Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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The constant "beep-beep-beep~" sound echoed without pause.

Sato's expression turned extremely grave as he stared at the signaling detector in his hand. His sharp eyes remained fixed ahead, making sure he didn't miss anything important.

The detector going off meant that other contestants had appeared within a ten-kilometer radius. Judging by the increasingly rapid blinking of the red signal light, they were drawing closer at a fast pace.

This surge in signal was likely caused by Arcanine following Ranka's lingering perfume scent all the way to their location.

Thus, Sato was certain—they had found the right person. A fierce battle was now inevitable.

At the same time, Ranka and Noda were also staring seriously at their own detector, which was constantly issuing warning beeps.

"Lord Ranka, the intruder is moving fast. The frequency of the signal blinking is increasing rapidly. We need to prepare for battle at once. We're currently in a low-lying area with uneven terrain. If the enemy launches an attack from higher ground, we'll be at a significant disadvantage. I suggest we move quickly to that flat, open stretch of sand ahead. That way, we won't be cornered."

Noda put away the detector, surveyed the surroundings, and respectfully offered his suggestion to Ranka.

"No. That's a riverside terrain, and it puts Aggron at a serious disadvantage in battle. I remember we passed a rocky area on our way here. It's also fairly level and has few obstructions that could be used for cover. That's a much better battlefield for Aggron."

As a core member nurtured by Athena, Ranka was no fool. He glanced at the lowland by the river, instantly dismissed Noda's suggestion, and decisively made up his mind.

"But... that rocky terrain is over a thousand meters away, and we'd have to pass through the territory of a large Aron tribe. We only just scattered a smaller tribe earlier—I remember the fleeing Aron, Lairon, and Aggron all ran in that direction. Heading back now might not be a good idea."

Noda's face darkened when he heard Ranka's reply. He lowered his head and mumbled hesitantly.

Thanks to the highly detailed map Ranka carried, Noda knew that the large Aron tribe included Pokémon at the Elite Four level. They had just attacked one of their smaller kin. If they returned now, retaliation was almost guaranteed.

Ranka simply smiled and said nothing more. He immediately released his Yanmega and mounted it to fly toward the rocky battlefield, leaving the stunned Noda behind.

Ranka's grasp of the terrain far exceeded that of Noda, who had only glanced at the map. He knew full well that flying back meant entering hostile territory—and that vengeance might follow.

But even so, Ranka refused to stay and battle near the riverbank—because his Aggron was terrified of water.

If the fight took place near a water source, Aggron's map-dominating combat style would be seriously limited and vulnerable to long-range suppression from Water-type Pokémon.

Sure, Aggron had powerful physical defenses—but its Special Defense was just average at best, and most Water-type moves relied on Special Attack.

Moreover, Ranka was well aware of a major weakness shared by many Water-types: they struggle on land. Their mobility drops drastically.

So, unless he had lost his mind, he would never let Aggron battle near water.

As for the threat of retaliation from the large Aron tribe—Ranka didn't even care.

As Aggron's trainer, he understood the tribe's biggest weakness: they were slow.

Even moderately fast Pokémon could outrun them, let alone Yanmega with its Speed Boost Ability. As long as he flew low and carefully, he was confident there would be no real danger.

"Damn it… He actually left me behind…"

Watching Ranka leave without a word, Noda's expression turned pitch black. After a brief hesitation, he ultimately gave up on following Ranka.

Humans are like that—when faced with situations, they always prioritize their own perspective first.

Noda was no exception. Nor was Ranka.

Noda's main reason for urging Ranka to stay and fight was because he didn't want to pass through the large Aron tribe's territory. He wasn't confident he could make it through safely.

He did have a Ninjask with Speed Boost, but its body was too small to carry his 98-kg frame at high speeds.

His land mount, Dodrio, was a great runner, but once someone his size got on, Dodrio's leg strength would be strained. If the Aron tribe gave chase, they might catch him.

And if they caught him, the consequences would be fatal.

But Ranka was in a completely different position. His Yanmega was large enough to carry him with ease. And more importantly, it had Speed Boost, making it a breeze to shake off pursuit from the Aron tribe.

What Noda could figure out, Ranka had already anticipated. That's why, after hearing Noda's stammered protest, Ranka didn't waste time explaining. He just left him behind.

To Ranka, Noda was nothing more than a disposable tool. Now that his usefulness was exhausted, he discarded him without hesitation.

In truth, there was another reason Ranka abandoned him so quickly.

Because they hadn't encountered any contestants recently, Ranka assumed the enemy was approaching from the opposite direction. Leaving Noda behind was his way of using him as a shield—someone to absorb the first strike.

Even if Noda couldn't stop them, maybe he could at least weaken the enemy a bit—making it easier for Ranka to swoop in and take advantage of the situation.

After a recent ambush by a team of opponents, which he had easily repelled—killing one in the process—Ranka had become more cautious. He suspected this new group might be larger than before.

Ranka wasn't stupid. Sato had guessed that unaffiliated contestants might start forming alliances. Ranka, having learned the rules early, had already anticipated this as well.

He might be arrogant, but not to the point of blind arrogance. If seven or eight contestants ganged up on him at once—with no strong subordinates to rely on—he would definitely be in trouble.

However, what Ranka hadn't yet realized was that the ones pursuing him were two of the strongest opponents on the island: Vanna and Sato.

And one of them was already fully prepared for battle.

As fate would have it, Ranka was about to run right into Sato—who was approaching from behind—while the abandoned Noda was going to encounter Vanna head-on.