Silas had already changed into dark night gear.
Moving silently through the forest, he soon heard the clash of battle ahead ,many explosions, cries, and the sharp whistle of attacks tearing through trees.
"I am a member of the Solans Family! Please Stop This immediately!"
"I've already contacted my family! The elders members will arrive soon,you won't escape!"
The girl in the red dress no longer looked timid.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, chest rising and falling with anger. Yet despite her posture,She was struggling.
"Tropius, Air Slash!"
"Jumpluff, use bullet Seed quickly!"
She had released seven or eight Pokémon in total.
But only Tropius and Jumpluff emitted energy fluctuations above Level 30.
Tropius in particular was close to Level 40.
Even so They were being forced backward,The reason was obvious.The two black-robed men each commanded an Glalie and a Froslass.
Ice-types.
A four-times weakness against Grass/Flying.
"Tropi—us!"
"Pluff—!"
"Glalie, Ice Beam!"
"Froslass, Ice Beam!"
Twin beams of freezing energy tore through the air, frost spreading across leaves and ground alike.
The two men were not intimidated when they heard "Solans Family."
Instead They laughed.
"Heh… little girl. First time in a black market, huh?"
"With soft skin like yours and young body like yours… once we're done, my brother and I will have plenty of fun."
Their words were filthy.
Calculated.
Psychological warfare.
A seasoned trainer would ignore such provocation. But the girl was clearly shaken.
Her commands became rushed.
Uncoordinated.
Tropius overextended.
Jumpluff retreated too late.
Silas watched from the shadows, expression cold.
The Solans Family. One of Fallarbor Town's most prestigious research families.
Scholars.
Professors.
Even a Doctor among them.
Influential in Hoenn's academic circles.But this girl ,Her battlefield control was poor.
She panicked under pressure.
Her offensive and defensive transitions lacked rhythm.
She didn't conserve stamina.
Even powerful Pokémon would collapse under such waste.
Silas could already see Jumpluff wavering mid-air.
Its cotton body was stained with frost and blood ,The girl saw it too and Pain filled her delicate face seeing the situation.
"Fine!"
She clenched her teeth.
"Tropius Use Leaf Storm!"
Tropius raised its long neck high.Its four massive leaf-wings began spinning violently.
Green energy condensed.
Countless razor leaves surged into a spiraling vortex.
The entire forest trembled.
Trees cracked in half under the force.
Leaf Storm.
Base power of 130. But at the cost of sharply lowering Special Attack afterward.
This was desperation.
Her final gamble.
The two black-robed men did not panic, instead They grinned.
"Protect!"
Green barriers flared to life.
Leaf Storm crashed against shimmering shields. And dispersed.
Blocked completely.
The girl's face drained of color.
Despair.
Her strongest move Neutralized effortlessly.
Even the Pokémon given to her for protection by her family Had failed.
Was this truly the end?
She froze for just a moment And that moment was enough.
The two men immediately ordered another round of attacks.
Ice beams.
Shadow Balls.
Dark pulses.
Her Pokémon began falling.
One by one.
"Tropi—!"
"Pluff…!"
They lay in pools of blood.
Her heart felt like it was being torn apart.
"Hehehe… little beauty, just submit."
"Before you die, let's make this fun."
One of the men leered openly now.
The girl trembled. "Don't even think about it!" Fear and helplessness flooded her voice.
The two men advanced step by step.
Then Something shifted.One of the black-robed men's Pokémon suddenly stiffened.
It turned sharply And roared toward a dark corner of the forest.
A warning But too late.
From the shadows A storm of Poison Sting erupted.
Countless purple-glowing needles tore through the air like a deadly rain.
They pierced flesh.
Cloth.
Bone.
The two men never even finished reacting.
Their bodies jerked violently and Then collapsed.
Dozens of tiny puncture wounds covered them.
Blood erupted from each hole.Pooling rapidly beneath them.
The girl stood frozen.
She watched As life drained from their eyes.
Warm blood splattered across her face.
The metallic scent filled her lungs.
She couldn't breathe.
Her entire body went cold.
Somewhere in the darkness ,A pair of calm eyes watched.
Unmoved.
Unhurried.
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(End of chapter)