Kay then began searching for his target, the player with number 27. Since there were only 16 players left and they were all still gathered in the hall, it didn't take long for Kay to spot his target.
The player stood near the back, quiet, with a calm expression that made it hard to read what kind of personality he had. Kay had never seen him up close before.
During the previous games, they had likely been placed in different areas, and Kay had no idea what Pokémon that guy used or how strong he might be.
That gave Kay an advantage, though. If he didn't know anything about the tall guy, then maybe the same was true in reverse. Hopefully, the player didn't know about Kay's team.
The only thing Kay could remember about this player was that he was in Team 1in the second game. This information didn't tell Kay much.
As Kay was still analyzing his target, the Marowak masked man spoke again, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "You should know that it is forbidden to show the card you received from the box to any other player."
"You are allowed to say your target's number aloud," the Marowak man continued, "but you cannot reveal the card itself. If anyone shows their card to another player, they will be eliminated on the spot."
Some players glanced at each other, clearly caught off guard by the rule.
At first, Kay didn't understand. Why forbid players from showing the card while allowing them to say the number.
But after thinking it through, it started to make sense. The rule encouraged deception. Players could pretend to have a different target and get close to someone without raising suspicion. If someone trusted too easily, they could be ambushed without warning.
This changed the nature of the game. It wasn't just about strength anymore; it was about strategy, manipulation, and timing.
The Marowak man clapped his hands sharply, drawing everyone's attention again. "Let's begin. I want you all to form a single line starting with player number one."
The players, though cautious and nervous, obeyed. Cubone masked assistants moved quickly, installing four strange-looking machines into the ground.
They looked like glowing blue rings; each one was large enough for a single person to stand on. Kay watched as the machines powered up, glowing softly with an energy that pulsed like a heartbeat.
When the Cubone men stepped away, the Marowak man continued, "Now, divide yourselves into four smaller lines. Each line should stand in front of one of these devices."
Kay and the others followed the instructions, breaking the main line into four groups. Kay ended up in the second line from the left.
The device in front of his line buzzed faintly, its glow deepening, and he could feel the tension rising in the air.
"These devices will teleport each of you to a random location on the island," the Marowak man explained. "Even we don't know exactly where you'll land. You could be dropped on a beach, in a forest, or on a mountain. Anything is possible."
Kay bit his lip. That meant there was a chance someone could land right next to the player who was supposed to hunt them. A battle could start within seconds of arriving.
Just as that thought was sinking in, the Marowak man raised his hand again. "There's one more thing you should all know before the game begins; you need to understand how to challenge your target."
He paused dramatically, looking at each group of players, making sure they were all listening. Then, he dropped the final rule.
"A Pokémon battle is officially announced when one of the players attacks the other."
Kay's eyes widened. That single sentence changed everything. If a player could start a battle just by attacking first, then sneaking up on their target became the smartest move.
You didn't have to ask them to fight. You didn't have to talk. All you had to do was attack, and the battle would begin.
Kay quickly started connecting the pieces in his head. 'So, I could lie about who my target is, stick close to him, and strike when he's distracted. That's why they don't allow players to show their cards. They want to encourage ambushes, so that the spectators have a very interesting game.'
It was a dangerous rule, but it also opened up possibilities. If he was careful, smart, and patient, he could end his battle quickly and move forward without even being wounded.
The Marowak masked man clapped his hands again and shouted, "Move forward to the teleport devices and let the game begin!"
As soon as he gave the order, the Cubone masked men began leading the players toward the strange blue rings on the ground.
One by one, the players stepped onto the devices. Each time someone stood inside the circle, a low humming sound would fill the air.
The blue glow of the device would become brighter and brighter until the player suddenly disappeared in a flash of light. After the teleportation, the device's glow would return to normal, ready for the next person.
Minutes passed. One by one, the players vanished and were sent to random locations on the island.
Then it was Kay's turn.
He took a deep breath and stepped onto the teleport pad. The hum started immediately, and the blue light grew stronger.
His body began to feel lighter, and then in just a blink, everything around him vanished. The next moment, he found himself standing in the middle of a forest.
Tall trees surrounded him in all directions, and the air was thick with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant wild Pokémons cries.
But Kay didn't feel good.
His head was spinning. His vision was a little blurry, and he felt like the ground beneath him was swaying.
It was far worse than the last time he had been teleported with Alakazam's psychic powers. Those Pokémons used real psychic energy, and their teleportation was smooth and fast.
But these devices were just artificial copies of the Psychic-type move Teleport, so they had very bad after-effects compared to Psychic-type Pokémon's Teleport.
Kay took a few deep breaths and waited for the dizziness to pass. After a minute or two, his mind became clear again, and he looked around.
His eyes scanned the area, looking for anything that could help him. He was in a dense forest, but luckily, he spotted something useful not too far away to the right; a tall cliff rising above the trees.
It was the perfect spot to climb and watch for any players nearby. From up there, he could get a better view of the terrain, maybe even spot his target before being seen.
Without wasting time, Kay started walking toward the cliff. He moved quickly but carefully, not wanting to draw the attention of any wild Pokémons in the area.
Even though the biggest threat was other players, wild Pokémon could still appear at any time, and some could be very dangerous.
As a safety measure, Kay called out his Eevee. He pressed the Poké Ball, and with a flash of light, the little brown Pokémon appeared beside him.
"Eevweee!" Eevee growled playfully the moment it appeared, its eyes shining with excitement.
It didn't sense any danger yet, so instead of staying alert, it began running in circles around Kay's legs, showing that it was full of energy and eager to play. Kay smiled a little, even though he knew this wasn't the time for games.
"Stay close," Kay said softly, gently patting Eevee's head. "We need to be ready."
With Eevee now by his side, Kay made his way toward the cliff.
See you in the next chapter...
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