Chapter 276: Trevenant!

"Mightyena, use Fire Fang!"

Upon receiving the command, Mightyena leaped forward, its fangs engulfed in flames, and bit down fiercely on Dusknoir.

Letting out a painful wail, Dusknoir retaliated with Shadow Punch, forcing Mightyena to retreat.

As the distance between them widened, Dusknoir's body was already covered in wounds.

On the other side of the battlefield, in a one-on-one duel, Anda's Shiftry effortlessly suppressed another Dusknoir.

With Leaf Storm weakening the opponent from afar and lai Slash delivering close-range strikes, the combination left Dusknoir completely unable to display its full strength. All it could do was take hit after hit, its injuries quickly matching those of the other Dusknoir.

Perhaps neither Anda nor Ugo had noticed that these Dusknoir, who were supposed to be on par with them in strength, had never been able to exert their true power throughout the fight.

However, Ron was keenly aware of this anomaly, further reinforcing his suspicion that something was wrong with this area.

Seeing the others itching to jump into the fray as the two Dusknoir neared defeat, Ron quietly commanded his Nidoking to retreat slightly.

"Finish it, Mightyena! Fire Fang!"

"Shiftry, use lai Slash!"

Just as Ugo and Anda were about to end the battle, several dark figures suddenly shot out from the shadows.

"Mightyena!"

"Shiftry!"

"Change your targets!"

Reacting almost simultaneously, Ugo and Anda issued new commands. Mightyena and Shiftry swiftly adjusted their attacks, intercepting the shadowy figures before they could strike.

From the darkness emerged another Dusknoir, leading a horde of Banette and Sableye. Their numbers rivaled those of the first wave of Ghost-type Pokémon that had ambushed them earlier.

Despite their formidable skills, Mightyena and Shiftry were only at quasi-Elite Four level, and they struggled against the sheer numbers, forcing the advancing Banette and Sableye to retreat alongside Dusknoir.

"Retreat!"

Shouting the command, Ugo and Anda took the lead in falling back.

Though Mightyena and Shiftry had dominated the initial skirmish, their stamina had been significantly drained. And considering the elite-level Pokémon hunters they were facing, they couldn't afford to charge recklessly into another prolonged fight—especially not against a fresh wave of enemies led by a quasi-Elite Four Dusknoir.

"Run!"

"Crawdaunt, use Surf to hold them off!"

"Ahh! Help! Somebody help!"

With Ugo and Anda—their two strongest trainers—gone, the remaining Pokémon hunters fell into disarray. The Ghost-type Pokémon quickly overwhelmed them.

Only those directly under Ugo and Anda's command managed to react in time, sticking close to them as they retreated. Ron, who had been observing from the sidelines the entire time, seamlessly blended into their group.

As screams echoed behind them, Ugo and Anda pressed forward without a second glance, determined to escape.

The wave of Ghost-type Pokémon continued to appear, just as Ugo had predicted earlier. Every now and then, elite-tier Pokémon would dart out from the surrounding forest, disrupting their retreat.

Although each ambush was repelled with relative ease, their formation gradually became scattered without them realizing it.

Having recalled Nidoking, Ron had now sent out Blaziken instead. With its impressive speed, he managed to keep pace with Ugo and Anda, dodging every surprise attack from Dusknoir and its minions.

Meanwhile, within Ron's Poké Ball, Gardevoir had shifted its task from detecting Ghost-types to analyzing the terrain.

Just as Ron suspected, as they fled, the positions of the trees around them subtly changed. Among the common Pokémon species found in the Hoenn region, only one could be responsible for such an effect.

This also explained why the Dusknoir hadn't been able to unleash their full potential earlier.

As if to confirm Ron's suspicions, a group of Ghost-types suddenly emerged from both sides, their numbers further tipping the scales against them.

The unexpected reinforcement shattered their formation completely, separating two of their members in the chaos.

There was no time to go back for them. Ugo and Anda were now focused solely on escaping, knowing that if they were surrounded by three quasi-Elite Four Dusknoir, there would be no way out.

Utilizing the 'Shave' technique from the Six Powers, Ron effortlessly kept up with Ugo and Anda. He deliberately maintained a certain distance, keenly observing the rapidly shifting terrain around them.

Silently, the surrounding trees shifted and transformed. Without realizing it, Ugo's group had become lost within the depths of the forest, forced to cut a path through in a desperate attempt to escape.

By now, even Ugo and Anda understood—beyond the three Dusknoir lurking in the shadows, there was an even stronger Ghost-type Pokémon pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

But with their strength only at a quasi-Elite Four level, knowing this changed nothing. Their only option was to fight their way through.

A powerful Leaf Blade from Shiftry slashed down another patch of trees. Yet as the dust settled, both Ugo and Anda froze in place.

During their frantic escape, only four remained—Ugo, Anda, Magan, and Ron.

And standing before them was a towering Trevenant, surrounded by eerie, withered trees that seemed to whisper with spectral energy.

The most terrifying thing of all was the oppressive aura radiating from Trevenant—an aura of Elite Four-level power.

Without hesitation, Anda and Ugo bolted in opposite directions, knowing full well that survival now depended on who was unlucky enough to be targeted first.

A glint of disdain flickered in Trevenant's ghostly eyes. In the next instant, the surrounding trees came alive, shifting and twisting into an impenetrable barrier that cut off their escape.

Then came Toxic Spikes, spreading across the ground to further limit their movements.

Ghostly energy coiled around Trevenant's spectral body before it vanished, reappearing atop one of the lifeless trees.

Then, Horn Leech struck. Trevenant's gnarled branches shot forward with unnatural speed, piercing straight into Mightyena's body.

It happened so fast that neither Ugo nor Mightyena had time to react.

In the blink of an eye, Mightyena's once-powerful frame withered, its strength being drained at an alarming rate.

Watching the scene unfold, Ron quickly pieced together the full picture of what was happening.

When Trevenant turned its attention to Ugo, a flicker of joy flashed in Anda's eyes. Seizing the opportunity, he positioned himself behind his Shiftry, who was still mid-attack with Leaf Blade, and prepared to escape.

Magan, on the other hand, had long since lost the will to fight. He attempted to slip away unnoticed, only to find himself cornered by a swarm of Ghost-type Pokémon.

As for Anda, he had barely stepped beyond the boundaries of Trevenant's forest when—

A withered tree morphed into another Trevenant.

"Shiftry, use Green Cyclone!"

Having already witnessed Trevenant's overwhelming strength, Anda wasted no time commanding an immediate attack.

But Trevenant countered with a deadly combination—Shadow Claw empowered by Power-Up Punch, enhancing the force behind its Horn Leech.

The Green Cyclone was torn apart like fragile paper.

"Shiftry, use Protect!"

A vibrant green barrier flickered into existence—but even that wasn't enough to stop Trevenant's relentless assault.

The spectral tree's Horn Leech struck true, piercing into Shiftry and mercilessly draining its life force.

Desperate, Anda hurled Poké Ball after Poké Ball, sending out every Pokémon he had to buy himself even a few more seconds.

But no matter how hard he struggled, the grip of death was inescapable.

-----

Want to read ahead of schedule? 

Join here for advance chapters: patreon.com / madbot635