Aven followed the patrol knights as they entered into the depths of the Black Forest.
Even while they were still moving along the outer perimeter, he had already noticed the same Pokémon traces that the knights had reported earlier.
After crouching down and carefully studying the tracks for a while, he was basically able to confirm that the prints indeed belonged to a Skuntank.
Following along the trail of footprints deeper into the Black Forest, they eventually came to a small clearing. And then, quite abruptly, the trail ended—vanishing into thin air without leaving behind even a single step further.
"The tracks really did disappear…" Aven's eyes narrowed slightly.
He then lifted his gaze toward the sky. Since the prints on the ground had completely vanished, then the only possibility left was that the creature had been taken away by some means of flight.
Yet, what was even more unusual was that at the exact spot where the tracks had cut off, there were absolutely no signs of any kind of struggle. This meant that the Skuntank had been subdued instantly and taken away effortlessly.
The realization made Aven's expression turn heavier. To be able to restrain a Skuntank without even giving it a chance to resist, the difference in strength between the attacker and the victim had to be tremendous.
After all, once a Stunky evolved into a Skuntank, its strength would usually reach at least the level of an intermediate-tier Pokémon.
Which meant, judging by this… the Pokémon responsible could only be of a minimum advanced-level Pokémon!
"Could it be petrification combined with psychic energy?" Aven murmured to himself, deep in thought.
If it was a combination of a petrifying ability along with psychic energy, then yes—it was indeed possible to quietly relocate the Skuntank without making the slightest noise or leaving behind traces.
"Ralts~"
Ralts floated beside Aven, its psychic energy continuously spreading outwards in waves.
After a while, it gently shook its head, indicating that within its range it had not detected the presence of any other creature.
"Lil.."
Petilil also shook its head, showing that it, too, could sense no living auras in the surroundings.
Seeing this, Aven let out a quiet breath. "It seems that the Pokémon in here were disturbed by something and has already left this area."
He immediately instructed the knights not to approach recklessly, then proceeded on his own, taking his Pokémon deeper into the Black Forest.
This time, in order to prevent any unexpected dangers, he brought along almost all of his companions—leaving behind only Rhyhorn and Luxio to continue guarding the egg.
Thus, walking at his side now were Petilil, Ralts, Froslass, Nidorino, and Nidorina—together, more than enough to respond to most situations that could arise.
"Lil~"
Petilil was extremely attentive, showing great concern for the possible enemies that might be lurking.
At the same time, it was also genuinely curious. Just how exactly had that mysterious Pokémon managed to cause those knights to suffer mental damage?
If it could figure out the true cause of the ailment, then perhaps, by relying on this insight, it might discover a way to learn and master the move Heal Pulse!
"Nido, nido, nido~"
Nidorino and Nidorina, meanwhile, acted as the vanguard, constantly clearing paths through the dense undergrowth and opening up the forest roads for the group to move through.
"Lass~"
All of a sudden, while they were advancing further inside, the voice of Froslass echoed faintly right beside Aven's ear.
"Froslass, did you discover something?" Aven immediately halted, speaking out into the seemingly empty air.
"Lass~"
Her voice came again.
The moment Ralts and Petilil heard her message, their faces grew tense.
Almost simultaneously, they both turned their gazes to the forest around them—realizing with a sudden chill that this exact place they were standing in right now… they had already passed by earlier. Yet here they were, back at it again.
"Lil!"
At the same time, Petilil suddenly shifted its focus toward a patch of tall grass in the distance.
Its senses told it there was a strong, dense life aura emanating from there. But when it relied on sight alone, there was nothing at all—only an empty patch of swaying grass.
Its round eyes hardened. Then, abruptly raising its tiny hand, Petilil grabbed toward the seemingly empty air.
In the next instant, the surrounding trees shuddered as though struck by a great gust of wind. Branches twisted and stretched outward, whipping through the space Petilil had pinpointed and sweeping toward the spot where the life energy was supposed to be.
And yet, to its bewilderment, even though the branches clearly lashed across that place, they caught absolutely nothing—no creature, no figure, not even a shadow!
"Lil…"
Petilil furrowed its brow deeper, unable to comprehend the situation unfolding before its eyes.
Just then, from within the distant forest, a Skuntank suddenly burst out, rushing straight toward Aven with astonishing speed.
"Nido! Nido!"
The two Nido Pokémon immediately charged forward to intercept.
Opening their mouths, they spat out volleys of sharp Poison Stings, which shot like a rain of needles directly at the incoming Skuntank.
Thanks to their long period of rigorous training, both Nidorino and Nidorina had grown very strong.
But the Skuntank that had suddenly appeared displayed astonishing defensive strength, withstanding the stings with ease as if they were nothing more than tickling thorns!
Then, with its mouth opening wide, the Skuntank unleashed a volley of Poison Stings of its own—much thicker and denser than before—raining down toward the two Nido Pokémon with crushing force!
Startled, the pair quickly dodged aside, then their bodies began to glow with a white light. They had both activated their ability, Rivalry, sharply raising their own attack power in response!
"A Skuntank that can actually use Poison Sting?"
Aven's voice cut through the clash. "Nidorino, Nidorina, fall back quickly! That thing is no real Skuntank at all—it's nothing more than an illusion!"
The two froze in surprise.
Though they were puzzled by Aven's words, their trust in him was absolute. Without hesitation, they retreated, regrouping at his side.
"Ralts, use Heal Pulse! Right now!" Aven suddenly ordered.
Ralts nodded without question. Psychic power and life energy surged together, forming a gentle pink radiance that spread outward, enveloping Aven and all the Pokémon at once.
Bathed in the soft light of Heal Pulse, their hearts and minds instantly felt lighter, more relaxed. And then—the entire environment before their eyes began to twist and shift rapidly. The Skuntank's figure flickered… and in the very next moment, it disappeared completely.
"Lil!"
Petilil's spirit jolted sharply, eyes locking once more onto the source of the lifeforce it had sensed earlier.
This time, it was stunned. Suspended in midair was a peculiar Pokémon—its body draped in a long violet robe, with what resembled a pointed witch's hat upon its head. Embedded in its chest was a gleaming crimson gem, glowing faintly.
The Pokémon in the air seemed equally surprised when it noticed Petilil's gaze. Evidently, it had not expected its illusory domain to be broken so easily by this group.
"So, it really was an illusion… and the one responsible is that Pokémon—Mismagius!"
Aven's eyes narrowed, his gaze locking firmly on the ghostly figure hovering above.
He had already suspected that a Ghost-type Pokémon might be behind this incident, but he had not anticipated that it would turn out to be the exceptionally rare Mismagius!
Still, if it was Mismagius, then everything began to make sense.
With its overwhelming psychic and ghost powers, Mismagius was indeed capable of luring both humans and Pokémon into illusions without their awareness—trapping them in dreamlike mirages and leaving them unconscious.
Just now, had it not been for the "Skuntank" using Poison Sting—a move that the Skuntank line could never actually learn—Aven himself might not have realized they were trapped inside an illusion so quickly!
And yet, here they were…
(End of Chapter)