Although the restaurant owner had never witnessed Nozomi's true strength, in his eyes, the Gym Leaders of Kaz Gym and Yas Gym—Kaz and Yas—were already incredibly powerful Pokémon Trainers.
Could this young man who claimed to be a League Investigator really be their match?
The owner clearly believed that Kaz and Yas, whom he was more familiar with, were stronger. Just as he was about to stop Nozomi from leaving, he saw the young man push the door open and step outside.
"Wait a second—"
Before the owner could speak, Nozomi beat him to it.
"You two… you're from Kaz Gym and Yas Gym, aren't you?"
Although phrased as a question, his tone left no room for doubt.
Both sides of the ongoing battle froze upon seeing the newcomer who had just interrupted them, their gazes locking onto Nozomi.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Yas was the first to speak.
Yas was a lean man with close-cropped hair, a black shirt tucked into green suspenders, and an orange scarf around his neck—altogether giving him a monkey-like appearance from afar.
At the same moment he spoke, his Scyther, standing protectively before him, flared its wings and crossed its blades menacingly, trying to intimidate Nozomi with sheer presence.
But Nozomi—who had long since faced far greater threats—was utterly unmoved by this "intimidation" from what he considered an absurdly weak Scyther.
Across from Yas stood Kaz, wearing a blue outfit and a red cape draped dramatically across his shoulders. He too restrained his battle-ready stance, glaring at Nozomi.
"Kid, this isn't a place for you. Don't get in our way!"
Compared to Yas, Kaz was clearly the more arrogant of the two. His tone brimmed with contempt.
Neither of them took Nozomi seriously. In their eyes, this greenhorn Trainer didn't even have the qualifications to be one of their cannon-fodder recruits.
"Oh?"
Nozomi raised an eyebrow, glancing calmly at the loudmouthed Kaz.
"I don't recall seeing any sign that says I can't walk this road," Nozomi replied mildly. "Unless, of course, you built it yourself?"
"You brat, you're asking for it!" Kaz roared furiously.
Without hesitation, he hurled out a Poké Ball.
"Electabuzz, teach this kid a lesson!"
It was typical of these bullies who abused Pokémon to intimidate townsfolk—quick to anger, quicker to attack.
"Bzzt—!"
Sparks crackled violently as Electabuzz appeared, arcs of lightning surging across its body. It swung its arm, and a blinding Thunderbolt streaked toward Nozomi.
The restaurant owner and the nearby onlookers gasped—but Nozomi didn't even flinch.
To him, this Electabuzz was pitifully weak—nothing compared to the one he had fought at Vermilion Gym under Lt. Surge.
So, instead of sending out a Pokémon, Nozomi simply raised his hand. His eyes glimmered faintly blue as he focused his psychic power, swirling the energy before him like an invisible shield.
"Zzzt—!"
The Thunderbolt shattered instantly, breaking into countless harmless sparks that dissipated into the air. Apart from Electabuzz's frozen stance, there was no trace the attack had ever existed.
"Thunderbolt—dispelled just like that!?""What just happened!?""That blue light… could it be psychic power!?"
The bystanders from both Kaz Gym and Yas Gym were dumbfounded. None could comprehend how this stranger had blocked an attack bare-handed, without even summoning a Pokémon.
But Nozomi didn't give them time to recover.
With a swift motion, he tossed a Poké Ball into the air.
"Let's go—Steelix!"
With a thunderous crash, the colossal Steelix emerged, its serpentine body of metal crashing onto the street. Without a word or command, it lunged forward, rumbling straight toward the terrified Electabuzz.
The Electabuzz froze, overwhelmed by the sheer scale and pressure of the towering steel serpent. It didn't even manage to dodge before being flattened under Steelix's massive weight.
"Th-that's terrifying!""Steelix… it's way too strong!""Kaz's Electabuzz didn't even last a second!""Who is this guy!?"
Trainers from both sides abandoned their feud, staring at Nozomi and his Steelix in shock and awe.
Kaz was completely dumbstruck. By the time he processed what had happened, his Electabuzz had already been slammed into the far end of the street, lying unconscious and utterly defeated.
"Impressive Steelix…"
Yas's brow furrowed deeply.
Though Kaz had been his rival, Yas couldn't feel any joy at seeing him crushed so easily.
This newcomer—this man with psychic powers and a Steelix that powerful—was clearly no ordinary Trainer. And if his goal was what Yas feared most…
"Don't tell me…" Yas thought grimly, sweat forming on his temple.
Could this stranger be here to claim the official Gym license for Dark City?
It would make perfect sense. From the man's tone, his arrival, and his decisive attack, everything pointed to that possibility.
In this era where Pokémon Trainers had become the most prominent profession in the world, owning a Gym was like owning a gold mine. Cities with Gyms flourished, while those without languished in obscurity.
He and Kaz had struggled immensely to find an unclaimed city like Dark City—a neglected, lawless place they could seize and transform into their own.
There was no way Yas would let a third contender snatch that dream away.
He gave a subtle hand signal. His Scyther instantly spread its wings and moved into a combat stance, ready to strike.
"Hey, you," Yas called sharply. "What's your purpose here? Don't tell me you're also here to take the official Gym license for Dark City!?"
As he spoke, Yas had already made up his mind. If the answer was yes, he would attack immediately.
He knew he couldn't defeat Steelix—but he was confident he could strike before it reacted, have his Scyther restrain Nozomi himself, and render the Steelix's power meaningless.
After all, no matter how powerful the Pokémon, it was useless if its Trainer was incapacitated.
He grinned faintly. "Let's see how this psychic handles my Scyther up close."
"Dark City's official Gym license?" Nozomi repeated thoughtfully. "If you say that's what I'm here for… you're not wrong."
He smiled slightly. Indeed, that was exactly why he had come.