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It was deep into the night. Most people were already fast asleep, lost in their pleasant dreams.
But, of course, there were exceptions.
On the eastern outskirts of Azalea Town, beneath a cliffside, three figures dressed in black uniforms were skulking near an old well, moving stealthily through the darkness.
These three were members of the hunting group Liam had encountered earlier that evening. Now, they were stationed around this ancient well, seemingly standing guard, monitoring the area.
"Tch... These guys have been standing here for a while now. What are they up to? Is there something special about this well? Isn't this the famous Slowpoke Well? Then where are the Slowpoke?"
Even though the three hunters kept a vigilant watch over their surroundings, they failed to notice a figure hiding just behind a nearby boulder. Liam was well camouflaged, and it seemed he had been observing them for quite some time. But since he hadn't yet figured out what exactly they were doing, he chose not to act prematurely and alert them.
Beep-beep-beep…
Just as Liam frowned in thought, the communicator on one of the hunters' chests suddenly buzzed. The man quickly answered the call, and a seductive female voice came through the speaker.
"Mmm~ How's it going? Met the quota yet? The client's getting a little antsy over this batch~"
Though the communicator wasn't loud, the area was open and quiet, so the voice traveled clearly—straight to Liam's ears.
"Yes, Lady Beima! Rest assured! We're working faster now. The Slowpoke here will be rounded up in no time! The client will definitely be satisfied!"
The hunter who answered the call responded immediately and respectfully. Judging by his tone and posture, he was likely the squad leader.
"Mhm~ Good. Just don't injure them. The client specifically requested they remain uncaptured and unharmed. Don't mess this up. Wrap things up quickly—I'll bring the transport to pick you up shortly."
Beep—beep—beep…
With that, the call ended. The communicator fell silent.
"Whew... Tell the team below to speed it up. Once the job's done, we're pulling out. This town is officially under League jurisdiction. Staying too long could spell trouble."
The leader exhaled and then turned to one of his subordinates to issue an order.
"Understood! I'll pass it down right away... Uh, Captain? What about that guy we caught this afternoon? Should we... you know?"
The subordinate drew a finger across his throat in a very unsubtle gesture.
"Tch… That guy's got a nasty attitude, but he's apparently pretty well-known around here. Let's not mess with him. Knock him out for now. Once the job's finished, just dump him somewhere remote. No need to stir up more trouble."
The squad leader frowned slightly at the gesture but waved it off calmly.
"Yes, sir!"
The subordinate nodded and didn't press the matter further. He quickly picked up his communicator and walked off to deliver the instructions.
"So... their target is Slowpoke? What are they even good for? Just for their tails or something? And that guy they mentioned... I feel like I've heard of him before..."
Liam muttered softly to himself, having heard the entire exchange from behind the rock.
"...Well, whoever that is doesn't matter. What matters now is the Slowpoke. Since I know their objective now, it's time I stepped in. Heh... this is kind of exciting! Time to say hello~"
With that, Liam quietly pulled a PokeBall from behind his back, enlarged it, and rolled it across the ground toward the well.
"Hm? What's that?"
The rolling sound of the PokeBall caught the attention of the three hunters. They all turned, alert and wary.
"Scyther! Use Blunt Blade!"
Just as their eyes locked onto the ball, a sharp command rang out from behind the rock. The ball popped open with a flash, and a dark green figure shot out like lightning. Its gleaming scythe-like arms slashed through the air in three swift strikes.
"Ugh! We're—under atta—!"
Before they could finish shouting, all three men were hit. Two dropped instantly, unconscious before they even hit the ground.
The squad leader clutched his neck, eyes wide in shock as he stared at the Scyther standing right next to him.
"You...!"
That was all he managed before he too collapsed with a thud, joining the others on the ground.
With the three subdued, Liam quickly darted out from behind the boulder and checked the fallen men. All were merely unconscious—no serious harm done.
Liam had told Scyther to use Blunt Blade, a technique that struck with the flat of the blade. Against Pokémon, it could deal damage without causing permanent injury. As for humans... this had been a good field test. The results? Very effective.
With the exterior guards taken care of, Liam walked over to the edge of the well and looked down. It was pitch black. Without his Black Vortex Mask, it would've been near impossible to see anything at all.
After a moment of thought, he turned to Scyther.
"Looks like there are more of them down there. Scyther, let's head in and take a look."
"Sha!"
With that, Liam jumped over the edge, grabbing the rope and sliding smoothly down the well. Scyther followed closely behind, wings buzzing as it glided downward.
The well wasn't particularly deep. They reached the bottom quickly.
And what Liam saw confirmed his suspicions.
There was a narrow tunnel at the base of the well—just tall enough for a person to walk through. It extended forward into darkness, its destination unknown.
Liam glanced at the passage and then pulled up his navigator. As expected, the map only showed one way forward. At the end of the path was a massive underground cavern. That must be where the Slowpoke were being gathered.
"Let's go check it out."
Stowing his map, Liam adjusted the mask on his face and walked quickly into the tunnel.
.....
As Liam walked through the passage, he noticed the tunnel seemed entirely natural. There were no signs of human construction—just rugged rock, slick moss, and thick humidity. The heavy moisture in the air suggested a nearby water source.
"Hm? Is that the exit?"
Just then, a flicker of light flashed briefly ahead, illuminating the tunnel's end for just a moment.
Knowing he was almost out of the tunnel, Liam and Scyther picked up their pace, dashing silently toward the exit.
When they reached the mouth of the tunnel, Liam leaned out carefully, just enough to get a view of what lay beyond.
What he saw was a vast underground cavern.
And somewhere in that space… the Slowpoke.