Chapter 14: Actions of All Sides

As the three leader-level Pokémon revealed their hostility towards each other, the three Pokémon groups in the purple swamp also gathered together in a standoff. For these loyal tribe members, the leader's will was everything.

The standoff lasted for two minutes before the battle erupted again.

The Crobat, who had just seized the leader's throne, was the first to lose his patience. Using his dual advantages of flight and speed, he swiftly flew towards the treetop of the Toxic Trevenant, aiming to seize the fruit first. But before he could reach the top branch, a vine whip struck him with lightning speed, sending him flying, followed by a barrage of Mud Bombs that accurately hit him.

After Venusaur's vine whip knocked Crobat away, it continued to climb rapidly, attempting to gather all the tree fruits in one go. However, Muk, across from him, used a Body Slam to pin him down, blocking his view. The vine whip's speed abruptly halted. As Crobat regained his breath, he used Air Cutter to sever Venusaur's vine, then flew towards the branch again. Unfortunately, Muk immediately released Venusaur, allowing Venusaur to knock Crobat away with another vine whip.

The three Pokémon were in a delicate balance, where any attempt to seize the fruit would invite attacks from the other two. Each tried in turn, but none succeeded. Eventually, they all grew furious and started fighting each other directly, understanding that only the strongest would have the right to distribute the two fruits.

Seeing their leaders in battle, the Pokémon in the swamp also began fighting the enemy tribes, resulting in a smaller-scale battle compared to earlier.

"Hahaha, keep fighting, fight until you're all dead. Then, the fruits of the Toxic Trevenant will all be mine." Hidden in the shadows, a Rocket Team elite man watched the deadly battle in the swamp with endless greed in his eyes.

"Michel, next, we need to wait until those three leader-level Pokémon decide the winner. The moment the winner emerges, we must act immediately to avoid any complications. Koga is definitely nearby, and he will likely act at that moment too," Vivian said sternly, carefully observing the surroundings and revealing her tension with tightly clenched fists.

"Vivian, you need to relax. Being this tense can lead to mistakes. Koga is a ninja and the personal disciple of Fuchsia Gym Leader. His concealment skills are top-notch, so it's impossible for you to spot him," Michel, the Rocket Team elite, said with a frown upon seeing Vivian's tense state.

Although the Pokémon in the swamp were like clams and cranes, they were the fisherman. However, the strength of the clams and cranes was vastly superior to that of the fisherman. Even in their weakened state, they could still kill the fisherman, so their plan had to be flawless, or it would be a dead end.

"I understand. I don't know why, but I suddenly have a sense of impending doom, which affected me unconsciously. I apologize," Vivian said, closing her eyes to take deep breaths and quickly calming down before speaking calmly to Noah with a smile.

"Hmph, such risky actions are bound to be dangerous. If you're scared, you can back out. I can complete this alone. By the way, once this is done, I want three fruits. No problem, right? After all, I'm putting in the most effort," Michel said unexpectedly, turning back to observe the battle among the three leader Pokémon.

A chilling killing intent simultaneously emanated from both Michel and Vivian, freezing the air and creating a tense atmosphere.

After a moment of silence, Vivian finally unclenched her fists and her face returned to its usual smiling demeanor.

"Of course, Michel. You are putting in the most effort, and that's deserved. I only need one fruit. After all, Ariana is waiting for me to return," Vivian said with a sweet smile, stretching gracefully and then sitting elegantly in front of the glaring Michel.

"If not for Ariana, this slut wouldn't even have a share. What a vixen. It's understandable why the wise and beautiful Ariana took a liking to her," Michel thought, swallowing greedily as he looked at Vivian's alluring figure.

Seeing the fear and greed in Michel's eyes, Vivian gave a seductive smile, moving catlike steps to sit elegantly in front of him, sending a flirtatious glance.

But Michel, who had joined Team Rocket at age ten and survived over a decade of life-threatening experiences, suppressed his desires and coldly glanced at Vivian before turning back to observe the swamp battle.

"Another boring man, but he's so thin. He probably isn't any good. Just wait and see who will have the last laugh. Men who ignore me deserve to die," Vivian thought, maintaining her smile but her eyes turning vicious as soon as Michel turned away.

While the two were engaged in a silent battle of wills, Koga had already begun his move, suspending himself above the Toxic Trevenant using Ariados' threads. With hand signals, he commanded Ariados to use its transparent threads to bind the treetop.

The three leader-level Pokémon were so engrossed in their battle that they didn't notice the situation above. With Ariados successfully securing the treetop, Koga allowed himself a rare smile.

Although he felt a strong desire for the fruits so close to him, he resisted. Ariados' threads, though thin, were incredibly strong, capable of bearing 200 kilograms and resistant to all but fire. With the threads in place, he had a pathway to the fruits. When the time was right, he could easily take all the fruits.

With this done, Koga had Ariados return him to the web above. Among the three leader Pokémon, only Crobat posed a threat to his plan. So, no matter who won, Koga would attack Crobat first. Once Crobat was dead, the fruits would be his.

"It seems Noah won't be coming. What a coward. I overestimated him. Should I kill him? Forget it, I'll use him as a distraction. Just a piece of trash to be used," Koga thought, coldly watching Sato Nanami wrapped in Ariados' threads below. With Noah not showing up, the hostage had no value to him.

Quietly moving, a small fist-sized blob of black sludge stealthily moved towards the edge of the swamp, eventually escaping under the eyes of many poison-type Pokémon.

Reaching a sewage river, the black sludge opened small white eyes, showing a strong unwillingness. He clenched tiny sludge fists and screeched towards the front before turning away. But after moving a short distance, misfortune struck.

With a "smack," a black-shoed foot stomped him. Playing dead, he blended with the surrounding muck, but the foot's owner didn't move.

"Can't stand it. Too unfair," the black sludge thought tearfully, deciding on another risky escape. A small blob quietly moved away from the foot.

"I am the undying, I'll be back. Remember this, Muk boss, damn foot," he thought angrily, trying to sneak a peek at his assailant.

But before he could, misfortune struck again.

A huge snake head appeared before him, its cold eyes staring down.

To be continued...

Give Power stones, the author is working hard. 

(End of this chapter)