Before they could celebrate their small victory, a deafening roar echoed across the mountain. Kay turned his head sharply and felt a chill run down his spine.
The leader of the Aerodactyls was furious. Having already lost many members of its herd, it could not tolerate losing another, especially not to humans.
Its wings flared wide, and with a single powerful flap, it sent a gust of wind so strong that it nearly knocked them off their feet. The rage in its eyes was unmistakable. It wasn't just angry, it wanted revenge.
"We need to move, now!" one of the trainers shouted.
Without hesitation, the Onix trainer called out his Pokemon. The massive rock snake emerged from its Pokeball with a loud roar, towering over them.
At the trainer's command, Onix lowered its head, allowing everyone to climb onto its rocky body.
As soon as they were on, Onix turned its head and put them down near the mountain base.
By the time they reached the base of the mountain, the Aerodactyls were already near them, ready to attack.
Knowing that keeping Onix out would only slow them down, its trainer quickly recalled it into its Pokeball. But they weren't safe yet.
The Aerodactyls were coming for them, so if they didn't act fast, they would be caught before they could escape.
Thinking quickly, the Sandshrew trainer gave his command.
"Sandshrew, use Sandstorm!"
The small Ground-type Pokemon spun in place, kicking up a thick cloud of dust and sand.
The air turned hazy, making it difficult to see. The Aerodactyls screeched in frustration, momentarily blinded by the storm.
But their hesitation didn't last long. The Aerodactyls used Gust and cleared the sandstorm in an instant.
However, it was too late.
That short moment of confusion had given Kay and his team enough time to dash into the forest.
As Kay and his team sprinted toward the forest, the Aerodactyls roared behind them, giving chase.
The trainers were only a few meters from the forest, and safety was within reach. But just as they were about to enter the forest, the Aerodactyl leader dived toward them at an incredible speed.
A bright glow gathered in its mouth, and Kay's eyes widened in alarm. "Hyper Beam!"
Kay knew they wouldn't make it in time. The attack was too fast, and they had no cover.
Without hesitation, he called out, "Eevee, use Swift! Everyone, order your Pokemons to attack it now!"
The other trainers reacted instantly, shouting commands to their Pokemons. Many attacks shot forward, clashing with the incoming Hyper Beam.
But it wasn't enough.
The sheer power difference between their Steel-stage Pokemons and the Bronze-stage Aerodactyl was too great.
Their combined attacks only weakened the beam slightly before it crashed into the ground between their Pokemons, sending a shockwave through the air. The impact sent all of the Pokemons flying in different directions.
Only Onix remained standing, its massive weight preventing it from being thrown away.
Kay quickly assessed the situation. They couldn't afford to fight here. "Tell your Pokemons to hold off the Aerodactyls! Once we reach the forest, they can retreat and follow us!" he shouted.
'Hopefully, the leader Aerodactyl couldn't move for some moments after using Hyper Beam, so the Pokemons would have to deal with only Aerodactyls from the same stage' Kay thought.
The trainers hesitated for a second but then nodded, realizing it was their best chance. They turned to their Pokemons, giving them the same orders.
Kay glanced at Eevee before running. He had already warned his Pokemon earlier to not take unnecessary risks.
The other Pokemons would hold back the Aerodactyls, but Eevee had to prioritize its own safety.
The trainers bolted into the forest, pushing deeper inside to avoid special attacks. The thick trees made it impossible for the large-winged Aerodactyls to follow. They finally stopped, catching their breath as they listened for any signs of pursuit.
Then, one by one, their Pokemons began returning. Ponyta was the first to arrive, galloping through the trees at full speed.
Then, after a few tense moments, Onix burst out from the ground, having used Dig to enter the dense forest.
Kay's heart was still racing as he scanned the area. 'Where is Eevee?' His eyes flicked to the other Pokemons. "Where are the rest?" he asked.
But Ponyta and Onix didn't seem to know. They had been fighting far from the others and had no idea what had happened to Eevee or Sandshrew.
Kay checked his Pokedex for the tenth no, fiftieth time. Eevee was still alive, but the screen showed no further details. That should have reassured him, but something was telling him something was wrong.
