230 Mysterious Child

Floyd, alert and cautious, issued a warning to his team as they moved stealthily through the dense forest. "Be careful of the Murkrow. They're particularly active at night and could pose a threat," he whispered, his eyes scanning the dark canopy above.

Park Taeyang, following closely behind, added his observation, "Also Keep an eye out for Ekans or Arbok too."

Jonathan, however, displayed a dismissive attitude. "Murkrow, Ekans, Arbok? Hmph, just them? What's so scary about that?" he scoffed, a hint of disdain in his voice.

Xiao Yun shot back, a sardonic tone in his voice, "Oh, keep bragging Jonathan when you didn't even dare to challenge the Arbok in the 'Beast's Sanctuary'"

Jonathan's face flushed with embarrassment and anger at Xiao Yun's reminder. "That was different. That Arbok was far stronger. I can easily defeat a weaker one," he retorted defensively.

Thao, attempting to bring some sense to the conversation, intervened. "Dont underestimate it. There are many different Arbok in these forests, and it's hard to gauge their strength just by looking at them. If you encounter a strong one, it'll be too late for regrets, and you might die,"

Xiao Yun couldn't resist a jibe, "If that happens, I bet Jonathan here would be too scared to move and pee in his pants,"

Jonathan, now fuming, turned to Xiao Yun. "And what about you? Do you think you could do any better?"

Xiao Yun shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not the one boasting and underestimating them. That's all on you."

Jonathan's voice rose in frustration. "Hmph, too much reasoning; you're just scared, you're just afraid."

Xiao Yun snorted in defense. "Afraid? You couldn't even beat me in a fight. Who should be afraid?"

"Can't beat you? You're overestimating yourself," Jonathan retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Xiao Yun was quick to reply, "Isn't it true? We've even fought before, and you lost."

"That was because your Pokémon had a type advantage. If not for that, I would've won easily," Jonathan argued, trying to salvage his pride.

Xiao Yun shook his head, "Always excuses. Face it, you can't beat me."

Jonathan, his ego bruised, shot back, "You almost lost to me even with your type advantage. Aren't you embarrassed?"

Xiao Yun, now visibly agitated, pointed at Jonathan. "Fine, let's have a rematch. We'll see who wins this time."

"Rematch? Fine. I've been wanting to wipe that smug look off your face. You think you can win this time? You're wrong. I've already planned a reverse attribute battle to defeat you, nasty bastard," Jonathan said, a sly grin on his face. "

"Talk, talk, talk, too much talk, no action. Let's fight now," Xiao Yun said, ready for the challenge.

"Fine then, prepare for trouble-" Just was cut off mid-sentence when Linh, with swift and decisive action, silenced both him and Xiao Yun with a well-aimed punch to the back of their heads. "Enough! You're too loud, enough making too much noise!" she scolded loudly.

Jonathan, rubbing the back of his head in pain, glared at Linh. "You're the loud one, you old witch!" he retorted.

Without missing a beat, Linh delivered another sharp punch, this time squarely on Jonathan's head. She fixed him with a stern look. "Still talking, are you?"

Xiao Yun, trying to suppress his laughter at Jonathan's plight, chose to remain silent, wisely opting not to provoke Linh further.

But Jonathan who internally cursing Linh from his mind, suddenly received yet another punch, which made him complain, "What did I do this time?"

"I heard you call me an Old Witch earlier," Linh replied coolly.

"Pu… hahahaha,"Unable to hold back any longer, Xiao Yun burst into laughter, only to receive his own punch from Linh. "You too... keep it down," she admonished.

At this point, both Xiao Yun and Jonathan were nursing their sore heads, silently cursing Linh in their minds.

Floyd and Kanraku could only shake their heads helplessly at the scene, while Park Taeyang and Thao offered slight smiles, amused by the antics of their companions.

Ryoichi and the four villagers watched this display with wide-eyed bewilderment. They questioned whether these people were truly unafraid of the forest and its dangers. Their actions seemed so out of place in the wild.

Finding the group feel somewhat unreliable, they quickly moved to stand behind Floyd and Kanraku, who seemed the most dependable.

Just then, a rustling in the nearby grass caught everyone's attention. A Pokémon was rapidly approaching their position.

While the villagers were startled, the rest of the group was already on alert. Jonathan and Xiao Yun quickly released their Pokémon, shouting:

"Come out, Geodude!"

"Go! Growlithe!"

Geodude and Growlithe emerged from their Pokéballs, exclaiming, "Geo-dude~" and "Awrrrr!"

"Geodude, use Protect!" Jonathan instructed. His Geodude immediately complied, forming a protective barrier.

"Growlithe, Flame Wheel, now!" Xiao Yun commanded. Growlithe sprang into action, engulfing itself in flames and charging towards the unknown Pokémon.

BANG!

There was a loud collision as Geodude's Protect clashed with the oncoming Pokémon, causing both to recoil.

Simultaneously, Growlithe's Flame Wheel made direct contact, eliciting a pained cry from the mysterious pokemon.

"Sable~" the Pokémon wailed, dropping something it had been holding.

