The moment the cloaked man uttered his final warning, the wind seemed to pause.
"We'll take it by force, then," he said flatly, stepping forward. His Machoke moved with him tall, muscular, its gray fists clenched like anvils.
From the front of the caravan, Jareth stepped down from the driver's seat, cloak billowing slightly as he drew his Poké Ball with the ease of a man who'd done this too many times before.
Behind him, Fena gritted her teeth and followed suit, pulling Poké Ball from her belt. "Great," she muttered. "Bandits again. I just organized my herbs."
Inside the cart, Shion's fingers trembled as he gripped Kiba's Poké Ball.
Bidoof was still snoring in the corner, oblivious. Dunlin, arms crossed, huffed indignantly.
"Why is it always me?" he grumbled. "Do I look robbable? Is it the spice cart?"
Shion barely heard him..
His heart pounded as he opened the carriage door and jumped down. His boots hit the dirt with a soft crunch. He stood beside Kiba, who was already out of his ball, hackles raised and fangs bared. The fur along Kiba's neck bristled with anticipation.
This was no spar. No casual wild encounter. This was real.
Across the road, the cloaked man whistled sharply. Four more figures appeared from the bushes, stepping into view two from the right, two from the left. They spread out in a half-circle around the caravan, boxing them in.
One of the henchmen giggled—high-pitched, off-key, like something was very wrong with him.
The leader's tone was smooth. "Last chance. Leave your goods, your coin, and your Pokémon, and we'll let you leave in peace."
The Machoke beside him flexed its fists, glowing faintly with Fighting-type energy.
Jareth drew his sword with a soft hiss of steel. "Shion. Fena. Ready."
Shion took a deep breath and nodded.
He didn't speak. Instead, he pointed forward.
"Kiba Accelerock!"
The Lycanroc barked once and vanishedin a blur of orange. Dust kicked up from the road as he streaked across the space between, heading straight for Machoke.
Jareth's Rhydon burst from its Poké Ball with a roar, slamming its tail against the earth.
"Rock Slide!"
Fena's Roselia followed in a shimmer of green, petals unfolding like drawn blades.
"Magical Leaf, now!"
The battlefield erupted.
Rhydon's Rock Slide sent jagged stone crashing toward the bandits' front line, while Roselia's leaves whirled with unnatural speed, slicing through the underbrush and scattering their attackers.
Kiba slammed into Machoke's chest before it could brace aperfect Accelerock, fast and brutal.
The cloaked man snarled. "Respond!" "Crush them! Krokorok Sand Tomb!"Seviper Poison Tail!" the henchmen each give out order
The enemy Pokémon fanned out.
Behind the Machoke, a Krokorok snapped its jaws, sand spiraling at its feet as it summoned a whirl of dust. A Seviper, tail dripping with violet venom, slithered in from the flank.
An Ekans and Golbat emerged from the trees. A Swoobat flapped low from above, wings glowing with psychic energy.
It wasn't a battle it was a brawl.
Shion ducked instinctively as a Golbatdive-bombed the cart, screeching.
Fena called out, "RoselianPoison Jab on the Ekans! Watch your flank!"
Jareth pulled another Poké Ball. "Lairon defend the cart!"
A flash of white light, and a Lairon thundered into view, blocking a Seviper strike just in time with its armored head.
Kiba darted between enemies, delivering another Accelerock across Golbat's wing. It screeched in pain and veered off course, crashing into the dirt.
Shion shouted over the chaos. "Kiba, double back go for the Swoobat! Use Bite!"
Kiba leapt, launching upward. The Swoobat spun to intercept but its psychic blast missed. Kiba's fangs sank into its wing, dragging it from the sky.
Suddenly—
A flash of steel.
Shion turned too late.
One of the cloaked bandits—no Pokémon, just a knife was rushinghimdirectly, blade raised.
Time slowed.
He's not coming for the cart—he's coming for me.
Shion's breath froze.
Before the man reached him—
CLANG.
Steel on steel. Sparks flew.
Jareth stood between them, sword locked with the bandit's dagger. "Focus, boy!"
Shion stumbled back.
The man hissed, kicked off, and ran—only to be tackled by Lairon's tail and sent spinning.
Shion's knees trembled. "I… I almost…"
But there was no time to think.
----
The fight goes on
The field was chaos. Dust. Shouts. Roars.
Kiba zipped past again, targeting the Krokorok. It responded with Crunch, catching Kiba's leg, but the Lycanroc twisted and used Accelerock mid-spin, slamming into its jaw with brute force.
"Roselia support him!" Fena called.
Roselia nodded and launched Leech Seed, tangling Krokorok's legs.
With a final bark, Kiba drove a paw into the dirt, fired forward, and rammed the bandit's Pokémon in the side.
Krokorok went down.
Seviper tried to retreat, but Rhydon's tail smashed it into the ground.
One by one, the bandits' Pokémon dropped exhausted or unconscious. The Swoobat fled. Golbat limped away before collapsing.
Only the leader remained.
He growled.
"Retreat!"
But Shion's eyes narrowed.
"Kiba—Accelerock! Target them all! Don't let them get away!"
The Lycanroc howled and became a streak of light.
In a perfect zigzag, he slammed into each bandit in succession knocking them off their feet, sending weapons flying, cutting through their escape paths. The last of them collapsed in a heap.
Silence fell.
The dust began to settle.
---
Jareth exhaled sharply and wiped sweat from his brow.
"Everyone okay?"
Fena knelt beside Roselia, checking her petals. "We're fine."
Shion didn't answer at first.
He was still staring at his hands. At the road. At the spot where that blade had nearly-
"Shion," Jareth said firmly, stepping beside him.
The boy looked up.
"You did good," Jareth said.
Shion swallowed. "I… almost got stabbed."
"First time?," Jareth replied grimly. "well Next time, you'll Need to be faster and more prepared ."
Behind them, Dunlin finally emerged from the carriage, red in the face and ready to yell.
"Oh, come ON!" he shouted. "I am a respectable merchant, not a walking donation chest for roadside criminals!"
He stomped over to one of the unconscious bandits and kicked dirt at him.
Bidoof finally stirred from the cart.
"…Did I miss something?" it asked groggily.
Shion gave a short, shaky laugh.
----
With the bandits tied and left for local lawmen to collect, the caravan moved again.
Shion sat beside Kiba, who rested his head on Shion's knee.
He looked up at the sky, heart still thudding.
"I'm not ready for this."
Bidoof hopped up beside him.
"for what?."
Shion didn't reply.
But for the first time, he felt it:
Not just fear. But resolve.