After defeating the Nido 's stro members, the team chose not to capture any other Pokémon aside from Nidoking.

  Many Adventurer's Guild missions could be accepted repeatedly, and Will was already used to the team's habit of ging pns on the fly.

  Now that Lance's Charizard had broken through to Pseudo-Elite Four, the eeam's overall strength had signifitly increased.

  However, entering deeper into Mount Silver wasn't just about training Charizard.

  Although Lance hadn't revealed all his Pokémon, it was undeniable that both Dragonair and Altaria were stuck at Peak Elite level.

  Thus, their training tinued, but now, their mission requirements became even more demanding.

  -----

  Following Lance's suggestion, Will specifically searched for missions involving groups taining at least one Pseudo-Elite Four Pokémon.

  If not, the bare minimum was entering at least eight to ten Peak Elite Pokémon—otherwise, they wouldn't even sider it.

  After all, with so many team members, if everyone barely had a ce to fight, there would be raining value.

  "Our mission is at Dripping Lake, where a flock of Golduck has taken over. Acc to the reports, at least ten of them are Peak Elite level," Will stated, reg the gathered intelligence.

  "Dripping Lake is ri Mystic Water. If we get the ce, we should try to find one or two,"

  White added. Clearly, he was also familiar with the area. Will g him before nodding.

  "Ten Golduck. Let's each cim our share—I'll take three," Lance said, raising his fingers as he looked at the group.

  "I'll take three as well," Will replied cisely.

  "I'll take one!" Cir raised her haedly.

  "I'll hawo," Sato said cautiously. This time, he po use Carvanha, so he preferred to py it safe.

  "Then I'll take the st one," White said with a helpless smile.

  Being a Breeder didn't require bat skills, but well-trained Pokémon often had det battle strength—one Golduck wouldn't be too difficult.

  "That makes me the support then," Rose Joy said with a gentle smile, preparing to py her role as the team's healer.

  "If any ued high-level threats appear, call for help immediately. We'll provide mutual support" Lance added a final precaution.

  With the assigs set, the group moved swiftly toward Dripping Lake.

  The moment they arrived, they could see plenty of Psyduck sitting by the ke, clutg their heads as if pting life.

  "The first target—who's up?" Lance poi a Golduck loungihe ke, resting.

  "I'll go first. Carvanha, Aqua Jet!"

  Sato stepped forward without hesitation, tossing Carvanha's Poké Ball.

  A fsh of red light vanished, and in an instant, a blue water silhouette shot forward at high speed, charging straight at Golduck!

  "Golduck!"

  Golduck's eyes snapped open!

  It only looked like it was resting, but iy, it had been on high alert. The moment Carvanha appeared, Golduck detected it instantly!

  A blue Psychiergy wave exploded outward—despite not being a Psychic-type, Golduck's Psychic abilities were strohan many true Psychion!

  Psychic!—

  "Boom!"

  Golduck was sent flying backward, crashing into the ke with a look of utter disbelief.

  Its Psychic power had been pletely iive—it hadn't even gotten a proper look at the attacker, yet its abilities had failed entirely!

  "Golduck! Gold! Gol!"

  The quick-witted Golduck immediately souhe arm.

  In an instant, Dripping Lake erupted like a boiling pot, the Psyduear the shore stood frozen for a moment before panig and diving into the water.

  At the same time, nearly folduck leaped out from the ke, their eyes filled with caution as they locked onto Sato.

  Sato was stunned. Didn't Will say there were only about ten of them? Why are there so many?!

  Upon closer iion, they ranged from Ordinary High to Peak Elite, so teically, the report wasn't wrong.

  Yeah, right!

  Sato didn't hesitate to retreat, waving for his excited Carvanha to pull back as well. There was no way he was messing with this many Golduck!

  Meanwhile, Land the others were ughing untrolbly.

  Sato had charged in fidently, looking for a fight—only to turn tail and flee ihan a minute.

  At that moment, they finally remembered—Sato was still a rookie!

  The Nido had been different. Siheir evolution required a Moon Stohe number of Nidoking and Nidoqueen was strictly limited.

  As a result, aside from the one Nidoking a Nidoqueen, the rest of the Nidorino and Nidorina had remaiu their sed stage for years.

  And based oio between king and queen, it was likely that most Nidorino never even got the ce to evolve.

  But Golduck were pletely different.

  Ohey reached the required level and accumuted enough experiehey could evolve naturally.

  So while the top-tier strength only included about ten Peak Elite Golduck, there were plenty of others at various levels!

  "Gyarados, Dragonair, Thunderbolt!"

  "Exeggutor, Magical Leaf! Starmie, Thunderbolt!"

  "Gyarados, Thunderbolt! Seadra, Octazooka!"

  "Jolteon, Discharge!"

  Even while ughing, Land the others swiftly moved in to assist.

  A barrage of Electric-type attacks tore through the lesser Golduck, wiping out most of the weaker ones.

  However—there were still 20 to 30 Golduck left, pletely unfazed!

  The fading green light revealed that several Golduck had used Protect, successfully blog Thunderbolt and Thunder!

  "Carvanha, ch! Ariados, Sticky Web!"

  Sato's face remained expressionless—he had realized it now.

  Lance had casually asked who wao go first, and he had rushed in without hesitation.

  Impulsive… truly the devil!

  The battle instantly desded into chaos.

  Electric-type moves were highly effective against Golduck, but with so many Pokémon using them at ohe fshes of electricity were sht that it was difficult to eveheir eyes open.

  Lance, Will, and Sato instinctively spread out, each holding their position to avoid interfering with one another while fag the ining Golduck assault.

  However, there were more than expected.

  Left with no choice, Sato sent out Zoroark to barely hold back the waves of attacks from the remaining Golduck!

  Ariados trolled the battlefield.

  Carvanha darted around for quick strikes.

  Zoroark faced them head-on.

  With Rose ready to heal at any moment, Sato finally stabilized his position.

  On Lance's side, Dragonair and Gyarados alone were enough to wreak havoc—their power was so immehat Sato could feel the tremors in the ground from a distance!

  Will hadn't sent out more Pokémoher—Exeggutor's mastery ical Leaf was so precise that the raining leaves resembled Pupitar's Rock Slide!

  bined with Starmie's explosive firepower, it was clear that—judging by their performan Mount Silver—Will was just like Lance, only oep away from breaking through!

  "Zoroark, Dark Pulse! Carvanha, ch! Ariados, Swords Dance!"

  Dark Pulse struck again, f back the Golduck attempting to surround them.

  Among them, the twest Golduck barely retreated at all—so Carvanha locked onto one and charged forward at full speed!

  Snap!

  Golduck screamed in pain, struggling as it grabbed Carvanha with both hands, trying to pull it off its head!

  "Ariados, X-Scissor!"

  Boosted by Swords Dance, Ariados surged forward.

  Taking advantage of the distra caused by Carvanha, it raised its fs high and sshed down in an X-formation!

  Ariados secured the first knockout!