Upon hearing Yuga's words, the Pokémon wasted no time and launched an immediate counterattack.
Perhaps due to their long existence, these stone figurines were incredibly fragile. With their hands outstretched, the Pokémon used their striking abilities to shatter these figurines, almost like swatting flies.
Swellow and Linoone utilized Air Slash and Shadow Ball, respectively, obliterating the stone figurines into fragments.
However, the unsettling mix of bones and stone debris on the ground created an uncomfortable sight.
Despite the relative ease of defeating these stone figurines, their sheer numbers were overwhelming—wave after wave, akin to the ceaseless crashing of waves upon a shore.
At that moment, Yuga spotted a furtive black shadow behind one of the stone figurines in the distance. However, because the figurines obstructed the view, Yuga couldn't discern its appearance clearly.
Could this whole situation be orchestrated by that shadowy figure? Consequently, Yuga led Absol and charged straight towards it.
Just as Yuga and Absol were about to close in on the shadow, a Shadow Ball suddenly shot forth from it, striking Absol and incapacitating it from battle.
With Absol's protection gone, the surrounding stone figurines swiftly closed in on Yuga. Seeing this, Swellow took to the skies and, perceiving Yuga's plight, accelerated towards him, swiftly dispatching the stone figurines.
Yuga hadn't anticipated that his Absol would be defeated with just one encounter with the shadowy entity. He quickly pointed towards the shadow's direction and instructed Swellow, "It's likely that the shadow is controlling these stone figurines. Go handle it. Don't worry about me."
Swellow acknowledged with a nod and headed towards the shadow, launching an Air Slash. However, the Air Slash dissipated upon reaching the shadow's location, followed by a Hex.
Swellow deftly evaded Hex, only to be struck by the subsequent Mean Look.
Beneath the influence of the Mean Look, Swellow found himself immobilized, unable to move, and forced to helplessly watch as another Hex bore down upon him.
Seeing Swellow about to be hit, a pink figure abruptly materialized in front of him, absorbing the full impact of Hex.
As it turned out, Audino had also noticed the anomaly and hastened over.
Having deflected Hex, Audino retaliated with a Shadow Ball, shattering the stone figurines obstructing the shadow.
Now, the true form of the figure concealed behind the stone figurines was revealed: a body swathed in grayish-white tatters, its colossal hands slightly extended, with the most arresting feature being its crimson single eye—lifeless and vacant.
This was a Ghost-type Pokémon, a Dusclops.
Abilities: Shadow Punch, Fire Punch, Future Sight, Confuse Ray, Astonish, Curse, Protect, Will-O-Wisp, Hex, Mean Look.
This Dusclops's level was nearly on par with Audino's. It was no wonder that both Absol and Swellow had met with setbacks against it.
Clearly, among those present, only Audino stood a chance against it.
"Audino, focus on that Dusclops. We'll handle these stone figurines."
With that, Yuga withdrew Absol from the battlefield and sent out Floette.
Audino acknowledged Yuga's directive with a nod and lunged towards Dusclops.
Upon seeing Audino approach, Dusclops began emitting eerie, uncanny cries that sent shivers down one's spine.
Faced with this eerie Ghost-type Pokémon, Audino's initial move was to create a Misty Terrain, aiming to shield against abnormal conditions.
A pale pink mist slowly began to spread from Audino's center, enveloping both Audino and Dusclops in its embrace.
Indeed, with the Misty Terrain in place, Dusclops's usual Ghost-type moves like Will-O-Wisp and Astonish had no effect. As a result, Dusclops grew increasingly impatient, its eerie cries growing more unsettling by the second.
Meanwhile, Yuga, accompanied by Floette, Swellow, and Linoone, was assisting Audino in fending off the attacks from the stone figurines. Upon hearing Dusclops's cries, Yuga felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but shudder.
This Dusclops was truly bizarre; it seemed devoid of reason and emotion.
While most Ghost-type Pokémon were eerie, many of them tended to engage in pranks to absorb human emotions as sustenance. Few of them actually harbored malice towards humans.
For instance, a Pokémon like Chandelure would inadvertently drain the life force of humans around it, leaving them weakened. However, this wasn't intentional on its part—it couldn't control this instinctual behavior.
Similarly, a Pokémon like Gengar enjoyed playing tricks on humans and found joy in it. But they weren't malicious; they simply didn't comprehend that their actions could inconvenience others, assuming that everyone was as happy as they were. Their nature was incredibly innocent.
However, this particular Dusclops emanated an entirely different aura. It exuded an air of coldness and malevolence, even without actively trying.
With no rationality whatsoever, Dusclops launched a Fire Punch at Audino, only to be repelled by Audino's own Fire Punch. The resulting crimson sparks scattered, bringing a touch of warmth to the initially frigid space.
Seizing the moment when Dusclops was pushed back, Audino took the opportunity. Casting Dazzling Gleam, a radiant burst aimed directly at Dusclops's face, engulfed its head in a pink glow, prompting it to let out a piercing scream.
During this exchange, Audino suddenly displayed an expression of anguish—apparently, Dusclops had previously cursed it with its Curse move, and now the curse was taking effect.
Observing this situation, Yuga swiftly released his Chimecho and said, "Chimecho, help Audino out."
With a chirp, Chimecho nodded and flew towards Audino, using Heal Pulse on it.
In the blink of an eye, Heal Pulse nullified the damage caused by the Curse move to Audino. Fueled by the agony caused by the Curse, Audino grew furious. Without hesitation, it launched a Shadow Ball at Dusclops.
At this point, Dusclops also seemed to recognize that it wasn't a match for the pink creature before it. It began controlling more stone figurines, sending them swarming towards Audino, attempting to use the distraction to escape.