Their plan wasn’t foolproof, but once the sun rose everything was already in motion. It was all or nothing at that point. The group of Tropius all woke up and went their separate ways. They did a customary greeting before scattering out into the forest.

Lilith had picked out the weakest of the bunch the night before. She had followed the Pokemon who had most recently gained their second star, looking for the ideal target. They had stayed up, just for the moment they wandered off on their own.

With their target set, it was only a matter of time.

Nothing approached Tropius as they stalked him through the underbrush. No Pokemon were strong enough to face the herbivore, considering the pack’s strength. He hadn’t stopped eating since waking up, and the duo was starting to feel the boredom creeping up. Unfortunately, their strategy was entirely reactive compared to the proactive approach they usually took.

“What do you think, girl? If we don’t get any bites today, then we have to move on without catching anything.” Lilith spoke.

If no opportunity presented itself, they would instead be forced to continue their journey towards Floccesy Town.

Lilith picked at the leaves nearby, splitting them apart. She would rip them up into tiny pieces before reaching for more ammunition. Anything to keep her mind occupied. Fortunately, their chance had arrived.

“EUSS!” The sound broke the pair from their stupor.

A smile fell over Lilith’s face. The plan was a go.

Absol jumped up from the ground and scampered into position. They watched as Tropius turned towards the sound and gave a bellow of his own, signaling his position to the nearby flock.

Their plan was working. It was only a matter of time until Sewaddle planned another incursion, and she would make use of their distraction. All through the day, the duo couldn’t find a way around their safety net. It ate away at them, trying to figure out how to separate a single target. That was, until she decided to double down on the chaos. While all the others were going over to help a different Tropius, she would strike. Hopefully that would give Absol enough time to take down their foe while masking their deceit.

Before Tropius could start his charge, Absol used the chance to enact phase one.

She used Leer from the underbrush, lowering his defenses without being seen. The Pokemon could feel the shift instantly, stopping in its tracks. Tropius looked around for the intruder, but found nothing. He shifted his weight around, looking for their energy signature.

The beast sent Razor Leaves out in random directions, hoping to smoke them out. When nothing happened, Tropius considered the interaction done. When nothing came to challenge them, he restarted his charge towards his friends.

Lilith sat in a nearby tree, not believing their luck. She had expected to have the chance for one defensive drop, instead they would get two.

“EUSS!”

With a second Leer settled on Tropius, he finally cried for help. He was obviously caught up in some sort of ambush, but couldn’t identify the perpetrator. It would be safer to ask for backup just in case.

Absol darted out of her hiding place and Bit down on her foe just as his head went high. The surprise attack had been effective, as Tropius was left reeling. He tried creating distance with a Stomp, starting out with his signature move. The duo knew it was coming, having planned well in advance. Absol backed off as Lilith evaluated their situation.

Their opening attack did little compared to the two defensive drops they had laid out. It would be an uphill battle considering the distance in power. It was her chance to evaluate if they should continue the attack, or retreat. Her partner was caught up in the stomp aftershock, only taking some chip damage.

Before she could decide, the leaves around Tropius grew fantastical. They turned a chromatic rainbow color as Magical Leaf shot towards Absol. It was an attack that wouldn’t relent until they found their mark. To make matters worse, the ground shook as the duo knew reinforcements were on their way. The one thing they couldn’t do was figure out how fast reinforcements would arrive. It seemed that they had less then they thought.

‘No, no…’ Lilith cursed.

She hadn’t seen the move used at all while scouting. They had to finish up the battle fast, reinforcing the notion that anything could happen in a fight.

Absol circled around her opponent as the leaves closed in behind her. Quick Attack propelled her forward as she made a large loop back towards Tropius.

Lilith didn’t say anything, as shouting anything other than a battle call would be the sign to retreat.

Absol’s blood pumped as she charged headfirst at her foe. Quick Attack was so fast that Tropius didn’t have time to activate another move. One attack landed right after the other. The victor became clear almost immediately. Absol was clearly on her last leg, Magical Leaf doing much more than they were expecting. Tropius on the other hand was doing much better. He finally had a chance to use his signature move.

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“Protect!” Lilith screamed before Leaf storm could snuff out her voice.

The wind rushed, blocking out all other sounds.

A brown film covered Absol from head to toe, activating in the nick of time. Lilith let out a sigh of relief as the force of nature quieted down. The attack was most definitely a last-ditch effort, as the user was stunted right after its use.

Absol was in bad shape, but saw the light at the end of the tunnel. She made a lunge towards her opponent's neck and held on for dear life. A small glimmer of green formed around his neck, catching her eye. An oval shaped object hung from a vine, giving her the perfect target

Bite crushed the shields of Tropius, but also broke the chain from his neck. The beast wouldn’t go down fighting however, one final stomp lay waste to Absol. She was on her last leg, but could still stand. The vine tangled with her teeth as her foe fell flat to the ground instead. They had won.

