Night Attack

The night was dark and still, the crackling fire slowly dying down as Greg and I sat in uneasy silence. Tyrunt and Lotad had finally settled in, curled up near the warmth of the flames. Greg had already drifted off, his breathing steady and calm, but sleep wouldn't come for me. Something about the way the night felt—a heaviness in the air—kept my mind alert.

I shifted on the ground, glancing toward the treeline. The fire cast long shadows, and the rustling of leaves sounded louder than it should. Every little movement made me more anxious. My hand instinctively moved toward Tyrunt, resting on his back. He twitched slightly in his sleep, his body still tense from the long day of training.

Then, without warning, the silence was shattered by the sound of crunching leaves—a step, unmistakable and deliberate.

I shot up, heart racing. "Greg," I whispered, reaching over to shake him. "Greg, wake up."

He stirred, blinking groggily. "What... what's going on?"

Before I could answer, two figures emerged from the darkness, their faces hidden beneath dark hoods. One of them carried a backpack slung over his shoulder, the other holding two Poké Balls, a predatory grin flashing in the firelight.

"Look what we have here," the first one sneered, his voice low and menacing. "Couple of travelers, nice little camp. And you've got some decent Pokémon too."

I scrambled to my feet, my hand going for Tyrunt's Poké Ball, but before I could do anything, the second man stepped forward, tossing his Poké Balls into the air. In a flash of light, a Graveler and a Golbat—an eerie, dark-looking Pokémon I hadn't seen before—materialized on the ground, both looking ready for a fight.

"Stay back," I warned, trying to keep my voice steady. "We don't want any trouble."

The first man chuckled darkly. "Too late for that, kid. We want your gear. And maybe that Tyrunt of yours while we're at it."

Greg was on his feet now, eyes wide with alarm, but he quickly snapped into action. "Lotad, get ready!"

Lotad leaped forward, taking a defensive stance, while Tyrunt stood by my side, growling, his teeth bared and ready to strike.

The second man barked a command. "Graveler, use Rollout! Take 'em down!"

Graveler curled into a massive ball and began rolling toward us, the ground shaking beneath its weight. I barely had time to react before it was barreling down on Tyrunt.

"Tyrunt, Stomp! Stop it in its tracks!"

Tyrunt roared, slamming his foot down with all his might. The ground trembled, and Graveler's momentum faltered just enough for Tyrunt to leap to the side, dodging the full impact.

Greg was quick to command Lotad. "Water Gun, Lotad! Hit Graveler!"

Lotad shot a stream of water, striking Graveler and sending it skidding to a halt. The water hissed as it hit the rock-type Pokémon, steam rising from its surface.

The first man snarled, frustrated. "Golbat, use Hypnosis!"

The eerie Pokémon's eyes glowed with a dark, pulsating light, and for a moment, I felt my own mind slipping into a fog. But Tyrunt let out a sharp roar, shaking me out of it. I looked over just in time to see Goblet turn its gaze on Greg and Lotad.

"Lotad, dodge!" Greg shouted, but Lotad was too slow. The dark energy wrapped around it, and the little Pokémon's eyes drooped as it collapsed, fast asleep.

I cursed under my breath, turning to Tyrunt. "We've got to end this fast. Use Dragon Tail on Graveler!"

Tyrunt charged forward, his tail glowing with raw energy. He slammed it into Graveler with all his strength, sending the boulder-like Pokémon flying into a nearby tree. Graveler groaned but wasn't out yet.

Suddenly, the first man stepped forward, pulling a knife from his belt. "Enough of this. Hand over your stuff, or I'll gut you right here!"

My blood ran cold. This wasn't just some battle—they were serious. And there was no way I was handing over Tyrunt or our belongings.

Before I could even think, the man lunged at me. But Tyrunt, faster than I could react, launched himself forward, his jaws snapping. I heard a sickening crunch, followed by a scream, and suddenly the man's head was in Tyrunt's mouth.

Blood sprayed across the campfire as Tyrunt bit down, hard. The man's body went limp, his scream cut short, and Tyrunt tossed his head, flinging the lifeless corpse to the ground with a heavy thud.

I stood there, frozen, as the second man screamed in horror. "No! What the hell—Graveler, take them down! Rollout again!"

But Graveler was disoriented, struggling to get up after the heavy hit from Tyrunt's Dragon Tail. Greg, eyes wide with shock, quickly commanded Lotad to wake up, shaking off the Hypnosis.

"Lotad, finish Graveler with Water Gun!"

Lotad, shaking off the drowsiness, shot another powerful stream of water, this time hitting Graveler square in the chest. The rock-type groaned and collapsed, knocked out cold.

The second man was backing away now, his eyes wild with fear. "You… you killed him! You psycho!"

But I wasn't listening. My heart was racing, adrenaline surging through my veins as I tried to process what had just happened. Tyrunt stood beside me, his jaws dripping with blood, eyes locked on the remaining man.

"Get out of here," I growled, my voice shaking with fury. "Before I let Tyrunt finish what he started."

The man didn't need to be told twice. He recalled his Golbat, turned, and ran into the darkness, disappearing into the forest as fast as his legs could carry him.

For a long moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire and the heavy breathing of Tyrunt, Greg, and me. Tyrunt was still tense, his muscles coiled, but slowly, he began to relax, realizing the immediate threat was gone.

Greg looked at me, his face pale. "Jack… what the hell just happened?"

I swallowed, trying to calm myself. "I… I don't know. Tyrunt just… reacted. He was protecting us."

Greg nodded slowly, his eyes flicking to the dead body by the fire. "We need to get out of here. Fast. Before anyone else shows up."

I nodded, already packing up my gear, my mind racing. Tyrunt had saved us, but the price we'd just paid… I wasn't sure what to think.

We left the camp quickly, the weight of what had just happened hanging heavy between us. Neither of us spoke, the tension thick in the air. Tyrunt walked beside me, his usual energy replaced with a quiet intensity. I reached down, brushing my hand against his side, and for the first time, I felt like I was holding something dangerous.