g!

  Two small knives cshed, making a sharp sound.

  The disheveled man quickly stepped back, revealing a knife in his hand. It was about 20 timeters long, slightly lohan Shiro's.

  "I misjudged you. Another one of the same kind?" the man asked in a low voice.

  Shiro didn't respond. His gaze shifted to the hand tightly gripping the Poké Ball.

  At this point, Shiro had lost the advantage. If he tio fight head-on without knowing the strength of the other person's Pokémon, he was likely to lose.

  Besides, the entrao the tunnel wasn't far away. If there were any signs of a Pokémon battle, those two security guards would definitely rush back.

  "Hmph..." Shiro sneered and nodded, slowly putting away his knife.

  The disheveled man also sheathed his kaking two steps back, raising his hand in a gesture to maintain distahen quickly moved off in the opposite dire.

  "Hey..." A timid voice suddenly called from behind Shiro.

  He turned around to see the short-haired boy from the tunrahe boy had just arrived at this spot.

  The boy swallowed nervously, his eyes lingering on the pocket where Shiro had put the knife. After a moment, he shakily pulled out two Pokédolrs and said, "Big Brother, this is my tuition fee. Please don't make a move..."

  Shiro g the amount. Both bills were worth 5,000 each. The short-haired boy was 10,000 Pokédolrs right off the bat.

  However, Shiro didn’t reach for them. Instead, he spoke in a low voice, "Fold them into squares and throw them over."

  Despite the short-haired boy looking weak, Shiro wasn’t sure about his true nature. He wouldn’t risk accepting the money without knowing more.

  "Ah? Heh..." Upon hearing Shiro's request, the boy chuckled, then flipped his hand and pocketed the money. "Never mind, then."

  He lifted his head slightly and said with a smile, "You go ahead, big brother."

  Shiro remained silent for a moment, then picked up his pace.

  The short-haired boy was indeed no simple character. As an illegal citizen, if he were stantly at others' mercy, his money would have been long taken. There was no way he would be lucky enough to make it this far.

  Shiro kept a three to four meter distance from him, maintaining his pace as he moved forward. The disheveled man ahead had long since disappeared.

  "Big Brother... where are you from? Are you heading to Hammerlocke too?" The short-haired boy suddenly asked from behind.

  Shiro gave him a g remained focused on his path, not responding.

  The short-haired boy, seeing Shiro's response, didn't insist on talking any further.

  They walked for several hundred meters in silence, and ahead, a faint light began to appear.

  They were almost at the end.

  Shiro could already see the two security guards in blue uniforms leaning against a blue cart. The middle-aged man from before was also there, having taken off his bck cloak. It seemed like he khe security personnel.

  Shiro couldn't help but stop.

  "What's wrong?" the short-haired boy asked quietly. "Is it that man causing trouble?"

  "No, it's the security guards. They seem to be waiting for someone..." Shiro replied, gng at the boy.

  From his brief enter with the man, Shiro khat the ces of him knowing the security guards were very low. There was no way they would be gathered together. These guards were very snobbish and looked down on people like Shiro.

  Most importantly, Shiro knew how bad the man smelled.

  ‘Why are the security guards standing so close to him?’

  With his suspis growing, Shiro began to observe more carefully. It didn’t take long before he noticed something off.

  The two security guards and the man appeared to be together, but they weren't iing at all. The man’s hands were resting on the cart, most likely shackled.

  But instead of esc him away, they were strangely staying there, which meant they were setting a trap.

  The two guards must have received some kind of information, or the man had told them something, causing them to ehe stend wait.

  ‘Could it be that the murders in Spikemuth were exposed and the Gym Leader had put out a warrant on me?’

  Shiro hesitated. It seemed very likely.

  "Hey! they're waiting for us. What do you think about just charging out?" the short-haired bed from behind.

  "But those two security guards are strong..." Shiro worried that they might release high-level Pokémon and he wouldn't stand a ce.

  "If they're that strong, why are they ambushing like this? There aren’t many people left iunnel. Why not just send in their Pokémon to search?" The boy remained calm and tinued in a low voice. "I have a newly acquired advanced-level Pokémon, but it has some issues and doesn’t listen well. How about I bring it out first to attract their attention?"

  Shiro frowned and looked at the short-haired boy before nodding in agreement.

  The advanced-level Pokémon the boy mentiohe oh issues, was likely a trophy taken from a murder and not his own Pokémon.

  However, sihe short-haired boy had volunteered, Shiro saw no reason to reject him.

  "Alright, let’s move forward a bit and wait until they barely see us..." the short-haired boy started, but was interrupted.

  "You go ahead. I'm scared." Shiro pointed forward, his face full of distrust. He only had one life, so he was extremely cautious.

  The boy remained silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

  "Alright."

  , the two switched positions. After making a quick loop, the short-haired boy was now in front, with Shiro trailing behind.

  "Wait for me to release my Pokémon, then we’ll charge out together. We’ll each rely on our own abilities..." the short-haired boy said, then walked ahead.

  Shiro had his own suspis about the boy.

  ‘This guy must have itted a crime and is probably on the run, maybe even wanted by the League.’

  Shiro wasn’t sure whether the two security guards were after him, the short-haired boy, or both. Ohing was clear; they had to run.

  After walking for a while, they firmed they were getting very close, and the two guards in blue uniforms in front seemed to react.

  "Alright! Three, two, one..." The short-haired boy began the tdoulled out a Poké Ball, pressing the button.

  He then threw the Poké ball toward the tun. The two security guards, realizing something was wrong, immediately jumped to the sides.

  "Darma!!"

  A deafening roar echoed from the Poké Ball as a t figure emerged.

  The creature stood about two meters tall. Its icy body was adorned with a strange smiley fa its round belly. Fmes shot from its head like a rooster’s b, while fire flickered along its arms, creating a stark trast between id fme.

  It was the Garian Darmanitan in Zen Mode!

  Shiro immediately reized the Pokémon, but there was no time to exami iail. He quickly te steps, following the short-haired boy who was now running full speed ahead.

  The Garian Darmanitan’s fire sacs had been frozen by the id snow. But when angered, its body would reigh fmes.

  The angry snowman was relentless, even willing to melt itself to burhing in its path.

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