Chapter 502: Victory Breeds Complacency
"Where's the Sandslash?!"
The moment Arthur reached the rear, he grabbed Skarner and demanded to know. Skarner just froze. Seeing his reaction, Arthur's heart sank. This is bad.
Sure enough, a moment later, a section of the sand in front of them exploded. The Sandslash and a group of Excadrill burst out from underground, locked in a fierce struggle.
Arthur was about to call out to it, but in the next second, a sinister black shadow loomed over the Sandslash. "Look out!" Arthur shouted in desperation.
But he had already retreated too far, a good distance from both the Sandslash and the enemy line. He couldn't get there in time. He could only watch helplessly as the dark figure opened its sarcophagus, its four ghostly hands grabbing the Sandslash and dragging it inside.
It was a Ghost-type Cofagrigus, one of the most dangerous Pokémon in existence. Its body was a coffin, with four spectral hands extending from it. These Pokémon were intelligent but extremely difficult to communicate with. They had a habit of dragging nearby humans or Pokémon into their bodies, killing them, and turning them into mummies. In more superstitious times, this Pokémon had been the source of countless horror stories. Even today, not many people dared to capture one.
But regardless of the risks, in certain situations, this Pokémon was incredibly effective. The Cofagrigus had forcibly captured the Sandslash, then used Substitute to quickly retreat, completing both the capture and the getaway in a single instant. It was so fast, no one could react. They could teleport with creatures held inside their bodies, a trait that made them the perfect choice for... certain unsavory activities.
"Seed secured! Retreat!"
The remaining members of the Stitched Shadow Army immediately began to pull back. The disorganized rabble that Arthur had almost single-handedly wiped out that night was a far cry from this well-prepared, well-planned force that had seized the initiative. They had finally gotten their revenge.
"Damn it!" Arthur realized that he had, after all, underestimated his opponent. His previous easy victory had led him to misjudge their strength. Even after realizing their motives were not what they seemed, he had subconsciously failed to give them the respect they deserved.
Victory breeds complacency. Sometimes, an easy start is not a good thing.
He could only watch as they started their vehicles and began to quickly retreat.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
They continued to lay down suppressing fire as they retreated, forcing Arthur and Skarner to keep their Pokémon using Protect, using the shields as cover. Protect couldn't be used consecutively. After Mismagius's shield reached its limit, Specter took over. Skarner's Gliscor was also shielding him.
"Lapras!!"
The most heartbroken of all was Little Lapras. For the first time on a battlefield, she ignored Arthur's command and, on her own initiative, fired an Ice Beam at the retreating enemies. But it had little effect. Several of the enemy Pokémon worked together to put up a Light Screen. Weakened by the multiple layers of protection, the Ice Beam was reduced to a mere cool breeze by the time it reached them.
Before they left, the enemy sent them one last parting gift. "All Ground-types, use Sand Tomb!"
The Ground-type move Sand Tomb created a vortex of sand to trap the enemy. After being unleashed, the effect would last for some time. It was similar to the Fire-type Fire Spin or the Water-type Whirlpool—low damage, but it trapped the enemy in a cage.
In an instant, a pillar of sand swirled up around Arthur and Skarner, trapping them in the eye of the storm. The ground beneath their feet turned soft, pulling them down. The two-pronged attack held them in place.
"Crap!" Skarner couldn't help but curse.
"Lapras!!" At the same time, Little Lapras's cries grew more urgent and mournful, but they could not bring back her friend.
"Damn it!" Arthur slammed his fist into the sand.
The enemy had planned this, set a trap, and caught them completely off guard. This time, Arthur had not been able to turn the tide on his own. You can't win forever. He had beaten the Stitched Shadow Army many times before, but this time, they had finally gotten one back.
Even so, the retreating Stitched Shadow Army was still shaken.
"How did that guy see through our plan?"
"We still lost one of our own, even with all our preparations!"
They had all laughed at the other squad for failing to capture even the "easiest" target, the Sandslash. But now, on their way back, none of them were laughing. With all their careful planning and the element of surprise, they had still lost a comrade. And they hadn't been able to completely suppress Arthur during the fight; he had still found openings to counter-attack. That Fire Blast, for example. Before the battle, many of them had been confident they could take out the two of them quickly. But in the end, they had a feeling that if the fight had continued, the outcome would have been uncertain.
The thought, which had seemed so ridiculous before, now felt chillingly real.
...
After what felt like an eternity, the Sand Tomb finally dissipated. Covered in sand, Arthur was pulled out by Old Flame. "What do we do now?" Skarner asked, equally disheveled.
Arthur first walked over to Little Lapras. He silently wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his forehead against her cheek, comforting her with his actions. Then he said, "Let's go back. Back to the Nidoking's oasis. We'll figure out what to do from there."
The main reason they couldn't give chase was that the Onix's surprise attack had destroyed their vehicle. Without transportation and the supplies in the car, they couldn't possibly pursue an enemy retreating at over fifty miles per hour through the vast desert.
In this direct confrontation, the enemy had also been able to use their own recall tactics, which meant Arthur hadn't been able to take down a single one of their Pokémon, including the Onix that had destroyed their car.
He was furious, but anger wouldn't help. He had to make the most logical decision.
Then, he turned to Skarner and asked with a grave tone, "When those people were leaving, did they call the Sandslash a 'Seed'?"
Skarner was taken aback. Why are you worrying about such a small detail at a time like this? But seeing the serious expression on Arthur's face, he didn't voice his thoughts. He thought back carefully. "I think... they did. I think they said, 'Seed secured, retreat.'"
Arthur's face was grim. He nodded solemnly. "We need to get back, quickly. I need to confirm something. If I'm right, something big is about to happen in this desert."
Seeing how serious Arthur was, Skarner didn't dare to be dismissive, even though he was still completely in the dark. Seed... what's so special about that?
Arthur mounted Lina, and had Old Flame carry Skarner. They quickly flew back toward the oasis.
And as they took to the sky, the Krookodile Chieftain, who had been silent the whole time, finally reacted. What the—! You're all flying away, what about me?! I'm not on the plane!
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