Numbers aside, we notice an immediate difference in skill with these Pokemon compared to the ones we faced in Snowpoint Temple. While Sneasel's team had size and brute strength on their side, these guys have been trained for combat and have their humans acting as two extra sets of eyes. As the Porygon use Psybeam a second time, Ri and I quickly return to each other's sides. Nothing good will come from letting them isolate us!
As our enemies crowd around, I release a low burst of a Vacuum Wave—not powerful enough to completely knock any of them back or do much damage, but enough to force them to give us space. Magnemite suffers the worst from the minor attack, unable to keep himself steady against the strong winds. When he regains his balance, he counters with a focused Discharge.
Ri summons his staff. Rather than strike, he plants it upright in front of us as a makeshift lightning rod and jumps back. We duck as the bright bolts hurtle toward us. In part thanks to Bone Rush's Ground-type properties, the staff absorbs the worst of the electricity and diverts it into the earth before ultimately dissolving under the strain of energy. The fur on my arms rises from the static still left in the air.
"Skorupi, use Toxic, now!"
That command is the only warning we get as the Scorpion Pokemon spits a vile, purple liquid at us. I cover my face to keep any of it from getting into my eyes or mouth, but I can still smell it as it clings to our bodies. A heavy first whiff of the substance sends my head reeling.
We don't get a chance to pause to grab a Heal Seed or berry: Even if we did, it'd be a waste of items if he used Toxic again right away. Thanks to all of those times Dusknoir made us face off against Team Salacious for our training, Ri and I can endure poison better than we used to; however, we're far from immune to it. It doesn't bother me know, but this kind of attack only worsens the longer it has to spread through your system.
Since they have no problem playing dirty, I don't either. Aiming between the two Porygon, I fire an Aura Sphere at one of the Upsilon grunts. It hits the rocky perch below her feet to send her tumbling down with a surprised cry. The other Pokemon seem just as startled to have one of their trainers attacked directly mid-battle. As far as I'm concerned though, they're just as much in this fight as we are.
With the brief distraction, I tackle Magnemite and toss him into Skorupi with Circle Throw. I didn't expect the latter to take much damage from the collision to begin with, but the Steel-type recovers faster than I thought he would. It only takes a second for them both to scramble back into position.
"I think they've got Sturdy and Battle Armor abilities," my partner alerts me, then his eyes suddenly widen. He grabs me by my shoulder to pull me away from the barrage of beams that fly at us next. Tri Attack is fairly powerful and casts a wide range: Still, you can sometimes avoid it if you keep its triangular pattern in mind. Now though, with us closed in while facing double the firepower between the two Porygon, we inevitably get caught in the blast.
I grit my teeth as one of the beams sears into the right side of my waist and thigh. The power behind it shoves me into the dirt and I skid for about a meter before popping back up with a running start. I send another Aura Sphere soaring in an arc that explodes against one of the pair of Normal-types. Ri also clammers back onto his feet from where he fell not far from me, jumping up to launch a harsh kick against the other.
I can tell by the way he falters as he lands that he's getting dizzy. Honestly, I already am too… Maybe we should keep focusing our energy on the trainers instead? Really, they're easy targets by comparison and that might force their Pokemon on the defense instead of us. It's possible that if we take just them down, then maybe the team will lose focus or give up entirely.
One of the grunts' next words makes me reconsider, "Don't let up for a second! Those Riolu are valuable!"
Valuable?! There's no way that these creeps even know who we are! I know there are plenty of people out there who steal Pokemon, but what exactly do they want from us so badly?!
I guess it doesn't matter: The fact the they came after us at all and don't plan on backing down is bad enough. All we can do now is make them regret it.
Getting at least one of them out of the fight would be a good start. That would give us just a bit of breathing room. My first thought turns to the Magnemite. Sturdy ability or no, all it takes it making that one good, final hit to knock out your opponent. As if he could read my mind, the Skorupi moves in front of the group. Thanks to his dual-typing, most of our attacks will mean nothing to him.
