In the Froslass's Ice Cave, besides himself, there was actually someone else!
This was something Natsuhiko hadn't expected, because his Super Sensing was on all the time, yet he hadn't sensed the other's presence, indicating that they had strong hiding abilities, and even the ability to block psychic powers.
Of course, it might also be because they were hiding in a particularly unique spot.
Invariably, Natsuhiko looked toward the source of the voice and saw a man wearing a brown trench coat and a pair of black, full-cover sunglasses.
Such attire was quite similar to the professional Pokémon Hunters in Natsuhiko's impression.
And beside him was a Pokémon resembling a navy blue ancient bronze bell.
Steel Type and Psychic Type Pokémon, Copper Bell!
No wonder it could block Super Sensing.
The man controlled his posture, making no noise, and stopped three meters away from Natsuhiko, with a wary stance.
"Are you in the same trade?" the man asked in a deep voice.
In the icy snow at night, appearing in a cave of a powerful Froslass, it can't be just a traveler trainer, right? It shouldn't be a tourist either since a Froslass and that Shining Snorunt have a decent allure.
Hearing the man's question, Natsuhiko felt a slight stir in his heart.
With a calm expression, he retorted, "Did you find it first?"
The man's eyebrow arched, "What else? I've been tracking this Froslass for three days now, and if I didn't know where it hid those three Snorunt, I would have already made a move."
Froslass is an evolved form of Snorunt.
Only female Snorunt can evolve into Froslass, but it requires a special item, an Awakening Stone.
Otherwise, even female Snorunt, if grown normally, will only evolve into Glalie.
Moreover, not many people know about these evolution conditions, or simply no one knows, just that Froslass is an evolution form of Snorunt because its children are Snorunt.
This has led to Froslass being a very rare Pokémon.
Plus, they like the snowy ice world and can control ice and snow, making them even rarer.
In the black market, they have a fairly high price.
Information about Froslass flashed through Natsuhiko's mind, but he still said calmly, "In our line of work, we don't bother with who came first."
The man couldn't help but chuckle a bit, but agreed with Natsuhiko's statement, nodding, "You're right."
Although the two had not directly started fighting, hostility had already arisen.
"Which group are you from?" Natsuhiko suddenly asked.
Hearing the question, the man hesitated for a moment and then said, "'Mr. X', I'm 'Copper Bell' Ann Jie."
He then immediately asked back, "How about you?"
"Mr. X?"
He is likely one of the twenty-six members of the Hunter Guild, but it's unclear if he's part of the Supreme Council.
As he thought about it, Natsuhiko replied, "'Mr. K', 'Bee Sting'."
He casually gave himself a nickname that sounded quite fitting for their line of work.
"Mr. K?" Ann Jie sized up Natsuhiko, glanced at the Beedrill beside him, and understood the nickname.
With a semblance of understanding, he remarked, "Not carrying any equipment indeed fits 'Mr. K's' usual style."
Does 'Mr. K' dislike using the hunter's professional equipment?
Natsuhiko silently noted this point.
"But I heard 'Mr. K' is not responsible for this area; he should be down south. Why are you in Snow Peak City's territory?" Ann Jie didn't lower his guard even though Natsuhiko used the name 'Mr. K'.
The Hunter Guild's peripheral membership system is too loose. 'Mr. K' isn't an unknown name in the black market among Pokémon hunters. If any hunter casually claimed to be under 'Mr. K', disputes would easily end, turning Pokémon hunting into a friendly profession.
"Aren't you also out on a mission, earning extra money? Did 'Mr. X' direct you to capture this Froslass?"
Upon hearing this, Ann Jie fell silent.
Natsuhiko's meaning was clear: we're in the same boat, so let's not be too concerned.
"Who knows when the mission target will arrive? Should we just stay guard in Snow Peak City indefinitely? They have resources from the guild, but we don't."
Ann Jie couldn't help but complain, getting more agitated as he thought about it.
A flicker of light shone in Natsuhiko's lowered eyes.
"What's the task message you've received?" Natsuhiko asked in a low voice.
Ann Jie gave Natsuhiko a deep look, discreetly stepping closer and lowering his voice.
"A... little girl!"
Before his words were fully out, he suddenly sprang into action.
A fine needle, emanating a purple glow, shot out from his sleeved arm, coated with high-purity anesthetic.
DONG!!
The Copper Bell beside him sounded like a twilight bell, and invisible waves layered upon each other and surged toward Natsuhiko, the piercing sound wave after wave.
Just a moment ago, Ann Jie had deliberately closed the distance to talk.
At this short range, without preparation, it'd be quite hard to fend off.
Even if he blocked the Poison Needle fired using a special mechanism by Ann Jie, it would still be hard to block the metal sound and the quickly rotating Gyro Ball from Copper Bell.
However.
Natsuhiko wasn't too surprised by the sudden attack.
The anesthetic needle hung less than five centimeters in front of him, and the metal sound passed through a thick psychic shield; though effective, it lost its sharp, teeth-grating edge.
Meanwhile, the Beedrill flashed in front of Natsuhiko.
Facing the rapidly spinning attacking Copper Bell, it launched a charged Cross Cut.
DONG!
Another crisp clang.
The metal body of Copper Bell collided with the long needle of Beedrill, sparks flying in their spinning clash.
BANG!
Ultimately, it was Beedrill's strength that prevailed, sweeping and lifting, sending Copper Bell flying.
It slammed hard against the nearby ice block, which, not knowing how long it had been frozen, remained solid without immediately shattering, but it was now crisscrossed with fine cracks.
But Copper Bell's sturdy body allowed it to minimize its damage.
Ann Jie looked surprised at Natsuhiko, not expecting his vigilance to be so high.
For Natsuhiko, three meters was a safe distance, and once breached, the necessary alertness was only natural.
"Why? Because of the Froslass?" Natsuhiko calmly asked.
"Heh—" Ann Jie couldn't help but sneer, his gaze turning vicious, "You probably didn't know that 'A' Mr. is truly responsible for Snow Peak City, not 'Mr. X', did you? You're not a guild hunter!"
So that's it.
Natsuhiko realized.
The other had been holding strong vigilance from the start, never speaking the truth.
While Natsuhiko tried to extract information from the other, the other was also trying to extract information from him.
Indeed, in outdoor environments, the biggest trouble isn't the Pokémon, but humans.
If that's the case.
"Buzz!"
"Yongji!"
Beedrill and Yujira stepped forward, shielding Natsuhiko.
Yet Ann Jie didn't seem to feel much pressure; instead, he took out a Pokeball, casually releasing a Pokémon and grabbing it in his hand.
What he summoned was...
Snorunt!
He shouted into the cave, "If you don't want to see this child in trouble, do what you're supposed to do!"
"Mhmm—"
Instantly, a chilling wind swirled up inside the frozen cave.