Before Serena's untimely demise, she had pointed out a diary in her bag. The diary contained detailed accounts of their journey and the challenges they faced. The forest beyond the crack was uncharted territory for them, so they diligently recorded their encounters and observations.
The diary's first warning concerned paralyzing and sleeping powders. The entries stated that these powders had a weaker effect than usual but were undetectable. No Pokémon could be seen employing these moves, leading the diary to suspect the involvement of a powerful Pokémon capable of such manipulation.
The initial two days of their journey proceeded without incident, encountering wild Pokémon up to the elemental rank. They even spotted a few pseudo-king ranked Pokémon, but they wisely avoided engaging in battle with them.
However, on the second night, everyone, except for the leader and her Venusaur, failed to wake up. They were attacked by wild Pokémons during this vulnerable state, led by an unknown Pokémon of king rank. It was a species they had never encountered before, but Axel already knew its identity—it was Electivire, the evolved form of Electabuzz that had yet to be officially discovered.
The leader attempted to rouse the other participants, but two of them tragically perished. Serena was fortunate to awaken early, but even after the others regained consciousness, they found themselves unable to move properly. Only through the combined efforts of their leader and her Venusaur did they manage to survive. Despite being just a king ranked Pokémon, the leader was unable to defeat Electivire, which quickly retreated upon sensing the battle turning against it.
Mark had prepared for this challenge. Thankfully, he had a Xatu that had fully mastered its hidden ability, 'Magic Bounce,' allowing it to reflect status moves back to the enemy. He had also equipped the team with an ample supply of potions and antidotes, which they had already taken. Additionally, Axel's Venusaur possessed the ability to use 'Aromatherapy' to cure status ailments.
They ventured cautiously into the forest, keeping a watchful eye. The forest seemed darker than before, making progress difficult amidst thorns, dense grass, and towering trees. Axel couldn't shake the feeling of impending danger emanating from the forest.
Although they occasionally caught glimpses of Pokémon in the vicinity, none of them posed a threat or approached the team. Axel reasoned that their reluctance to engage was likely due to never having encountered humans before.
According to the diary, they had encountered two king ranked Pokémon in the area: Electivire and Breloom. It was crucial to avoid confrontations with them since they lacked a king ranked Pokémon on their team. With a sense of urgency, they pushed forward, knowing they couldn't complete the mission in a single day. Finally, night fell upon them.
Determining whether it was night in this unfamiliar part of the forest proved challenging as the dense foliage obstructed all light. Nights in unknown forest regions were never ideal due to the presence of ghost type Pokémon.
They set up camp, deciding to take turns standing guard. Axel volunteered for the first shift, with B agreeing to take over later in the night.
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The next day arrived, and things began to feel unsettling. This was a forest, teeming with wild Pokémon that should have launched numerous attacks. Yet, they had only encountered two groups of wild Pokémon, both of which fled upon seeing the team. Curiously, there were no disruptions from ghost type Pokémon during the night. Something was amiss, and the absence of Pokémon auras intensified their unease.
All of them possessed aura abilities and were capable of sensing Pokémon auras, with Axel's Aura Sense having reached level 27. However, there were no traces of Pokémon aura in the forest. It felt as if the entire forest was deserted, which left them deeply disturbed.
Despite their concerns, they pressed on toward their destination at an accelerated pace, hoping to reach their leader within the next two days.
Suddenly, Xatu spoke up telepathically, breaking the eerie silence.
"Xa... Xatu."
'I sense that I've been affected by paralysis and sleeping powder,' it conveyed to the team using its Telekinesis ability. With Xatu having fully mastered 'Magic Bounce,' it could discern if it had been targeted by a status move.
"Everyone, instruct your Pokémon to use status moves to bolster themselves. We're about to face a battle," Axel declared, the team having reached a consensus to follow his leadership. Despite Axel and K being the youngest members, their experiences during the previous ordeal had prepared Axel for this role.
With preparations underway, they sprinted toward their destination as swiftly as possible. After roughly twenty minutes of running, they stumbled upon a sight that would forever be etched in their memories.
A sprawling crack stretched across the entire forest before them, unlike the previous crack they had encountered. However, this new crack emitted a vivid red hue instead of the usual purple. The diary had mentioned this distinct feature, emphasizing the need to cross this crack to reach their destination.
But that wasn't what stunned them.
Just before the crack lay an army of various Pokémon species. The sheer number made it nearly impossible to count, but Axel, drawing from his experience, estimated there were at least forty Pokémon present.
They comprised elemental ranked and higher Pokémon, with ten pseudo-king ranked Pokémon positioned behind the elemental ranked ones, and two king ranked Pokémon—Electivire and Breloom—standing guard at the rear.
Two long, spike-like structures protruded from the ground, reaching a height of approximately three meters, and at the tips of these spikes were the severed heads of two unfortunate participants. The grotesque heads exhibited dried blood, shocked expressions, and emitted a putrid odor.
K couldn't contain his horror and let out a piercing scream. As the youngest member aside from Axel, he had never encountered a dead body or severed head before. A, B, and Mark managed to maintain their composure, albeit B succumbing to a fit of vomiting.
The level of brutality displayed by these Pokémon was beyond words. The group struggled to comprehend the situation for a few moments, except for Axel.
Remaining calm as the sea, Axel had steeled himself for this eventuality, although he hadn't anticipated the extent of the savagery and horror before him. His gaze locked with Electivire's, which wore a sinister grin before bellowing in a commanding voice,
"Capture them."