He should have gone outside to find a more open space! Now half the furniture was crushed—how long was he going to have to clean this up?
Fearing that Metagross might damage anything else, Nozomi quickly recalled it into its Poké Ball.
Finally, after much effort, he managed to tidy up the room and clear away the broken furniture.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
The phone suddenly rang.
"Hm?"
Who would be calling him at a time like this?
After answering, a strong, confident voice came through.
"Nozomi, about the Pokédex you wanted—I've got it ready. Come by whenever you have time to pick it up."
The voice sounded familiar, though Nozomi couldn't immediately place it.
"…The Pokédex?"
At the mention of the Pokédex, Nozomi racked his memory and quickly realized who was on the other end.
"Professor Oak! I understand!"
It turned out that his previous self had already sensed a bleak future as a Pokémon Prosecutor and had prepared an alternative path in advance.
Having participated in Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp, he had earned the qualifications to set off as a rookie trainer this year.
In other words, even if he didn't pursue a career as a prosecutor, he could travel the world as a Pokémon Trainer!
"In that case…"
Nozomi stroked the Poké Ball containing Metagross. The idea of resigning as a Pokémon Prosecutor to become a full-time trainer didn't seem bad at all.
After all the chaos his predecessor had encountered, Nozomi wasn't in the mood to continue working tirelessly for the League.
"Done. That's decided!"
Feeling uplifted, Nozomi began preparing lunch for his Bulbasaur and Metagross.
…
Kanto Headquarters – Pokémon Prosecutor, Indigo Plateau
Ishihara Kuriko frowned as he looked at the young man before him, a conflicted expression on his face.
"Are you really sure? About giving up your position as a trainee prosecutor…"
This young man was considered one of the more outstanding trainees in the current batch.
However, during a recent mission, he had let a minor Team Rocket operative escape, earning a reprimand. Normally, after a period of evaluation, he would be eligible for a permanent promotion.
No one expected him to resign outright!
"I've decided," Nozomi nodded. "I don't think I can continue serving as a Pokémon Prosecutor."
"Is this because of your previous reprimand?" Ishihara asked.
Ishihara knew a bit of the backstory: the commander in charge of that mission was a member of a highly influential family within the League. Fearing that a failed mission would blemish their promotion prospects, they pushed the blame onto Nozomi, an innocent trainee.
It was truly an undeserved punishment.
Nozomi simply smiled and remained silent at Ishihara's question. The meaning was clear: Don't you have some idea what really happened here?
Seeing the young man's expression, Ishihara realized that Nozomi must know the truth. Sighing, he signed off on the resignation form.
"If anything comes up in the future, you can reach out to me. I'll help within my ability," Ishihara said, handing over the document.
The reprimand had already been issued, and Ishihara couldn't change that—but he could try to make amends in another way.
"Who knows what the future holds?" Nozomi said with a smile.
Ishihara had nothing further to say.
Nozomi completed his resignation in the stifling atmosphere.
…
Leaving the headquarters building, he made his way to Professor Oak's lab.
Tomorrow was the day rookie trainers set out, and he didn't want to keep Professor Oak waiting—so he figured it was best to claim his Pokémon today.
"You agree, don't you, Bulbasaur?"
Nozomi asked the Bulbasaur by his side.
"Bulba?"
Bulbasaur tilted its head in confusion, its wide eyes looking adorably clueless.
Ha!
Nozomi couldn't help laughing at its expression.
Just as he was about to continue forward, a group suddenly blocked his path.
"Hey, kid! Stop right there!"
A gang member dressed like a biker spotted him from afar and ran over, shouting.
"Hm?"
Nozomi glanced at the group. He didn't recognize any of them.
"You must be Nozomi, right?"
Before he could respond, the spiky-haired leader shouted first.
"That's me," Nozomi said calmly. "But who are you?"
These guys clearly meant trouble.
"You don't need to know who we are. Someone told me to deliver a message: 'Shut your mouth. Don't say what you shouldn't!'" the leader threatened.
"Oh? Shut up? I'd like to know who told you that," Nozomi raised an eyebrow. He had a pretty good guess where these guys came from and found the situation amusing.
His predecessor had no enemies, so revenge was out of the question. The warning clearly related to the earlier incident in which he had been wrongly blamed.
"Afraid I'll reveal the truth and damage someone's reputation?" Nozomi guessed.
If he were in their position, he might think the same—but sending bikers to intimidate him? That, he could not condone.
"You dare laugh at me, boy? Are you looking for trouble?" The leader seethed, clearly angered by Nozomi's laughter.
According to statistics from an unnamed organization, biker gangs are impulsive and quick to anger; minor conflicts can easily escalate into violent confrontations.
Nozomi assessed that the tension here was no small matter. He rested his hand on the Ultra Ball at his waist just in case.
Seeing this, the leader assumed Nozomi was about to fight and signaled his gang. One by one, their Pokémon were released: Raticate, Arbok, and Weezing, more than a dozen in total, taking up most of the street.
Nearby pedestrians quickly scattered to avoid the chaos.
"You were laughing at us just now, weren't you?" the spiky-haired leader demanded, clearly ready to strike at the slightest provocation.