"Alright, please head back for now. If I need your help again, I'll contact you."
"Yes, I understand."
After finishing his conversation with Officer Jenny, Gu Yuan left with the other officers.
With the store clerk's testimony, the weapons found on the assassins, and Gu Yuan's commendable performance earlier, no one gave him a hard time.
When he returned to the Pokémon Center and told Agatha what had happened, she quickly took care of everything. She made sure Gu Yuan could leave whenever he wished without it affecting their next plan.
That evening, the staff delivered the meal Gu Yuan had ordered.
After watching them leave, he glanced at the food but felt no desire to eat.
Though it was his first time witnessing assassination tactics in the Pokémon world, Gu Yuan couldn't help but admire their precision.
It might have looked like he'd easily handled the attack and countered successfully, but in truth, he had prepared in advance.
If it had been any other boy his age, they likely would've fallen for that sweet, innocent-looking girl.
Gu Yuan, on the other hand, had no interest in such things.
Still, if he hadn't been on alert beforehand, he wouldn't have been able to use telepathy to make Mankey attack first.
As for the later assassins, the situation had been even more dangerous. At that time, he had just knocked the girl unconscious, leaving both Mankey and Sylveon unable to provide immediate support.
If Ditto hadn't been guarding him these past few days, he would've been injured, or worse, forced to retreat in disgrace.
Now, if he let his guard down again, this meal could easily become his last.
In truth, there had been nothing suspicious about the deliveryman earlier. The reason Gu Yuan spotted him was simple: Kadabra had already scanned the man before. He was just a normal guest.
But the face he revealed just now belonged to one of the hotel staff. That alone proved his real identity.
"Is he alone right now?"
"Yes."
"Prepare for battle."
After receiving Kadabra's confirmation, Gu Yuan released all his Pokémon.
Kadabra used Teleport, and in an instant, they vanished from the room.
When they reappeared, Kadabra's psychic power immediately restrained the target, while Gu Yuan moved quickly to check inside the man's mouth.
Having seen where the previous assassins had hidden their poison, Gu Yuan swiftly pulled out the man's tooth that contained the capsule.
After a thorough inspection, he finally felt at ease.
Now came the next step, how to interrogate him.
"Just kill him."
Agatha's voice came through, filled with cold fury.
"They've all been brainwashed countless times. Torture won't work. Even a Psychic Pokémon skilled in hypnosis might not succeed."
"Of course, if you think you can handle it, go ahead and try. Consider it training."
Gu Yuan chuckled. "Forget it. I'd rather rest and prepare for the next wave of assassins. Let's end it here."
Waving his hand, he signaled Kadabra to finish him off, then called Officer Jenny again.
Even after two assassination attempts, Gu Yuan acted as if nothing had happened. He went to sleep normally, showing no fear of another attack.
Meanwhile, Kadabra stood guard in secret, and Gu Yuan activated his system's detection function.
If anyone, or any Pokémon, approached, Kadabra and Gu Yuan would know instantly.
***
"Looks like they've failed. I guess it's my turn now. I want to see who this kid really is, to force me to move personally."
After glancing at his communicator and seeing no new messages, Huilin decided to take action himself. He was Junichiro Mizutani's secret weapon, sent to eliminate Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan stayed in the Lavender Town for one more day. When he confirmed no further attacks were coming, he finally left.
"Looks like they're getting impatient, desperate to take me out."
Not long after leaving Lavender Town, Gu Yuan's system detected the presence of a Senior Rank Pokémon.
Of course, that didn't necessarily mean anything. It could've been just another passing Trainer. But the timing was far too coincidental.
Without hesitation, Gu Yuan followed his usual route, heading into the forest while keeping a tight lock on the opponent's position.
Judging from their movement, the enemy seemed to be flying high in the air, likely to observe him and track his location.
After entering the forest, Gu Yuan noticed the target begin descending. Two more Pokémon appeared beside them, both at Senior Rank.
Then, a powerful Ace Rank Pokémon emerged. Since it continued following him, Gu Yuan was now certain of the enemy's identity.
He immediately pressed the alarm device Agatha had given him.
The next second, he bolted forward.
"So he noticed me already? Sharp, but still not enough."
Huilin smirked and motioned for his Pidgeot and Fearow to attack.
On the ground, Electabuzz released its full Ace Rank aura.
Wind roared in Gu Yuan's ears as he sprinted through the trees. To Huilin, watching this genius struggle for his life felt exhilarating.
Suddenly, Gu Yuan stopped. He ordered Kadabra to halt as well.
The abrupt pause disappointed Huilin slightly, though he didn't forget his mission.
"Go, Electabuzz! Kill him!"
Standing on Pidgeot's back, Huilin gave his order, keeping a close eye on Kadabra in case Gu Yuan tried a desperate counterattack.
Gu Yuan stood motionless, smiling faintly at the incoming lightning.
The next instant, a dark shadow burst forth.
Dark Pulse collided with Electabuzz's Thunder, instantly crushing the attack.
The wave of darkness didn't fade. It struck Electabuzz directly, sending it flying.
Before Huilin could react, a Gengar appeared behind him.
Two more Dark Pulse attacks blasted through Pidgeot and Fearow, knocking them out effortlessly. Then, Gengar grabbed Huilin by the throat.
"Kill him."
Agatha stepped forward calmly, showing no interest in interrogation. She eliminated him without hesitation.
From the very start, Agatha had only wanted an excuse to move. Now that she had it, she would personally handle everything she wanted to know.
"Continue your journey. Leave the rest to me. Once it's done, I'll inform you."
"Yes."
Leaving Huilin's body and his defeated Pokémon behind, Agatha departed with her two Gengar. She was eager to destroy the Mizutani family before anything unexpected could happen.
Looking at the corpse, Gu Yuan thought Agatha was quite generous, she had left him the belongings of an Ace Rank Trainer.
Without hesitation, Gu Yuan began to search the body.