Kabu's legs twitched, partly from the pain and partly from reflex.
His whole body was tense and drenched in sweat. If this had been any other time, he would already have found a clean track to jog along, running until his mood calmed. But now, all he could do was lie on the ground and wait for fate to decide.
Shiro grabbed him by the back of his collar and yanked him up. "Kabu, how do you contact people outside? This machine can't have been developed by Macro Cosmos. Which force sold it to you?"
"Mm… heh…" Kabu just sneered.
The frown on Shiro's face deepened. He spoke coldly, "Your injuries can still be treated. But if I cut off your legs, without a stroke of luck you'll spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair or with prosthetics."
Kabu's face stiffened. He turned his eyes toward Shiro and after a brief stare, responded, "Do you know the most powerful criminal organization in Kanto?"
"Team Rocket?" Shiro blurted out.
"You know?" Kabu's voice carried surprise. "How do you know about Team Rocket?"
Shiro paused for a few breaths before replying, "You don't need to care about that. But… you mean to say you can contact Team Rocket?"
Not daring to pry further, Kabu gave a nod. "Team Rocket already controls every underground organization in Kanto. That's the main League. Even the official Elite Four there are stronger than those from other regions… you probably know that much. The comms device I used, I bought it from a group of hunters. It's developed outside and can't be monitored by the Galar League. Inside, there's a direct contact channel to Team Rocket."
"Those hunters? The ones in the Wild Area earlier? Are they with Team Rocket?" Shiro questioned.
Kabu shook his head. "The Hunters Guild is an independent, even neutral organization. They're the most scattered force, with the largest numbers and widest range of activity. They're practically everywhere. There's no stronghold in Galar, but on the southern and eastern edges, on some lawless islands, you can find them."
He paused, then added, "As for Team Rocket… they're too powerful. They've kept expanding. You'll find their presence in Hoenn, Sinnoh, even Unova. Regarding Galar… I might just be a disposable pawn in their scheme."
He let out a bitter laugh. Despite being a Gym Leader, he knew his strength was far from enough to stand on the grand stage.
Using a Pokémon passed down from his parents to crush low-level trainers was one thing, but the moment a real prodigy showed up with a Gym-level partner they'd trained themselves, he'd be overwhelmed.
A trainer who raised their own Pokémon to Gym-level had a bond and fighting instinct that someone like Kabu, leaning on inheritance, could never match.
He was aware that even holding the post of Gym Leader in Galar was already pushing his limits. In Kanto, a place crawling with monsters, he wouldn't even be considered. Word was, some Kanto Gym Leaders were actually retired Elite Four members or Champions. Their system was brutal: if you were weak, you stepped down. It was nothing like Galar, where positions were passed down like heirlooms, with Pokémon handed through generations.
"And Team Rocket's strength," Kabu continued, "is on a completely different level from Macro Cosmos."
The mention of the company brought a sneer to his lips.
Shiro gave no comment. Between Rose and Giovanni… he had only met Rose, so for now he couldn't judge.
"What do you plan to do with me?" Kabu asked suddenly.
Shiro glanced around, then released him, letting his body fall back onto the ground. "Depends on what the company decides."
He pulled out his communication device and dialed Ryan's number.
A shrill ringtone sounded not far away. Shiro turned toward the dirt road they'd come from and saw a few figures running and stumbling in his direction.
It was Ryan, leading a bunch of company staff, rushing toward them.
Bzzzt!
The line clicked, and Ryan's panting voice came through, broken by gasps. "You… where are you? Just now… there was some kind of wall blocking us…"
"A psychic barrier," Shiro answered. "I ran into some trouble, but it's dealt with now. I'm right ahead."
"..."
There was no answer on the other end. Ryan had already spotted him. He ended the call without another word.
Moments later, the group finally arrived, breathless and disheveled.
"You're too slow," Shiro said flatly, then looked toward Allister. "Grandpa Edgar isn't here yet?"
Allister blinked, then pulled out his comms device to send a message. A reply came within seconds.
He looked back and said, "He says he'll be here in about ten minutes."
"Figures," Shiro muttered, sighing.
That old man never showed up when things were critical. Now that everything was over, he was still late.
"Shiro… is that…?" Ryan's hand trembled as he pointed at the man curled on the ground. "Is that Gym Leader Kabu?"
"Yeah." Shiro nodded.
"There's a Pokémon corpse over there!" another sharp-eyed worker shouted, pointing at the dirt path behind them. The dead body of a Sawk lay motionless.
Ryan's flushed face, still red from running, drained pale. He had words ready, but none came out.
Shiro was the one who spoke instead. "Have you reported to headquarters yet?"
Ryan snapped out of his daze. "No. That invisible wall was obviously suspicious. We spent the whole time tracing its perimeter. It was about a hundred meters across, like a circle. I figured you must have run into danger."
"Mm." Shiro gave a slight nod and said no more.
Silence settled over the group. Ryan and the staff dared not move around recklessly, afraid of the corpses and of disturbing the crime scene.
* * *
Ten minutes passed.
From the cavern of the Galar Mine No. 2, a shadow shot out. The forest road remained still until a voice pierced through the trees.
"Allister!"
Before Shiro even located the source, Edgar appeared at Allister's side. His face was filled with worry as he fussed over the boy's messy clothes.
Beside him floated a large purple sphere. Its eyes glowed blood red, with a yellow X-shaped mark beneath them. From its lower body trailed four ribbon-like tendrils tipped in bright yellow.
Drifblim.
Shiro's heart skipped as he focused and scanned its details.
[Name: Drifblim
Type: Ghost
Level: ???
Ability: Unburden
Held Item: None
Moves: ???]
'What?'
Surprised, he concentrated harder, but the only result was Drifblim turning its head. Its beady red eyes locked directly onto him.
He had been noticed.
Shiro offered an apologetic smile and quickly stepped aside, moving closer to Edgar.
**
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