There seems to be something wrong with these Pokémon

traitor?

Confused, Sakuya Ye looked at the man who suddenly became excited.

"You are talking about Ah Ju——"

"it's him!"

Takumi gritted his teeth and clenched his hands tightly at his sides.

"I saw him betray the alliance and kill two Pokémon Investigators with my own eyes!"

"Is there any misunderstanding?"

Shuoya Ye recalled the appearance of Aju in his memory and murmured in retort, "He doesn't look like..."

“That’s my sister!”

Takumi turned his head suddenly, his eyes bloodshot, "I saw it with my own eyes!"

The man seemed to have returned to that day of despair and collapse, and spoke with tears in his eyes.

My sister and brother-in-law, both excellent Pokémon hunters, were given a rare vacation after completing their "A-rank mission".

At that time, Takumi, who had not yet embarked on this journey, happened to live in a city near the coast.

After learning that her sister wanted to go on vacation to the beach, she extended an invitation to the two of them.

but...

"I don't know, I don't know why..."

The man raised his arms tremblingly, his pupils trembling as he stared at them. "I just wanted to buy a bottle of water, but when I came back, why..."

The extremely trembling voice even made Takumi unable to continue speaking. He could only stand there with his head lowered in silence.

Under the worried gaze of the boy beside him, he paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"Destruction Death Ray, that was the last skill I saw after I hurried over here."

"In the end, the only ones left were my sister and brother-in-law, who were covered in blood, and Psyduck, who had escaped death by hiding behind a recliner..."

Takumi turned his head sharply and warned, "I will not mistake that face. After embarking on this journey in pursuit of my sister's will, I used all my resources and connections to find her."

"Until I saw his face—"

The man took a deep breath and suppressed his overly exposed emotions.

"Maybe he is a person who is very good at hiding and deceiving people. You can doubt me."

"But my purpose is just to make you be careful the next time you meet him, so that you don't end up dying without a complete body."

Shuoya Ye was silent for a moment.

Just as Takumi said, he did not believe the man's one-sided words.

After spending these few days together, Shuoguye had a good idea of ​​what kind of person Aju was.

Meticulous and strict during training, leisurely and chatty during rest, and calm and composed during battle.

No matter what, he couldn't connect Aju with the traitor the man mentioned.

"Forget it." Takumi laughed at himself and shook his head.

"Sure enough, no one would believe that the seemingly upright Light Red Pavilion Master would be such a person..."

It seems that Takumi has long been accustomed to accepting other people's distrust.

He quickly recovered, raised his finger and said sternly, "Let's not talk about this for now. Just follow me and I'll take you away."

"I will personally communicate with the League regarding the Pokémon issue once we return to Crimson City. I promise you."

Shuo Gu Ye thought for a while and nodded.

But he did not follow the man directly, but pointed to the foot of the mountain, "There is a trainer in the cave who was affected for no reason. Take him away with you."

"it is good."

Takumi agreed without any hesitation.

Taking one away is also leaving, taking two away is also leaving.

What's more, protecting the citizens is his duty, and as a Pokémon investigator, he naturally couldn't say anything against it.

The two E-type machines in this area have been destroyed by Shuoya Ye.

The boy stood on the edge of the cliff, closed his eyes and listened.

Only after he was sure that the noise he could hear was minimal did he raise his hand and release the Pokémon.

Takumi looked at the huge creature in front of him in surprise and took a small step back unconsciously.

"Takumi-san, would you like to join us?"

On the back of the ancient sky overlord, a gentle-looking young man smiled and waved at him.

Perhaps it was not until this moment that he understood why the league attached so much importance to the trainers included in the [Seedling Program].

Even at the cost of putting their safety first.

As a Pokémon hunter, unless he receives a mission of A rank or above, all other missions will be directly replaced after a trainer with a breeding plan sends a signal for help.

Looking at the fossil pterosaur flapping its huge wings, Takumi's Adam's apple rolled up and down.

"No, no."

Takumi silently lowered his head, avoiding the oppressive gaze of the fossil pterosaur and took out a Poké Ball.

"I'll just use Pidgeot."

Fossilized pterosaur: Wow! The goggles on this guy's head are so cool! Eh? Why did he suddenly lower his head? I can't see!

The disappointed fossil pterosaur let out a sigh, scaring the nearby Pidgeot.

The fear of the sky overlord is hard to erase in our genes.

"It's just curious." Shuoguye patted the fossil pterosaur on the back and smiled at Pidgeot, who wanted to fly a hundred meters away, "It has no ill intentions."

Feeling extremely embarrassed, Takumi could only smile awkwardly and secretly plucked Pidgeot's feathers.

Please! You are the Investigator's Pokémon after all! Can you not be so cowardly? !

----

However, when Sakuya Ye rushed to the cave where Awan was hiding, he didn't see a single person.

There was only a stone lying quietly in the middle of the cave.