Except one. Charging forward, I wait until the last moment to deal a spinning Blaze Kick against Skorupi's hard shell. He's unprepared to face the torrent of flame, unable to dodge after bracing himself so long against the typical Fighting-type move. He goes rolling, dragging his claws through the earth to stabilize himself.
"You kiddos are full of surprises, aren't ya?" he jeers, a subtle scorch mark close to his temple, "I guess we'll have to bring out a few tricks of our own!"
The air changes as he crosses his arms over his chest, stirring up dust around him. Whirlwind! I hurry and do the same, bracing myself with Vacuum Wave. Sure enough, a powerful gale blasts our way. I remain upright as I'm pushed back, limiting the intensity of the forward current by warping it into my own. Trying to control the intersecting currents though is like having a Torracat by the tail. It's unstable, and it isn't long before I have to release them before being swept away in their chaos nonetheless. The winds erupt in all directions, the trees quivering around us and sending off a flurry of leaves.
"You two, Tackle!"
"Magnemite, follow up with Sonic Boom!"
Ri and I feel their movements before we see them, the Porygon raring another one of their team attacks. We throw ourselves to the earth as they dive for us, then roll apart as the vivid, white shock wave hurtles at us next from Magnemite's spinning motion. My partner springs up to catch the Steel-type at the end of his attack, pulling him close by one of his magnets with as orange burst of energy surrounding his fist as he uses Reversal. Like spiking a volleyball, Ri drills him into the ground with a downward punch. Magnemite doesn't get up from that.
The brief second I have my back turned, Skorupi jumps me. He simultaneously bites into my shoulder while piercing my skin with his stinger. This time, I can't hold the injured cry that rips from my throat. My partner is quick to react, summoning another bone staff to bat the Poison-type away as I hiss through my teeth against the burning sensation in my skin.
The Virtual Pokemon close in around us once more at the order to repeat their Tri Attack. I create a third Aura Sphere to fire at them first, managing to hit one of them and send him spiraling through the air. This delays the second from acting, but when I try to create another orb, something is wrong.
The poison is starting to get to my head. The sharp ache I felt before from taking a good whiff of it has now turned to an aggressive, constant pain—like an arrow stuck through my skull—and I can't focus! The normally steady, blue light of my aura flickers like a bubbling, dying star until it breaks apart completely in my grip.
And I'm not the only one suffering from Toxic's ever worsening effects. Ri's staff wavers not long after I lose control of my aura and then too dissipates. There's a haziness to his eyes that I know must also reflect in my own.
I don't think we can afford to simply hold out any longer: We need a break to cure ourselves and rethink our strategy. I reach into our Treasure Bag.
"You picked the wrong fight, but you're right about one thing," I quip, hating how labored my voice sounds, "We are full of surprises!"
I accidently activate the Luminous Orb in my hurry to grab it. It casts its bright glow well before I toss it toward our opponents and it shatters in a blinding eruption. Nevertheless, since the tool is unique to the isolated regions, it's unlikely that they've ever seen one before. That lack of knowledge leaves them vulnerable, giving Ri and I the cover we need to dart off into the nearby patch of woods. With any luck, they'll think it was another aura attack or maybe a strange flare.
There really aren't many places we can go—not in the short span it'll take for them to regain their senses and chase after us. Even with the maze of ruins, there's too much clear land here and the Porygon with have no trouble navigating through it from above. It isn't long before we reach the end of the small stretch of trees and hop to the next cliff below. We take shelter in the fullest, most crowded tree we can find and hunker down in the heart of its branches.
Already, I hear them in close pursuit, the humans barking commands. The moment we're secure, I pull two Oran Berries and a Heal Seed out of our bag next. Biting the latter in half, I toss Ri's share over to him. It won't completely heal us, but it'll have to do since we can't waste supplies.
Besides, the rational part of me isn't too worried about our chances. We've gotten through more intense situations than this with less. What does scare me is the obvious difference in skill that I noticed before. Not counting our battles with legendaries, it's been a while since we've had to fall back like this. As cautious as we've been, combat itself is the biggest strength I thought we had.
