After conducting a series of tests, Anda confirmed that Ron was indeed a Pokémon Hunter and that he possessed the strength of a High Elite. As for being unfamiliar with him, Anda didn't mind. There were so many Pokémon Hunters out there—no one could claim to have met them all.
"I understand. How are we splitting the rewards afterward?"
After listening to Anda's explanation of the situation once more, Ron asked straightforwardly.
"It's simple—everyone earns their share based on merit. The more you contribute, the more Ghost-type Pokémon you get.
"There's just one rule: you are not allowed to snatch any Ghost-type Pokémon that someone else has already defeated!"
Seeing Ron hesitate, Anda finally felt a little more at ease.
Just as Ron suspected, the identity of a Pokémon Hunter was far too complex—there was always a chance that some among them could be League Rangers or operatives from other factions.
Ron's hesitation, however, confirmed that he had no prior knowledge of this operation. Yet, in the face of potential rewards, he was still willing to participate.
Now, all Anda had to do was keep a close watch on Ron to avoid being caught off guard by external interference.
"Let's move out. Everyone should have gathered by now—it's time to capture every last one of those Ghost-types!"
With that, Anda took the lead, followed by Ron, who kept a measured distance. Bringing up the rear was Magan, effectively trapping Ron between them.
If Ron made any sudden moves, the two of them could react immediately.
Before long, the three of them arrived at the designated meeting point.
Besides them, eight others had already gathered.
Using the Fighting Aura ability, Ron roughly estimated that among the gathered Trainers—including Magan—eight possessed High Elite strength.
Anda and another man, a towering figure covered in muscle, were at the level of a quasi-Elite Four.
"Is this a new recruit?"
Upon seeing Anda and the others approach, Ugo instinctively asked.
"That's right. Now that nearly everyone is here, it's time to move in."
After confirming with a nod, Anda addressed Ugo.
"There's a problem—Sabar is missing. We can't reach him."
Instead of agreeing immediately, Ugo displayed a level of caution that didn't match his bulky frame.
Sabar's disappearance raised a red flag, and his sharp gaze landed on Ron, scrutinizing him carefully.
As Ugo and Anda spoke, the other Pokémon Hunters also began showing signs of unease.
Unlike Ugo's group, some of the Hunters had joined purely because they were drawn to the rumors of a Ghost-type Pokémon gathering site.
If Anda and his group backed out, these Hunters wouldn't simply turn around and leave—they would proceed with their own exploration.
"We don't have time to wait—let's move in and finish this quickly!"
Noting the shifting attitudes among the Hunters, Anda spoke with a hint of resignation.
"Understood. But I suggest you all stay vigilant—there's always a chance that someone is lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike."
With that, Ugo turned and led the way forward.
Anda took up the rear, releasing his Azumarill to listen carefully to the surroundings.
With two quasi-Elite Four Trainers and several High Elite Hunters among them, the rest of the group had no objections. They silently followed Ugo into the depths of the unknown.
For Pokémon Hunters driven by profit, danger was simply part of the job.
An unseen hunter in the shadows was not enough to make them back down.
As they ventured deeper into the Ghost-type Pokémon gathering site, the temperature steadily dropped.
Eventually, they arrived at a gloomy forest, shrouded as if by an invisible storm cloud.
"This is where things get serious. The area is teeming with Ghost-types," Ugo warned as they entered, releasing his Mightyena to stay on high alert.
As expected, Ugo was indeed the one who had previously ventured into this site alone.
Seeing him act, the other Hunters followed suit, summoning their own Pokémon.
Ron was no exception—he released his Nidoking.
His Gardevoir expanded its psychic field to its maximum range, attempting to scan for any nearby Ghost-types.
However, the overwhelming presence of Ghost-type energy interfered with Gardevoir's abilities, greatly reducing its detection range.
It was as if a special force was clouding its senses—Gardevoir couldn't perceive the Ghost-types lurking in the shadows.
Even so, within a twenty-meter radius, Gardevoir could still guarantee detecting any approaching humans or Pokémon the moment they got too close.
That alone was enough to put Ron on high alert. There was a real possibility that a top-tier Elite Four-level Ghost-type Pokémon was hiding within this settlement.
"Are there really Ghost-types here?"
After walking for a long time without encountering any, a man named Mato suddenly asked, his tone filled with doubt.
"According to you, this place is supposed to be crawling with Ghost Pokémon, yet we haven't seen a single one. Could it be that our large numbers are scaring them off?"
"Or maybe… this whole thing was a setup from the very beginning, and we're the prey?"
As the others turned their gazes toward him, Mato seemed to gain confidence, voicing all of his suspicions aloud. His eyes, full of distrust, locked onto Ugo without a hint of restraint.
"If you don't trust me, you're free to leave," Ugo responded flatly. "I'll say it again—this place is filled with Ghost Pokémon. Stay on guard."
From start to finish, Ugo didn't even spare Mato a glance, treating him as if he were nothing more than a pathetic clown.
With that, Ugo continued forward, followed closely by Anda and his team.
Ron glanced at Mato briefly. Based on his experience reading countless adventure novels, there was a high probability that something unfortunate was about to happen to the guy.
In other words—my dude, your luck is running out.
Without hesitation, Ron followed behind the others. Compared to Mato, who was merely a High Elite, sticking with Ugo and Anda—both quasi-Elite Four trainers—seemed like the safer bet.
Even if something went wrong, their strength would at least buy him more time to assess the situation.
Besides, with Gardevoir by his side, Ron wasn't too worried about Ugo and Anda pulling anything shady, as Mato had suggested.
The rest of the group merely shot Mato a glance before continuing forward, following Ugo and Anda's lead.
No one here was an idiot. There was clearly something off about this place.
If danger did arise, their best bet was to stick with the two quasi-Elite Four trainers for protection.
Mato watched as the group moved farther and farther away, gritting his teeth.
He had spoken out earlier hoping to sow seeds of doubt in the others, to make them wary of Ugo's team and band together as a unified force against them.
But to his surprise, no one had caught onto his intentions. Instead, he had ended up making himself the target of Ugo's mockery.
Mato's instincts told him that following the group was still the safest option.
But remembering how Ugo had completely ignored him just now… his pride wouldn't let him back down.
"Let's go, Exploud. We need to be careful from here on."
After hesitating for a moment, Mato ultimately decided to explore the surrounding area, hoping to find a lone Ghost Pokémon he could take down himself.
What he failed to notice, however, was that as he and Exploud ventured in a different direction… the trees around them had begun to shift ever so slightly.
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