That night, the farm was silent.
After a full day of work, both the humans and the Pokémon on the farm had drifted into peaceful sleep.
But in the forest beyond the farm, a faint rustling suddenly broke the stillness.
Before long, a figure dressed in black cautiously emerged from the woods, scanning the surroundings.
Two more figures similarly wrapped in black cloaks followed close behind.
Beside each of the figures were several Pokémon. Leading the group was a Luxray, and accompanying it were two Mightyena.
Luxray and Mightyena were both Pokémon known for their fierce appearance and strong battle capabilities—traits that had long made them popular among nobles and wealthy merchants.
Near Aspiration City, there were several farms that specialized in breeding these Pokémon, so they were relatively common in the area.
However, only the lead Luxray was equipped with beast gear, while the two Mightyena had none.
Privately raising such Pokémon was common among nobles—beast gear was simply too expensive, even for aristocrats to easily afford.
"Sir Enzo, should we just charge in?"
One of the black-clad men approached the leader and whispered a reminder.
But the moment he spoke, the lead man struck him hard.
"How many times have I told you? Don't call me 'sir' here!"
The man quickly covered his mouth, signaling he understood. He repeated his question in a lower voice.
"No need. We're heading straight to the orchard to grab the Petilil," Enzo replied, pulling out a simple map of the farm for reference.
Then, he led his two subordinates around the farm's perimeter, arriving at the orchard. They climbed over the stone wall quietly and slipped inside.
Before coming to steal the Petilil, they had done their homework.
They knew the farm was guarded by a Luxray and a Starly, so they had no choice but to handle the job themselves.
Without the help of Pokémon, even well-trained knights couldn't hope to steal a Petilil from right under their noses.
The Luxray and the two Mightyena moved with agile steps, easily leaping over the wall.
"Mightyena, find that Petilil," Enzo ordered one of them from behind a tree.
The Mightyena nodded and sniffed the air carefully.
From the lingering scents in the orchard, it could distinguish between Luxray, Starly, Cherubi, and Petilil.
"Got it?"
Enzo's eyes lit up with excitement and he signaled for the Mightyena to lead the way deeper into the orchard.
Rustle rustle rustle.
As they walked, the leaves around them made soft rustling sounds.
Suddenly, a sharp bird cry rang through the forest, startling Enzo.
He turned in the direction of the sound and spotted a Starly perched on a tree branch, staring straight at him.
"We've been spotted!"
Enzo gritted his teeth and sighed inwardly. 'I really wasn't cut out for stealth work.'
Then his gaze hardened. "Luxray, take it down!"
Luxray nodded and darted forward, lightning arcing from its jaws as it prepared to strike with Thunder Fang.
Starly, seeing its opponent charging, showed no fear. Its wings glowed white as it launched itself into the air to counterattack.
Mid-air, the two Pokémon collided.
Luxray's jaws clamped down on Starly's glowing wings. The moment they made contact, electricity surged outwards.
In an instant, Flying-type energy clashed with Electric-type energy.
But within moments, the Flying-type energy was overwhelmed. Electric shocks rippled across Starly's body!
Bzzzzzt!
Starly convulsed violently, completely enveloped in electricity.
With a vicious shake of its head, Luxray flung Starly aside. It crashed heavily into a tree.
This Luxray had clearly undergone professional training—Starly had been taken out in a single exchange.
"Don't waste time. Let's go."
Glancing once at the unconscious Starly on the ground, Enzo spoke in a low voice and quickened his pace into the forest.
He needed to find the Petilil and get it off the farm before the owners realized what was happening. Then he could hand it off to the apothecary to make universal medicine.
Star Star Star!
But just a short distance away, the sound of birdsong rang out again.
Starly, trembling, had stood back up. It spread its wings and began gathering energy—it still wanted to fight.
Enzo paused mid-step and watched as Luxray leapt again.
With a simple Tackle, Starly was once more sent flying, smashing into another tree before sliding to the ground.
Its wings lay limp on the grass, but its head was still slowly lifting.
"Forget it. Leave it. Let's go find the Petilil."
Seeing it still struggle to rise, Enzo felt a strange pang in his chest and placed a hand on Luxray to stop it from attacking again.
Luxray nodded, giving one last deep look at Starly before following the lead Mightyena toward Petilil's location.
Grr!
One of the Mightyena growled softly, signaling that the Petilil was just up ahead.
Enzo's eyes lit up with excitement.
He ran through the trees and emerged onto a wide open plain—
And then he stopped in his tracks.
Standing in the clearing was a young boy in simple linen clothes, holding a Petilil in his arms.
"Petilil!"
One of the black-clad men cried out in surprise, before turning his gaze to the boy's side—
There stood a Luxray!
At that moment, Aven quietly observed the three intruders. When he heard them say Petilil's name, his eyes narrowed.
Growl…
The Luxray beside him let out a low snarl, staring across at the enemy Luxray—it was the one that had alerted them to the intruders.
(End of Chapter 18)