A Promise to Be a Man
Seeing the three people looking at him simultaneously, Benjamin scratched his head awkwardly and said with a smile, "I just said it casually… how could there be an ambush here?"
—"No, it's not safe."— At that moment, Lucas shook his head with a serious expression on his face.
Benjamin had no idea what Lucas had discovered earlier.
However, Lucas was acutely aware that the invasion of foreign organizations might have occurred in the recent period.
Therefore, after hearing Benjamin's speculation, Lucas didn't brush it off lightly but seriously considered the possibility of an ambush.
As a detective, the most important thing is to be cautious and pay attention to all clues and problems.
After that, Bruce and Lucas exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
"Let's find a way to investigate the situation," Lucas said in a deep voice.
Meanwhile, on the cliff:
—"Let's do it."— The man speaking was a bald man, neither tall nor short, but wearing an eyepatch over his right eye, which gave him an extraordinarily fierce appearance.
To his left stood a short, thin, and somewhat disheveled man.
"Alright."
The short man nodded slightly and then fired a flare into the sky.
As magnificent fireworks bloomed in the sky, a flock of birds flapped their wings and let out a long, lonely cry.
Suddenly, the ground below the cliff shook slightly, as if a shockwave had been applied to it. The tremor's intensity grew larger and larger, until soon it felt like an earthquake shaking the land and mountains.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the ground collapsed, and an enormous mouth appeared. Emerging abruptly was a massive gray snake. Its thick and powerful tail broke through the earth, creating a scene of shock.
This was Steelix, the evolved form of Onix.
Immediately afterward, two more thunderous roars echoed, and two Onix leaped from the ground on either side of Steelix. They roared with their heads held high, standing guard next to Steelix.
"ROAR!"
Steelix's scarlet eyes gleamed as it roared wildly, as if sounding the horn for an attack.
In the next second, the three Pokemon with massive bodies began moving, heading straight toward Rockridge Village.
Seeing this from the cliff, the two men nodded in unison.
—"Let's go. I'll leave it to them,"— the man with the eyepatch said deeply.
Then, the two walked away without looking back.
"Not good!"
"Danger!"
The staff at the outpost rushed out the moment the ground trembled. Seeing the three Pokemon clearly arriving with malicious intent, their expressions changed drastically.
—"Brock, sound the alarm! I'll stop them!"— The senior trainer's expression changed swiftly, and he shouted through gritted teeth.
"Got it!" Brock didn't dare delay, hurriedly rushing back into the room to sound the alarm.
"Dammit!"
The senior trainer moved to block the incoming threat with two professional Mightyena.
But… the Steelix and two Onix before him exuded a terrifying aura, swimming with overwhelming momentum that gave an oppressive and suffocating feeling.
ROAR!
The two Mightyena opened their fierce mouths simultaneously, flames mingling with their fangs. The fire surged forward as they charged at Steelix from the left and right, leaping fiercely to bite it!
But Steelix merely glanced at them, quickly swinging its massive tail. The airwaves it generated sent both Mightyena flying, slamming them heavily into the ground.
Before the two Mightyena could resist, they fell unconscious, their eyes turning into spirals.
"..."
Seeing this, the senior trainer halted and silently took a step back.
He understood that he couldn't stop these three Pokemon alone and could only find a way to save his own life.
Fortunately, Steelix merely gave him a frosty glare with its crimson eyes before looking away, continuing toward Rockridge Village.
RUMBLE!
The three enormous Pokemon moved forward, their roars reverberating, even reaching Bruce and the others behind them. The tremors and the roar made it clear something was wrong.
"Of course, there's a problem," Bruce muttered, frowning slightly. "To think we'd encounter an invasion the day before leaving…"
Lucas furrowed his brow, first glancing at the cliff, then lifting his eyes to look ahead. He spoke with focused determination: "Benjamin, Ethan."
"Yes," the two responded simultaneously.
"Check what's happening up there," Lucas ordered.
"Understood," they nodded.
Then, Lucas turned to Bruce, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Young Master Bayne, the visitor is not friendly. Be cautious."
"Let's move forward and assess the situation together."
"Alright," Bruce nodded slightly, following Lucas as they ran ahead.
Benjamin and Ethan headed toward the cliff.
Rockridge Village.
The setting sun slowly faded below the horizon, and night silently arrived.
Steelix and two Onix soon reached the village entrance. Swinging their massive tails, they attacked houses with loud roars.
BOOM!
A house collapsed under the onslaught of the three Pokemon, with fragments of wood and stone scattering everywhere.
"Run, run!"
"Evacuate to the back mountain!"
The village chief was organizing the villagers to seek refuge.
The men of the village stood firm, their eyes resolute and faces filled with resentment. Standing amidst the ruins, they glared at the three rampaging Pokemon.
Under their command, one Pokemon after another charged toward the three Pokemon. However, Steelix and Onix's strength exceeded everyone's expectations. All the defending Pokemon were swiftly defeated, collapsing to the ground.
BOOM!
The deafening roars reverberated in their ears. One burly man, his eyes red, watched as the house he had built collapsed.
"ARGHH!"
"Curse you!"
Flushed with rage, he roared and rushed toward the three Pokemon.
"Don't go!"
"Evacuate first!"
Two tall men beside him grabbed and abruptly pulled him back.
The man stared desperately at the ruins ahead, a salty taste in his mouth.
"Anyone left?!"
As the last group of men ran toward the back mountain, the village chief stood in a safe spot, surveying the nearly destroyed village.
"Grandpa, the village chief, and us!"
Suddenly, a delicate voice echoed amidst the ruins.
A small child was running through the debris, accompanied by a Bulbasaur clearing obstacles from the path ahead.
"Mom, be careful!"
He turned to his disabled mother, shouting loudly.
Steelix noticed the two figures, its massive tail aimed to strike. Just then, a Metangintervened, saving the day.
"You told me yesterday you'd be a brave man someday," the patrolman reminded the boy, grinning.
Bruce looked at the destruction. His eyes narrowed.
"Metang," Bruce said sharply.
"Knock them all down."