"Reporting, ma'am! In a fresh meat vendor on the west side, we discovered a large amount of brown Piloswine fur!"
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"Reporting, ma'am! On the east side, three shop owners acted suspiciously. When they saw us searching, they tried to close up and flee. Right now, the people inside are resisting inspection."
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"Reporting, ma'am! On the south side, two shops…"
---
Officer Jenny and Cynthia stood at the main entrance of the market, listening to one shocking report after another coming in from her subordinates.
"Whoa~ Just how many shops are involved in something like this? It's totally lawless!" Mark blurted out, swallowing hard in astonishment.
Hearing that, Officer Jenny's face grew even darker. As the chief commander of the Helvetia Town Police Department, it was her jurisdiction where this large-scale, organized crime had emerged; naturally, she had to bear responsibility.
And what Mark had just said? That was basically slapping her right in the face, in public, saying she hadn't done her job properly.
"EVERYONE! Block off this entire area! Not a single person is allowed to leave!" Officer Jenny said with an icy tone, clearly already in a state of extreme anger.
Joseph helplessly grabbed the tactless Mark and turned to the two women. "Cynthia, Officer Jenny, we'll go help. Leave those two shops on the south side to us."
"Are you two sure? People dealing in illegal Pokémon meat wouldn't be defenseless-" Officer Jenny started to question them but cut herself off halfway, her expression shifting dramatically.
Because Joseph and Mark had just sent out their Gogoat and Lucario, both at Ace level!
"Officer Jenny, what did you just say~?" Mark, too busy sending out his Lucario, hadn't clearly heard what she'd said earlier and was honestly just asking again.
Officer Jenny's face immediately turned a deep red. She felt like this messy-haired brat was sent by the Original One[1]¹ just to annoy her. If it weren't for the emergency right now, she would've…
Officer Jenny: I don't even have an Ace Pokémon myself. I might not even win…
…How frustrating!
Joseph could only sigh and twitch the corner of his mouth. He dragged Mark and took off without looking back. This kind of situation wasn't easy to explain, better to catch all the suspects first and talk later!
Unlike Sato, who instinctively had a bad reaction to Officer Jenny, Joseph's attitude toward them was actually quite friendly.
After all, in most small towns without Gyms, protection was usually handled by the Jenny family.
Cynthia slightly curled her lips into a smile. Even in the middle of such a tense confrontation, Mark -with his serious face and total lack of decorum- still managed to lighten the mood, even for her.
'A mascot, indeed…'
"Officer Jenny, leave those three shops on the east side to me. In front of me, they won't be able to hide anything." Cynthia didn't hesitate and quickly volunteered! Or rather… announced her target of choice.
Officer Jenny opened her mouth to stop her but realized Cynthia had already mounted her "Garchomp-Jet" and was speeding off toward the east side.
'…Three Ace level Trainers?'
Since when did Helvetia Town suddenly have so many strong and young Trainers?
With that enormous question in mind, Officer Jenny continued rapidly commanding her team to raid the remaining meat vendors.
Just in case, she still assigned part of her squad to head in the direction of Cynthia and Mark's targets, ready to assist or report as needed.
Over at the fresh meat market, the area had been fully sealed off. Those inside couldn't get out, and those outside couldn't get in. One skirmish after another was breaking out across the smaller zones.
----
Meanwhile, Sato arrived with Umbreon and Houndoom at the entrance of a very refined and exclusive restaurant.
The moment they reached the place, both Houndoom and Umbreon became extremely alert and agitated. With every step closer, their reactions intensified.
With a theory forming in his mind, Sato didn't hesitate. He strode confidently forward into the building.
…Only to be stopped.
"Apologies, sir. To avoid affecting the dining experience of other customers, Pokémon are not allowed inside the establishment. We hope for your understanding," the hostess said, maintaining a professional smile with a sincere expression.
Sato frowned. After thinking it over, he recalled both Umbreon and Houndoom into their Poké Balls.
Gengar was in the shadows, and Ralts was in his backpack. If necessary, he could rely on the two of them as well, it would just be a bit less efficient when it came to searching.
"This way, sir. May I ask, are you dining alone today?" the hostess asked with a gentle smile while leading the way.
"Yeah, I just arrived in Helvetia Town. Why don't you recommend some of your signature dishes?" Sato nodded casually and subtly adjusted his body language to appear like a well-off "normal guy."
"Certainly, sir. Our specialties include braised… stir-fried… steamed… but our most famous dish is definitely the IceSwine Brew! You absolutely must try it!"
As the hostess introduced the dishes, she opened the menu and pointed to the corresponding image.
That image of the IceSwine Brew immediately caught Sato's attention.
In the picture, the IceSwine Brew consisted of a small "mountain" built from crushed ice, layered with translucent pink slices of meat on top, with a few vegetables as garnish.
At a glance, it didn't look much different from sashimi; maybe just more elegantly plated.
"Sir, this dish may look simple, but it uses only the freshest and highest-quality local ingredient from Helvetia Town, sashimi made from the sole back loin of an IceSwine."
"…IceSwine? Sashimi?"
Sato's face showed curiosity, but deep down, an intense premonition told him that this dish was made from Piloswine meat.
"No need to worry. IceSwine are a specially bred variant we raise on the eastern glacier of Helvetia Town. Because they roam the glacier year-round, feeding on the most tender Icepyron and drinking pure melted ice dew, their meat is incredibly delicate.
When you eat this IceSwine Brew, it's completely free of any gamy taste. In fact, there's a refreshing chill as it enters your mouth, followed by a warming sensation in your belly. It's truly unique!"
The hostess went all out in her sales pitch. After observing Sato's intentionally ambiguous mannerisms, she had pegged him as a rich kid traveling the region with money to burn.
…What she didn't know was: the more tempting her introduction sounded, the colder Sato's heart became. He could even feel the Poké Balls on his belt trembling uncontrollably.
"Forget it. I don't like eating raw meat. I'll have this… and this… oh, and this one too." Sato casually picked two dishes and shoved the menu in her face, cutting her off before she could keep talking.
Her facial expression didn't change, but in her mind, she was already cursing Sato as a stingy cheapskate who wasted her effort.
"Very well, sir. Please wait a moment." With that, the hostess walked away.
Sato didn't even need to say a word, Gengar had already slipped into her shadow, completely unnoticed by anyone.
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¹. Arceus
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150 PS = Extra Chap
Patre0n/Romeloff[2]
[1] Arceus
[2] You can join for free. All the public chapters here (and there), open and ready. Actually, you don’t even have to join to read. And thanks to the magic of early chapter unlocks, you can read today’s newest chapters about 8 hours ahead (~12:00 am UTC).