Takumi raised his hand and summoned Charizard, observing the cave with the help of the flame on its tail.

"There were no signs of a fight. Maybe they left on their own."

Shuoya Ye walked quickly towards the stone and picked it up.

The oval-shaped stone felt particularly warm and smooth to the touch, which immediately reminded him of something.

"Lucky eggs."

"What?" Takumi turned around and asked, "A Pokémon is injured? Why did you release the Jigglypuff?"

"Amaru went to find Jigglypuff."

Shuoya Ye put the stone back in its place, turned around and ran towards the forest.

"Hey, stop running around!"

Helplessly, Takumi turned into an old mother and let out a light sigh, but still caught up with the boy.

It's really worrying.

----

When Sakuya Ye pushed aside the branches and looked towards the direction where the Pokémon's cries came from, he saw a figure kneeling on the ground.

"Can't save..."

"Amaru?"

Shuo Gu Ye hurriedly ran towards the trembling figure with a bent back.

His footsteps stopped in place.

Ah Wan, who was always laughing, turned his head with tears and pain in his eyes for the first time in several hours.

"I can't save it, there's no medicine..."

Following Ah Wan's raised hand, he saw a Vulpix lying in his hand.

The limbs hang limply, and the chest is calm.

The gradually cool touch stimulated this unorthodox young Pokémon doctor.

He sobbed quietly and couldn't stop crying.

"Why, why?"

"I remember I have medicine. I have medicine! I brought so much medicine when I came here, why is it not enough?!"

"If I hadn't sprayed a few more pumps of medicine, would Vulpix have survived?"

Ah Wan raised his head blankly and looked at Sakutani Ye who was standing there in a daze.

"I've learned that in first aid, all you need to do is save your life. Why should I spray more wound medicine? Why?!"

Sakuya Ye was unable to answer anything to the collapsed Amaru.

He could only squat beside Amaru, carefully taking the cold Vulpix from his hands, and stroke its soft fur for the last time.

"It kept looking at me before it died." Ah Wan's hands were suspended in the air, his eyes were empty but he couldn't stop crying, "It wanted to live, it told me it wanted to live!"

"But I can't do it!" Ah Wan raised his head and roared weakly, "There is no medicine! What else can I do without medicine?!"

Takumi walked slowly from behind the two of them, lowered his eyes to look at Sakuya Ye who was wiping the blood and sand on Vulpix's fur with a wet handkerchief.

And Awan, who was kneeling on the ground helplessly, with tears streaming down his face.

After bowing his head in silence for a while, he, who was already used to seeing death, said calmly, "Leave first. Don't cry, crying won't solve any problems."

"Solve the problem—?"

After hearing this, Ah Wan raised his lifeless eyes and said calmly, "Who will solve the problem?!"

He suddenly became emotional and shouted at the top of his voice, "Do you think I don't want to solve the problem? How can I solve it?!"

Ah Wan suddenly stood up and grabbed the man by the collar, pointing his other hand at the Pokémon surrounding them.

"Look at them! They don't want to die, they also want to solve the problem!"

Takumi looked in the direction where Amaru's finger was pointing.

Although his body was covered with wounds, the Pokémon, with hope in their eyes, scalded him severely.

"Do you dare to look at them!?" Ah Wan shouted at the top of his lungs, "I don't dare! I can't do it! I can't save them!"

Takumi pursed his lips and tilted his head.

He didn't dare look into the eyes of the Pokémon, nor into the face of the crying boy.

"No one cries to solve a problem, Takumi-san."

Sakuya Ye dug a hole with the shovel he took from Team Rocket.

He took out two pieces of clothing from his backpack, one to place under Vulpix and the other to cover him.

He put Vulpix into the pit and tucked in the slightly wrinkled corners of the quilt as if he was coaxing a child to sleep.

Then he turned his head and looked at Awan, who was no longer able to hold on to the man's collar and was gradually sliding to the ground.

"So when you want to cry, just cry loudly." Sakuya Ye walked over and gently patted Ah Wan's shoulder, "Put aside all your worries and cry as much as you can."

When that warm hand fell on my shoulder, my heart, which had already turned into a pool of stagnant water due to despair, trembled violently.

He crawled awkwardly on his knees towards Vulpix, his lips trembling.

The emotions that had been suppressed for so long were finally released, and Awan let out a long howl toward the sky.

"what--!!!"

Among the Pokémon around, the ones that were able to move walked behind the boy who was trying to heal their injuries, and paid silent tribute to Vulpix in their own way.

Those who couldn't move also looked at the boy with gentle eyes, as if thanking him for his efforts.

"Cry, it will be better if you cry..."

Shuoya Ye bit her lower lip and wiped away the tears from her eyes. "After the catharsis is over, we still have to move forward, carrying their hopes and making the culprit pay the price they deserve."

"Goodbye, Vulpix—"

"And...I'm sorry."

I'm sorry, I can't stop here for you.