A group of Yungoos were fleeing in disarray through the forest, closely pursued by over a dozen Mankey.
The Mankey leaped and swung through the trees, quickly overtaking the Yungoos and surrounding them on all sides.
Seeing their escape routes blocked by the Mankey, the Yungoos had no choice but to stop and assume battle stances, preparing to fight.
The lead Yungoos attempted to negotiate with the Mankey, but the Mankey refused to listen and immediately attacked them.
The Yungoos were forced to fight back, completely baffled about what they had done to provoke the Mankey.
It had all started when one Yungoos glanced at a Mankey for a second too long, angering it enough to lunge at the Yungoos.
What, you looking at me? We're fighting now!
One angry Mankey was bad enough, but soon all the surrounding Mankey became enraged and swarmed the Yungoos.
The few Yungoos stood no chance against the Mankey horde and had no choice but to flee.
But the Mankey refused to let them go, chasing them relentlessly.
Even the meekest creature has its limits, and the Yungoos were not known for their patience. Their frustration had been building, and now they desperately wanted to let it out.
Since escape was impossible, they would fight the Mankey to the death!
But they were outnumbered and outmatched, with the type disadvantage making it worse. The Mankey completely overwhelmed them, leaving no room for resistance.
Just as the Yungoos were about to be wiped out, a furious roar echoed from the distance, accompanied by tremors in the ground.
"Roar!!"
The commotion drew the attention of both the Mankey and Yungoos.
They turned toward the source of the sound and saw a massive Ursaluna charging toward them, with a human riding on its back.
The human threw two spherical objects forward, releasing two Pokémon.
"Scyther, use Wing Attack!"
"Gastly, use Confuse Ray!"
Seizing the moment while the Mankey were still stunned, Leon commanded his Pokémon to strike.
Scyther's wings flashed as it darted past two Mankey, knocking them away.
Meanwhile, Gastly grinned mischievously and hit a Mankey with Confuse Ray, leaving it in a daze.
The confused Mankey lost all sense of friend or foe, slashing wildly at its companions.
The attacked Mankey didn't take it lying down, kicking the confused one away. The two Mankey then began brawling fiercely.
"Gahahaha~"
Gastly floated nearby, laughing as it watched the two Mankey beat each other up. If only it had hands, it would have clapped in amusement.
Leon rode Ursaluna to the Yungoos and checked their injuries.
"Damn, you guys got wrecked. Can you still move?"
"Yun..."
The Yungoos weakly nodded, realizing this human seemed to be here to help them.
"Roar!!"
While Leon was assessing the Yungoos' condition, several Mankey lunged at them, only to be swatted away by Ursaluna's massive paws.
"You're seriously unlucky to have pissed off these maniacs!"
Leon watched as the Mankey, even after being sent flying, stubbornly got back up and kept attacking.
These Mankey were notoriously hot tempered, fighting with reckless abandon and no sense of fear. Even facing the towering Ursaluna, they charged without hesitation.
"Most of these Mankey are around Level 20. This won't be an easy fight."
Leon roughly gauged the Mankey's strength and found them formidable.
"Gastly has a type advantage, but who knows if any of these Mankey know moves like Beat Up? Plus, a Mankey pack always has a leader. If the grunts are this strong, the boss must be..."
"Pah!!"
With a furious screech, a Primeape swung down from the trees. The moment it arrived, it saw Gastly taunting the Mankey, who couldn't land a single hit on the ghost.
"Pah!"
Enraged, Primeape charged at Gastly, crossing its arms in an X shape before slamming down with a powerful Cross Chop.
Gastly didn't bother dodging, just grinning as Primeape's attack passed right through it.
Sorry, but you can't touch me~
The failed attack only infuriated Primeape further, the veins on its forehead bulging as if ready to burst.
But it hadn't completely lost its temper. If Cross Chop didn't work, it would try something else!
Clenching its fists, Primeape gathered dark purple energy and swung again with a Payback.
This time, Gastly didn't dare take the hit. It recognized that energy all too well—Ursaring had nearly shattered it with the same move before.
It quickly hid behind Ursaluna, sticking its tongue out at Primeape from safety.
Primeape, unable to tolerate such mockery, chased after Gastly with fists raised.
"Ursaluna, use Play Rough!"
Leon ordered Ursaluna to intercept Primeape.
The two Pokémon clashed fiercely, trading blows.
Though they seemed evenly matched, Leon knew Ursaluna was at a disadvantage.
This Primeape was nearly as strong as Ursaluna, and its Fighting type gave it an edge.
When two Pokémon were close in strength, type advantage decided the battle. Not everyone could be like Ash, an expert at overcoming type disadvantages.
Plus, Primeape had its underlings. The Mankey were no pushovers, and Scyther wouldn't last long under their combined assault.
"Usually, I'm the one ganging up on others with my Pokémon. Never thought I'd be the one getting swarmed. Karma's a bitch."
Leon sighed. It was clear they couldn't win this fight, so it was time for his ultimate move!
"Scyther, use Double Team to cover your retreat!"
"Ursaluna, go all out with Headlong Rush!"
Scyther created illusory copies to confuse the Mankey while the real one returned to Leon's side.
Leon recalled both Scyther and Gastly into their Poké Balls and pulled out a smoke bomb from his inventory.
The moment Ursaluna's devastating Headlong Rush sent Primeape stumbling back, Leon quickly climbed onto its back and hurled the smoke bomb to the ground.
"Boom!"
The bomb exploded, releasing thick clouds of smoke that obscured Leon and his team completely.
"Cough, this smoke is nasty. What are you waiting for? Run!"
Leon covered his nose, shouting at the stunned Yungoos.
That's right—his ultimate move was retreat.
Of the Thirty Six Stratagems, running away was the best!
If I can't beat you, I'll just leave!
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Just wait till I come back!
The Yungoos finally snapped out of it and followed Leon as they fled the battlefield.
Soon, the smoke cleared, but Leon and the Yungoos were long gone.
The Mankey looked around in confusion.
Where'd they go?
You asking me? How should I know?
What's that tone for? Wanna fight?
Hell yeah! I'm still pissed!!
Just like that, the Mankey started brawling among themselves.
Primeape was livid at the sight.
You idiots will fight over anything! Why can't you be calm and collected like me?
Who the hell threw a branch at my head?! You looking for a fight?!
Primeape angrily joined the free for all...
(End of Chapter)