Leading the Way

After Florges questioned the Pokémon, they engaged in a lively discussion, and eventually, a tall Trevenant stepped forward to explain the situation.

This Trevenant seemed quite authoritative, and the other Pokémon subtly followed its lead.

They indeed knew the whereabouts of the Malamar and had witnessed the capture of Clemont.

Upon Florges's command, the Pokémon finally introduced a Dedenne to lead Yuga and his group.

Yuga could tell that the Pokémon were evidently afraid of the Malamar.

However, as they set off, two Ride Pokémon, both Gogoats, voluntarily approached and offered to serve as mounts for Yuga and Florges.

This surprised Yuga. Had his affinity with Grass-type Pokémon reached the point where wild Pokémon would willingly follow him?

Both Gogoats were quite large, easily accommodating Yuga and Florges.

Yuga could tell that these two Ride Pokémon were a pair, as they were accompanied by two smaller Skiddos—one slightly larger than the other, likely their offspring.

Yuga, with Clemont's sister, Bonnie, mounted the male Gogoat, while Florges rode the female Gogoat solo.

The Gogoats lived up to their reputation as Ride Pokémon, offering a comfortable ride that surpassed Absol.

Sitting comfortably on the back of the Gogoat, Yuga silently decided that when they left, he would make an effort to take this whole family with him.

It was said that Ride Pokémon could sense the emotions of the riders on their backs. Yuga wasn't sure if it was true or not. He did have two Gogoats in his own Ecopark, but he hadn't ridden them.

He had, however, ridden the Gogoat that belonged to Alexa. But that didn't give him enough experience to determine if these creatures could indeed sense emotions.

Nevertheless, if Pokémon Scientists had confirmed it, then there must be some truth to it.

Bonnie was experiencing riding a Gogoat for the first time, and she found it quite exhilarating. She gently stroked the Gogoat's back, her previously melancholic expression lightening.

Grass-type Ride Pokémon emitted a subtle aroma of fresh grass. While it couldn't compare to the fragrance of a Meganium, it provided a refreshing sensation.

Guided by Dedenne, Yuga and his group embarked on their quest to find Clemont.

This Dedenne was exceptionally fast, switching between running on the ground and leaping through the trees, displaying remarkable agility.

However, the Ride Gogoats were also skilled runners, matching the Dedenne in speed. Even the two young Gogoats following their parents didn't lag behind.

Dedenne was extremely timid, and whenever they encountered other Pokémon on the way, it would swiftly leap into the underbrush, only emerging once those Pokémon had moved away.

Yuga learned the reason for this behavior from the Ride Gogoats. It turned out that the three Malamars who had taken Clemont were not, as Yuga had initially suspected, acting under someone's orders. They were native Pokémon of this forest, wild Pokémon.

However, these three Malamars were exceptionally malevolent, using their formidable powers to impose a reign of terror on the entire forest. As a result, most of the Pokémon in the forest lived in fear of the Malamars.

Aside from the Malamars, the resident Pokémon of this forest had no means of leaving, so they had no choice but to endure the brutal rule of the Malamars.

The Pokémon's willingness to assist Yuga was not only out of respect for Florges but also stemmed from their hope that Yuga could break the Malamars' dominance, considering Florges's perceived strength.

While Dedenne was inherently timid, its fear of other Pokémon was primarily due to the risk of being discovered by the Malamars for guiding Yuga and his group.

There were many spies of the Malamars within this forest.

The revelation that Malamars were wild Pokémon left Yuga profoundly shocked. What could wild Pokémon possibly want with capturing Clemont?

Yuga asked the Ride Gogoats and Dedenne, but none of them knew the answer.

As for why the Ride Gogoats were so willing to help Yuga and his group, Yuga inquired, but they remained tight-lipped.

Throughout the journey, Yuga could indeed sense faint, unrelenting eyes scrutinizing them, leading him to believe that they had already attracted the Malamars' attention.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, that feeling of being watched only grew stronger.

When they reached the forest's deepest part, the timid Dedenne refused to continue guiding Yuga and his group.

The Ride Gogoats didn't know the exact location of the Malamars, and without Dedenne's guidance, they would be unable to find the Malamars' lair.

Fortunately, Dedenne informed them that they were not far from the Malamars' lair if they continued straight ahead.

Since Dedenne was unwilling to lead the way any longer, Yuga didn't force it. After Yuga agreed to let Dedenne go, it swiftly darted into the undergrowth and disappeared as if its tail were on fire.

After Dedenne left, Yuga, along with Bonnie and Florges, continued riding the Ride Gogoats towards the Malamars' lair.

As expected, just as Dedenne had mentioned, it didn't take them long to spot a black structure hidden within the woods.

Yuga couldn't comprehend why the Malamars, being wild Pokémon, would have a lair that resembled human-made buildings. Could it be that the Ride Gogoats and Dedenne had deceived them?

In Yuga's perspective, this newly constructed and tidy building didn't seem like an abandoned relic but rather something recently built.

What exactly was this place?

As Yuga and Florges were preparing to approach the black structure using the Ride Gogoats, a group of Inkay suddenly emerged from somewhere and blocked their path.

It seemed they had indeed been under surveillance.

When Yuga sensed they were being observed, he contemplated hiding their tracks. However, he wasn't as naive as Dedenne, thinking they could truly remain concealed.

In a forest filled with such a network of spies, hiding was simply impossible. It was better to let them relax their guard openly.

As soon as the Inkay appeared, they simultaneously used Psybeam, unleashing a chaotic array of colorful beams toward Yuga and his group.

Before Florges or Yuga could react, both Ride Gogoats simultaneously employed their Bounce ability, propelling Yuga and Florges high into the air, narrowly avoiding the Inkay's Psybeam attacks.

Bounce was a Flying-type move that granted brief levitation.

While suspended in mid-air, Florges activated her Moonblast, and silver beams of light rained down, causing the Inkay to fall to the ground as if they were dumplings in a basket.

These Inkay were of low level and couldn't withstand Florges's attack.

Once the Ride Gogoats safely landed on the ground again, all the Inkay had already fallen.

Yuga, looking at the two Skiddos, which had disappeared and then reappeared unharmed, inquired with amazement, "Where did you two go just now?"

"Skiddo, Skiddo..."

We were hiding...

Upon hearing this response, Yuga couldn't help but marvel at how adept these two young Skiddos were at concealing themselves. Their speed was also astonishing. They had clearly inherited their parents' skills. Their use of the Bounce ability during the confrontation had been perfectly timed, saving Florges a considerable amount of energy.