Sutter, with a dozen knights and a pack of Mightyena, had begun pursuit.
With their enhanced sense of smell, the Mightyena had no fear of losing the enemy trail.
They galloped through the forest, riders poised for the chase.
This was their true battle. The Mightyena had barely been injured in the village defense, and now burned with battle lust.
Howl! Howl!
Suddenly, the leading Mightyena halted.
Sutter, puzzled, looked ahead—and saw a Bidoof lying motionless.
He frowned, noticing its injuries. Clearly one of the ones abandoned during the retreat.
"Understandable," he thought. "But Lord Aven would never do this."
Aven might not be the best general—but he was the kindest lord Sutter had ever known.
"What should we do with this one?" a knight asked.
Sutter didn't reply immediately. Instead, he took out a cloth pouch Aven had given him.
Inside was a red envelope. Sutter opened it and read the note inside, stunned.
"If you find large numbers of abandoned Bidoof, check if they're still alive. If they are, give them a small dose of healing potion.
Don't use too much—just enough to keep them alive. Then bring them back to us."
Without question, the knight ran forward and treated the Bidoof. Finding it still alive, he gave it a sip of potion.
The squad moved on, finding more Bibarel along the way. The living were rescued, the dead mourned in silence.
…
The abandoned Bidoof lay motionless.
It had seen the knight return and take the Bibarel. Its last hope vanished.
Splash, splash.
It heard footsteps approaching and turned its head with effort—seeing a human, followed by a Mightyena.
The enemy!
Panic surged. It had already resigned itself to death.
But then…
"This one's lucky," Sutter muttered.
He checked the Bidoof and gave it some potion.
Warmth spread through its body. The pain faded.
Isn't this the enemy?
The Bidoof was confused. It had prepared to die—but this human was saving it?
Then it felt itself being lifted up.
Even through the cold armor, a warmth rose in its heart.
The Mightyena were running swiftly, and in the distance, the outline of the Black Forest was beginning to emerge.
Sutter quickly ordered the team to halt. He looked up to the sky and spotted several Pelipper circling above.
The Pelipper were spaced apart at intervals, patrolling the sky. Sutter understood at once—they had been discovered.
"Mightyena, go say hello to those guys."
Sutter's lips curled into a grin as he gave the order.
Immediately, a chorus of howls echoed outward in all directions, reaching the ears of the knights hiding within the Black Forest.
Inside the forest, the Bibarels and Bidoofs were already bracing themselves.
"Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!"
The knights shouted, knowing that the moment of life and death had arrived.
They didn't have to wait long before they saw the Mightyena appear in the distance, charging swiftly toward them.
However, instead of launching an attack, the Mightyena dropped something on the ground before quickly turning around and vanishing from sight.
"Those are… Bidoof?"
The knights of Marina City stared blankly at the sight before them, not quite reacting at first.
But the Bibarel and Bidoof among them had a far more intense reaction. They cried out anxiously, growing visibly agitated.
As social Pokémon, Bidoof were highly reliant on their kin. This was the very reason the knights of Marina City could control such large numbers of Bibarel and Bidoof.
However, this strong sense of kinship now triggered a surge of unrest among the Bibarel in the forest. They were eager to rush out and rescue their abandoned companions.
"Biii! Bi!"
The injured Bidoof lying outside the forest, having recovered slightly, also began to cry out loudly.
Although they had only recovered enough to call out and not move, they still believed their kin would come rescue them.
But after a long wait, what they received was still silence and disappointment.
One Bidoof lay quietly on the ground, raising its head to look at the humans inside the forest, then at the Mightyena and humans who had disappeared beyond.
"Lord Paul, those are Bidoof! What should we do?"
The knights of Marina City grew anxious as they looked at the Bidoof crying out beyond the forest edge.
Though they wished they could retrieve them, they knew better—this was clearly bait, even if the enemy had seemingly retreated.
Still, just watching the Bidoof cry out tugged at their hearts. More than that, they could sense the restlessness of the Bibarel and Bidoof beside them.
