Just as the three were about to leave, three Pokémon suddenly appeared nearby.
Their expressions changed drastically.
In a wild environment , if a Pokémon got this close, the situation was dire!
They saw Slowking appear with Sneasel and Skorupi, directly targeting the woman with an attack.
Realizing she was the target, her face turned pale instantly.
These three Pokémon didn't look weak at all. Perhaps she could hold her own against one, but definitely not against three.
The burly man and the young leader also reacted, reaching for their Pokéballs.
During their rest, they had warned each other to stay alert against ambushes, but they hadn't expected an attack right as they were about to leave.
However, the three weren't inexperienced novices. Anyone who could survive for so many days in the wilderness obviously had defensive measures.
Suddenly, a Kecleon appeared on the woman's shoulder.
Facing Sneasel's initial attack, the hidden Kecleon immediately revealed itself, using Protect to block Sneasel's Ice Punch.
But that was all it could do. Skorupi, following closely behind Sneasel, launched a lightning-fast stinger strike at the woman.
If the attack landed, even if she didn't die instantly, the venom in the stinger wouldn't be something she could withstand.
Without receiving a specific antidote within five seconds, given the limitations of the human body, she was doomed!
Meanwhile, Honchkrow, soaring from above, dived directly at the burly man.
The man had barely evaded Sneasel and Skorupi's attacks when he saw a massive crow descending on him.
For Honchkrow, ten meters was nothing but a blink of an eye, and the attacks from Sneasel and Skorupi were just as swift.
Seeing Honchkrow closing in, the man gritted his teeth. A Kecleon also appeared on his shoulder, jumping to use Protect and block Honchkrow's attack. Finally, his hand reached for his Pokéball.
On the other hand, the short-statured young leader rolled across the ground, evading Skorupi's attack without needing any Pokémon to block it.
From a distance, Cain observed the entire scene, his expression growing serious. He hadn't expected the two to have Kecleon as their secret defense.
Now he understood why no Pokémon had been visible with them—like him, they had an ace up their sleeves.
Fortunately, Cain hadn't relied solely on Sneasel to attack.
Skorupi's stinger, moving at high speed, struck the woman directly.
It pinned her to the ground; she couldn't avoid the attack.
Her eyes widened in shock. She could hardly believe that just moments ago, she had been fantasizing about returning to redeem a Intermediate-quality Water Stone to evolve her Shellder into a Cloyster, which would greatly boost her strength to help her "elder brother."
But now, all those dreams had turned to dust.
Though she had blocked Sneasel's first Ice Punch, she couldn't evade Skorupi's venomous strike.
What she couldn't understand was why her leader, who clearly had the opportunity to save her, didn't.
All three had a Kecleon as their hidden defense. The leader had dodged Skorupi's attack, and none of the attacking Pokémon seemed to target him. He could have easily used his Kecleon to save her.
But she would never get the chance to ask, as her vision faded.
Elsewhere, the burly man had managed to have his Kecleon block Honchkrow's attack, but Slowking, who had teleported with Sneasel and Skorupi, had yet to act.
Initially, it had been eyeing the young leader for an attack, but noticing the Kecleons on the other two, it understood that its assault might not be as effective as expected.
With sharp instincts, Slowking made a quick decision.
In the absence of direct orders from its trainer, a Pokémon had to act on its own.
It fired a Water Gun, amplified by its psychic powers, creating its signature technique: the Psychic Water Gun.
Following Honchkrow's attack, the Psychic Water Gun was aimed at the burly man.
The psychic power accelerated the attack, transforming the stream of water into a deadly arrow.
The man had just evaded Honchkrow's strike and was about to release his Pokémon when the water arrow appeared before him.
His expression froze as Slowking's attack slammed him against a tree. As the psychic energy and water dissipated, the man slowly slid down the trunk.
In the blink of an eye, Cain's four Pokémon had achieved tremendous success in their surprise attack, eliminating two of the three opponents.
This was made possible by Cain's impeccable timing, striking when the trio was at their most vulnerable.
Moreover, the coordination among the Pokémon was flawless; even though the three enemies had Kecleon for defense, they couldn't withstand the assaults.
Cain's Pokémon worked in pairs, with one breaking the defense and the other delivering the fatal blow.
The sole survivor, the young leader, now wore a grim expression, his face clouded with extreme bitterness.
Moments ago, he had been telling his two subordinates that he would soon ascend to the rank of officer and would need their support.
But now, without ever receiving that support, they were dead.
He had invested heavily in their training, almost as if he had raised them himself. His plan had been to ensure that once he became an officer, he wouldn't stand alone in the role.
But now, one was pinned to the ground, and the other lay against a tree, both dead without ceremony.
As the woman had thought before dying, he really could have saved her.
But he hadn't—or rather, he didn't dare to.
He still had his Kecleon hidden on his shoulder, his last line of defense. In most battles, this Pokémon never showed itself, kept as his ultimate trump card.
He hadn't allowed his Kecleon to assist the woman because he believed that if he did, he might die himself.
No life was more important than his own.
And he had been right. Slowking had considered attacking him but, guessing he also had a Kecleon that hadn't used Protect yet, shifted its focus to the burly man.
The latter's shield had already been broken by Honchkrow, so Slowking knew its attack would succeed.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" the leader shouted, his voice filled with uncontrollable rage.