"Didn't expect you to dodge that. Guess you're not some worthless dead weight after all."
Kikuta's face twisted with mockery, her expression utterly different from yesterday's gym challenge, gritted teeth and venomous.
Sieg's heart pounded as he gasped for breath, inwardly shocked.
It all made sense now. Everything made sense.
He'd actually been discovered the moment he entered this small power plant. Those faint footprints by the entrance were merely bait to lure him deeper.
The aroma of cooking food and signs of a campfire in the central hall room, all deliberately left to entice Sieg forward.
Finally, an ambush by a Pokémon hidden in the shadows.
But one thing still puzzled Sieg.
Why did she want to kill him? Just because he'd beaten her in yesterday's gym battle? No rational person's psychology could be that twisted and petty, right?
Sieg had no time for deeper contemplation. He released several Pokémon to respond collectively while questioning her: "Why are you suddenly attacking me? Do you want to violate League trainer laws?!"
Sieg's tone carried intense condemnation, as if in this moment he'd transformed into a righteous judge.
Say what people want to hear; tell the devil what he wants to hear.
Sieg had become exceptionally practiced at this.
"Hmph, the moment you entered this power plant, you sealed your fate!"
Kikuta pulled out two Poké Balls. Two more Pokémon materialized beside her. A Magnezone floated nearby, its yellow horn spinning continuously atop its head, clearly charging for an attack.
The other Pokémon had fluffy, smooth skin covering its body. A red orb at the end of its tail glowed in the darkness. Its expression looked absolutely adorable.
An Ampharos!
The energy waves emanating from all three Pokémon were extremely powerful, especially that Magnezone, which clearly radiated Elite-level strength!
Before Sieg could react, golden chains materialized around both Manectric and Ampharos, crackling with electrical energy.
The two Pokémon's auras surged dramatically, momentarily matching the Elite-level Magnezone.
Two terms instantly flashed through Sieg's mind.
"Plus and Minus abilities!"
These two abilities were quite unusual in the Pokémon world. Very few Pokémon possessed them, the most famous being Plusle and Minun.
When partners with Plus or Minus abilities worked together in battle, their Special Attack would increase.
Undoubtedly, Ampharos possessed the Plus ability.
Conversely, Manectric possessed the Minus ability.
The two Pokémon complemented each other, mutually amplifying their Special Attack.
Sieg swallowed hard. Kikuta's team composition was absolutely superb, clearly the result of deep research and careful planning.
No wonder she'd become an Elite apprentice at Mauville Gym.
At minimum, her knowledge of Electric-type Pokémon was definitely impressive. And knowledge was precisely one manifestation of a trainer's strength.
"My Magnezone just completed its evolution. How fitting—I'll use your life as a blood sacrifice to celebrate!"
Kikuta's expression grew increasingly savage.
Sieg had no time to argue. Her three Pokémon far exceeded his team's strength, and they countered his Pokémon's types.
Inside the power plant, electrical energy was exceptionally dense. She held every advantage—timing, terrain, and circumstances all in her favor.
Sieg commanded: "Murkrow, Haze!"
Hearing its trainer's order, Murkrow immediately understood. Gray mist poured from its beak, gradually spreading throughout the entire room as its wings fanned the smoke.
Sieg swept his wide cloak, dispersing the fog before him. He recalled his Pokémon to their balls and vanished into the mist.
"Damn it! Manectric, Odor Sleuth!"
The haze persisted for over ten seconds before dissipating. During this time, Kikuta didn't dare attack recklessly, she could only have her Pokémon guard her position.
After all, in outdoor combat, the trainer's life was paramount. Kikuta was an expert in wilderness battles.
With visibility compromised, she wouldn't act rashly.
"No... this person must die. If he discovers this power plant's secret, how can I continue growing stronger and rising to the top?!"
Kikuta's eyes beneath her short, tousled hair turned vicious. At this moment, she looked nothing like a twenty-something young woman, more like a desperate criminal.
Murkrow flapped its wings through the dim power plant interior. Its black feathers blended seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The sky's sovereign of darkness was now fleeing desperately with its trainer.
"Murkrow, let's go, upstairs!"
Sieg's expression shifted as he glanced at the spiral staircase in the corner and rushed toward it.
The power plant had three floors total, arranged pyramid-style, narrower toward the top.
The first floor where Sieg had been was the most spacious, and also where Pokémon congregated most dangerously.
However, while the perimeter might still have some Pokémon, the core area had been completely cleared by Kikuta.
"That Kikuta has an Elite-level Magnezone, plus two Pokémon infinitely close to Elite level, Manectric and Ampharos. With their Plus and Minus abilities working together, they can reach Elite-level strength."
Judging solely from her team, Kikuta was unlike any opponent he'd previously encountered.
"This is bad..."
Sieg leaned against the dim wall, his expression grim as he muttered.
But what puzzled him more was why Kikuta was so determined to kill him.
And what she'd said, that he'd sealed his fate the moment he entered the power plant. Could this facility be hiding some secret?
Sieg had no time to ponder. After hastily setting up a crude trap at the stairwell entrance, he rushed into various rooms and corridors on the second floor.
Heavy footsteps from behind clearly indicated Kikuta was rapidly approaching.
Sieg hid behind a wall, crossbow loaded and ready, carefully aiming at the exit. The moment Kikuta emerged from that stairwell, she'd be hit by a poisoned bolt and die within seconds from the toxin.
Sieg quickly regulated his breathing, half-crouched, head turned sideways as he aimed.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
As the footsteps gradually faded, Sieg could only hear his own breathing.
His gaze sharpened, eyes narrowing with keen focus. Right now, Sieg resembled a hunter silently waiting for prey to take the bait.
Only this particular prey seemed to sense something wrong, lingering at the stairwell entrance without emerging.
Just as Sieg concentrated intensely, a shadow flashed across the stairwell opening.
"Fwish-fwish-fwish!!!"
Three bolts fired in succession. The shadow was pinned directly to the wall. As joy flashed across Sieg's face, he shone his flashlight over.
It was just an ordinary Pokémon corpse!
"Not good!"
Sieg instantly realized she was fishing, his position had been exposed.
"Murkrow, run!"
Sieg immediately fled from that corner, escaping toward deeper areas.
Sure enough, the next second countless attacks slammed into the corner where he'd just been hiding.
The destructive power was so high that even defense-specialized Pokémon would struggle to withstand it, let alone a human.