A series of tremors shook the ground beneath Ye Lan's feet. He was about to take the other two to the heart of the forest to investigate when something yanked his pant leg, nearly pulling him off balance.
"Marsha! Marsha!"
Marshadow looked frantic. No longer caring about staying hidden or the looks Qin Chuan and Jenny Li gave her, she leaped out of the shadows, wrapped her arms around Ye Lan's calf, and desperately tried to stop him.
"You're saying the forest's center is dangerous right now, and there's a Pokémon there that ranks third among all the Pokémon you've ever seen?"
"Marsha!"
"Only third, huh... Wait. The top two aren't..."
"Marsha!"
Marshadow nodded furiously. Ye Lan's face stiffened, and he drew back the foot he had already stepped forward with. His heart sank.
The two Poké Balls at his waist opened on their own. Rillaboom and Serperior took positions in front of and behind Ye Lan, guarding him as though facing a mortal threat, ready to cover his retreat at any moment.
The two Pokémon kept exchanging glances. They had already begun considering whether, if their lives came down to it, they should leave Qin Chuan behind to buy them time.
They couldn't leave Jenny Li. She was a Junior Elite Four-level fighter and might still be useful on the run!
Seeing how tense Ye Lan and his Pokémon were, Qin Chuan instantly panicked. He fumbled three Poké Balls from his waist and threw them. White light flashed, revealing Indeedee, Mr. Mime, and a Muk that was still fast asleep. Only then did he protest bitterly:
"Hey, Serperior, if you're planning to sacrifice me, could you at least wait until I'm out of earshot? I can't read your looks, but the hostility when you look at me is practically