Seeing that Weavile and Scizor across from them hesitated to make a move, Yuga's Absol forcefully pounded the ground with both of its front fists. Countless sharp rocks emerged from thin air and were hurled at Weavile, sending it flying.
Rock-type Stone Edge attack had a double advantage over Weavile, causing it significant damage.
Meanwhile, Sabrina's Mr. Mime began use moves to enhancing itself, indicating that it was preparing for an attack.
The middle-aged man on the other side quickly realized that this situation was unfavorable. He couldn't win this battle and decided it was time to make a hasty retreat. He recalled both Weavile and Scizor and sent out a Fearow with the intention of escaping.
However, was escaping that simple?
Just as the middle-aged man grabbed Fearow's claw and ascended into the sky, he was knocked down by a sudden appearance of Gengar and crashed to the ground.
Despite the fall, the middle-aged man didn't give up on escaping. He quickly got back on his feet and attempted to mount Fearow once more.
However, before he could do so, he was immobilized in place by Gengar's psychic abilities.
Fearow, although struggling fiercely under the influence of psychic power, seemed as though it might break free at any moment. The surrounding trees were knocked down one after another during its struggles.
At the same time, the middle-aged man that fallen to the ground, now covered in mud and with his fallen mask revealing his face, looked incredibly disheveled.
At that moment, Fearow's struggles were abruptly silenced when Gengar fixed it in place with its Mean Look, causing the bird Pokémon to lie on the ground in fear, screeching loudly.
The middle-aged man, now quite desperate, continued to back away, pleading, "I'm sorry, spare me! I won't do it again."
Suddenly, he reached for another Poké Ball and released a Natu.
Yuga initially thought the man intended to use Natu's Teleport move to escape. He promptly instructed Gengar to block Natu's actions with its Mean Look.
However, just as Natu was about to be immobilized, Yuga noticed a sinister smile on the middle-aged man's face. He realized that something was amiss.
The middle-aged man had seen Gengar use its Mean Look to immobilize Fearow after it was released. Knowing that escape through Pokémon was no longer an option, he cleverly threw out Natu, which he had been nurturing as his escape route.
At that moment, while Yuga and Gengar were focused on the Teleport attempt of Natu, the middle-aged man stealthily made his way to the riverbank. As Yuga and Gengar were distracted by Natu's actions, he plunged into the river and disappeared from sight.
Seeing the middle-aged man vanish into the water, Yuga's expression turned grim. He immediately instructed Gengar and Sabrina's Mr. Mime to use their psychic powers to search the river.
However, no matter how hard they searched, there was no trace of the middle-aged man in the water.
Yuga had not anticipated that the villain's tactics would be so cunning. He had initially underestimated the man's intelligence, thinking he had used up all his resources.
The middle-aged man had not only prepared Pokémon for both a front and back escape, but he had also come up with an ingenious plan during the crucial moment.
Previously, Yuga had mocked the man for not using his brain effectively, but now he realized the man had cleverly outwitted them.
Seeing the disheartened Fearow and Natu, Yuga sighed.
It would be unfair to the Pokémon to have them held captive in their Poké Balls. Since he couldn't retrieve them into their Poké Balls, Yuga reluctantly decided to incapacitate them temporarily. He found a suitable spot and released both Pokémon, allowing them to roam free.
As long as they weren't ruthless Pokémon, Yuga had no intention of harming them. This was the only choice he had.
Without Fearow and Natu, Yuga and his group continued their journey, leaving the scene behind. Yuga couldn't help but feel that it was time to move on since Team Rocket was now aware of their whereabouts, making the area unsafe.
"We should leave this place quickly. Now that Team Rocket knows our whereabouts, it's no longer safe here," Urged Yuga to the others.
Although Sabrina and Eusine didn't know why Team Rocket was trying to capture Gon, they were well aware that Team Rocket was up to no good. Therefore, they swiftly packed their belongings and departed, taking Gon with them.
In order to avoid being tracked again, Yuga's group decided not to linger. Three days later, they arrived on the outskirts of the Mount Tensei.
Looking at the endless expanse of peaks before them, Eusine exclaimed, "The Mount Tensei are vast. Where exactly are we going?"
Just then, a rainbow feather from Gon's clothing began to radiate intensely, illuminating his attire. Gon retrieved the rainbow feather from his clothes, and a rainbow bridge appeared on the feather, extending into the distance.
"The rainbow feather is guiding us. That's the highest peak of the Mount Tensei," Yuga said, pointing to it on a map.
"So, we'll meet the Ho-oh there?" Eusine asked excitedly.
"Most likely," Yuga replied.
"Then let's get going!" Eusine eagerly headed towards the mountain.
As they ascended, they could initially see lush vegetation, but the higher they climbed, the more the altitude increased, and the trees gradually disappeared. The mountain became covered with exposed rocks.
In addition to the terrain shifting from grassy to rocky underfoot, a dense fog began to envelop the mountains, obscuring distant views and making everything seem ethereal.
Through the mist, Yuga's group could see one Pokémon after another hiding within it, with most of them in their final evolved forms.
Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Ratatta, Arbok, Sandslash, Venomoth, Victreebel, and many others, along with a multitude of pidgey circling in the sky, all followed Yuga's group.
"Big Brother Yuga, why do these Pokémon seem so restless?" Gon asked, gripping Yuga's arm with growing unease.
As a psychic-type trainer, he could easily sense the emotions of Pokémon, and Sabrina, with even stronger abilities, felt it too.
"It's because of the Ho-oh. They've sensed the presence of the rainbow feather and want to gain power from the upcoming encounter with the Ho-oh," Yuga explained.
"Is it okay to let them ?" Eusine felt apprehensive, seeing the numerous Pokémon trailing them.
Yuga replied, "What can we do about it? Drive them away?"
Eusine quickly shook his head. The number of these Pokémon was too great, and they were all formidable. Picking a fight with them would be suicidal.
Gon added, "I don't think they have ill intentions."
Yuga nodded in agreement. "You're probably right."
As Yuga's group neared their destination, Mount Tensei Peak, the dense fog finally began to dissipate, allowing sunlight to penetrate directly from the sky, brightening the world around them.