Ri echoes my thoughts aloud, "So, this is how tough Pokemon can get with a human trainer..."
I can hear the exhaustion in his voice. Granted, we'd have been better off if we weren't poisoned, but I think I still managed to underestimate them. I should've known better: Thinking of things from the average trainer's perspective was too naïve. Most see that path as a way of life, a coming-of-age journey where you grow as a person beside the Pokemon on your team. Here, battles are usually for that rite of passage or entertainment—much like how the typical Fighting-type enjoys them. From that viewpoint, the most common threats I thought we'd be dealing with were collectors or selfish, power-hungry brats with more strength than sense.
Pokemon under trainers like that wouldn't typically have much experience outside of an arena whereas we've fought for our lives on a regular basis. However, I can see how a professional team could match a group of explorers from the Grass Continent—nevermind some crooks like the ones we're facing now.
That says nothing for their Pokemon, leading us into a trap. How could I have guessed that a group like this would come after us though? I still can't figure out why they're after us in-particular outside of our species.
Especially since they're going to this much trouble… My eyes narrow when I spot twin, pink shapes hover past us a couple meters below our perch. We watch in silence as the Porygon disappear from view. It won't take them long to figure out we haven't left the area.
"What's our plan for now?" my partner asks in a low whisper.
I default to one of my initial ideas, "If they're separated while they look for us, let's try taking out the trainers first." One major difference still between us and those Pokemon is that we don't rely on commands. Even if they stay after us, that might cause some confusion in the very least.
Ri looks at me with a moment's hesitation before nodding in agreement. Unless those grunts have some kind of weaponry on hand or a power we don't know about, we have the advantage by far there. It almost doesn't seem right since they can't use moves, but then again, they started this. I understand his concern, but I don't feel as bad about it as I probably should.
"Considering what happened when we used aura before let's hold off on using those moves anymore. If we get poisoned again and we can't control our aura properly, we could end up wasting energy," he adds. As I begin to climb down, he takes my wrist is a gesture for me to stay, "It's probably for the best if you stick to the trees. I can be the bait and we can attack them from two sides."
I immediately tense at that last suggestion. There's no reason for him to take that extra risk and the thought of him getting hurt when he's out of my reach worries me.
He insists on it, "One of us should have the high-ground and you can race through the treetops almost as well as Grovyle. I don't have that same balance up here." Ri gives my hand a light squeeze, "And I know you'll still have my back."
He doesn't leave much room for argument, so I relent. Giving me an appreciative grin, he swings down to the grassy floor. My aura sensors fidget as I try to sense where the nearest enemy is, but it's no use. I can tell there are lifeforms nearby, but I can't pinpoint who or what they are. We keep each other's pace, heading back in the direction we came from; him at a silent tread and me leaping from branch to branch.
Our search lasts less than ten minutes. Whatever kind of group Upsilon is, it doesn't look like these guys have any kind of wilderness training. It isn't long before we spot the clear mark of a heavy boot in the dirt. While the Porygon scout ahead, the humans take a more careful look around the undergrowth. Unfortunately, Skorupi is with them. He keeps an even distance between the pair, scouring through the weathered leaves for clues.
I sneak around the treetops until I'm positioned directly behind the nearest human. In the distance, I see Ri's blue fur contrast with the golden landscape as he darts to the opposite side of the trio. A shout rises up as the other trainer spots him and all eyes turn toward that direction.
That's my cue. I pounce at the first grunt and grab him by the helmet. He's dragged down by my full weight, slamming headfirst into the ground. The landing is rough and I roll onto all fours, racing to join my partner immediately.
Caught-off guard by the returned ambush, the Scorpion Pokemon blinks at me with wide eyes at the sound of the impact. I intended to sideswipe past him, but he shakes off his shock enough to use Pin Missile and fire off a stream of spikes. The move is enough to make me halt: Still, it's not effective enough to hurt me like his Poison-type attacks. I cross my arms to shield myself, find an opening, and strike back with Blaze Kick.
