Pokémon Court

Terrance and Altaria remained vigilant, but the moment they arrived, countless Ice Shards came flying toward them, a chill sweeping through the air.

"Ascend."

Terrance reacted immediately. Still on Altaria's back, he knew that attacking wasn't the best choice. In the next instant, Altaria swiftly rose upward, dodging the barrage of Ice Shards. Meanwhile, a dozen Sneasel emerged slowly from the cave below, their fierce eyes glaring at the pair in the sky.

"The cave entrance is about two meters high. Perfect." During the brief descent, Terrance caught a clear glimpse of the Sneasel's habitat, and his eyes lit up.

Finding a suitable resting spot on this deserted island was no easy feat. Aside from forcefully taking over a site from the local inhabitants, locating a new shelter seemed nearly impossible.

As for forcefully taking it over, the type of Pokémon involved mattered. Habitats belonging to Spearow or Rattata, even if found, likely wouldn't be ideal for resting. This Sneasel-inhabited cave, however, seemed just right—though it might be a bit cold inside, lighting a fire would solve that problem.

Looking at the ferociously approaching Sneasels, Terrance's expression did not change as he spoke, "We'll leave for now."

Riding on Altaria, Terrance didn't dare to risk a battle against a dozen Sneasel simultaneously. As they retreated, two Sneasel gave chase, monitoring the enemy's situation. However, when Altaria abruptly descended, Terrance leapt off its back and tossed out two Poké Balls, releasing Arcanine and Beautifly. Startled, the two Sneasel immediately retreated.

Terrance launched the attack.

Under his command, Arcanine charged forward to clear the way. Altaria circled above, while Beautifly perched on Terrance's shoulder, protecting him.

"He actually plans to seize the habitat from Sneasel," murmured Examiner Joy, having observed Terrance's actions all this while. Initially surprised, she quickly understood his reasoning. Finding a temporary resting place in such a short time seemed to be the only option, but it wasn't something just anyone could do. A Sneasel colony in the wild wasn't something to be trifled with.

"Arrooohh~~"

With a whoosh, Joy took out her binoculars and looked towards the cave. Arcanine, like a wolf that had entered a flock of sheep, moved with agility, unafraid of Sneasel's sharp claws. It began to engulf its prey one by one, its entire body enveloped in flames.

Above, Altaria unleashed sweeping blasts of breath, leaving the Sneasel no chance to resist. Any Sneasel attempting to ambush Terrance staggered helplessly within a strange gust of wind mixed with Stun Spore dust, before being struck by sharp wind blades and ultimately blown away.

In just two minutes, the dozen Sneasel were completely subdued by the combined efforts of the three Pokémon.

But then, a series of furious cries echoed from the cave. Emerging from within were four Pokémon significantly larger and fiercer than the Sneasel. As these four Pokémon roared, rustling sounds came from the bushes all around. From near and far, it seemed countless creatures were converging on their location.

"Four Weavile, huh…" Terrance muttered, noticing more Sneasel closing in from all sides. His brows furrowed.

"So be it. Mismagius, Castform, you join the fight too."

With five Pokémon facing off against the approaching Sneasel and Weavile, the tension in the air grew palpable.

Before long, Terrance and his team found themselves surrounded. The four Weavile, leading the remaining Sneasel, snarled menacingly at Terrance, waving their sharp claws.

"It seems this is the largest Sneasel habitat on the island..."

"Beautifly, Castform, follow my commands. The rest of you, act on your own!"

"Your mission: repel every opponent in sight."

As Terrance finished speaking, two Weavile dashed swiftly in his direction. With a snap of his fingers, Castform unleashed a high-pressure Hydro Pump that shot out like a water arrow, disrupting the formation of the two Weavile and forcing them to circle around from the sides. Meanwhile, the other Pokémon also leapt into action, turning the battlefield into a chaotic melee. Terrance could only manage to command two Pokémon at a time; any more, and he'd be overwhelmed. Even so, he struggled to maintain full control over the intense battle unfolding around him.

The pressure was slowly mounting.

However, Terrance's Pokémon were far superior in strength and quality compared to the Sneasel. The two Weavile attempting to flank were held off by Beautifly's Stun Spore, forming a shimmering "golden whirlwind" that trapped them. They had no choice but to use Icy Wind to blow away the Stun Spore, but at that moment, Castform seized the opportunity and unleashed another Hydro Pump, sending one of the Weavile flying.

The main battlefield was even more chaotic. Arcanine faced off against four or five Sneasel at once but didn't lose its momentum. Using its massive body and high speed, it forcefully suppressed the Sneasel, shrugging off the injuries from its opponents like they were mere tickles. Using its entire body like a dragon's tail, Arcanine drove all its opponents back within moments.

Mismagius, meanwhile, played a crucial role in keeping the enemy at bay. Under the influence of its illusion skill, the Sneasel appeared utterly bewildered, as if spellbound, unable to even bring out half of their true strength during the battle.

The training Terrance had done in the Tower of Confusion, battling multiple opponents simultaneously, was now paying off. Even when surrounded, his Pokémon remained calm, seizing every opportunity to deal heavy blows to their opponents using their own advantages. Against any of Terrance's Pokémon, even the leading Weavile stood no chance—let alone the unevolved Sneasel. Especially against Altaria, which was flying high in the sky and continuously interfering. Dragon Breath swept across, forcing even Weavile to flee in panic. Although these Sneasel were skilled in cooperation, in the face of superior power, they were almost instantly defeated and began to flee madly.

Knowing the Sneasel's cunning nature and that their retreat could be a trick, Terrance didn't dare relax. He wouldn't feel secure in the cave until he was certain they had abandoned the area entirely.

"The territory is ours now."

Terrance gave no thought to where the displaced Weavile would go to find a new habitat. This deserted island had always functioned in this way; in the usual course of hunting, Sneasel acted as sunning assassins, and creatures like Sandshrew, Raticate, and Pidgey often became their prey when facing an ambush from Weavile or Sneasel. So for hunters like these, survival on the island was hardly a challenge.

Even while occupying their territory, Terrance knew he would need to remain vigilant for future sneak attacks. He doubted the Sneasel would give up their territory so easily. The earlier battle wasn't nearly enough to instill fear in such cunning hunters.

"You actually pulled it off." Examiner Joy and her Dragonite landed, looking at Terrance in astonishment.

"Your Pokémon are all very strong, and you don't seem to be uncomfortable facing this kind of battle. That deserves praise," she remarked.

"Thank you," Terrance replied. "Next, I need to find some firewood and food."

Joy hesitated briefly before smiling—a rare sight. "In that case, as payment for temporarily borrowing the shelter you just claimed, I'll guard this place for you. You can search for supplies without worry."

It seemed this cave was the only suitable resting spot in the vicinity.

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