Currently, the ones that Natsuhiko could rely on, who were both obedient and strong, were Salandit and Salazzle.
It's not that they couldn't be used.
At least they're all Fire-type Pokémon.
Even though they are Pokémon from the Alola Region, this is an Alternate Space after all, so capturing a few rare Pokémon isn't too difficult to explain.
Nevertheless, it's still necessary to carry that person's Pokeballs to prevent certain checks.
As for his own Pokémon, aside from Doublade hidden in the shadows to ensure his own safety, the rest had to be put away.
That was it.
Dressed in the uniform of the Magma Team, Natsuhiko set out for one of the Magma Team's designated targets, the Flame Valley, with a well-behaved Elite Level Salandit perched on his shoulder.
Though called Flame Valley, it was actually a buffer zone between a forest area and a desert area.
It's a massive canyon located at the base of two steep and exposed Rock Mountains.
The fractured strata and jagged rocks made the temperature within this massive canyon unusually high for unknown reasons, and approaching it, the rising heat and increasingly dry environment could be felt in the air.
As Natsuhiko drew closer to the Flame Valley, the frequency with which he encountered members of the Magma Team gradually increased, mostly in small groups or even individuals.
Natsuhiko's presence didn't attract any particular attention.
He blended seamlessly into the ranks of the Magma Team.
However, Natsuhiko didn't let his guard down because deceiving these Magma Team members wasn't the hard part. The challenge lay in possibly encountering someone familiar with his current identity later on.
Just as he thought of this,
he heard someone calling out the name of the person he was currently disguised as.
"Zhenwu!"
Fortunately, with the help of Doublade's abilities, Natsuhiko had acquired enough basic information, including the name and some fundamental details of his current identity.
Turning around, he saw a man and a woman.
The man was burly, with knotted muscles and a height approaching two meters, sporting a buzz cut.
The woman appeared relatively slender, with a height between one-sixty and one-seventy meters and flaming red hair. She swayed her waist naturally as she walked, not particularly exquisite in appearance, but her eyes, exuding charm, lent her a certain allure.
Both were dressed in the same attire as Natsuhiko, with hoods on.
Underneath his hood, Natsuhiko's eyes flickered slightly as he stood his ground.
Whether he could truly merge in depended on passing this hurdle.
He didn't know the names and information about the two, so he didn't speak first.
Luckily, the burly man was the first to speak, "Where are Benwu and Jing Tian?"
"Dead," Natsuhiko replied in a slightly lowered voice, sounding somber.
"Dead?" The burly man was slightly stunned before accepting the answer calmly.
A few deaths were too common in the Magma Team.
"Well then, Rikawa died too. Shall we reorganize the team?" the burly man asked with a smile.
Natsuhiko's eyes swept over the smiling sturdy man and the delicate woman acting coquettishly, slowly pulling down the mask covering his face, "Are you going to apply?"
Seeing Natsuhiko's face under the mask, the man and woman both lowered their guard slightly.
"Hahaha — this little negotiation with the higher-ups is always Nanmu's job," he said, casting a glance at the woman beside him, the one he called Nanmu.
Nanmu rolled her eyes, brushing aside her scattered red hair, and coyly said, "Ishino, you're such a brute."
Then she looked at Natsuhiko, a hint of seductiveness in her eyes, "I hope Brother Zhenwu isn't like this stone."
How fortunate.
Although the two knew the person Natsuhiko was disguising as, they weren't very well acquainted, at most, just familiar enough to call out his name, with only a few brief encounters.
Watching their playful banter, Natsuhiko couldn't help but find it a bit amusing.
If the death of that "Rikawa" had nothing to do with these two, he'd never believe it.
However, it didn't matter now.
What he needed now was to blend in seamlessly, and these two avec ulterior motives happened to be his stepping stone.
If it weren't for their scheming minds, slipping in easily wouldn't have been simple for Natsuhiko.
But now...
With their help, his identity was "confirmed".
As for anything else, like any tricks concerning Pokémon...
Who would pay attention to an insignificant little minion?
It's mutual exploitation to achieve each other's goals. As for what happens next, it will probably depend on whose Pokémon is more formidable.
"Brother Zhenwu, what kind of Pokémon is that?"
After reforming their small team, the three headed towards Flame Valley together. Nanmu saw the Salandit quietly sitting on his shoulder and curiously asked.
"Salandit," Natsuhiko replied in an even tone.
"Salandit... What about your previous Pokémon?" Nanmu moved a bit closer, asking quietly.
"Most of them are dead," Natsuhiko said casually.
Upon hearing this, Nanmu and Ishino exchanged a knowing glance.
Not far away, several members of the Magma Team saw Natsuhiko walking with Nanmu and Ishino and couldn't help but shake their heads.
"Another ignorant unfortunate soul."
But.
Who truly is the real unfortunate one?
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