"Retreat. We're moving deeper into the Black Forest."
Paul's face was grim as he cast one last look at the Bidoofs calling from outside the forest.
There was no need for debate—those Bidoof could not be saved.
Even if it wasn't a trap, even if they managed to retrieve them, the squad couldn't carry the extra burden. They would only fall behind again and again.
With limited resources, he had no choice but to make tough decisions.
"Lord Paul! We can't give up our position in the Black Forest!"
"We've already built a defensive line here. If we retreat now, all that effort will be wasted!" his lieutenant shouted, visibly distressed.
"If we stay, they'll just wear us down."
"If it turns into a war of attrition, we'll lose. Our only chance is to get out of the forest and reach the supply point at Black Coast. That's where we'll be safe."
Paul let out a deep sigh. Originally, he had built the defense here to give the squad some time to rest.
But if this continued, morale would collapse.
"…Yes, Captain."
The knights hesitated but gritted their teeth and obeyed.
And so, under the tearful gazes of the Bibarel and Bidoof, the knights continued marching deeper into the Black Forest.
Gradually, the entire forest fell quiet once more, with only the desperate cries of the Bidoof left behind echoing faintly in the distance.
"Hah… Lord Aven's strategy really is brilliant."
Now out of the knights' line of sight, Sutter let out a long breath.
He knew that Bibarel and Bidoof were highly social Pokémon. Lord Aven had predicted their reaction perfectly.
"That's enough. Go tend to the injured Bidoof," Sutter instructed the knights around him after a brief pause.
Aven had ordered that all the Bidoof be brought back to Fruitvale Village. He believed that once they were healed, many would choose to stay and be tamed.
"Bi…"
The Bidoof slowly closed its eyes as it watched its kin reluctantly leave.
"If they won't take you back, then you'll come with us."
Just then, it heard the familiar voice again and felt itself being lifted.
Though the knight's armor was cold, the Bidoof nestled into it, rubbing its head against Sutter's chest plate, feeling a sense of warmth and security.
…
Crunch. Crunch.
The knights of Marina City continued through the forest, stepping on fallen branches.
The Bibarel and Bidoof looked noticeably dejected, clearly affected by the cries of their abandoned kin outside the forest.
They couldn't understand it. The enemies had already retreated. It would have been so easy to bring their comrades back—so why had the captain stopped them?
Pokémon might possess some intelligence, but their thoughts were simple. They couldn't grasp concepts like burden or sacrifice.
"Bi, bi…"
The Bidoof shuffled slowly within the ranks. Though they still had some strength left, they were clearly weary from the battle.
Then suddenly—they stopped.
A strange aroma drifted into the air, gently floating into their noses.
Gulp.
One by one, the Bidoof swallowed hungrily.
It was the scent of food—and for their starving bodies, it was an overwhelming temptation.
Finally, one Bidoof couldn't take it anymore. It broke formation and bolted toward the source of the scent.
That single act broke the dam—dozens of Bidoof quickly followed, rushing toward the direction of the aroma.
"What's going on? What happened?"
The knights shouted in confusion, unsure why the Bidoof were suddenly breaking formation.
"It's the smell of Sweet Honey. There's a Vespiquen hive in that direction."
Just then, Hill stepped in front of Paul and explained gravely.
Ever since spotting the Froslass again, the flame of revenge had reignited in Hill's heart.
But he knew that in his current state, he couldn't defeat Aven or the Froslass—so he chose to lie low.
"But… the Vespiquen hive is supposed to be much farther away. Why can we smell it from here?" Hill continued, suspicious.
Howl! Howl! Howl!
At that moment, the Mightyena howled again, snapping Paul's head toward the sound.
"That Vespiquen hive… it's the one with over a thousand members?"
"Damn it. Forget the Bidoof—we move. Quickly, through the forest!"
Paul's frustration grew as he led the knights onward, hurrying deeper into the forest.
(End of Chapter)