Kay looked at Eevee's wound, his expression darkening. The Super Potion had helped, but it wouldn't be enough.
Eevee needed proper medical treatment, something far beyond what Kay could provide here in the wilderness.
However, he knew there was no way to get Eevee treated before the game ended. They still had three more hours to endure before the 24-hour survival period was complete.
Fortunately, Eevee's condition wasn't critical. It had managed to use Wish before collapsing, and the Super Potion had stabilized it for now. Everything would be fine if it could hold on for three more hours.
Kay sat on the ground with Eevee resting in his arms. He stroked its fur gently, his mind replaying the battle.
The other Pokemons had returned safely, yet Eevee had suffered severe injuries. That didn't make sense.
He frowned and asked softly, "Why are you so hurt while the others made it back fine? I told you before the battle to avoid the leader."
Eevee's ears twitched weakly, and it let out a few soft cries, "Eevwee... Eevwee..."
Kay listened carefully, watching Eevee's expressions as it tried to explain. He didn't understand every detail, but thanks to their bond, he got the general idea.
The leader Aerodactyl had specifically targeted Eevee. It hadn't attacked the other Pokemons as fiercely because it had recognized Eevee as Kay's partner.
Kay was the one who captured the Aerodactyl in the Pokeball. The leader must have held a grudge against him and wanted revenge by going after Eevee.
Kay clenched his fists. That damn Aerodactyl had almost killed Eevee just to get its revenge on him.
What angered Kay the most was that he exposed Eevee to risks without even knowing.
Taking a deep breath, he carefully picked up Eevee, making sure not to hurt it further. He returned Growlithe to its Pokeball and stood up.
There was no point in staying here any longer. He needed to get back to the others and wait out the rest of the game.
When Kay arrived at the spot where he had left his teammates, they were still gathered in the same place.
As soon as he appeared, they all turned toward him, surrounding him with concerned expressions.
"What happened to Eevee?" one of them asked, looking at the small injured Pokemon in his arms.
"Is it okay?" another added.
Kay looked around at their faces. He knew their concern wasn't genuine. Some of them were probably happy about Eevee's condition.
After all, in this game, every teammate was also a potential enemy for future rounds. If one competitor lost a Pokemon, it meant less competition for the others.
Kay didn't blame them. He would've felt the same if the situation was reversed.
Instead of responding to their fake concern, he changed the topic. "Did you guys decide what to do? Are we going to call another Pokemon, or should we just end the game here?"
One of them shook their head. "We haven't decided yet. We were waiting for you to return."
Kay nodded. "Then let's call another Pokemon. Maybe we'll find it quickly. Who knows? It might even come to us on its own."
The others hesitated at first, but Kay made a good point. The enemy team was already dead, which meant there was no longer any risk. They had nothing to lose by trying.
After a brief discussion, they agreed to Kay's suggestion. Even if they didn't succeed, it wouldn't cost them anything.
The trainer wearing the number 5 on his chest took a deep breath and pulled out the small device given to them by the masked man.
His fingers hovered over the two buttons; one red, one green. He glanced around at his teammates one last time, making sure they were all in agreement. No one objected. With a firm press, he clicked the green button.
A robotic female voice immediately echoed from the device:
"Decision confirmed. Team 5 has chosen to call for another Pokemon after catching their first one."
The group remained silent, waiting for the next instructions.
"Your next target is an Onix with the same red mark."
As soon as the announcement finished, the only woman in the group crossed her arms. "Even though we called for another Pokemon, we should stay here. This place is safe, and moving around might expose us to unnecessary danger."
The Onix trainer, however, had another idea. "I think we should move. We can head toward the place where the other two members were caught. That way, we won't be stuck in the same location, and if we're lucky, we might find the Onix along the way."
Kay nodded slightly, agreeing with the plan. It made sense. Staying in one place wasn't necessarily safe either. They were sitting ducks if something found them here.
The woman hesitated but eventually sighed and nodded. She probably didn't like the idea but couldn't come up with a better one.
Meanwhile, the Sandshrew trainer didn't say a word. He stood motionless, his expression blank, still shaken from losing his Pokemon.
Kay glanced at him but didn't say anything. He understood the pain of losing a partner and pushing him for an opinion now wouldn't help.
Kay finally spoke, "I'm fine with moving, as long as we don't leave the forest. The Aerodactyls are still waiting outside, and the trees are our only protection against them."
With that, the team began their journey deeper into the forest.
This time, they only had one active Pokemon for protection; Ponyta.
Onix, being massive, couldn't move easily in such dense woods, so they all agreed to keep it inside its Pokeball unless in emergencies.
As they walked, the forest remained eerily quiet. No powerful Pokemons jumped out at them. The only creatures they encountered were small and weak.
Kay noticed this unnatural silence. Normally, a forest like this would be teeming with life, with Pokemons appearing constantly.
But the Aerodactyls' presence must have scared off the Pokemons, driving them deeper into the woods.
At least, for now, that meant they didn't have to worry about immediate danger.
After a few moments of walking through the dense forest, the team finally reached the place where their two captured teammates had been tied.
Kay, raised his hand, signaling the others to slow down.
The team obeyed, stepping carefully as they moved forward. Kay took the lead, advancing cautiously.
His eyes scanned the ground, checking for any signs of the opponents. As they got closer, his gaze settled on the spot where the camp had been set up earlier. But what he saw made him freeze in place.
A man lay on the ground, his body lifeless, his clothes soaked in blood. The sight of the slaughtered man sent a wave of shock through the entire team.
Just a while ago, this was the same place where Kay had seen his teammates being captured. How did this happen? Who killed this man?
The man was the trainer from the opponent team who was left behind surveying the two trainers.
Kay didn't recognize him as he hadn't seen it before, but he could conclude that thanks to his dress.
No one spoke. They stood still, trying to process what they were seeing. The air around them felt heavier as if the forest itself had gone silent in response to the gruesome scene.
As they were still investigating, a sudden loud noise echoed through the trees. It was a powerful sound; it seemed like the noise of a battle between two Pokemons.
Kay and his teammates immediately turned toward the direction of the noise. Without hesitation, they ran toward the source, their footsteps crunching against the leaves and twigs beneath them.
As they reached the clearing, they saw a massive Pokemon stomping its feet, its rock-hard body covered in dust. It was a Rhyhorn.
But what caught their attention more was the scene of a Machop facing the Rhyhorn while two trainers stood far away; one of them was commanding the Pokemon in the battle.
These two trainers were their teammates who were caught by the opponent team before.
See you in the next chapter...
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