Hearing the words of the pompadoured biker, Nozomi chuckled.
"Mock you? No, no, no. Tell me honestly—releasing your Pokémon to threaten a former League Pokémon Prosecutor in broad daylight… do you really think your brains are working properly?"
A subtle smirk tugged at the corner of Nozomi's lips as he gestured toward the crowd dialing emergency numbers. "Looks like the police will be here any minute. If I were you, I'd run now. Maybe you'll escape being caught."
The pompadoured biker froze, glancing around. His expression shifted instantly.
People were calling the police.
Just because the bikers were hot-tempered didn't mean they were stupid.
He hadn't considered the consequences before blocking Nozomi, but hearing him now… maybe the guy was right.
If Officer Jenny caught them openly threatening a Pokémon Prosecutor—even a retired one—they'd be locked up for months at the very least. And jail would not be pleasant.
Even their backers might not come to their rescue.
"We're outta here!"
After a moment of deliberation, the pompadoured biker shot Nozomi a resentful glance and decided retreat was the better option.
Nozomi didn't stop them. Why waste time with idiots? Arguing would only lower his own status.
He did want a private 'chat' with the one who tried to pin this on him. Using bikers to threaten him… did they really think he had no temper?
At that moment, a ding resonated in Nozomi's mind.
[Standard Task: Teach the Bikers a Lesson][These bikers' actions broke the law and severely disrupted your mood. They deserve proper discipline! Defeat them directly!][Task Completion Reward: One standard lottery draw.]
Nozomi's expression instantly shifted from casual to serious.
He set his jaw and ran toward the bikers who were about to leave. "Just talking tough and leaving? Did you check with me first?"
"You gonna stop us, kid?"
The pompadoured biker, thinking he'd let Nozomi off before, now glared, surprised that Nozomi dared block him. "What, you and that scaredy-cat Bulbasaur of yours?"
His gang burst into raucous laughter.
"Heh, you can try."
The laughter grated on Nozomi, especially the mockery aimed at his Bulbasaur.
Stopping them wasn't just about the system task—these jerks wouldn't back down unless someone taught them a lesson.
The system was right. People like this needed to be disciplined!
"Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur, angered by the jeers, glared fiercely.
"Kid, get your Bulbasaur and scram, or we'll finish you!" The biker, confident in his superior numbers, had no patience for talking anymore. He assumed Nozomi was stalling, waiting for Officer Jenny to arrive.
On the biker's signal, Arbok and Weezing approached Nozomi, attempting intimidation.
If this were the old Nozomi, he would've cowered and stepped aside by now. But he was no longer the same.
Calmly, he retrieved a Poké Ball from his waist. He tossed it lightly toward the laughing bikers.
All the bikers heard was a single command: "Control them, Metagross!"
Suddenly, a massive, turquoise-hued metallic Pokémon appeared in front of them.
Its colossal body took up nearly a third of the street. Scarlet eyes, metallic armor, and razor-sharp claws made it look terrifyingly formidable.
And that wasn't even the scariest part.
The bikers were immobilized. They could move neither arm nor leg, only blink and open their mouths, utterly powerless.
"What… what did you do?!"
The pompadoured biker's voice shook. Losing control of one's body was agonizing.
"Nothing much. I just didn't want you escaping."
"What are you going to do to us?!"
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you too badly. I'm not a demon, after all." Nozomi smiled faintly.
Before the biker could breathe a sigh of relief, Nozomi snapped his fingers.
"Metagross, give them a little… wind therapy!"
Whoosh!
The bikers shot into the air like rockets and slammed back down repeatedly, over ten times.
By the time Nozomi ordered Metagross to stop, their legs were trembling, bodies quaking, faces drained of color.
"See? I didn't even hit you." Nozomi shrugged.
"I'm… I'm gonna—" The pompadoured biker swore loudly, trying to maintain bravado despite nearly wetting himself from the bungee-like tosses.
"Knock him out."
Before he could finish, an invisible psychic force slammed him with the strength of a mental hammer. Stars danced in his vision as he passed out.
Even the nearby bikers and onlookers shivered in fear.
Who really was the biker here?
[Task Complete. Task rewards have been issued. Please check.]
Nozomi's thoughts dispelled any temptation to knock out the remaining bikers.
In the distance, sirens wailed.
He turned and saw Officer Jenny approaching. Waving, he called out, "Here!"
The remaining bikers visibly relaxed.
Finally, they were free from the grip of this demon! "Please, Officer Jenny, catch us!"
Normally ferocious, they now wept openly.
"We were just here to deliver a message! How did it get this bad?!"