Sieg replaced his black robes with dark camouflage gear, moving with light steps through the jungle. Soon, he could hear the sounds of combat.
"I'm from the Solance family! You'd better stop right now!"
"I've already contacted my family, and our elders will arrive shortly! You'll regret this!"
The red-dressed girl had lost all traces of refined nobility, her brow furrowed in anger, chest heaving with each breath.
She was commanding her Pokémon, barely holding off attacks from two black-robed men, but judging by the battle situation, even with her powerful Tropius, she could only struggle to survive.
At this rate, defeat was merely a matter of time.
"Tropius, use Air Slash!"
"Jumpluff, Seed Bomb!"
The girl had released numerous Pokémon, six or seven total, but only Tropius and Jumpluff showed higher levels, their energy fluctuations indicating they were above level 30.
Tropius even appeared to be approaching level 40.
Even so, facing the assault from two black-robed men, she could only retreat step by step.
The reason was simple: the two attackers each commanded a Glalie and Froslass respectively. The quadruple Ice-type advantage left the Grass/Flying-type Pokémon in agony.
Moreover, both men had released four additional Pokémon each, matching the girl's numbers.
"Glalie, Ice Beam!"
"Froslass, Ice Beam!"
When the two black-robed men heard the girl invoke the Solance family name, they weren't intimidated in the slightest. Instead, they exchanged glances and let out sinister chuckles.
"Heh heh, little lady, never been to a black market before, have you? With that soft, pampered look of yours, once we capture you, we are going to have some real fun!"
One of the black-robed men grinned viciously, shouting intimidating threats.
He kept verbally harassing the girl, psychological warfare that wouldn't affect experienced fighters.
But clear panic appeared on the girl's face, and even her combat commands began showing obvious mistakes.
The two black-robed men laughed heartily, ordering their Pokémon to accelerate their assault with even more ferocious attacks!
While both men feared the girl's family background, if they eliminated her here, who would know they were responsible?
Moreover, considering the wealth the girl had displayed at the black market, if this robbery succeeded, they wouldn't need to worry about training resources for a very long time.
Meanwhile, Sieg hid in the shadows, silently observing and listening to the exchange.
Learning the girl was from the Solance family surprised him somewhat. While he'd suspected she came from a prominent family, he hadn't expected the Solances specifically.
The Solance family was a renowned clan in Fallarbor Town, with most members engaged in scientific research. They even boasted a professor among their ranks, while not world-famous, they were certainly well-respected in academic circles.
However, despite her prestigious background, this Solance family daughter's Pokémon commanding skills made Sieg shake his head repeatedly.
She barely maintained composure against enemies, while the slightest verbal provocation or dirty tactic would immediately unsettle and panic her.
Her Pokémon's offensive and defensive transitions were extremely poor. She didn't understand coordination or stamina conservation, no matter how powerful her Pokémon, they couldn't withstand such wasteful tactics.
Sieg could clearly observe that Jumpluff's stamina was nearly exhausted.
If Sieg could notice this, surely the Pokémon's trainer could as well. The girl watched her beloved Pokémon covered in wounds, her heart aching unbearably.
Her delicate face showed complete panic and distress.
"I have to try!"
The girl gritted her teeth and commanded, "Tropius, Leaf Storm!"
Tropius raised its long neck high as the four broad leaves on its back began flapping, creating a violent storm. Countless emerald leaves joined the tempest.
Sharp green leaves whirled in endless storms, snapping jungle trees in half with their tremendous force.
As a Grass-type ultimate move with 130 base power, using it would lower the Pokémon's Special Attack afterward.
This also proved the girl had reached her breaking point, this was her final, desperate gambit.
But when the two black-robed men witnessed this scene, they felt not fear, but joy.
"Protect!"
They simultaneously ordered their Pokémon to use Protect.
The girl's battle tactics weren't just poor, she lacked even basic combat understanding. She hadn't even considered Protect, a nearly essential move.
In battle, trainers typically only use decisive, high-power finishing moves after forcing out their opponent's Protect.
Sure enough, all the black-robed men's Pokémon used Protect, easily deflecting the Leaf Storm attack.
Deep despair appeared on the girl's face, as if her entire world had collapsed in that moment.
Even her family's protective Pokémon's full-power attack had been blocked, was she truly going to die here?
While she stood stunned and dazed, those two ghostly black-robed figures commanded their Pokémon to launch another fierce assault.
The girl's Pokémon now lay nearly all fallen in pools of blood, casualties mounting horrifically. Faced with such carnage, the girl's heart felt like it was being torn apart, yet she remained powerless.
"Heh heh heh, little beauty, just give in to this master! Before you die, have some fun, at least you won't have lived for nothing!"
One black-robed man let out a lecherous laugh, his gaze greedy and perverted as he stared hungrily at the beautiful but desperate girl before him.
"You... never!"
The girl felt unprecedented fear and helplessness surge through her heart as she spoke through gritted teeth.
Just as the two black-robed figures stepped closer to the helpless girl, the Pokémon that had been following behind them suddenly seemed to sense something abnormal. One Pokémon whipped its head around and let out a deafening roar toward a corner deep in the forest.
This sudden development caught the two black-robed men completely off guard. By the time they realized danger was approaching, it was too late.
Countless poison needles shrouded in purple mist swept toward them like a violent storm, accurately piercing their bodies.
In an instant, both black-robed men collapsed backward as if all strength had been drained from them.
Their bodies were riddled with tiny holes, blood gushing from their wounds like springs, quickly pooling into a shocking crimson lake on the ground.
The girl stared in horror at everything unfolding before her, filled with shock and terror.
Especially when the two men's blood splattered across her face, she felt a bone-chilling cold surge through her heart.
The warm, metallic-scented blood splattering on her face made breathing nearly impossible.