Using the same right leg he'd kicked, Shiro stomped hard against the ground and launched himself forward.
He snatched the short blade as it dropped from the air and drove his fist into Sawk's chest. The knife's edge followed the strike, slicing across the Pokémon's chest and leaving behind a fresh blue gash.
Its vision darkened. It could no longer control its movements and felt itself drifting helplessly through the air. Blood poured from its neck and chest, spilling out like an open wound. The sensation of loss spread quickly, draining the strength from its body.
Sawk crashed through the trees, past Kabu, who stumbled back in alarm, and landed on the dirt road outside the forest. The Pokémon made no sound. It simply lay there, lifeless, unmoving.
Kabu's eyes locked onto the fallen Pokémon. He could not process what he saw before a stabbing pain shot through his stomach.
"Kabu..." Shiro grabbed his collar with one hand and lifted him like a rag doll. His expression was cold as he asked, "There should be some kind of barrier around this place, right? How do I get out?"
The gym leader's lips trembled. His eyes stayed fixed on the man before him, but no words came.
Shiro's brow furrowed. His patience was thinning.
Ryan and the others had likely begun searching already. If they did not find him soon, they might alert Oleana. If she believed he had escaped and sent a trainer of high enough level to pursue, that would mean serious trouble.
He scowled and threw Kabu to the ground. "I'll give you ten seconds."
Kabu's chest heaved. He stared up at the man towering above him. Instead of fear, he let out a hoarse laugh. "Haha... Shiro. Why did you suddenly leave Macro Cosmos headquarters? From the ruins of the Sword and Shield to the Wild Area... What did you find there? You must have caught their attention. Was it some hidden knowledge you uncovered? Or something you took that they want?"
His body shook with coughing. After a pause he continued, "You have talent, Shiro... you—"
His words broke off in a scream. Shiro stepped on his left leg, snapping bone with a sharp crack. His voice turned to ice.
"Ten seconds are gone. You still haven't told me how to get out. I'll give you one more chance. Ten seconds."
Sweat streamed down Kabu's face. His entire body tightened as he clutched at the shattered limb. After a few seconds of hesitation, he said, "I have... a control device..."
Before he could move, Shiro had already emptied his pockets.
Seven empty Poké Balls. A cube-shaped metal box with rows of buttons, clearly some kind of communication or control tool. And a League card, showing Kabu beside a thin man, both smiling as if close.
Kabu's voice rasped. "Macro Cosmos won't let you go. They won't let us go either. You want to leave Galar safely, don't you? We could—"
"Too much talk."
His right leg broke under another stomp. The scream choked into silence. Not sparing him another glance, Shiro carried the control box and walked toward the trees.
This old dog had planned the ambush carefully. His goal was to protect the Motostoke Gym. Without the influence of Hammerlocke or the strength of the Dragon Tamer family, he had no leverage to bargain with Macro Cosmos. That left him only with desperate measures: capturing important members, stealing vital information or tools, anything that might hold enough weight to keep the company from moving against him.
But it was nothing more than stalling. At best, it could buy him a little time.
Kabu, the old woman of Ballonlea, Melony of Circhester, and the Gym Leader of Hulbury had likely already formed a secret alliance.
If not for the sudden death of Silas, nearly two-thirds of the gyms might have resisted this Gym Challenge.
The Champion Cup depended on challengers facing Gym Leaders. Without their participation, there would be no tournament at all.
But now the situation had changed. Hammerlocke had surrendered. Stow-on-Side, Spikemuth, and Circhester were under the company's control.
And still, they had used him to fight tooth and nail, only to discard him like worn shoes.
While thinking, Shiro pressed into the forest, stepping over corpses. His chest ached with every move.
The pain gnawed at his right lung. Not unbearable, but sharp enough that each breath clenched his teeth.
He hissed. "Tss..."
Quickly, he pulled out a healing spray, swallowing several gulps and spraying some over his ribs. The relief spread almost instantly. The pain dulled.
He walked up to the conical device and pressed the button marked with the word "Close."
A low hum filled the air. It was like static or the disruption of magnetic waves. An invisible ripple spread outward, then vanished.
He felt nothing. But in his mind, Unown A's voice rang. 'I was hypnotized! What about you? Still got a body, or just a head left now?'
"..."
"Draak!"
A sharp cry followed.
Draklaok appeared from the shadows, along with Haunter. Both of them had been pulled into slumber by the device earlier. They had only just emerged, unaware of everything that had happened.
Haunter's face twisted in terror, eyes wet, nose running. It clung to Shiro's shoulders, refusing to let go.
"Haunn..."
It had seen too many trainers die on their journey, bodies stiff, eyes wide open. The sight still haunted it.
Drakloak coiled protectively around him, its form fading as it became invisible.
Shiro let out a faint sigh and shook his head.
Just a few Fighting-types. All of them killed easily.
Even without Unown G's help, give him a little more talent for psychic power and he'd still have taken them down.
He quickened his steps, moving toward the boy still crouched by the tree. He patted his back gently.
"It's over now."
Allister had buried his head in his arms. The voice made him lift it slowly. His grip loosened from the tree bark.
He followed quietly. A Poké Ball appeared in his hand, then slid back into his pocket.
The Poké Balls worked again.
As they passed the machine, Shiro slowed. His gaze lingered on the container filled with the floating Hatterene. After a long moment, he turned away.
The Pokémon's life force was being drained steadily. It was already near death. Even if saved, it was nothing but a tool, brainwashed and hollow.
Unown A's voice turned grave. 'Judging by this instrument's operating frequency, Hatterene only has two hours from being healthy to dying completely.'
'Two hours?' Shiro raised an eyebrow, then he nodded.
It made sense.
From Advanced-level to Champion-level Pokémon, all had fallen under hypnosis. For an Elite-level Hatterene, this ability was overwhelming. Burning life at the speed of light in exchange for control; such was the price.
'The fluid in that tank is from an artificial Champion-level cell egg,' Unown A explained. 'This device also amplifies and fine-tunes psychic power. The craftsmanship is precise... comparable to some of your old human technology.'
Artificial cells at Champion-level as the base. The life of an Elite-level Hatterene consumed as fuel. With the machine's control, they had forged an environment where every trainer beneath Champion-level was reduced to equality.
Two hours. That was all.
The brilliance of black technology was terrifying.
With Allister close behind, Shiro stepped toward Kabu once more.
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