At dusk, the soft golden sunlight snted over Sato and Spinarak, warm yet slightly irritating.

  At first, Spinarak had beeed, then bored, and now it was starting to feel restless. Its young, simple mind couldn't uand what the enemy was waiting for.

  Sato went about his usual routiing up camp aing dinner.

  Afterward, he arranged a friendly sparring match between Spinarak and Houndour before heading into the tent to rest.

  There was no winner or loser in these friendly matches—Sato always stopped them before things got too heated.

  After exhausting its energy, Spinarak pletely fot about the lurking enemies, falling fast asleep.

  Meanwhile, Houndour y beside Sato, its ears stantly shifting, sing for any movement.

  Occasionally, it g Spinarak, who was sleeping soundly.

  So carefree!

  Both Houndour and Gengar were more active at night.

  With one guarding openly and the other hiding in the shadows, Sato felt safe enough to sit cross-legged aate, serving his energy.

  The forest at night was anything but quiet.

  Many Pokémon were more active after dark, and the hooting of Hoothoot and Noctowl could sometimes st until m....It was unclear how much time had passed when Gengar suddenly emerged halfway from the ground, about to wake Sato—but before it could, Sato had already opened his eyes, meeting Gengar's golden gaze.

  Gengar nodded before pointing to Sato's left and rear, signaling that enemies were approag.

  "Two people?"

  Gengar shook its head, then raised one cw before pointing at the Poké Balls hanging from Sato's belt.

  "One person and one Pokémon?"

  Gengar nodded again, but then looked seriously behind Sato. To it, the oppo in the rear was far more dangerous.

  "Let them get closer first. Houndour, stay alert!"

  Now fully focused, Houndour lowered its body, ready t into a at any moment.......The waiti endless.

  Gng at his watch, Sato saw that it was now 3:00 AM. This was the time when people were in deep sleep, their awareness at its weakest.

  It was also the time when being woken up abruptly made them the most irritable. In his previous life, Sato had used this knowledge of assassination tactics frequently.

  His breathing remained slow and steady—to an outsider, he seemed pletely asleep.

  Rustle… rustle…

  Maintaining his sleeping rhythm, Sato silently pulled out a dagger in his left hand, while his right hand gripped Zoroark's Poké Ball.

  Houndour remained motionless, its ears perked forward, twitg slightly. Its sharp eyes glowed in the dark—it was lying in wait!

  Who was the hunter, and who was the prey?

  Sato's perception was as sharp as any Pokémon's.

  When the enemy was just three meters from the tent, he could already sehat the one behind him was gliding forward—no pauses in movement.

  That meant—a serpent-like Pokémon!

  On his left, the human's footsteps were incredibly faint—but still disible. Sato's eyes signaled Gengar to hahe Pokémon, while he would take care of the assassin!

  Ihe tent, Sato crouched low, poised to strike. Gengar and Houndour were also ready for battle.

  Oh—and there was still Spinarak, sleeping soundly.

  Outside the tent—a massive, five-meter-long purple snake slithered closer. Its bright red tongue flickered as it neared.

  At the same time—a figure dressed entirely in bck crept forward, only a meter away from the tent.

  At some point—the once lively night had suddenly fallen silent.

  No more hooting of Hoothoot or Noctowl.

  The assassin gave a subtle hand signal.

  Immediately, Arbok lunged forward—Its huge body surging ahead, poised to crush the tent in a sirike!

  The moment Arbok moved—Gengar did too!

  Ign the tent's fabric, it phased through instantly, golden eyes fshing with a brilliant purple glow.

  Psychic!

  The assassin, startled by Gengar's sudden appearance, reacted instinctively—he leapt backward!

  But just as he was about to push off the ground—the tent ripped open—a small figure was already charging toward him—a bck dagger in Sato's left hand—sshing straight for his right leg!

  "Shing!"

  No blood.

  The assassin's reflexes were lightning-fast. He lifted his right foot, causing the dagger to strike the top of his foot instead.

  Steel-like resistance.

  Sato cursed inwardly—ing bastard!

  The assassin's shoes were specially designed, with steel-reinforced soles, clearly meant for kig oppos.

  Just imagining the impact ainful!

  Having missed his strike, Sato didn't chase after the assassin.

  Instead, he immediately threw Zoroark's Poké Ball, but the assassied just as quickly, releasing his own Pokémon at the same time.

  In the instant—Zoroark and a Hitmon appeared before them!

  "Mach Punch!"

  "Aerial Ace!"

  The moment Sato saw Hitmon, he khe assassin had e well-prepared.

  There were two types of enemies Zoroark hated fighting the most—one was defeanks like Golem and Tyranitar, which were too durable to take down easily.

  The other eed attackers, who shared its oaced bat style.

  And Hitmon was both a Speed-based fighter and had a type advantage against Zoroark—this was a direct ter!

  Both Mach Pund Aerial Ace were priority moves.

  While Hitmon's speed might be slightly inferior to Zoroark's, it was a master of boxing, using a teique it had practiced endlessly.

  Meanwhile, Zoroark's Aerial Ace was a Flying-type move that it was only somewhat familiar with.

  With that differen trol and familiarity, Zoroark was instantly overwhelmed!

  Hitmon's relentless pressure gave it no opportunity to ter, pletely suppressing it—It couldn't even find an opening to use Night Daze or any other ratacks!

  "HL20, don't get distracted!"

  Sato's mind momentarily wavered.

  Even though he had expected Ghost Ship to discover his e to their anization—hearing it directly from an assassin still threw him off.

  That one sed of distra—aghostly hand suddenly appeared behind him, reag for his neck!

  "Awoo!"

  A surgi of fire roared past Sato's head, narrowly missing him—a Bae was instantly bsted away!

  Houndour followed up immediately, lunging at the Bae and sinking its fangs deep into its body, refusing to let go!

  Houndour, hidden in the shadows, had sprung into a—Its ambush had just saved Sato's life.

  While the Bae might not have been able to kill him instantly, it could have easily nded a devastating blow.

  Sato felt goosebumps all over.

  The smell of burnt hair drifted from the back of his head—thankfully, it was just his hair that got singed—Houndour's Fmethrower had been pinpoint accurate.

  "Shing!"

  The assassin gave Sato no time to recover, immediately closing the distance—he wielded a dagger of his own, sshing directly at Sato in close bat!

  Meanwhile, Gengar was locked in a fierce struggle.

  The Arbok it was fighting had reached Elite-Peak Level, making it highly sensitive to energy fluctuations—now that Gengar's presence was marked, its invisibility was useless!

  If Gengar hadn't spent so much time retly meditating and strengthening its mind, it would have already fallen under Arbok's pressure.

  Only Psychic's overwhelming suppression was keeping it in the fight!

  At the same time—Zoroark and Hitmon were still locked in battle.

  Zoroark was being pushed back, its attacks feeling pletely restricted—It had been forced into a defeance!

  Ironically—the one perf the best was Houndour! Its vicious ambush tactid relentless assault had thrown Bae off bance.

  Despite only being Ordinary-Peak Level, it was overp ae-Low Level Bae!

  However—this reckless, all-out fighting style couldn't st forever.

  At any moment, it could be the oo colpse first.