Shiro quickly judged that this machine did not require many Psychic-type Pokémon, nor particularly powerful ones, as its energy source.
That was because the special material inside it was extremely abundant. It could completely amplify the psychic power of a single Gym-level Pokémon to the point where long-distance teleportation became possible.
However… Shiro's psychic powers could only determine that much.
Clack!
The machine's door shut, and Farlen also stopped talking.
A loud rumbling sound echoed around them as countless specks of psychic energy rapidly emerged, reorganizing themselves according to a fixed pattern while twisting the surrounding space.
Following a flash before his eyes, a feeling of weightlessness and nausea struck him at the same time.
Shiro suppressed the discomfort and looked toward the hatch that had already opened.
Outside was still a pitch-black passageway.
"This is the headquarters..."
As Farlen spoke, he stepped out first. Just as he raised his head to guide the way, he noticed Shiro was still inside examining the machine.
"Haha, impressive, isn't it? This is technology mastered by our Hunters Guild..."
"There are researchers in the guild?" Shiro asked.
Farlen touched his bald head and replied, "Due to the nature of our organization, the guild has researched all kinds of ancient and modern technologies. This kind of technology combining psychic powers and machinery existed in ancient Alola and ancient Kalos as well."
Shiro nodded slightly in realization.
So they had merely borrowed old technology. Perhaps they had dug up a half-finished product from some ruins and modified it slightly.
After scanning the machine again with his psychic power, Shiro reluctantly walked out.
If he had another half hour, he could probably figure out the operating principles behind this machine.
"The guild headquarters is not far ahead."
Farlen lowered his voice and hurried forward.
The corridor ahead seemed built from massive stone blocks. The gray surfaces were rough, and the dim white lights hidden in the cracks of the walls barely provided enough illumination.
'A, can you determine what region this is?' Shiro asked inwardly while following behind.
Unown A also spread out its psychic powers upward, but its psychic waves quickly hit a strange barrier and could not break through no matter what.
'I can't determine it. This place seems covered by materials that block psychic powers,' Unown A explained.
'Materials that block psychic powers?'
'Yes. There's no way to penetrate them.' Unown A paused briefly before adding, 'I can sense strong Dark-type energy within those materials.'
'Mesprit?' Shiro asked again.
Mesprit's voice sounded out. 'I can't probe through it either. Those walls contain the origin power of the Dark type.'
Dark-type energy countered psychic powers, and Psychic-type attacks were ineffective against Dark types.
Shiro's expression turned somewhat serious.
It could be said that he was currently inside a cage, and the location of that cage was unknown.
If the Hunters Guild held malicious intentions toward him, escaping from this place would be extremely difficult. If a battle broke out, he would have no choice but to kill all the enemies first and interrogate them afterward.
Shiro had already prepared himself for combat.
"The headquarters meeting room is just ahead."
Farlen straightened his back slightly. After briefly pausing at the end of the corridor, he stepped inside first.
Shiro could see dazzling white light ahead, and only after approaching did he clearly see the situation inside.
It was a massive circular stone chamber. In the center stood a round table large enough to seat twenty-six people for discussion, while several dark passageways lined the edges of the chamber.
Shiro emerged from one of them and stopped behind the nearest chair.
Only five people were seated around the round table, including the old man Farlen.
All five wore black cloaks. Aside from Farlen and another tall, muscular man with an arrogant expression, the others either wore masks or hid their faces beneath hoods, revealing nothing.
The black-cloaked man seated at the head wore a pure white mask and sat upright. He seemed to be the hunters' leader, Hunter A.
Shiro could feel the man's gaze coming through the dark eyeholes of the white mask.
Hunter A. Since he was ranked first among the hunters and also their leader, he definitely knew the Hunters Guild's secrets.
The only uncertainty was his strength.
"The newcomer has arrived."
A hoarse female voice echoed. It came from the black-cloaked figure seated beside Hunter A. Judging by the voice, she sounded like an elderly woman in her seventies or eighties.
"Indeed..." Hunter A's voice was equally hoarse.
Farlen asked attentively, "Lord A, should we wait for the others?"
"No need. This isn't anything important anyway."
Even while speaking, Hunter A's body stayed completely motionless, making it difficult to tell who he was addressing.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The muscular man pounded heavily on the table with an impatient expression.
"Hey! Who exactly are you? Give us a name. Which League's wanted criminal are you? What rank? Or were you once a cadre in some organization? What qualifications do you have to become a member of the twenty-six seats the moment you arrive?"
Shiro merely glanced at him once, then shifted his gaze toward Hunter A. "What procedures and requirements are there to become one of the twenty-six seats?"
Hunter A remained silent.
Thud!
A chair was violently shoved aside as the muscular man stood up and twisted his neck.
"Simple. Beat me and that's enough!"
The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
Shiro looked around the room before speaking again. "That's all?"
Bang!
A chair slammed into the stone wall.
The muscular man had already grabbed a Poké Ball and growled, "Brat, don't know how to respect your seniors? Show some strength before talking big!"
"Shut up."
A faint glow appeared in Shiro's eyes as he spoke coldly.
The air seemed to freeze for several seconds. The muscular man's thoughts paused for two whole seconds before he realized something was wrong.
No matter what he did, he could not press open his Poké Ball.
When he tried to speak again, his throat felt as though it were being choked. His entire body became unable to move.
Psychic powers...
That was the last thought in the muscular man's mind.
The expressions of the hunters present all changed differently.
Farlen shrank into himself slightly and lowered his head, trying to hide his presence. One hand had already gripped a Poké Ball.
Such powerful psychic abilities!
Another hunter who had remained silent until now also tensed up, ready to release Pokémon at any moment.
Hunter A and Hunter B, however, remained calm. They either had broad experience or had already expected this outcome.
"This should be a Pokémon's psychic power, correct?" Hunter A slowly spoke. "W, your strength has already been recognized. Release D."
Once he finished speaking, all four people present stared at the completely motionless Hunter D.
As time slowly passed, the atmosphere gradually turned colder.
"I can release him." Shiro's tone did not change. "But since he was the one who provoked me first, there should at least be some compensation, right?"
"..."
Several of the highest-seat hunters frowned.
They had never seen someone so greedy and shameless before.
Testing strength was merely part of the process, yet after passing the process, this guy was still demanding rewards.
Compared to him, even Team Rocket seemed less like bandits.
**
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