Then, a soft thud made him turn.
The Sandshrew trainer had fallen to his knees, staring at his Pokedex with wide, empty eyes.
Kay's breath caught in his throat. He knew what that meant.
Sandshrew was dead.
Silence fell over the group. No one spoke. No one moved. Kay clenched his fists, his mind racing. Eevee was still out there. He couldn't wait any longer.
"I'm going back for Eevee," he said firmly.
No one objected. They didn't even look at him.
He understood why.
They were teammates in this game, but in the next game, they could be enemies. They had no reason to help him now.
Kay reached into his bag and pulled out the Pokeball containing the Aerodactyl he had caught. Without hesitation, he tossed it onto the ground near them.
Then, without another word, he turned and ran back toward the forest entrance hoping to find Eevee safe.
Kay could still hear the roars of the Aerodactyls echoing near the forest entrance.
His body tensed at the sound, but despite the danger, he knew he couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Eevee was out there, alone and maybe in a dangerous state.
He gripped Growlithe's Pokeball tightly, knowing that his fire Pokemon was his only hope of finding Eevee and making it back safely. Taking a deep breath, he ran through the trees, his heart pounding with every step.
Within moments, he reached the forest entrance. As soon as he caught sight of the Aerodactyls flying in the open sky, he slowed his pace, shifting from running to careful, silent steps.
The last thing he needed was to alert them. He crouched behind a thick tree trunk and scanned the area where they had left their Pokemons to fight.
His eyes darted around, searching desperately for any sign of Eevee. Instead, his gaze landed on something else; something that made his stomach churn.
The lifeless body of Sandshrew lay on the ground, its motionless form surrounded by two Aerodactyls tearing into its flesh.
Kay clenched his fists, forcing himself to look away, what was important now was only finding Eevee, not something else.
He knew the rules of this world. The strong eat the weak.
When Pokemons died outside dungeons, they didn't drop any Power Stones or crystals. Their bodies remained, just like any other creature.
Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Kay pulled Growlithe's Pokeball from his belt and released it.
"Growlithe, find Eevee's scent," he ordered, his voice firm.
Growlithe let out a serious bark, "Graaw..." Its expression was unlike anything Kay had ever seen before, with no playful energy, no wagging tail. Just pure focus.
Kay knew that Growlithe understood the urgency of the situation. It lowered its nose to the ground and sniffed deeply.
After a few moments, Growlithe suddenly raised its head and barked again, its tail stiffening.
Kay understood immediately. "You found it?"
Growlithe gave a short nod before bolting forward, weaving through the trees at full speed. Kay followed closely behind, his heart racing with anticipation.
After several minutes of running, Growlithe stopped near a large tree and sniffed around its base.
It walked a few steps forward before stopping at a patch of leaves and barking loudly for Kay to come over.
Kay hurried to Growlithe's side and knelt down. On the leaf, Kay found some traces of blood, from Growlithe's expression Kay anticipated that it was Eevee's blood.
Then he pushed aside the big leaf, revealing something unexpected; a small hole in the ground, just the right size for Eevee.
His mind quickly pieced it together. Eevee must have used Dig to escape, but it was injured, so it couldn't keep digging for long.
Kay's chest tightened. If Eevee was injured, it might still be in danger.
Following the faint trail of blood on the forest floor, Kay and Growlithe continued deeper into the woods.
The tracks led them to an enormous tree with a hollowed-out trunk. Kay peered inside and, in the dim light, spotted a small brown figure curled up inside.
"Eevee!"
Kay carefully picked up his partner. A wave of relief washed over him as he felt its warm body against his chest. Eevee was alive.
He held Eevee close, feeling its soft fur against his skin. "You're safe now," he whispered.
Eevee stirred in his arms and slowly opened its eyes. It let out a weak bark, "Eevwee..." A faint but happy expression crossed its face as it looked up at him.
Kay swallowed the lump in his throat. Eevee had a deep wound in its stomach, and though it had tried using Wish to heal itself, the injury was too severe for natural recovery.
Without wasting a second, Kay pulled a Super Potion from his bag and sprayed it over Eevee's wound.
See you in the next chapter...
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