"That was..." Floyd exclaimed, recognizing the Pokémon.

Kanraku's eyes widened in recognition as he gazed at the object that had spilled out amidst the chaos. "Isn't that a Tumblestone?" he murmured, momentarily fixating on the unique item before his attention was abruptly diverted back to the peculiar Pokémon. With a mix of curiosity and concern, he queried, "What is that Pokémon?"

At that moment, Jonathan, with a tone of confidence and command, instructed his Pokémon, "Now, Geodude, use Tackle!" The robust Geodude, acknowledging the command with a determined "Geodude~", charged with full force towards the mysterious Pokémon.

The mysterious Pokémon, upon noticing Geodude's swift approach, prepared to react. However, it quickly realized that it was already too late to avoid the upcoming move.

Xiao Yun, observing the scene unfold, "It should be done by now."

He chose not to continue his own attack, instead watching intently as Geodude made its rushed advance.

Floyd, however, noticed something amiss. "That attack was not effective! We cannot let it escape!" he exclaimed. With a swift motion, he released his Pokéball, calling forth, "Dratini, come out!"

"Ehew!" Dratini emerged with a graceful swirl.

Meanwhile, Geodude, who had fiercely slammed towards the mysterious Pokémon. Surprisingly, its physical form seemed to pass right through the Pokémon, as if it were a mirage.

The mysterious Pokémon, realizing the ineffectiveness of Geodude's attack, displayed a teasing smirk. It swiftly grabbed the Tumblestone, preparing to flee. But Floyd was determined not to let it escape so easily.

With strategic foresight, he commanded Dratini, "Use Extreme Speed to close in, then immobilize it with Thunder Wave!" In response, Dratini let out an affirmative "Ehew!" and instantaneously accelerated, moving with breathtaking speed towards the Pokémon before unleashing the paralyzing Thunder Wave.

Tcchhhhhhhhhh.

A crackling sound filled the air as the electrical energy surged. The mysterious Pokémon caught off guard, felt a numbing sensation coursing through its body, rendering it unable to move.

Seizing the moment, Floyd urgently commanded, "Dratini, now use Iron Tail!"

Dratini struck with its iron-hard tail, hitting the paralyzed Pokémon squarely.

Floyd recognized the Pokémon – it was a Sableye.

Sableye screamed in pain,

Without hesitation, Floyd quickly threw his Pokéball "Go!" The ball absorbed Sableye, struggling for a tense few seconds before emitting a confirming click, signaling its capture.

Jonathan, still in a state of disbelief, questioned aloud, "Why did my Geodude's attack pass right through it?" He looked around at his companions for confirmation or explanation. "You all saw it, right? The attack just went through its body!"

Floyd, gave a hint, acting as he speculated, "It could be a new type of Pokémon." His words hung in the air, intriguing everyone present.

Kanraku, driven by his curiosity, suggested eagerly, "Floyd-san, let's release it and find out more about this Pokémon."

"Got it," Floyd nodded in agreement, preparing to release the Sableye. However, before he could act, the surrounding grass rustled ominously, and a chorus of distinct calls emerged:

"Vigo- Vigo,"

"Vigoroth!"

"Vigo-roth!"

"Vigo~"

"Bigo, bigo, bigoroth, bigo,"

Everyone turned their heads towards the noise and saw a bipedal Pokémon with a teardrop-shaped tuft of red fur on its forehead. It had stubby ears, two small, triangular teeth in each jaw, a brown lower jaw, and large eyes encircled by brown rings. Two brown stripes ran down its back. Its arms were long, with hands and feet sporting two sharp black claws each. The undersides of its hands and feet featured circular red pads, and its rear also displayed a baboon-like red patch. The fur on its chest, tail, and sides of its maw was shaggy.

It was a Vigoroth.

The villagers, witnessing this unexpected arrival, were overtaken by a wave of panic. Ryoichi, the village chief, turned to Kanraku with a look of sheer alarm. "Kanraku-san, what should we do?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear.

Kanraku, maintaining a composed demeanor, reassured him, "Village Chief, please, remain calm. There's no need to worry. I still have Blastoise with me," he said, trying to instill a sense of confidence and calm in the villagers.

Amidst the rising tension, Floyd, who was observing the scene through his black, high-tech sunglasses, pointed out something unusual. "Professor, look at that," he said, adjusting his glasses to enhance his view.

Kanraku and the others, curious about Floyd's discovery, put on their own sunglasses, which were equipped with similar technology.

Through the enhanced lenses, they spotted a young child, seemingly between the age of 4 and 6, starkly naked and following the Vigoroth. The absence of clothing made them identify that the child was a girl.

"Vigoroth!"

"Vigo~"

"Vigoroth!"

In no time, dozens of Vigoroth had encircled the group, their expressions turning from alertness to anger as they glared at Kanraku and his companions.

"Bigo, Bigo, Bigoroth! Bigo," the young girl also chimed in, imitating the Vigoroth and looking angrily at Kanraku and his group.

The situation was growing increasingly tense, with the villagers and Kanraku's group surrounded by a troop of agitated Vigoroth and a mysterious girl.