Mind Assault

Yuga never expected such a surprise when he followed the Liepard and Purrloin. Zoroark and Zorua, these two species of Pokémon, were extremely rare in the Unova Regions, almost becoming legendary Pokémon.

Moreover, within their species, Zoroark and Zorua were typically dominated by males, with females making up only about one-tenth of the population. However, the two before him were both females.

But what puzzled Yuga was that Zoroark and Zorua usually lived deep in the remote forests to conceal their presence, yet the two before him were living in the densely populated human city.

Little did Yuga know that originally, Zoroark had been living in the primitive forests of the Unova Regions and was only brought to the city after being captured by humans.

Later, Zoroark suffered significant injuries while fleeing and was rescued by a passing Liepard, eventually living together with the Liepard. Over time, they gave birth to Purrloin and Zoroark.

Liepard had been living in Castelia City all along and was very familiar with various parts of the city. It brought the pursued Zoroark into the ranks of stray Pokémon, using Zoroark's Illusion ability to evade human pursuit.

Illusion, an exclusive ability of Zoroark and Zorua's family, allowed them to assume various forms. Whether it was a Pokémon or a human, it was generally challenging to detect the deception.

Of course, Illusion's transformations were only superficial; it didn't copy the target's form, attributes, abilities, moves, weight, and so on, like Impostor ability from Ditto. Illusion's primary function was to deceive.

Just as the four Pokémon were having a harmonious moment, Yuga and his party emerged from the shadows, including his Chatot and Gengar.

Purrloin and Liepard immediately recognized Yuga and positioned themselves protectively in front of Zoroark and Zorua, wary of the sudden appearance of a human and two Pokémon.

Zoroark pulled the clueless Zorua behind her, her gaze showing some hesitation, likely due to negative experiences with humans in the past.

Yuga smiled and said to Purrloin and Liepard, "You can't blame me for following you. After all, Purrloin was the one who stole my ice cream."

At this point, Purrloin deeply regretted stealing Yuga's ice cream. It didn't expect that a mere moment of greed for ice cream would expose its mother and sister to danger. It was well aware of how valuable they were in the eyes of humans.

Even a Zorua with a yellow potential, was considered more valuable than regular green potential Pokémon due to its rare species.

The family had always been careful to conceal the identities of Zoroark and Zorua. Even when they went out, Zoroark and Zorua always appeared in the forms of Liepard and Purrloin. However, today, it all fell apart due to Purrloin's momentary indulgence.

"Purrloin, Purrloin," Purrloin said, eyeing Yuga sharply.

Purrloin and Liepard still didn't know that Yuga had already figured out the true identities of Zoroark and Zorua. They just wanted to drive Yuga and his Pokémon away as quickly as possible, preventing Yuga from discovering their true identities.

"Want us to leave? That's impossible. I think we need to have a nice chat," Yuga said with a smile to Purrloin and Liepard.

"Purrloin, Purrloin!"

We have nothing to talk about.

Although Purrloin was amazed that Yuga could understand its speech, its mind was focused solely on comforting its mother and sister. There was no room for further discussion.

"Really? Aren't you afraid that I'll reveal your mother and sister's identities to the outside world?" Yuga glanced at Zoroark and Zorua behind Purrloin and Liepard, his tone smirking.

Upon hearing Yuga's words, Purrloin and Liepard instantly realized that Yuga had uncovered Zoroark and Zorua's true identities. Their eyes turned even colder.

However, even though Purrloin was more powerful than its father, Liepard, it didn't possess Liepard's ability to stay calm. Without further ado, it launched an attack on Yuga.

Dark energy enveloped its petite right forepaw, and it used Night Slash directly toward Yuga's heart.

However, it was unfortunate that Purrloin's unexpected attack was easily blocked by Gengar's Shadow Punch beside Yuga.

Purrloin, pushed back by the attack, tumbled and fell at Liepard's feet. After getting back on its feet, it glared fiercely at Gengar, whose body was only half-visible in the shadows. It didn't show any signs of fear, despite being defeated moments ago.

Liepard also narrowed its eyes, its expression uncertain, as it observed Gengar.

Yuga: "I believe you may not be my match, and there's no way you can escape from me."

Although they were reluctant to admit it, both Purrloin and Liepard were acutely aware that Yuga was speaking the truth.

Purrloin was the strongest among this family, but it couldn't withstand a single strike from Gengar. The gap between them and Gengar was too significant, and they knew that Gengar could easily immobilize them with its shadowy gaze.

Yuga: "I think you've been living in the shadows all this time because of Zoroark and Zorua's identities, haven't you? Don't you want to live openly and honestly?"

Living openly and honestly was something this family had always desired but never dared to hope for. Hearing Yuga say it out loud made them feel uneasy.

Yuga continued, "How about we make a deal? You follow me, and I'll provide you with protection, allowing you to live the life you've always dreamed of. You can also keep your family together forever. What do you say?"

Yuga's tone at this moment resembled that of a tempter, enticing someone to commit a crime or descend into darkness. His words successfully shook Purrloin and Liepard to their core.

After the brief confrontation, they had a clear understanding of Yuga's strength. If Yuga truly wanted to shelter them, he had the power to fulfill that promise without much difficulty.

However, despite being deeply tempted by Yuga's proposal, Purrloin and Liepard hesitated. Their habitual cautiousness prevented them from easily trusting a stranger they had just met.

Yuga didn't rush them for an immediate answer but instead gave them time to think.

Seeing the four Pokémon still hesitating, Yuga continued, "You should know that I have no reason to deceive you. With my strength, I could easily subdue you without the need for negotiations."

Yuga's speech was slow and deliberate, with each word hitting them in the heart.

Indeed, Yuga's power was beyond their reach. He had silently followed them here and effortlessly neutralized Purrloin's full-power attack with a single move. With these thoughts in mind, both Purrloin and Liepard felt a sense of powerlessness.

"Zoroark..."

Let's go with him.

At this moment, Zoroark's voice from behind became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Due to herself and her daughter, Zoroark had been living in hiding, causing guilt to weigh heavily on her husband and son. This guilt was the source of her deepest regret.