Before they had a chance to celebrate, more trees shifted as a similar Pokemon appeared. They knew what was coming.

“Time to go!” Lilith shouted, seeing the opponent's reinforcements arrive.

Absol had the opportunity to finish off the downed Tropius, or use him as a hostage. Instead, the Pokemon took away their choice.

The wind kicked up once more. The duo didn’t have time to run. The new arrival stood on his back legs, wings spread wide. The move was similar, but definitely new. Neither target picked up on the shift, thinking it was Leaf Storm once more. Absol covered her body in Detect, hoping to shield herself along with her partner.

Whirlwind swept through like a wind tunnel, carrying much more than Lilith and Absol. Branches, dirt, rock, and other debris went flying as the duo held onto each other for dear life. They arched through the sky, unable to change their trajectory.

Detect became useless, only helping to keep other projectiles away from them. While whirlwind wasn’t an attacking move, it still left bumps and bruises. The duo scraped the ground just as Detect’s charge depleted. Neither were protected as they rolled across the ground. Both their bodies smacked into trees and greenery, trying to stop their momentum

Their flight had been only seconds. One second they were on the ground, the next they were meters off the ground. A few after that and they crash landed.

Lilith's face planted into the dirt, coming to a stop. Her head spun as she tried assessing the situation. Her body ached as she tried to stand, to do anything. Stabbing pains shot up her right arm as she tried wiping the soil for her face. Her vision was blurred, but Absol’s familiar white figure stood out.

Panic rose as she tried crawling towards her partner.

She favored her left side, trying anything as she lay unmoving. Dark thoughts swirl around her head, fearing the worst. Her legs burned, feeling like she was on fire. She couldn’t help it, needing to rest. Her entire body fell flat as only her chest expanded and contracted, her head at a weird angle.

The brief moment of respite cleared her head. The pain didn’t seem to hinder her, only becoming sharper.

‘My bag…’ She identified her first target.

Summoning up all her strength, she pushed off with both arms. Her entire right side turned numb, unable to feel even the dirt under her finger.

‘Please don’t be broken…’ She thought.

She threw the problem to the side, having bigger issues to deal with. Lilith used the one chance she had, falling towards the red and white piece of fabric, for it would be her salvation. She fell onto some grass, but did little for the impact. She let out a groan before rolling onto her back. One arm was useless, so the other grabbed for the object at a strange angle. It was bleeding and bruised, but otherwise usable.

Her fingers closed around the rough fabric, trying to pull the item closer. Lilith struggled to move her bag even a little. It took many hard tugs, but was finally positioned in such a way that she could reach inside.

She rummaged around, knowing exactly what she was looking for. It only took a moment, considering she had planned for such an occasion. She pulled her hand free, a reddish orange liquid sloshed inside its vial.

Many potions existed, and a whole class was dedicated to emergency relief. Lilith thought back to Madam Shirley's teachings.

‘A spray is used for external damage like cuts and bruises, while a liquid needs to be ingested for internal use.’

Each type of Potion had a threshold it could heal. A regular potion would be useless against life threatening gashes, but would be perfect for an after spar touch up. The next three tiers were Super, Hyper, and Max Potions respectively.

Super potions were good bandaids, mainly used for situations like Lilith found herself in. Only time or a Pokehealer would fix their wounds, but with no Pokemon Center around, the duo would have to make due. Hyper potions were for life threatening injuries, while the Max potion was only used under exigent circumstances. The Max would heal almost any wound in no time at all, while the Hyper took its time. The speed at which both worked could not be compared.

Another healing remedy, while not exactly a potion, was the Full restore. It functioned exactly like a Max potion, but also increased their Power Points, allowing the Pokemon to use its moves once more. Because it also functioned like an Ether, which just restored Power Points, the Full restore could not be classified as a potion.

‘Screw it.’ She thought, uncapping the liquidy substance and chugging down the contents.

Potions were meant for Pokemon consumption, but humans could use them in a pinch. Too much, however, and problems would start to occur. Unfortunately she didn’t have the luxury to care about that.

“Ahk.” Lilith choked down the nauseating feeling rising from her stomach.

Her body was already starting to reject the substance. It still did its job, mending the most serious injuries she had sustained.The pain receded from her legs as she laid back and let the concoction do its work. She couldn't help but tilt her head to watch Absol’s still body from a distance.

Despite only seconds going by, she was already feeling much better. She used her left arm and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Lilith wiggled her toes, feeling starting to return to her lower legs. Using a nearby branch, she spun around to stand on her knees.

Using the wooden pole to stabilize herself, she made her way over to her partner. Her bag dragged along behind her, being a minor annoyance she could handle. Finally standing over Absol’s unconscious body, she could make an evaluation.

‘The surface damage is considerable…’ Lilith examined, rummaging around in her bag once more.

“Better safe than sorry.” She whispered.