleashed Rock Slide.
It surged forward, meeting the charging Mightyena head-on. The two collided violently, the clash resounding like thunder. Under Rhydon's strike, the Mightyena staggered, flipping through the air before regaining its stance with difficulty.
"AWOOO—AWOOO!"
The other Mightyena roared furiously, realizing Rhydon's overwhelming strength. They pounced together, throwing themselves at it.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Rhydon's fighting spirit blazed. It swung its fists without pause, clashing against five Mightyena all at once.
Aside from the leading Mightyena —an advanced-level Pokémon—the other four were also extremely powerful. Moreover, their teamwork was impeccable, their coordination allowing them to fight with terrifying efficiency.
While Rhydon was held back by the pack, the remaining Mightyenas split off, charging toward Aven. Their claws gleamed with ghostly light as they slashed, effortlessly cutting through Petilil's restraining vines.
Seeing this, Aven swiftly drew out two more Poké Balls. With a flick of his wrist, he released them, and in a flash of light, Torterra and Cherrim appeared on the battlefield.
Cherrim immediately leapt onto Aven's shoulder, unleashing the power of its ability, Flower Gift. A milky-white energy spread outward, wrapping around both Rhydon and Torterra, boosting their attack power even further.
"Torterra, use Wood Hammer!" Aven commanded.
With a deep roar, Torterra's body began to radiate with vibrant Grass-type energy.
The effects of the Grassy Terrain and the fertile soil worked together, amplifying Torterra's strength. Energy surged like a wave, and the aura of its power grew even more terrifying.
"Tooaaaar!"
(End of Chapter)