Chapter 508: Night Operation
Arthur and Skarner lay on the dune, their bodies buried in the sand with the help of the Krookodile Chieftain, only their heads exposed. They watched the movements below through their binoculars.
"They're moving out, seems like they're about to retreat. What's our next move?" Skarner asked.
Arthur was thinking. This trip had confirmed the fall of the Phantom of the South, Kommo-o, which was a significant gain. But it was far from enough to turn the tide. The sun was now setting.
Arthur said in a low voice, "When night falls, we'll sneak in and gather some intel."
Skarner was a bit surprised. "Just like that? Shouldn't we wait for the Nido tribe?" The Nidoking Chieftain, while not as proactive as the Krookodile, had confirmed his participation in the fight and would be bringing his entire tribe, a considerable force.
But Arthur shook his head. "Speed is of the essence. The most important thing in this fight is to find out where the Seeds are. If we can rescue them, the enemy's plan will fall apart. On the other hand, even if we gather a great army of Pokémon and wipe out all their forces in the desert, they can still achieve their strategic objective."
Arthur's mind was clear. This wasn't a competition to see who could get the most knockouts; it was a rescue mission. If they could retrieve the Seeds and ensure the safe succession of the next Groudon, the Stitched Shadow Army's plan would crumble. But killing all their members in the desert would be pointless.
"Could the Seeds have already been moved far away?" Skarner asked, worried. This was the worst-case scenario for them, as the enemy had been active for several months.
But Arthur denied it flatly. "No. Before the old Legendary dies, the Seeds can only be born in its immediate environment. If all the Seeds in the area were to suddenly disappear, the old Legendary would sense it. That's a finding from the White Eagle Alliance's research." This time, Arthur wasn't lying. The White Eagle Alliance had indeed said so. This suggested that they had once tried to interfere with the succession of Dialga and Palkia, but had failed.
So, the captured Seeds had to still be in the desert, most likely transferred to a secret base or laboratory. "From the movements of the people below, the Seeds are probably no longer here. We need to find a way to get information, and fast."
The people on the rocky plain below were clearly making their final preparations for withdrawal. They were shoveling precious plants from around the nest, packing up treasures and resources the Kommo-o tribe had collected, and a large group was busy around the giant carcass of the fallen Phantom, sawing apart the skeleton and collecting the scales.
A powerful Pokémon was a treasure trove, especially a wild one at the Phantom level, a once-in-a-lifetime find. The Krookodile Chieftain, buried in the sand, felt a chill run down its spine watching the scene. Humans truly were a terrifying species.
As night fell, the temperature dropped rapidly. The temperature difference between day and night in the desert was extreme, and it soon became bitterly cold. Arthur and Skarner had climbed out of the sand. To avoid being spotted, they didn't dare to light a fire and could only huddle together, hugging their arms for warmth.
In the dead of night, the camp below had grown quiet, with only a faint firelight remaining. "Let's go," Arthur whispered.
With the help of their Pokémon, the two of them quickly slid down the dune. Skarner had his Gliscor grip his arms and glide down, thinking he was moving fast. But then, a gust of wind rushed past his ear. Arthur had simply leaped from the top of the dune.
"What the—?!" Skarner let out a stifled cry of shock.
Halfway down, a dark shadow appeared behind Arthur. It was Specter, with its Levitate ability. It cushioned his fall slightly, then disappeared back into the darkness, letting Arthur continue his freefall. Just before he hit the bottom, Specter appeared again to break his fall one last time.
From a dune over seventy feet high, Arthur had only needed Specter's help twice. The rest of the way, he had been in a freefall, his speed almost making Skarner's jaw drop.
After he landed, Skarner said, his voice still shaking, "I know we're in a hurry, but you don't have to be that reckless."
Arthur gave him a strange look. "You call that reckless?"
"???" Skarner was at a loss. So, in your eyes, that was just a basic maneuver?
But this wasn't the time for questions. Arthur made a hand signal for Skarner to follow him. The gesture itself made Skarner's expression turn strange again. That's a standard tactical hand signal! You still say you're a competitive trainer?! Are the Pokémon competitions in the Kubfu Alliance some kind of counter-terrorism raid?!
With Arthur in the lead, the two of them snuck toward the camp. Specter hid in Arthur's shadow, Mismagius melted into the darkness, and Gliscor flew silently overhead, keeping watch. As for the Krookodile Chieftain, its massive size made it unsuitable for a stealth mission, so it had been left on the dune as a lookout.
The enemy's main camp was in the ruins of the nest, using the rubble as a natural windbreak. They snuck over, the large rocks providing excellent cover, making their approach smooth.
As they got closer, Arthur made another hand signal: The tents ahead are isolated. We move in and take them down, fast.
Skarner signaled his understanding. The two of them moved at the same time.
Arthur slashed open a tent with his sword. The first thing he did upon entering was to knock the Poké Balls away, giving the opponent no chance to summon a Pokémon. He paid no mind to the handgun the man inside instinctively drew. Specter shot out from his shadow, a Shadow Claw disarming the man, while its other small hand clamped over his mouth, stifling a scream. There was only one person in this tent; it was even easier than Arthur had expected.
"Specter, use Hypnosis, then take him away."
When he came out, he saw that Skarner had also taken care of the other tent, dragging out an unconscious enemy. As a former military scout, although his worldview had been repeatedly shattered by Arthur over the past few days, Skarner's skills were still, by any reasonable standard, quite good.
"Mismagius, put that one to sleep too."
"What now?" Skarner asked.
"We'll drag them far away from the camp and interrogate them. We need to avoid attracting any more attention," Arthur said coldly. His words were laced with a hint of bloodlust; this interrogation would not be a peaceful one.
But Skarner answered without hesitation, "Alright."
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