Chapter 279: Exposed & Breaking Out

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When Sato sensed something was amiss, a Banette suddenly materialized in front of him. 

The Banette's scarlet eyes glowed malevolently, making it look like a wrathful spirit filled with intense resentment. It opened its mouth wide, extending a long, crimson tongue aimed at attacking Sato.

The tongue darted forward with incredible speed, like a blood-red sword aiming for Sato's head. However, its attack was doomed to fail as Mightyena intervened.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Mightyena positioned itself protectively in front of Sato, sidestepped slightly to the left, and clamped its jaws around the extended tongue. 

Using Crunch, it delivered a decisive blow.

In the next instant, the Banette let out a sharp, piercing scream. As a Ghost-type Pokémon, it was especially vulnerable to Dark-type moves, and Mightyena's attack landed a critical hit. 

The level 21 Banette was instantly defeated, collapsing to the ground and losing its ability to fight.

However, the Banette's agonized cry immediately gave away Sato's location. The previously quarrelling members of Team Magma shifted their attention toward him.

Realizing the dire situation the moment Banette attacked, Sato knew things had taken a turn for the worse. After Mightyena neutralized the immediate threat, Sato swiftly recalled his conspicuous Golbat into its PokeBall. 

He then rolled a few times on the damp ground, smearing himself with dirt to appear disheveled and pitiful.

"Lady Courtney, it's me, Arata! The others outside—they've all…. they've all been taken by that demon!" Sato emerged from his hiding spot, feigning panic and exhaustion. 

His voice was hoarse as he addressed the wary Team Magma members, who were now watching him intently.

Before entering the cave, Sato had prepared Ditto to mimic the face of a lookout Team Magma member stationed outside. 

This member, unconscious and hidden aboard Team Magma's ship, was a perfect disguise target due to his similar height and build. 

To enhance the ruse, Sato had studied the man's identification and personal details, ensuring his act was convincing.

Dressed in Team Magma's uniform and appearing battered, Sato's pitiful display managed to alleviate some of the members' suspicions. When they heard his account of the dire situation outside, a flicker of sympathy crossed their faces.

After witnessing Darkrai's power firsthand, the Team Magma members were already predisposed to believe that the outside squad had likely perished. 

They assumed Sato had narrowly escaped the nightmare, though the improbability of a sole survivor left a lingering doubt. 

However, their scrutiny was cut short when the surrounding darkness suddenly filled with countless glowing red eyes.

The corridor grew icy cold, and an ominous wind began to howl, transforming the space into a ghostly realm.

Mightyena's defeat of the Banette had not only drawn the attention of Team Magma but also attracted a horde of Ghost-type Pokémon lurking invisibly nearby. 

The malevolent creatures now stared hungrily at Sato and the rest of the group.

"Oh no, I've stumbled into a ghost nest! There are Ghost Pokémon everywhere. There's no way to fight them all! We need to escape—Darkrai must've sent reinforcements!" Sato's heart pounded as he surveyed the sea of glowing red eyes.

Abandoning his efforts to gain Team Magma's full trust, Sato devised a plan to escape the encirclement. Spotting the group as his best chance for survival, he feigned terror and scrambled toward them alongside Mightyena, presenting himself as a frightened ally.

Realizing they were surrounded by hostile Ghost Pokémon, Team Magma members quickly shifted their focus from interrogating Sato to defending themselves.

"Break through and retreat immediately! Protect the descendant of the Volcano Guardian!" ordered Courtney.

Acknowledging the severity of the situation, the Team Magma elites unanimously agreed with Courtney's command. They rallied their remaining Pokémon to clear a path and prepared to retreat under her leadership.

Using his system's detection function, Sato estimated that most of the Ghost Pokémon were in their early 20s in level, with only a few exceeding level 30. However, the Team Magma members were already weakened from their battle with Darkrai. 

The Pokémon they had left were far from their strongest, and they struggled against the Ghost-types' bizarre and unpredictable moves.

Particularly troublesome were Ghost Pokémon that used the self-sacrificial move Curse, which hastened the defeat of Team Magma's remaining Pokémon.

Fortunately, Courtney's Ninetales proved invaluable. 

Commanding it with exceptional skill, she led the group in a daring escape, using blazing flames to carve a path through the encircling Ghost Pokémon and providing a glimmer of hope for survival.

Throughout the retreat, Sato stayed as inconspicuous as possible. He directed Mightyena to use Taunt, rendering many of the Ghost Pokémon unable to employ their tricky status moves, effectively reducing the chaos. 

By the time Mightyena felled its sixth Ghost Pokémon, its battle aura had reached a peak. Its intimidating presence and ferocious attacks deterred many of the Ghost Pokémon from approaching further.

Mightyena's impressive performance didn't go unnoticed by the Team Magma members, though Sato's apparent cowardice led them to pity the exceptional Pokémon for being stuck with such a timid trainer.

Thanks to Courtney's Ninetales, the group successfully broke through the Ghost Pokémon's ranks. While some sustained injuries, none of the elite Team Magma members lost their lives—unlike those who had been dragged into nightmares by Darkrai earlier.

However, as they emerged from the passage, relief turned to despair. A sinister shadow awaited them outside.

Under the gaze of its malevolent eyes, a suffocating sense of hopelessness gripped Sato and the Team Magma members.