The next morning, everyone had recovered by the time they woke up. People in the Pokémon world truly are different; their constitutions are incredible. As usual, Kelly prepared breakfast for everyone, and after eating, they officially set off.
After a day of travel, everyone showed obvious improvement. They began to learn how to analyze the surrounding environment to determine if Pokémon lived nearby. However, it seemed to have little effect. Some Pokémon still arrived uninvited, and it looked as though they were specifically targeting the group.
The environment they now occupied was dark with dim lighting, likely because the lush trees blocked the sunlight. The temperature had also dropped a few degrees compared to before. Not a single bird chirped in the vicinity; it was exceptionally quiet. Suddenly, Eichi's ears twitched. He seemed to hear a slight, distinct sound.
The eerie atmosphere made Kelly and the other two girls feel uneasy, their skin crawling with goosebumps. The expressions on the other boys' faces weren't much better; they all felt that something was wrong with this area. Matsumoto and Ishida, having traveled for a time, were also encountering this for the first time, though they had heard others describe such situations on the road.
Not far from them, a dozen pairs of red eyes appeared out of thin air. The surrounding air was filled with a "hissing" sound.
Matsumoto frowned and said, "Everyone, stay sharp. Let's pick up the pace and get through this area as quickly as possible."
Kelly walked cautiously and gradually increased her speed. Feeling frightened, she constantly moved closer to Eichi. She felt that only by his side was she safe. As they walked, Eichi abruptly sensed something approaching at lightning speed.
Eichi reached for a Poké Ball just as a silhouette lunged down from a tree with thunderous momentum. The target was Kelly.
"Look out!"
Eichi identified the target in the shortest possible time and hurled the Poké Ball. It struck the Pokémon's head. Terrified, Kelly scrambled to the side. The thrown Poké Ball opened, and white light coalesced into Scizor. Without a word, it delivered a Bullet Punch, striking the Pokémon.
It slammed into the ground, revealing itself as an Arbok. Just then, the others looked over. Suddenly, a chorus of cries rang out.
"Chaaa!"
Several Arbok slithered their bodies, emerging from the surrounding jungle.
"Be careful!"
Seeing this, everyone reacted, pulling out Poké Balls and releasing their Pokémon.
"Electabuzz!"
"Go, Umbreon!"
"Go, Ampharos!"
"Go, Typhlosion!"
"Go, Feraligatr!"
The battle was triggered instantly.
"Scizor, Bullet Punch!"
Scizor saw the Arbok lunging forward. Taking the initiative, it charged directly into their midst. The levels of this pack of Arbok weren't particularly high; a single Bullet Punch from Scizor could leave them lying on the ground for quite a while. With extreme speed, it sent several Arbok flying, but more and more of them began to surround the group.
A single Arbok might not be their match, but they came in swarms. Furthermore, their attacks managed to injure several of the students' Pokémon.
"There are too many Arbok! Did we walk into a snake nest?"
"Everyone, use wide-area attack moves!" Following the shout, the other Pokémon unleashed their large-scale attacks.
"Electabuzz, use Thunder!"
"Ampharos, use Thunderbolt!"
"Umbreon, use Dark Pulse!"
"Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!"
"Feraligatr, use Water Pulse!"
Lightning, fire, and water pillars erupted in waves. The scene was filled with fluctuations of energy. After one round, a pile of Arbok was sent flying. Seeing this, they just started to breathe a sigh of relief.
Eichi's ears moved again. More Pokémon were approaching, but this time they weren't coming from the ground—they were flying in the air. A swarm of Golbat and Zubat flew out from the massive trees. Their numbers were immense, and a hideous sound erupted from their mouths.
Supersonic!
It wasn't just Golbat and Zubat; more Arbok and Ekans continued to crawl out of the jungle. Everyone's face turned pale. Their current Pokémon weren't enough, so they all released their second partners.
"Charizard!"
"Miltank, come help too!"
"Steelix, I'm counting on you!"
"Magmar, come out and help!"
"Kirlia, hurry and help out!"
"Combusken, strike!"
Seeing this, Eichi shouted, "We can't stay here! Everyone, blast a path forward!"
"Scizor, leave the Golbat in the sky to you!"
"Heracross, you come out to help too. Use Pin Missile!"
The Arbok didn't hesitate, immediately lunging forward with Fire Fang and Sludge Bomb. The situation was now extremely dangerous, incomparable to what they faced yesterday. Panic began to set in, leaving them to let their Pokémon act on instinct, but the sheer numbers were too much.
"Sato!"
At the very front, Sato heard Eichi calling him. He turned and locked eyes with Eichi. Though no words were spoken, Sato immediately understood his intent.
"Electabuzz, use Thunder!"
"Charizard, Fire Blast!"
"Konan, cover me!"
"Understood!"
Konan released a Blastoise to protect Sato and Electabuzz. Electabuzz clashed its fists together and raised one hand. The sky changed abruptly as a dark cloud flashed and thunder roared.
Boom!
A massive bolt of lightning struck down, hitting all the Pokémon in front. Countless screams blended together. Electabuzz moved aside, and Charizard took a large step forward. It had already begun preparing while Electabuzz was releasing its skill. With a roar, energy surged and gathered in its mouth, and a massive ball of fire was exhaled.
The moment it left its mouth, the scorching fire evolved into a "Da" (大) shaped flame, crashing into the mass of Pokémon.
Bang!
The flames exploded, blasting a path through the Pokémon in front. In the sky, the stout teacher gripped several Poké Balls, ready to provide rescue at any moment.
Seeing the path opened, Eichi shouted, "Everyone, charge out!"
Ishida shouted in joy, "Now's the chance! Steelix, clear the way up front!"
"Kaaan!"
Steelix roared, swinging its body as it charged out. The others followed closely behind, repelling the Pokémon on their left and right.
Eichi grabbed Kelly and retreated toward the front. "Kelly, go! Keep up with them. I'll cover the rear!"
Matsumoto and the others had to keep an eye on the people behind them, forcing them to slow down, but the Arbok and Golbat continued to rush in relentlessly.
Matsumoto roared at those in the back, "Hurry up!"