Although the Flamethrower had been fired from thirty meters away, it was still powerful enough to threaten Entry Class Grass-type Pokémon. But that only confirmed how formidable the earlier Waterspout had been: a single round had left such a powerful Victreebel too badly injured to get up.
After they passed through the Gorge, the rest of the journey was relatively uneventful. They still encountered powerful Pokémon now and then, but they could generally either avoid them or gang up on them.
After a full day of trekking, the group finally reached the outskirts of Phoenix Forest as night fell.
"Let's find somewhere nearby to rest for the night. We'll head in at daybreak!" Xiao Ran said gravely as he looked at the dark, eerie woods.
Nights in the Wilderness Area were extremely dangerous, but rushing into a mission after dark was practically asking to die. Their Instructors had hammered that point home over and over throughout their time here.
Although the Instructors were forbidden from helping students complete their missions or providing any assistance, they could teach wilderness survival skills to everyone after filing the appropriate report. After all, the students were here to gain experience, not throw their lives away.
Eventually, the group found a clearing beside a River that was suitable for camping. Towering cliffs enclosed two sides, one side led toward a Lake, and only the remaining side faced the forest.
"I heard Ghost-type Pokémon sometimes appear around here. It can get pretty scary at night!" Lu Yangqiu, who lived in the Southern Borderlands, suddenly tried to frighten everyone as they ate dinner.
"Ghost-type Pokémon? What kind?" Before any of the other girls could get scared, Xie Shirui, who specialized in Ghost types, eagerly jumped in with a question.
"Uh, I don't know. I only heard about