NOVEL WEB Chapter 94: Chapter 94: The Slaughterfield
Please support me on Patreon for advance chapters!
PATREON.COM / MADBOT635
-----------------------------------------
Staring at the corpses scattered across the ground, Yasen suddenly realized how terrifying the forest could be at dusk.
Earlier that morning, they had been confident they could easily take down Ron.
But now, it was already around 5 or 6 in the evening. Since entering the forest, Ron's presence had vanished entirely, while their own group had suffered significant losses.
At first, Yasen believed it was Ron's Pokémon causing the havoc. But later, he began suspecting that other trainers might also be involved.
Now, Yasen faced two choices: leave this place and pretend nothing had happened, or continue the pursuit and risk dying here.
Unlike others driven by greed, Yasen's motivation wasn't profit. His vendetta against Ron stemmed from the injury to his Golem.
Yasen's Golem had been on the verge of reaching mid-tier Elite level. But because of Ron, the gap between Yasen and the next rank widened further.
For Yasen, destroying someone's future was as unforgivable as killing a parent. This grudge could not go unavenged.
Resolving to continue the pursuit, Yasen vowed he would not rest until he saw Ron dead.
Yet Yasen failed to acknowledge that it was his own attempt to make Golem and Machamp perish together to block Ron's promotion that led to Machamp's brutal retaliation.
One mistake after another, and now Yasen chose another wrong path. He failed to notice that Persian and Bellossom had already locked their sights on him.
As the last light was swallowed by the horizon, the forest plunged into complete darkness.
Pulling out a prepared flashlight, Yasen cautiously navigated through the woods.
Although moving at night was dangerous, Yasen couldn't bring himself to camp near a corpse.
In the darkness, Persian's eyes gleamed unnaturally bright. To him, the flashlight-bearing Yasen was like a piece of meat served on a platter. Even with a Pokémon companion, it was just meat with an extra bone to chew.
Springing from its hiding spot, Persian blended seamlessly with the shadows of the night.
The chorus of insects provided further cover, masking even Persian's already silent movements.
Using Hypnosis, Persian caused the walking Yasen to feel drowsy.
Yasen's travel instincts screamed that a Pokémon was responsible.
Before he could utter a sound, a sharp pain slashed across his throat, silencing him completely.
In his fading vision, Yasen saw his own Pokémon.
The last image he saw was a flash of green.
Bellossom used Magical Leaf to gather the valuables from Arsen's body. His Pokédex was immediately destroyed to erase evidence.
After cleaning up, Bellossom slung its backpack over its shoulders and caught up with Persian ahead.
Perched on a treetop, Ron quietly chewed on a piece of dried food. Beside him, Ralts munched on energy cubes as if they were candies.
Since around dusk, Ron had instructed Persian and Bellossom to engage in free hunts.
By dragging out the pursuit for so long, the more impatient hunters had started splitting up, giving Persian and Bellossom the perfect opportunity to act.
In contrast, Ron and Machamp had to proceed far more cautiously.
Though Ralts' psychic abilities allowed them to navigate the dark without issue, Ron remained wary of possible traps set by the other side.
After all, Ralts' detection range was limited, and caution was still necessary.
Persian and Bellossom, however, had it easier. Unlike Ron, who occasionally had to leave traces to guide the pursuers, the duo's mobility allowed them to ambush others freely without fear of counter-ambushes.
In the treetops, Persian and Bellossom continued their operations.
Under the cover of night, they scouted the area for trainers.
Unlike Yasen, many others had decided against pursuing at night, fearing it would play into Ron's hands.
Persian and Bellossom decided to eliminate every trainer in this area.
Just as Yasen suspected, some trainers began turning on each other.
To ensure their safety, most of Ron's pursuers chose to camp alone, letting their Pokémon take turns standing guard.
Trustworthy companions were rare, and mistrust often led to betrayal.
Unlike the camaraderie seen in the anime, conflicts over resources or rare Pokémon frequently ended in violence. Most non-league trainers wouldn't easily trust others, lest they never see the sunrise again.
This mutual distrust gave Persian and Bellossom the perfect opportunity.
Nighttime was when humans and most Pokémon were at their most vulnerable.
With Persian's Hypnosis, targeted trainers and their Pokémon often lost their lives in their sleep.
As Bellossom's backpack grew heavier with spoils, it brimmed with joy.
Although Bellossom didn't fully understand the value of the resources, it knew they would make Ron happy, and that was enough.
As the clouds dispersed, the moonlight illuminated Persian's claws, reflecting a chilling glow.
Unfortunately for Lima, under Hypnosis, he couldn't see it—he could only feel the searing pain of his throat being slashed.
Perhaps due to repeated practice, Persian felt its movements in slicing throats had grown more precise.
The moonlit night spurred Persian's grim reaping across the area, turning it into a true embodiment of death.
With a final swipe of its claws, the last trainer in the area fell. A strong sense of accomplishment made Persian want to howl at the moon.
Just as it opened its mouth, Persian remembered it was a cat. Howling was for wolves or dogs.
Shaking off the thought, Persian turned to leave, only to find Bellossom staring at it with puzzled eyes.
"I was just trying to get a better vantage point to check for ambushes," Persian stammered.
"Looks like there aren't any. Let's head back; we've got more work tomorrow."
Bellossom didn't call out Persian's excuse, instead smiling as it watched Persian walk away before using Shave (Soru) to follow.
By dawn, the sight of corpses in Persian's hunting grounds shattered the resolve of many, driving them to quietly retreat.
Those at mid-tier Elite rank, however, calmed themselves and pressed on.
They reasoned that while Ron might have hidden mid-tier Elite Pokémon, he wouldn't easily take down trainers of the same rank.
And if things went south, couldn't they just flee?
Little did they know, Ron had already set his sights on a mid-tier Elite trainer ahead.