Chapter 547: Theft
Although he had decided to go for the special Miracle Seed, he didn't act immediately. Instead, he intended to continue "watching the tigers fight on the mountain," waiting for the outcome between Tropius and Mandibuzz.
Mandibuzz is a Bone Vulture Pokémon. Despite being smaller in size compared to Tropius, its sharp beak and claws were formidable weapons against Tropius.
In comparison to the agile and nimble Mandibuzz, the massive size of the Tropius became a burden. In just a short span of battle, the Tropius's body was covered in scratches and wounds, even its wings formed by two pairs of green leaves were torn and tattered.
Seeing blood, the Mandibuzz became even more frenzied in their attacks. The Tropius's injuries worsened visibly, and eventually, with a resounding crash, it fell to the ground, dropping the special Miracle Seed it had been carrying in its mouth.
As Yuga and Chatot watched the severely wounded Tropius about to meet its end, a trace of compassion flickered within them. After all, they both hailed from a relatively peaceful modern society, and though they had gradually adapted to such bloody scenes, they couldn't claim to be completely desensitized.
However, they had no real connection to Tropius, and Yuga wasn't the kind of person to risk his life to save it. All he could do was silently apologize to the fallen Pokémon.
Seeing Tropius critically injured on the ground, Mandibuzz opened its sharp beak, ready to deliver the final blow.
Just when Yuga believed Tropius was on the brink of death, Tropius suddenly gave a fierce glare and unleashed a Grass-type move, Leaf Storm. Countless green leaves formed a massive vortex, swirling towards the descending Mandibuzz.
Unable to match Tropius's power, the Mandibuzz was hit by this unexpected Leaf Storm and scrambled into the sky in a panic. Seizing the opportunity, Tropius broke free from the encirclement of Mandibuzz and fled.
By the time the Mandibuzz regained their senses, Tropius had flown far away. Although it was seriously injured, the Tropius tried its best to escape.
Watching the wobbly departure of Tropius, the Mandibuzz stared at its retreating figure for a while but ultimately decided not to pursue further.
One of the Mandibuzz landed on the ground, picked up the special Miracle Seed dropped by Tropius, and returned it to their nest. While they didn't know its purpose, it would serve as a nice decoration for their nest.
Seeing the Mandibuzz return to their usual calm state, a wave of energy fluctuations emanated from Yuga's shadow, and then, Gengar quietly emerged. It grinned at Yuga.
Seeing half of Gengar's body appearing within Yuga's shadow, Chatot asked with widened eyes, "Has Gengar and Mismagius awakened?"
Yuga whispered, "Mismagius hasn't awakened yet, but it should be soon."
It was because Gengar had awakened earlier, giving Yuga the unusual consent to follow Chatot's suggestion to go after the Miracle Seed. More accurately, it was not a robbery, but a theft.
When it came to stealing, no one was better at it than Ghost-type Pokémon, masters of stealth. Yuga couldn't afford to recklessly confront the Mandibuzz like what happened with Tropius. The lessons from Tropius's ordeal were still fresh.
Seeing Gengar's appearance, Chatot secretly breathed a sigh of relief. While it was willing to charge into action alongside Yuga, having Gengar in the front, it would be lazy as long as it could.
After awakening, Gengar's level hadn't changed; it remained at the peak of pseudo-Elite level. However, its aura had become more composed and eerie, indicating that it had fully absorbed the life energy it had consumed.
Yuga and Gengar discussed their plan and then watched as Gengar dove underground like a pro. Yuga shifted his attention to the nest where the Miracle Seed was placed.
However, at that very moment, the owner of the nest, a Mandibuzz, landed gracefully in its home and closed its eyes to rest. This development caused Yuga's expression to change; this was not good.
This particular Mandibuzz seemed to be a lone ranger. Its nest had no Pokémon eggs or Vullaby. (Mandibuzz are all female. And in this story, belong to a group that reproduces through cross-fertilization, and they don't live with the fathers of their children.)
However, its strength was remarkable. While not on the same level as Gengar, who was at the peak of pseudo-Elite level, it was still a formidable pseudo-Elite level Pokémon.
Yuga had observed that within this group, there were two pseudo-Elite level Pokémon. One was the leader of the group, while the other was the one guarding the nest with the Miracle Seed.
Yuga hadn't expected his luck to be this bad. The special Miracle Seed had fallen into the nest of this Mandibuzz, and this Mandibuzz had returned at this precise moment, making Gengar's thieving mission considerably more challenging.
While the Mandibuzz rested with its eyes closed in its nest, a dark purple chubby hand unexpectedly emerged near the nest's edge. The two pudgy fingers of this hand silently inched towards the location of the Miracle Seed.
Just as those chubby fingers were about to touch the emerald Miracle Seed, the closed-eyed Mandibuzz suddenly snapped its eyes open. It locked onto the mischievous chubby hand.
The Mandibuzz immediately raised one of its talons and unleashed a Night Slash, slashing viciously at the chubby hand. The branches forming the nest were scattered into pieces.
Upon realizing that it had been detected, the chubby hand swiftly retreated, narrowly avoiding the Mandibuzz's attack.
Then, Gengar burst out of hiding. With a quick move, it snatched the Miracle Seed and disappeared into the rocky wall near the nest.
Seeing this situation, the Mandibuzz screeched sharply, and the entire Mandibuzz group became restless.
Having something stolen right under its nose was unacceptable. Despite being the second-in-command within the group, the Mandibuzz was still quite furious.
Ghost-type Pokémon like Gengar were extremely rare in this underground world, and the "rural" Mandibuzz was unfamiliar with them. However, this didn't diminish its anger towards the thief who dared to steal from them.
Alerted by the Mandibuzz's screech, other Mandibuzz began circling in the air, scanning for the audacious thief who had infiltrated their territory.
Having successfully acquired the stolen item, Gengar swiftly navigated the underground, returning to Yuga's side. It handed the Miracle Seed over to Yuga.
The moment Yuga touched this special Miracle Seed, he felt a gentle and refreshing energy flowing through his palm, resonating even with the special abilities flowing within him.
However, Yuga knew that this wasn't the time to delve into the nature of this Miracle Seed. He said to Gengar and Chatot, "Let's get out of here quickly."
Gengar nodded, and it dived back into Yuga's shadow. Yuga immediately led Chatot to make a hasty retreat.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone