Bai Chen glanced around, puzzled.
"Capture battle?"
Aside from the fallen Machamp, there wasn't another Pokémon in sight.
"She probably means to catch that Machamp... right?"
He stepped aside politely, gesturing for the girl to proceed.
But the next instant, every cell in his body tensed—his super-perception screaming a warning.
The grapploct in front of him abruptly fired a Mega Punch straight at his chest!
Bai Chen shifted his weight and sidestepped; the ground behind him split open from the shockwave.
"Close Combat!" Bea barked.
Grapploct sprang forward, launching a flurry of blinding strikes.
Bai Chen weaved between them effortlessly, every movement economical, precise—like a predator teasing its prey.
Bea's eyes widened.
"Incredible... it dodged Grapploct's combo that easily?"
"Use Razor Shell!"
Water surged around the octopus's limbs, transforming them into blades that sliced toward Bai Chen, cutting off all escape routes.
With a quiet exhale, Bai Chen lifted his right foot and stomped.
The earth rumbled. Jagged stone pillars erupted from below, blocking every incoming strike and hurling Octillery backward in the same motion.
Bea could hardly contain her excitement.
"A Legendary Pokémon... and a powerful one at that! I have to capture it!"
Bai Chen could only sigh inwardly. At this point, he knew exactly what had happened—she thought he was a Pokémon.
He reached up, unclipped his helmet, and pulled it free, revealing his face.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not a Pokémon."
Bea narrowed her eyes.
"grapploct—Bind!"
Apparently, she took his words as a kind of deception attempt.
Not a Pokémon? Then how could he use Pokémon techniques so freely? She wasn't that gullible.
grapploct lunged forward, wrapping its muscular tentacles around Bai Chen's arms and torso. His fallen helmet rolled across the dirt.
"So you really want to do this the hard way, huh?"
He could feel the tightening pressure of the octopus's grip—its strength was no joke. The suction cups dug in, straining to restrain him.
"Now—Razor Shell again!" Bea commanded.
Energy flared across Grapploct's limbs, but before it could move, Bai Chen's expression darkened.
"I'm getting a little angry."
If reason didn't work... then violence would.
Black-red energy exploded from his core, devouring the air around him. His eyes turned pitch black as Extreme Battle Qi surged to life.
A crushing Overlord Aura erupted outward.
Under its weight, Grapploct's movements froze—the primal instinct to fight suddenly replaced by an overwhelming sense of submission.
Bai Chen's muscles tensed, every fiber bulging with the power of Bodybuilding Mastery.
"Quick Attack."
The world blurred.
He seized Grapploct's body and hurled it toward a rock face a hundred meters away.
The impact detonated like thunder, spiderweb cracks spreading across the cliff.
Grapploct slumped, dazed, its grip faltering. Bai Chen grabbed its rounded blue head and slammed it into the ground.
The earth answered his will—stone pillars erupted again, imprisoning the octopus in their grasp.
Bea's composure finally cracked.
"Not good!"
She hadn't expected her opponent to be this overwhelmingly strong.
"Grapploct, use Close Combat—break free!"
But the octopus didn't respond. It was still reeling, disoriented.
When it finally managed to lift its head, Bai Chen was already standing before it—hands glowing with Z-energy.
"All-Out Pummeling!"
Countless energy fists burst forth, hammering into Grapploct in a relentless storm. The final blow sent it flying in an arc before crashing to the ground right at Saido's feet—eyes swirling in dizzy spirals.
"You did well," Bea whispered, returning Grapploct to its Poké Ball.
She reached for her second Pokémon—
—but in the blink of an eye, Bai Chen was already standing in front of her.
Bea, to her credit, reacted instantly. Her martial arts instincts took over—she twisted and snapped out a lightning-fast roundhouse kick to his head.
The impact echoed like a gunshot.
Even steel pipes would've bent under that strike.
Unfortunately, Bai Chen wasn't steel—he was something far tougher. His head didn't even tilt.
Bea's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible—"
That was her last conscious thought.
Bai Chen's fist drove into her abdomen, a ripple of Qi bursting outward like a shockwave.
Her body stiffened; she crumpled soundlessly to the ground, unconscious.
Bai Chen exhaled and brushed off his gauntlets.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because I recognize your face."
Leaving her to sleep it off, he surveyed the barren terrain around them—rolling mountains and rocky plains stretching to the horizon.
"Dynamax energy... so this must be the Galar Region. This teleport system's accuracy is garbage."
He crouched beside Saido and began searching through her pockets until he found her smartphone.
His first priority was contact—he needed to reach Lillie and Lusamine.
Taking advantage of modern convenience, he pinched Saido's cheek, angled the screen toward her face, and unlocked it with facial recognition.
Ignoring the pastel dessert wallpaper, he opened the phone app... and then froze.
"Right... I never memorized their numbers."
Back in the Pokémon world, he had his own phone, sure—but he'd left it behind in Alola before returning to the Monster Hunter realm.
A smartphone like his—decades ahead of the tech here—would've been impossible to explain.
"...Troublesome."
After a minute of thought, he had an idea.
Opening the browser, he typed 'Aether Foundation contact number' and quickly found a public business line.
He dialed.
After a long series of automated messages, the line finally connected.
"Thank you for calling Aether Paradise. How may I assist you today?"
"Hello. Please transfer me to President Lusamine."
There was a two-second pause.
"May I ask—do you have an appointment, sir?"
"No."
"I'm sorry, sir, but without an appointment, I can't transfer you directly."
"Then can you help me schedule one?"
"Of course. May I have your name and the reason for the call?"
"Bai Chen. As for the reason... just tell her I'm back."
The receptionist hesitated again, clearly uncertain—but her tone remained courteous.
"Understood. I'll record your name and message. Could I also get a contact number?"
Bai Chen thought for a beat.
"Just use this phone number."
"Very well. We'll forward your request to the President as soon as possible."
"How long will that take?"
"President Lusamine is on leave until the 14th. Requests will be processed in order once she returns."
Bai Chen glanced at the date in the corner of the screen.
Three days from now.
"She's... on vacation? During a work week?"
On the other end, the receptionist continued pleasantly.
"Is there anything else I can assist you with today?"
"No, that's all. Thank you."
"Thank you for calling Aether Paradise. Have a wonderful day."
The line clicked dead.
The receptionist leaned back in her chair, muttering under her breath.
"What strange callers we get these days..."
Still, she did her job properly—recording Bai Chen's name and message for Lusamine. But she wasn't about to break protocol or bump him up the list.
And unfortunately for Bai Chen, there were ninety-eight other appointments ahead of his.
When exactly would he get through...It
was anyone's guess.
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