Meanwhile, Ri takes on the other grunt. While the light armor she wears absorbs most of his Force Palm, the move is strong enough to throw her against a nearby tree and knock the wind out of her. It only takes a moment for her to let out a clear whistle to alert the Porygon where we are.
The rustle behind me lets me know that my initial strike didn't do much good either. Glancing over my shoulder, the first trainer shuffles to his feet uneasily, so I know he's only been stunned. If it weren't for the helmet, that should've been more than enough to knock him out though…
With my gaze turned away from him, Skorupi uses Toxic to try to take back the advantage they had earlier. I'm prepared for it this time, avoiding most of the spray.
It only then occurs to me that those uniforms probably aren't waterproof—or in this case venom-proof—themselves. I use Copycat, not quite prepared for the way my throat burns as a violet glow hazes over my vision. Turning on my heel, I fire the sickly substance at the grunt. He can't react in time and it washes over his body completely. A curse of disgust leaves him as he tries to wipe it off.
Frankly, I don't feel the best after that either. My head reels again, as if copying the attack momentarily amplified the effects of the poison still left in my own system. I do feel a little better though when I get a look at Skorupi's face, his own tactics turned against him.
There isn't much time to celebrate. I use it again before Copycat's effects can switch to some other move, dowsing the second grunt next just after Ri kicks her in the back of the legs to knock her to the ground. I curl forward to let the strain on my insides pass.
A trio of bolts pelt the ground and Ri barely manages to avoid them. The Porygon have arrived. Once they're on top of us, they gape at the scene, but their presence snaps Skorupi out of his own daze. He sputters at us angrily, "What do you brats think you're doing?! You're supposed to battle us—that's not fair!"
"And what did you call a four on two fight?!" my partner counters, charging at him.
The Normal-types only jump in after one of the downed trainers gives a mild command, struggling to keep their thoughts straight. The poison seems to be more effective than I imagined, with their lack of resistance to it. And their Pokemon really are slower to react without direction!
They divide themselves to take us on one-on-one. The Porygon chasing after me uses Psybeam once more. I throw myself out of its range and scale one of the other trees close by. The wide trunk shields me from the blasts that follow until I twirl around the tall branches and drop down on top of him, using Circle Throw to send us spinning through the air. Once close enough, I propel him into his double to keep the other from attacking my partner from behind.
Between my Blaze Kick from earlier and the sequence of fast hits Ri's able to get in through Quick Attack, Skorupi's high defenses aren't able to match. He sprawls to the earth, severely weakened and barely conscious. One Porygon manages to pick himself up from beneath the other, trying to fire off one last hit. My partner notices his movements first and closes in before he can, finishing the battle with Force Palm.
There isn't anything Ri and I can do after that except run. We head back toward town, at first thinking we can blend in with the crowd. Since we were only attacked in the insolated parts of the forest, it makes sense that Upsilon's members don't want to make too much of a scene. As we get to the outskirts though, seeing their sheer numbers, neither of us can help wondering how long it'll be before we're attacked a second time.
Should we even stick around any longer? It's hard to say if we're close to learning anything and surely Dusknoir wouldn't want us to keep investigating if it's too risky. And we should keep trying to avoid whatever those criminals are doing here. A new thought worries me: What about other Pokemon in the area? Would these creeps go after them too? In that case, we couldn't walk away if others are in danger.
It'd hard to know what to do… Instinct makes me want to drive every last one of them away. Wisdom tells me it wouldn't be that easy. Duty argues over what should take priority.
In the end, exhaustion wins out. Ri and I duck into a nearby tunnel. We've let the poison wear on us for a while and it's starting to get bad again. If we were to take a full cure this time, we still need a while to recuperate from it and our injuries.
We've just about settled for a short rest when the intruding voice that's bothered us once before echoes in our heads yet again: Don't run. Please don't run.