MTL NOVEL Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Hunters of the Rotten Vale
What kind of monsters appeared in a given location was not something Su Yi could control. The only thing he could do was adapt and make use of every available resource.
"If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. If it's trouble, there's no avoiding it. A person can't always be this unlucky, right?" Su Yi gritted his teeth and continued tracking the Great Girros.
Truthfully, he wasn't particularly interested in the Great Girros for its strength, but rather for its influence over the numerous Girros in the area.
If he could tame the Great Girros, then he would gain command over an entire pack of Girros. With them, collecting resources and gathering intelligence would become much easier.
At the very least, if things got bad, these minions could serve as cannon fodder.
Moreover, in the Rotten Vale, the Great Girros was one of the few creatures that was relatively easy to deal with. With its newfound Pokémon abilities, Su Yi's Great Jagras could easily overpower the Great Girros as long as it wasn't outnumbered.
Following the scoutflies' guidance, Su Yi rode his Kulu-Ya-Ku to a massive charnel ground.
Corpses and rotting flesh were piled high on the ground. Dried black blood and sticky, decomposing tissue mixed with brittle bones, giving off a foul, nauseating stench.
"Ugh! Holy crap, this smell—ugh!" Su Yi gagged, trying to keep himself from throwing up while squinting through the dim, miasma-filled air, carefully following the scoutflies' glowing trails.
"Su Yi, nya! Over there, nya!" The Palico, Rucao, sitting behind him, pointed into the distance.
Focusing his gaze, Su Yi spotted movement among the corpses. Several Girros were lurking in the miasma, their silhouettes flickering in and out of view.
"Great Jagras! Use Roar!"
The moment the Great Jagras emerged from its Poké Ball, it unleashed a mighty roar. Dark-type energy surged forward in a shockwave, sweeping across the pile of corpses.
BOOM!
Bones and Girros scattered in all directions.
A Great Girros, its mouth clamped onto a chunk of flesh, was instantly exposed—it immediately turned and fled.
"Larvesta, use Ember!" Su Yi quickly threw another Poké Ball.
Larvesta immediately spat out small flames. The fire ignited the miasma, causing a fiery explosion.
BOOM!
A wall of fire erupted, blocking the Great Girros' escape route.
"Great Jagras! Dragon Claw!" Su Yi shouted.
The Great Jagras roared and lunged, swiping its claws.
SLASH!
A deep, bloody wound appeared along the Great Girros' side.
Now enraged, the Great Girros retaliated, baring its fangs and lunging forward with its paralyzing bite.
"Bite!"
The Great Jagras reacted swiftly, ducking its head and clamping its jaws onto the Great Girros' neck, stopping it in its tracks.
"Kulu-Ya-Ku, finish it off! Rock Smash!" Su Yi patted the Kulu-Ya-Ku beneath him.
The Kulu-Ya-Ku quickly formed a rock of condensed energy and hurled it at the pinned Great Girros.
BANG!
The stone shattered, and the Great Girros' head was left bloodied and battered, looking absolutely miserable.
"Now's my chance!" Su Yi threw a Capture Ball with all his strength.
"ROOOOAAAR!!"
Just then, a dark red silhouette, which had been lurking in the miasma for some time, couldn't hold back any longer.
With a sudden pounce, it leaped out from the fog, heading straight for the Great Girros.
CLANG!
The mysterious figure accidentally intercepted the Capture Ball—and got sucked inside instead.
"What the hell?! An Odogaron?!"
Su Yi's eyes widened in shock. The creature that had just gotten captured by accident was none other than the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku of the Rotten Vale—the Odogaron!
Boom!
Bang!
The Capture Ball barely wobbled before shattering into pieces.
"Roar!"
The Odogaron, which had just been forcibly stuffed inside, let out a startled cry as it burst free from the ball. Its body tensed, sniffing the air warily, letting out a series of high-pitched growls.
"Damn it! Another ball wasted!"
The Odogaron's sudden ambush had only made Su Yi's already limited Capture Ball supply even worse.
