Ding!
[Rare Pokémon detected nearby.]
[Category]: Mythical Pokémon
[Rarity]: High
[Capture Difficulty]: Unknown
[Danger Level]: Low
Austin's Scan (Advanced) skill operated continuously within a one-hundred-mile radius. The fact that the alert had only appeared now meant one thing. The target had only recently entered the edge of his detection range. Checking the radar, Austin Black quickly confirmed his suspicion.
The Mythical Pokémon was located near the outermost boundary of the map, somewhere in the northern outskirts of Jubilife City.
What caught his attention even more was its speed. The glowing marker was moving rapidly toward the city center. At this pace, Austin Black could only think of one possibility.
Something was chasing it.
Whether he intended to capture the Pokémon or not was another matter.
At the very least, he wanted to confirm its condition.
Then a problem occurred to him.
He had not brought any Pokémon.
Austin immediately took out his Pokégear and made a call.
"Dai Yui, if you're free, please send Zenith, Ryu, or Dragapult. Whoever is available."
Austin Black had already formally registered Dragapult and placed it in a Poké Ball.
"Got it. Give me a moment."
Austin returned to the Pokémon center.
"Nurse Joy, I'd like to receive some Pokémon."
"Of course. Please follow me."
Joy guided him to the Trade Machine.
This was one of the advantages of living beside a Pokémon Center.
Even if he carried no Pokémon on him, as long as there was a Pokémon Center or a transfer terminal nearby, he could immediately retrieve his team.
A few moments later, Austin Black held five Luxury Balls in his hand. Apparently worried that something had happened, Dai Yui had transferred every Pokémon currently at home.
Even Agni had been recalled.
Dai Yui had apparently tracked him down and dragged him back with considerable effort.
"What happened?"
"Nothing serious. I just want to investigate the northern side of Jubilife City. It's better to have Pokémon with me."
"You should've said that earlier. I almost thought you were in trouble."
"If I were in trouble, I wouldn't be speaking this casually."
"Fair point."
"I'll probably be back around evening. Tell mum and dad that I passed the Senior Breeder assessment."
"As expected of you. Leave it to me."
Austin had finished the assessment quickly.
It was still well before noon.
He released Ryu first.
"Cario?"
(What happened?)
"We're heading to the northern outskirts of Jubilife City."
(I understand.)
The video of him treating Cynthia's Garchomp had recently exploded in popularity on PokéStream.
To avoid being recognized constantly, he put on a pair of black sunglasses.
A young boy sat beside him. The boy was watching that exact video on his Pokégear. Fortunately, he was wearing headphones.
His attention never left the screen.
He had no idea that one of the video's main characters was sitting right beside him.
Throughout the journey, Austin Black kept monitoring the radar. As the distance closed, the marker became increasingly active. When they finally arrived at the station, Austin Black immediately got off.
Many passengers waiting on the platform gave him curious looks.
A young man wearing sunglasses indoors naturally attracted attention.
Ryu walking beside him attracted even more.
Leaving the station, they headed toward the northern outskirts of Jubilife City.
The area gradually transitioned toward the coastline.
Farther north lay Floaroma Town.
The winter morning sun shone brightly overhead, pushing away the lingering cold.
Wingull glided across the sea beyond the cliffs.
The northern breeze carried the scent of saltwater and a slight chill.
Compared to the city, there were significantly more wild Pokémon in the surrounding grasslands.
Austin suddenly remembered all those warnings from professors and parents in Pokémon games.
Never enter tall grass without a Pokémon.
It felt completely reasonable, seeing the length at which the grasslands grew.
"Come on out, everyone."
One after another, the Luxury Balls opened.
Agni.
Zenith.
Dragapult.
Drakloak.
The team assembled around him.
Meanwhile, the marker on the radar continued flashing.
It was pulsing rapidly.
Having previously tracked down Dragapult using the same system, Austin Black already had experience interpreting the radar.
Judging from the display, the Mythical Pokémon was very close.
Extremely close.
"Spread out and search the area. Look for any Pokémon moving unusually fast, like they're trying to escape."
Although they were confused by Austin's order, none of them questioned it.
"Pult!"
"Metagross!"
"Drak!!"
Drakloak, Dragapult, and Zenith immediately took to the skies, fanning out to search from above.
Ryu remained where he was.
Closing his eyes, he slowly knelt on one knee and placed a paw against the ground. A brilliant blue glow enveloped his body. Aura spread outward in every direction like invisible ripples.
As it expanded, the surrounding landscape gradually formed inside Ryu's mind.
Trees.
Cliffs.
Wild Pokémon.
Human figures.
Everything within range became increasingly clear.
Suddenly, Zenith's voice rang out from above.
"Metagrosss!!!"
At nearly the same moment, Ryu opened his eyes.
"Lucario!"
(Found it!)
He had discovered it as well.
Someone was indeed pursuing a Pokémon.
"Zenith, take us there!"
Austin and Ryu immediately jumped onto the back of the descending Zenith.
The steel giant rose into the air and sped toward the target location.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away...
"I didn't expect we'd find such a valuable catch here."
A rough-looking man grinned.
"Ursaring, Hyper Beam!"
A brilliant white beam erupted across the sky.
The attack struck Drakloak directly in a surprise assault.
The hunters immediately celebrated.
Then they noticed something was wrong.
Drakloak remained completely unharmed.
"Kloak~ Drakloak~ "
The Dragon Pokémon tilted its head innocently.
One hunter slapped his forehead.
"Idiot! Don't you know Drakloak is a Ghost-type?"
"I thought it was just a Dragon-type! How was I supposed to know it was dual-typed?"
"How embarrassing. Do you even deserve to call yourself a Pokémon Hunter?"
The enormous beam of light instantly attracted the attention of Dragapult and Austin.
Ryu's expression became serious.
(Pokémon Hunters.)
Austin Black's eyes narrowed.
He and Ryu had encountered Pokémon Hunters before during their travels. Among them, the most infamous organization was the one represented by Hunter J.
In reality, Hunter J was merely one member of a much larger poaching syndicate that used playing card designations as codenames.
Without hesitation, Austin took out his Pokégear and contacted the police.
"This is Austin Black. Suspected Pokémon Hunters have appeared near the northern coastal outskirts of Jubilife City. One of them just attacked my Drakloak with Hyper Beam."
The operator's voice immediately became serious.
"Please do not engage recklessly. Maintain communication with us at all times. Officer Jenny's unit is already being dispatched."
"Understood."
Austin ended the call.
Unfortunately, waiting was no longer an option.
Through their connection, he could sense Dragapult already racing toward Drakloak's location.
There was no way he could sit back and allow Dragapult and Drakloak to face the hunters alone.
At that moment, the system issued a new notification.
[Side Quest Triggered]
[Netting Them All]
[Objective: Assist Officer Jenny in bringing the Pokémon Hunters to justice and arresting all members of the group.]
[Reward: Unknown]
Austin Black glanced at the quest panel.
Then he looked toward Ryu.
"Ryu, report."
Ryu closed his eyes briefly and used Aura once more.
A few seconds later, he opened them and replied through Aura.
(Eight humans.)
(Kangaskhan, Zubat, Drapion, Ursaring, Mightyena, Houndoom, Zangoose... fourteen Pokémon total.)
Fourteen Pokémon.
That was a considerable force.
However, aside from the Zubat line, Austin Black's team completely controlled the air.
More importantly, the hunters had just fired Hyper Beam at Drakloak.
That alone told him something. They didn't understand Ghost-types very well. That lack of knowledge could become a decisive advantage.
Austin smiled.
"Let's give it a try."
He accepted the quest.
[Quest Accepted]
Austin Black pointed toward the distant coastline.
"Let's go help Drakloak!"
"Lucario!"
"Cario!"
"Metagross!"
With Zenith carrying them through the air and Dragapult already charging ahead, Austin's team accelerated toward the battlefield.
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon and subscribing to 30+ advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a