Chapter 7: Transfer of Power

Clusters of purple sludge slowly moved towards them from a distance, covered with various types of household garbage such as plastic cans, plastic bags, moldy fruits, and rotting corpses. These ravenous Grimers seemed unusually fixated on Brian, relentlessly pursuing him like a delectable meal.

"Grimer, Grimer~"

"Eknassss~"

Noah's Koffing and Ekans, agitated since Brian's arrival, also eyed him greedily. Were it not for Noah's formidable presence, they would have already lunged at him.

"Could this guy be carrying something particularly attractive to Poison-type Pokémon?" Noah pondered, noticing the peculiar reactions of Grimer and his own Pokémon as well as Vivian's Grimer.

From the description in the hacked Pokédex, he knew Grimer typically wouldn't attack humans unless provoked or if one intruded into their territory. Even if Brian had unintentionally entered their territory, they shouldn't have pursued him so relentlessly outside their domain. This led Noah to conclude that Brian possessed something highly enticing to Poison-type Pokémon.

"Those black sludge patches on him... could it be?" With this thought, Noah swiftly approached Brian, donning a pair of rubber gloves from his space pouch. He then began pulling off the black sludge from Brian, splitting it into two parts and offering it to Koffing and Ekans.

The two Pokémon immediately devoured the sludge with delight, and a faint purple glow enveloped them. Their fatigue from the earlier battle seemed to vanish, leaving them revitalized.

"Sure enough, it's that black sludge treasure. No wonder those Grimers were so persistent. This is an unexpected bounty. With this, the success rate of the Death Tournament has increased by at least 20%. Hahaha!" Noah's face, usually stoic, lit up with a rare smile. He didn't spare another glance at Brian, who lay dying from the sludge's poison.

"Grimer~~" The approaching Grimers, enraged by Noah taking their desired treasure, attacked ferociously, launching a barrage of Mud Bombs.

"Jynx, use your strongest Blizzard to block their attack!" Bianca, standing beside Noah, immediately commanded her Jynx to counter.

The howling blizzard froze the incoming mud bombs, which then fell harmlessly to the ground. However, the density of the Mud Bombs was too high for the Blizzard to stop completely, and some broke through, heading towards Noah.

The others, observing Noah's earlier actions and realizing he had obtained something valuable from Brian, felt a deep sense of inequity. Especially Vivian, who had also noticed the unusual black sludge but had been beaten to it by Noah. She, along with Dwanye and Bruno, chose to stand by and watch coldly.

"Hmph, a bunch of trash. Bianca, let your Jynx fall back. Koffing, Ekans, tear them apart." Unperturbed by the others' indifference, Noah ordered Bianca to step back and commanded his Pokémon to attack the Grimers.

"Hehehe, Koffing~."

"Hissss, Eknassss~."

Eager to engage, Koffing and Ekans charged at the Grimers, beginning their slaughter. Koffing unleashed mutated Mud Bombs, shattering Grimers to pieces, while Ekans dissolved others with streams of Acid.

Soon, the Grimers lay defeated, reduced to puddles by Ekans's Acid. Koffing and Ekans returned to Noah, emanating a faint purple glow and quickly recovering their energy.

"The black sludge truly is extraordinary. My Poison-types can now sustain prolonged battles unless one-shot. Their combat effectiveness has doubled. Even if this mission fails, this find alone makes it worthwhile," Noah mused, pleased.

Meanwhile, Bruno and Vivian were deeply unnerved. Watching Noah effortlessly dispatch the Grimers and seeing his Pokémon's increased power made them uneasy.

"With such strength, why is he still just a grunt? This guy is as powerful as an advanced elite at least," Vivian thought, her face grim. She regretted antagonizing Noah earlier, knowing someone as ruthless as him wouldn't hesitate to kill those who crossed him.

Bruno shared similar thoughts. If begging for forgiveness would save him, he would have done so already. But he knew Noah was not one to show mercy without significant reason.

Dwanye was equally regretful, realizing his earlier decision to not assist was a grave mistake. Now, under Ekans's cold gaze, he cursed his shortsightedness.

"Let's move. It's not safe here. Someone might be trying to stop us from completing our mission. From now on, you will all follow my orders. Understood?" Noah declared, asserting his dominance.

"No problem, Noah, I'll follow you," Dwanye quickly replied, eager to ingratiate himself.

"I'll follow you too," Bianca added, standing by Noah's side.

"Yes, please command us. Here's a token of my sincerity," Bruno said, bowing and transferring 1000 points to Noah.

"Good. What about you, Vivian?" Noah asked, turning his gaze to her.

"Well, this mission was assigned by the higher-ups. I... I understand. I'll follow you," Vivian reluctantly conceded, realizing she had no choice.

"Alright, lead the way. Koffing will guard you. Dwanye and Bruno, watch our rear. Bianca, stay with me," Noah ordered, organizing the group.

"Hehehe~ Koffing," Koffing chuckled, hovering behind Vivian with a sly grin.

"Yes, sir," Dwanye and Bruno replied, taking their positions.

"Of course, Noah," Vivian gritted out, seething with anger but complying nonetheless.

As they moved forward, Noah couldn't help but smirk. The power dynamics had shifted in his favor, and now he held the reins. 

"Let's see what treasures await ahead," he thought, eyes gleaming with anticipation.