"Great Jagras, hold it down! Kulu-Ya-Ku, you too! Be careful—this one's a tough opponent!"
Su Yi leaped off his mount, crouching low as he dashed toward the nearly unconscious Great Girros.
The Great Jagras lunged at the Odogaron, jaws wide as it attempted to Bite down.
But as soon as its glowing fangs sank into the Odogaron's crimson flesh, they were immediately blocked by its powerful, muscle-bound body.
"ROOOAARR!!"
With a furious snarl, the Odogaron's body tensed like a coiled spring and exploded into motion, hurling itself—and the Great Jagras latched onto it—several meters away.
"Now that is pure muscle."
Su Yi couldn't help but marvel at the Odogaron's lean, sinewy physique, its exposed red muscles rippling with terrifying strength.
It looked similar to the Licker from Resident Evil, with its raw muscle tissue exposed, but in reality, it was covered by a layer of tough skin and fine scales, making it incredibly resilient yet highly agile.
Against such a beast, the Great Jagras had no advantage at all.
"Kaaak!!"
Seizing the moment while the Odogaron was occupied, the Kulu-Ya-Ku smashed down its rock with full force.
THUD!
The Odogaron let out a pained snarl as the rock slammed into its skull, but it immediately retaliated, its razor-sharp claws slashing through the air.
With a single brutal swipe, it sent the Kulu-Ya-Ku flying.
"Gaaaah!!"
The Kulu-Ya-Ku crashed to the ground with a pitiful cry.
"Is it still too early to take on the Odogaron head-on?"
Su Yi gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Hold on!"
Without hesitation, he rushed to the wounded Great Girros, hurling another Capture Ball.
Meanwhile, the Odogaron twisted its body, jaws snapping at the Great Jagras clamped onto its side.
CRUNCH!
Its razor-sharp fangs tore through flesh, sinking deep into muscle and bone.
The Great Jagras' eyes widened in agony, but it refused to let go, its own fangs digging in deeper, tearing into the Odogaron's flesh in retaliation.
Enraged, the Odogaron flailed wildly, its powerful claws ripping through the Great Jagras, leaving behind gory, bleeding wounds.
SIZZLE!
Suddenly, a Flash Pod exploded, sending a blinding burst of light across the battlefield.
The Odogaron, accustomed to the darkness of the Rotten Vale, recoiled with a shriek, its grip loosening for just a moment.
In that instant, Su Yi successfully captured the Great Girros and recalled the severely injured Great Jagras into its Poké Ball.
The Odogaron shook its head, nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air in confusion.
"Almost forgot—your primary sense is smell."
Su Yi quickly reloaded his Slinger.
After a few quick sniffs, the Odogaron locked onto Su Yi's scent.
But just as it pounced forward, a foul-smelling object smacked it in the face.
"ROOOOAAARR!!"
The Scatter Pod burst open, its nauseating stench overwhelming the Odogaron's keen sense of smell.
The Odogaron staggered, shaking its head violently, desperately trying to escape the unbearable stench.
Su Yi wasted no time—he jumped onto his Kulu-Ya-Ku and bolted from the charnel grounds.
This was not a place to linger.
With so many corpses littering the area, the Rotten Vale was practically a massive feeding ground—who knew what other monsters might show up next?
Navigating through the twisting, blackened vines of the Rotten Vale, Su Yi climbed up onto a small platform surrounded by rock walls.
The location was relatively hidden, with only a few narrow gaps leading in and out—a perfect spot for a temporary camp.
"Phew! We're safe, nya!"
Rucao wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled out a small potion bottle, drinking a sip.
Su Yi slumped onto the ground, exhaustion and pain crashing down on him all at once.
His body and mind were utterly drained.
"Not just me—our companions are badly injured too."
In the cramped space, Su Yi released his team of monsters and Pokémon.
"Chansey!"
As soon as Chansey emerged, it immediately rushed over, worriedly examining Su Yi's wounds.
Su Yi gritted his teeth, then turned to the barely breathing Great Girros.
"I'll be fine. But if this guy doesn't get treated soon, he won't make it."