Blaziken walked at the very front of the group, its steps steady as its blue eyes vigilantly swept the surroundings.
Mightyena and Krokorok followed on either side of Xinhai. One relied on scent, the other on perception, providing the team with constant warnings.
Gardevoir floated beside Xinhai, its red eyes slightly closed as its psychic field quietly spread out, covering an area several kilometers around them.
Zigzagoon brought up the rear, its ears perked as its aqua-blue eyes occasionally swept over the area behind them.
As they walked, Gardevoir suddenly opened its eyes, and a glint flashed through its red gaze.
'Xinhai, there's a battle ahead.' Gardevoir's Telepathy sounded in Xinhai's mind. 'About 3,500 meters from us, a Grass-type Pokémon is being hunted down.'
"A Grass-type Pokémon being hunted?" Xinhai frowned slightly.
Ever since entering this space, he had noticed its unusual ecosystem.
They had encountered quite a few wild Pokémon along the way. Most were Grass types, with the occasional Pokémon of another type mixed in.
Those Pokémon were not actually weak. A few had even reached Elite level, yet their actual combat capabilities were surprisingly poor.
Their skill use was clumsy, their reactions sluggish. When faced with danger, their first instinct was not to fight but to run, as if they had never experienced a real battle.
This paradise, nourished by life energy, had been peaceful for far too long.
'What Pokémon is chasing it? How strong is it?' Xinhai asked inwardly.
Gardevoir's voice carried obvious gravity. 'Most likely a Dark- and Ice-type Weavile, at Gym level. I can't tell much else. That Weavile's Aura is interfering with my Psychic-type abilities.'
'A Weavile in an environment like this? It looks like it belongs to poachers.'
Xinhai's brow furrowed tightly.
A Gym-level Weavile, with its Dark-and-Ice-type combination, was extremely