Pokémon Court

This deserted island was vast—large enough to at least build a first-tier city if humans were to conquer it. Terrance's arrival on this island was like dropping a single ant—insignificant compared to the island's massive size.

However, what's different is that this particular "ant" is quite strong, enough to handle the dangers posed by most of the creatures here.

"This island is indeed unique. From the flock of Spearow I encountered earlier to now, I've already been attacked four times."

Terrance and Mismagius advanced cautiously. The Pokémon here were far more aggressive than those on the mainland, at least several times over.

"On the Hoenn mainland, there are more or less traces of human development in the places where Pokémon inhabit. Whether it's through modification or expulsion of some Pokémon, they have created a relatively peaceful competitive environment locally. But this island remains in its most primal state. It's a world of the survival of the fittest, where competition is so fierce that it's hard to imagine. That's likely why the Pokémon here are so aggressive."

As he walked, Terrance noticed that the Pokémon here had a very aggressive fighting style. Many attacked at the slightest provocation. However, in order to conserve strength, Terrance didn't waste time on these meaningless battles. Instead, he chose to have Mismagius use the illusion skill to change the opponent's target.

If the battle fluctuations were too big, it might attract even more Pokémon.

Terrance had already experienced how dangerous this place is. Compared to this place, Mt. Chimney was practically a garden. If the Terrance of the past had been thrown here, he wouldn't have lasted more than a few hours.

While the area surrounding Mt. Chimney was still undeveloped wilderness, it's still near human settlements. Aggressive and powerful Pokémon had long been driven away, leaving only those that an average Trainer could handle. But this uninhabited island was different. D-Level Lost Region—it was an important criteria when the League was first established to judge whether a Gym Trainer had the ability to defend a town.

Although current Gym Trainers were no longer required to have strength to single-handedly handle D-Level Lost Regions, the training journeys in dangerous areas like the Lost Regions remains one of the important criteria to assess Gym Trainers, Elite Four members, and even Champions. This tradition has been preserved to this day.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! ! ! ! ! !"

Terrance stopped in his tracks. A sudden, violent gust of wind whirled up in front of him, rapidly ascending into the sky. Immediately after, a Pidgeot appeared, snatching up two Raticate before vanishing from sight.

"I've noticed it for a while now. The hunting methods of the Pokémon here are different from those on the mainland. Predators that lie in wait for their prey are quite common. I need to tread more carefully."

As Terrance continued moving forward, Examiner Joy and her Dragonite were leisurely following behind.

The only thing that puzzled Joy was how Terrance had managed to get through the whole journey without any real danger. Even when Pokémon got close to him, they would inexplicably retreat.

This was all thanks to Mismagius' illusion skill.

As for Joy, with Dragonite beside her, exuding a powerful aura, almost no Pokémon dared to approach. Weak Pokémon like Caterpie and Rattata flee in terror at the sight of even a Pidgeotto, let alone someone like Dragonite who is at the top of the food chain.

So far, Terrance had yet to encounter any overly powerful Pokémon, but even the ordinary ones he encountered gradually changed his perception of this island.

"The Pokémon on this island are generally stronger and more battle-hardened than those on the mainland. For an average Trainer, capturing one would be a great choice. But the drawback is also clear—these Pokémon aren't easily tamed. Once caught, there's a high chance they won't obey commands unless the Trainer is quite capable and can subdue them completely."

Terrance chuckled to himself. He imagined what it would be like if a rookie Trainer is thrown onto this deserted island for a year. If they managed to make it out relying solely on their own skills, the experience would undoubtedly surpass the challenge of defeating Gyms across several regions.

"Mis~magius…"

As they moved along, Mismagius suddenly let out a warning cry. Two dark shadows darted out from behind the trees, their silver claws slashing toward Terrance and Mismagius.

The pair of attackers coordinated their attack expertly. As soon as they appeared, they used Icy Wind to disrupt Mismagius, then split up—one targeting Mismagius again while the other went for Terrance.

Whoosh!

Mismagius endured the Icy Wind and consecutively launched several Shadow Balls, preventing the two Sneasels from succeeding in their surprise attack. Afterward, it floated in front of Terrance, glaring at the two Sneasels, who sharpened their claws menacingly before retreating behind the trees.

"Don't chase them."

Terrance took out an Ice Heal and tended to Mismagius' minor injuries, looking puzzled.

"Sneasel are cunning and clever, known to hunt in teams of two or more… There's a good chance more of them are lying in wait ahead. Normally, they inhabit cold caves or mountains, so why are they here?"

Terrance was surprised. Could there be a mountain nearby? A quick glance from the sky earlier hadn't given him a clear view of the island, but he remembered that it was surrounded by innumerable cliffs.

He suspected he had landed near the center of the island.

"We can't keep walking. If we stumble into a group of Sneasel, they'll launch a full-force attack. On the other hand, if I can find a mountain, it could make for a good shelter at night." Terrance recalled Mismagius: "Let's leave this to Altaria. You can return for now."

"Alt~aria!"

A blue figure shot into the sky. Terrance was sitting on Altaria's back as they began to fly higher and higher, until finally overlooking the entire island.

About a kilometer ahead, Terrance spotted a cluster of interconnected caves. From a distance, it was a bit blurry, but he was certain they weren't naturally formed. They must have been dug out later.

"What a shame," Terrance sighed. If they were dug out later, whether he could live there was one thing, but whether the original owner would welcome him was another.

Still, Terrance decided to go take a look. After walking for so long, he hadn't found a suitable place to stay, and as night was approaching, his patience was wearing thin.

Even if it was a Sneasel's habitat, he was going to check if it was suitable to stay for a while. If it was suitable, he would just take it over by force and use it for a few days.

"Let's go, Altaria."

Whoosh!

Altaria and Terrance began flying toward the cave, while Examiner Joy looked up at the sky and had Dragonite follow them.

Terrance had noticed Joy following him but paid no attention. Within moments, Altaria descended near the cave, but at that very moment, they both felt themselves locked onto by countless auras. Pairs of bloodthirsty eyes were staring at them.

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