Chapter 262: Deep into the forest

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At 6:32 PM, Sato led Hanks, Maya, and Luke into the nighttime Poochyena Forest from White River Village.

In reality, Sato had only been following the main road, not venturing deep into Poochyena territory. However, upon entering the forest at night, he realized the danger level was far beyond his expectations.

The forest's nighttime hazards rivaled those of the Ursaring territory in the Viridian Forest, where he had once stayed. As night fell, all kinds of rarely-see n threats began to emerge.

Among these, the malicious Ghost-type Pokémon were the most lethal enemies in the forest at night. In the Hoenn region, well-known Ghost-types in games include Shuppet, Banette, and Dusclops.

In the real world, however, forests host a wide variety of Ghost-types. Ghost Pokémon generally have low habitat requirements, with their primary food source being the life energy of living creatures.

As such, Ghost Pokémon are frequently spotted even in large human cities. Gengar's terrifying urban legends have given many children chills when listening to ghost stories.

Moreover, perhaps due to Route 121's proximity to Mount Pyre on Route 122, the area attracted a large number of Ghost Pokémon at night, boasting considerable diversity.

Among them, Misdreavus had the mildest disposition and posed the least threat. Misdreavus feeds on fear, usually creating illusions merely to scare people.

Other Ghost Pokémon, such as Banette, Spiritomb, and Litwick, were far more dangerous. These Pokémon were highly hazardous even unprovoked and would actively seek targets.

Since entering Poochyena Forest, Sato's group had encountered five waves of attacks from Ghost Pokémon. Their illusions and frequent use of Curse proved particularly troublesome.

Fortunately, Sato had Bellossom, an excellent healer. Without her, they might already have Pokémon incapacitated from the lingering effects of Curse—a serious issue.

After these battles, Sato's authority within the group was firmly established. His Swampert, Golbat, and Bellossom played pivotal roles, repeatedly turning the tide of battle.

The group also improved their teamwork. After identifying the Ghost Pokémon's preferred attack methods, they had Pokémon with the move Foresight scout ahead.

Hanks's Machamp and Hitmonlee, both equipped with Foresight, now led the group. Meanwhile, Swampert, also proficient in Foresight, anchored the center as the team's cornerstone.

"Luke, have your Sandslash support Hanks's Machamp and Hitmonlee. Maya, have your Butterfree use Gust and coordinate with Bellossom's Stun Spore," Sato instructed from the team's core position.

"Yes, Captain!" Luke and Maya responded without hesitation, commanding their strongest Pokémon to launch an attack according to Sato's orders.

Swampert's power had surged after evolving. Now facing three opponents, its Foresight rendered the surprise attacks of two Haunter and a Banette futile.

Swampert swiftly defeated the two Level 32 Haunter with its newly-learned Hammer Arm, scaring off the remaining Banette with its menacing aura.

At night, Golbat's combat prowess skyrocketed. While not as physically overwhelming as Swampert, its unparalleled flight skills in the dark made it lethal.

Using echolocation, no enemy or obstacle could escape Golbat's detection. Its enhanced Air Cutter overwhelmed a Level 32 Misdreavus and a Level 31 Haunter, both of which fell to its relentless assault alongside the immobilizing Mean Look.

As for Bellossom, she was a stabilizing force akin to Swampert. Her Grassy Terrain provided vital support, ensuring her teammates could fight without concern.

Within minutes, the sixth wave of Ghost Pokémon attackers was defeated by the team's combined effort. Sato showed no mercy to these malevolent Pokémon, eliminating as many as possible.

After six consecutive victories, the remaining Ghost Pokémon lurking in the forest learned through painful lessons that this group of human Trainers was not to be trifled with. They stopped their reckless assaults.

With the illusions no longer hindering them, Sato and his team made swifter progress. After traveling for over an hour, they reached a wild fruit grove in Poochyena Forest, following the detailed map provided by the village chief.

While the forest was perilous, it was also resource-rich. One notable feature was the Fang Fruit trees that grew in clusters where canine Pokémon gathered. These trees thrived on canine Pokémon droppings as unique fertilizer. Without this, the trees wouldn't bear fruit.

Fang Fruit trees were highly particular about soil and climate, making transplantation nearly impossible. Throughout the Hoenn region, significant clusters of these trees had only been found near Route 121.

The fruit's fang-shaped appearance made it highly coveted by canine Pokémon, especially Furfrou, a favorite among affluent families.

Due to its rarity, wealthy families were willing to pay steep prices for these fruits.

The wild fruit grove Sato's group reached contained several Fang Fruit trees, which were currently bearing fruit. Marcus, Mana's father, had led the village's guards here to harvest these fruits for sale.

Every year around this time, White River Village's guards collected Fang Fruit from this area. According to the village chief, the guards were skilled Trainers. Each member owned two or three Level 20 Pokémon, and the captain and vice-captain were elite-level Trainers.

Typically, this group of over ten people would have no problem fending off Poochyena packs, and even if outmatched, retreating should have been easy. In previous years, the task had been uneventful. What went wrong this time remained a mystery.

"This should be the place. Golbat, expand your Supersonic coverage and try to locate the missing people. Everyone else, stay alert. The locals here won't welcome intruders," Sato said, eyes locked on the faintly glowing eyes visible in the forest at night, his expression grim.

By this point, the group was in the heart of the Poochyena pack's territory. The glowing eyes in the darkness belonged to the pack members observing them from the shadows.

Despite this, the Poochyena seemed to remember Sato's overwhelming strength from earlier in the day, especially the now-evolved Swampert. Many eyes in the dark flickered with fear.

Without orders from their leader, the Poochyena dared not act rashly.