"Captured…?"
Aven stared in astonishment at the Poké Ball lying quietly on the ground.
Even he himself had not expected the capture process to go so smoothly. It was almost unbelievable to imagine that such a powerful Pokémon, one whose strength had already reached the level of a quasi-King, could be subdued with such ease!
"Ralts…"
Ralts, standing beside him, was also staring blankly at the scene unfolding before its eyes.
Just a moment ago, it had been weighed down by an immense pressure that pressed upon its body and spirit, making it feel as though even breathing was a burden. Yet now, that suffocating force had abruptly disappeared without a trace, leaving its entire body suddenly light and relaxed.
Its gaze shifted toward the Poké Ball lying at a distance. At that instant, Ralts's eyes shone with a faint blue light, and before Aven could react, the Poké Ball vanished from the ground and reappeared neatly in his hand.
Holding in his grasp the Poké Ball that now contained Spiritomb, Aven quickly pressed the lock mechanism shut. With Spiritomb sealed inside, the immediate crisis was at least temporarily resolved.
He did not know why such a powerful Spiritomb had not managed to shatter the net-like binding energy within the Poké Ball, but this was not the time to question such matters. Survival came first.
"What… what happened? Where did Spiritomb go?"
In the distance, the assassins who had been watching were all struck dumb. They had no idea what had just taken place before their eyes.
"Spiritomb—! Where did Spiritomb go?!" Shaco's voice was shrill and bordering on hysteria, completely unable to accept what had happened.
That terrifyingly strong Spiritomb, one they had relied upon as their absolute trump card, had actually been sealed away… and sealed away by nothing more than a single strange ball? Who could explain this? What in the world was going on here?!
"That ball… yes! If we destroy that ball, then Spiritomb will be released again!"
Cold light flashed within Shaco's eyes as he barked his order to the surrounding beasts. "Attack! Take Spiritomb back!"
At his command, the packs of Mightyena and swarms of Golbat surged forward. Their strict training meant that their instincts drove them to obey orders without hesitation.
"Awooooooo—!"
Yet before the battle could even properly begin anew, a chorus of long, resonant wolf howls suddenly echoed from deep within the forest.
Buzz—buzz—buzz—buzz!
At the same time, the air was filled with the beating of countless wings.
From the distant sky, swarms of Yanma appeared in the horizon and rushed rapidly toward the battlefield!
"So, it was all a trap laid by that lord!"
"He intentionally only brought a small number of magical beasts into the Black Coast Forest, just to bait us into attempting an assassination!"
The assassins finally realized the truth, and their expressions turned grim and ugly. None of them had expected that this lord had actually carried all of his Pokémon with him!
What they had originally believed to be a flawless kill had instead transformed into a counter-assassination orchestrated by Fruitvale Village against them!
In order to assassinate Earl Aven, they had mobilized their entire hidden force. Now, it seemed likely that after today, the secret unit of the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild would vanish forever from the world.
"They've arrived… looks like it's time to bring this to an end."
Aven smiled faintly as he looked across the battlefield.
From the very beginning, when he had stepped into the forest alone, he had done so with the intent of drawing every last assassin out. Other than the Poké Balls at his waist, he had intentionally not carried any visible reinforcements.
But of course, that did not mean he had no backup plans. Since the moment this operation began, the Pokémon of Fruitvale Village had already been assembled and had started sweeping through the Black Coast Forest, capturing the assassins who had infiltrated its depths.
Now that the knights and patrol squads had also arrived, it was proof that the purge of the Black Forest had already concluded. The only assassins remaining in the Black Coast Forest were the ones standing before him!
"The battle isn't over yet—it's not over yet!"
Shaco's face was twisted beyond recognition. His eyes were locked onto Aven, and as the sounds of beasts roaring echoed ever louder from the forest, his expression grew increasingly savage.
By now, every assassin on the field knew it clearly: their assassination had failed completely. Surrounded by the knights and Pokémon of Fruitvale Village, there was no possibility of escape!
"Awoo—awoo—awoo—!"
Howls continued to resound throughout the battlefield. Under Shaco's command, the Mightyena hurled themselves madly toward Aven.
"Screeee—!"
High in the air, the Golbat swarms followed suit, their eyes glowing a bloody red as they whipped up violent gusts of razor-like wind blades with their wings.
"Everyone, be cautious! They're fighting like trapped beasts cornered against the wall!" Aven's voice rang deep and steady.
Now, all Rhydon and the others needed to do was defend. This battle's outcome was already decided.
"RHYYY!"
