Shiro knew he had lost consciousness; he could feel it clearly, but he couldn't control anything.
After Zacian finished speaking and turned away, the darkness around him suddenly flared into blinding white.
Moments later, sensation returned. Shiro found he could move again. He looked down at his hands. When he blinked, the world before him had changed completely.
In front of him was a small white round table, just like the kind placed outside street shops. Around him bustled a gentle stream of passersby—laughing, talking, going about their day. No one paid attention to the lone figure seated quietly in the corner.
Shiro took a deep breath and stood up, scanning his surroundings.
Behind him was a modest café with a dark brown sign. It looked nearly empty. The table he'd been sitting at was one of several set out for customers to rest.
The café sat between two tall buildings. The one on the left, from where he stood facing the street, towered high and gave off a deep blue metallic glow.
Once he gathered his thoughts, Shiro quickly checked his clothes. He was still wearing the same black cloak over his Macro Cosmos uniform. Then he reached for the Poké Balls at his waist and the backpack he carried.
He placed the bag on the round table in front of him and opened it. After carefully checking its contents and confirming that nothing was missing, he finally relaxed a bit.
'This must be some kind of illusion,' he thought.
Then, he called out softly, "Drakloak? Drakloak, are you there?"
But there was no answer from the shadows.
'Is it unconscious too...?' Shiro wondered to himself.
Ignoring the people walking by on the street, he pulled out a few Poké Balls, and released Corvisquire, Gastly, and Growlithe.
"Cooor!"
Corvisquire landed right away on his shoulder, staying alert and scanning the area.
Gastly was still sound asleep, mouth wide open, with drool slowly dripping from the corner of his mouth onto his round dark body.
"Grooowl~"
Growlithe pranced happily around his feet, full of energy.
"Good," Shiro muttered with a nod. He recalled Gastly, then started walking forward with Growlithe at his side.
The shadows cast by the two tall buildings covered the café and its little tables behind him. The contrast between this quiet, shaded area and the bright, bustling street ahead was sharp.
Shiro stood with Growlithe at the edge of the shadow. It wasn't until he saw a Psyduck holding its head in confusion among the crowd that he finally confirmed: he was still in the Pokémon world.
"Sir! Excuse me, sir…!"
A breathless voice called out behind.
Shiro turned and saw a man in a white shirt and black vest—he looked like a waiter from the café.
"Sir, you… left something behind..." the waiter said between pants, placing a hand in front of him as he bowed slightly. Then he straightened up and gestured toward the café.
Shiro didn't respond. He just stared at the man in silence. Growlithe bared its teeth and growled at the waiter.
"Growl! Growl!"
"H-Hey..." The man flinched and stepped back, clearly startled.
Only then did Shiro speak. "I have all my things. I didn't leave anything behind."
"No, no..." The waiter pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his sweat while explaining quickly. "You won the grand prize from our café event. Don't you remember?"
"What event?"
"You came in last night and joined our closing challenge. The customer who stays the longest wins a free bill and a rare Pokémon."
"You've got the wrong person."
Shiro turned his head, not interested in the so-called prize. He knew this place was just an illusion. What really mattered was figuring out how to get out.
Time was ticking. The situation outside was unstable. He had to get out of this underground place, and fast.
But the waiter, seeing him about to leave, panicked. He even reached out to grab Shiro's sleeve, trying to stop him. But Shiro was getting impatient. He smacked the waiter's face hard, knocking him to the ground.
"Get lost!" He growled, glancing at the pitiful man holding his face, then turned and kept walking out of the shadows.
Thud!
A wall of light suddenly appeared in front of him, slamming into his head and making it throb. He stumbled back several steps.
"What the hell..." Shiro cursed and swung a punch straight ahead.
Bang!
A rainbow-colored screen appeared again. He shook his twitching right hand, then turned to look at the waiter slowly getting up from the ground.
"You see, it's just—" the waiter began, but before he could finish, Shiro moved behind him in a flash and delivered a powerful kick that sent him flying.
The waiter landed outside the shadows. Under the sunlight, he struggled to get up and started walking back. The scene startled a few passersby, but once the waiter stepped back into the shaded area, everyone acted like nothing had happened. They continued chatting and laughing as they walked away.
"Start talking," Shiro said coldly, stopping the waiter with one hand. His glare made it clear he'd kick again if he didn't get answers.
Clutching his side, the waiter forced a strained smile and pointed toward the café.
"Sir, just go take a look inside. It won't kill you. The sooner you go in, the sooner you'll be done."
Shiro glanced at the blue bird on his shoulder, then at the confused dog at his feet. He paused, thinking whether he should kill the waiter now or check out the café first.
But if this illusion followed a set logic, the café seemed to be the main objective. If he didn't go in, nothing would progress.
Still… killing the waiter might unlock a different path.
He rubbed his chin, weighing the options.
Finally, he decided: check the café first. If it's a dead end, then deal with the waiter.
The man gave a weak, relieved smile as Shiro walked past him.
He pushed open the café's translucent glass door. Warm yellow-brown light greeted him. The polished wooden floor gleamed under the lights. The counter shone spotless. Rows of leather sofas lined one wall, with matching tea tables placed neatly beside them.
Something about it felt off.
Shiro grabbed the waiter by the collar and shoved him inside first. After the man got up, he tossed an empty Poké Ball into the café. When nothing happened, he finally stepped in.
The waiter, clearly shaken, tried to compose himself. He grabbed a menu from the counter and held it out with trembling hands.
"Uh... Sir, would you like to see—"
Shiro cast a glance at the menu. The entire list was filled with the names of pseudo-legendary Pokémon.
"None of them," He cut him off without hesitation.
The waiter froze, then flipped the menu around after looking at the yellow-and-black print.
"I said none!" Shiro repeated in a deep voice, then added, "If you've got more garbage, hurry up and bring it out."
The waiter looked down at the names and pictures of the Legendary Bird Trio on the back of the menu. Cautiously, he asked, "Maybe you didn't notice? Or don't recognize them? These are legendary Pokémon... the newest from the—"
"I said it's all garbage. Are you deaf?"
Shiro's patience had officially run out. He pushed the waiter aside and began inspecting the café.
Surprisingly, despite its size, the place was completely empty; only the waiter was here.
"What kind of illusion is this?" Shiro muttered, eyes narrowing. "You think this could fool anyone?"
He turned, seized the waiter by the collar again, and yanked him closer, ready to begin a violent autopsy.
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