Chapter 287: Ursaring

"Brother-in-law, that guy didn't try to do anything to you, right?"

When Barry returned to his companions, the young man tending to the injured person quickly asked.

As he spoke, the young man suddenly noticed the medicine and... walnuts in Barry's hands.

"Hurry up and apply the medicine to Phil!"

"Right, right!"

The young man nodded quickly, lowering his semi-conscious companion to the ground. A deep wound on Phil's thigh, so severe that the bone was visible, was still bleeding profusely.

Due to significant blood loss, Phil's face had turned pale, and cold sweat dripped continuously from his forehead.

"Phil's injury is so severe... Do you think this medicine will work?" The young man applied the medicine while casting occasional glances toward Julian, sitting by the firelight.

"This medicine should work wonders."

Barry thought about Julian's identity. With someone of his status, the medicine he provided had to be top-tier.

Sure enough, as soon as the medicine was applied, the bleeding slowed dramatically, visible to the naked eye. Within less than a minute, the bleeding stopped entirely.

The young man's eyes widened in disbelief. "Brother-in-law, this medicine is incredible! Did it have Revival Herb in it?"

As seasoned wilderness survivors, they had used countless types of medicine, but nothing had ever been this effective.

It reminded him of the rare healing salves infused with Revival Herb that occasionally appeared on the market.

"Most likely."

Barry nodded. Given Julian's status, he didn't doubt for a second that the medicine contained Revival Herb.

"Brother-in-law, who is that guy? Let's go thank him!" the young man suggested.

Barry shook his head. "He helped us, but that doesn't mean he wants our thanks. Let's leave it at that."

In reality, Julian indeed didn't expect or want their gratitude. While he lent a hand, it was only out of solidarity as a fellow human being. His caution in the wilderness remained intact.

The young man seemed to take Barry's words seriously and nodded. "True. Any trainer who can afford medicine like this is definitely a big deal. If we accidentally upset him, we could be in serious trouble."

In the wilderness, letting your guard down could be fatal. Even if someone helped you, trusting them blindly could lead to a tragic end.

"Let's eat something. I'll take first watch, then we'll switch."

Barry said, pulling out some dry rations from his bag. He ate the food with water, but what usually tasted fine now felt bland and unsatisfying.

All he could think about was Julian's braised beef.

Lighting a fire and cooking in the wilderness was usually a strict taboo. Firelight could attract wild Pokémon, and the aroma of food could draw them in as well.

So eating cold, dry rations was always the safest option.

"Brother-in-law, do you smell something...?"

The young man sniffed the air, his nose twitching, and his eyes lit up. "This smells like... braised beef!"

He immediately turned his gaze toward Julian's direction. Though the distance prevented him from clearly seeing Julian's face, he was sure the enticing aroma came from there.

As expected of an expert—cooking beef stew over an open flame at night.

"Hurry up and eat your food."

Barry scolded.

The young man shrank back at the reprimand and quickly started munching on his dry rations.

After finishing their meal, Barry checked on their injured companion. The worry in his eyes noticeably lessened.

"Alright, brother-in-law, I'll rest first. Remember to wake me up later tonight."

The young man said, pulling out a blanket and leaning against a tree to take a nap.

"Sure, just don't give me trouble when it's time to wake you."

Barry replied, releasing his Noctowl.

The Noctowl perched on a tree branch, its head swiveling a full 360 degrees. Its keen vision made it an excellent watchman in the darkness.

For trainers who frequently traversed the wilderness, owning a Noctowl was common, as they weren't too expensive and were highly reliable for keeping watch.

With the Noctowl keeping an eye out, Barry could have rested too, but he didn't. His gaze frequently drifted toward Julian's campsite.

In the faint light, he could make out Julian retreating into his tent. The campfire had been extinguished, but a small nightlight hung inside the tent, glowing faintly.

In the pitch-black forest, the soft light from that lantern stood out starkly.

Earlier, Julian had his Metagross drive away nearby Pokémon and sprayed Max Repel around the perimeter. Any Pokémon below pseudo-Elite level wouldn't dare approach.

At the tent entrance, Lucario sat cross-legged, eyes closed, meditating to enhance its Aura abilities. Its ears were perked up, keenly listening to the surroundings.

Inside the tent, Julian and Metagross were already fast asleep.

Meanwhile, the day's ordeals and prolonged escape had taken a toll on Barry. His tense mind was slowly succumbing to the waves of exhaustion.

His eyelids fluttered as he struggled to stay awake, but eventually, they shut completely.

Noticing this, the Noctowl on the branch seemed to swivel its head faster, as if on high alert.

"ROAR!"

Suddenly, a ferocious roar echoed from somewhere deep in the forest.

"Whoo! Whoo!"

The Noctowl immediately sounded the alarm.

Barry jolted awake.

"What's wrong, Noctowl?" he mumbled groggily.

Before he could finish his sentence, another roar rang out from the distance.

"ROAR!"

The roar was accompanied by the sound of trees crashing to the ground.

"It's bad—it's coming for us!"

Barry's expression darkened instantly as he scrambled to shake the young man awake.

"Brother-in-law, is it my turn now?"

The young man asked groggily, still half-asleep.

"It's chasing us! Get up, now!"

Barry barked, smacking the young man on the head to jolt him awake.

"ROAR!"

The roar sounded even closer this time.

The young man jumped, his grogginess instantly replaced by alarm.

"Didn't we lose it? How could it still find us?"

"Now's not the time for that!" Barry snapped. "Help Phil! We need to leave, immediately!"

Without hesitation, the young man hoisted their unconscious companion, preparing to move. Then he paused and asked, "Brother-in-law, should we warn that guy over there?"

He gestured toward Julian's camp.

Barry hesitated briefly but nodded. "Let him know."

Whether Julian was aware of the situation or not, the aggressive Pokémon was targeting them. It was only right to inform him—they were the ones who had brought the danger his way.

"ROAR!"

"CRASH! CRACK!"

The roars grew louder, accompanied by the sound of trees being toppled. The oppressive aura of rage in the air sent a shiver through their spines.

"How is that beast so fast?!"

Barry muttered, his face a mix of confusion and terror.

"CRACK!"

Just as the words left his mouth, several large trees ahead were smashed apart with raw power. Emerging from the destruction was a towering Ursaring.

Its brown fur bristled with aggression, and the yellow circle on its stomach glowed faintly in the dim light. Standing on its hind legs, it glared at the trio with bloodthirsty, savage eyes.

White breath escaped its mouth as its razor-sharp teeth glinted menacingly.

"ROAR!"

Another roar echoed, but it wasn't from the Ursaring in front of them.

Barry and the young man froze, their faces turning deathly pale.

*****

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