Rhydon roared and stomped heavily against the ground. With a tremor, a towering wall of earth rose before it, cutting off the charging Mightyena.
Boom—boom—boom!
The Mightyenas hurled themselves against the wall, slamming and crashing with reckless abandon.
Suddenly, one portion of the wall cracked apart as a massive Mightyena burst through, its hulking body lunging forward!
The Pokémon of Fruitvale Village all brightened at once, eyes flashing with opportunity.
In the next moment, moves like Stone Edge, Blizzard, Energy Ball, and Razor Leaf all converged at once, crashing violently against the intruding Mightyena.
Boom—boom—boom—!
The continuous explosions hurled the Mightyena's body backward, sending it flying across the battlefield!
"Lil!"
"Plume!"
"Tang!"
Petilil, Vileplume, and Tangrowth joined forces. With their powers combined, the massive trees of the forest came alive once again, their countless branches and leaves sweeping through the air to intercept the Golbat's flurry of wind blades.
At the same time, the Grassy Terrain flourished, transforming into tough vines that coiled around the charging wolves. Though not strong enough to fully bind them, the vines slowed their momentum—long enough for a storm of attacks to rain down upon them.
"Go! Poké Ball!"
Seeing a heavily injured, advanced-level Mightyena collapse to the ground, Aven seized the opportunity and hurled a Poké Ball.
It struck true, sucking the Pokémon's form inside in a flash of red light.
Clink!
But in the very next heartbeat, the ball burst open with a snap, and the Mightyena leapt free.
With a furious snarl, it clamped its jaws around the Poké Ball and crushed it into shards!
Aven's brows twitched, and his expression filled with distress.
"RHYYYY!"
Rhydon bellowed furiously at the sight. Those Poké Balls had been forged one hammer strike at a time by its own fist—how dare this wolf destroy one?!
With a roar, Rhydon charged forward. Fire ignited around its fist as it smashed a blazing Fire Punch directly into the Mightyena, slamming it deep into the earth!
Without pause, it unleashed a relentless barrage of crushing blows, shaking the ground with each strike until the entire battlefield trembled.
"Rhy… Rhyy…"
Panting heavily, Rhydon lifted its head and scanned its surroundings. To its surprise, the remaining Mightyena had frozen in place, staring at it with unmistakable fear.
"RHYYY!"
Drawing in a deep breath, Rhydon roared again with earth-shaking might. The sound alone sent the packs of Mightyena scattering, tails tucked as they fled in terror, cowed by its sheer brutality.
"Awoo—awoo—!"
And at that very moment, the wolf howls from deep within the forest grew louder still.
Overhead, the swarms of Yanma finally arrived, diving down into the fray and clashing directly with the Golbat in midair.
This time, Fruitvale Village's entire aerial force had been mobilized. The sky was filled densely, every corner occupied by the dragonflies.
Zzzz—!
Their wings beat furiously, producing rippling waves of sound. The invisible vibrations swept across the air like tidal waves, drowning the Golbat swarms in their wake.
Boom—boom—boom—!
One after another, Golbat fell like kites with cut strings, tumbling from the sky.
Individually, each Golbat was strong—but in the face of an organized, large-scale aerial assault, their individual strength was meaningless.
In mere moments, the Golbat were decimated, leaving only a single figure remaining: the mighty leader of the swarm, a Golbat whose power had already reached the level of an advanced-level Pokémon.
"Screeee!"
It shrieked loudly, its wings beating rapidly. In an instant, a massive tornado began to spiral upward from the ground.
But before the twister could fully take shape, a purple blur streaked across the sky, slicing clean through the Golbat's body.
Boom!
With a thunderous crack, the Golbat was sent hurtling through the air, tumbling head over heels before it managed to steady itself. It turned its blood-red eyes toward its assailant—only to freeze in shock.
That body, sleek and violet, with four powerful wings spread behind it… it was none other than Golbat's evolved form—Crobat!
"Screeeee!!"
Crobat let out a piercing screech at the Golbat in front of it.
Immediately afterward, its figure once again shot forward, both wings glowing with a sharp white radiance.
Seeing this, the Golbat hastily flapped its wings and took to the air, but compared to Crobat, its speed was far too inferior.
In just a brief moment, Crobat closed the distance. With a smooth side maneuver, its razor-sharp wings slashed straight across Golbat's body, sending it crashing away once again!
With a graceful spin mid-air, Crobat swiftly wheeled back and darted forward once more. Against its own evolved form, Golbat had not the slightest ability to resist!
(End of Chapter)