Under Will's guidance, Tetsuya and Catherine entered the town.
They first arrived at the entrance to the courtyard of Gion's house.
"So this is the house you were talking about?" Tetsuya asked. The courtyard before him was indeed more impressive than those of ordinary families. It seemed this family was something of a local tyrant.
In a remote mountain town like this, having a powerful Pokémon was enough to dominate the area. Moreover, with the town being so isolated, the police could not really interfere. It was practically a small kingdom of its own.
In truth, even though technology in the Pokémon world had developed at a rapid pace, there were still many "kingdoms" hidden in the mountains. Most of them were descendants of ancient peoples who had already developed their own way of life. They could obtain some resources from the outside world, but they were unwilling to integrate into such a fast-developing society.
The most famous examples were the hidden Families and Clans possessing "special powers". In the Kanto Region there were Families with Viridian Power, in Hoenn there was the Draconid tribe¹[1] capable of summoning Rayquaza, and in Sinnoh there were Families with the power of Aura.
Even the League could only be said to protect these hidden Families, because when critical situations arose, it was necessary to invite the elders of these families to resolve certain matters.
In response to Tetsuya's question, Will still appeared somewhat timid and only nodded reluctantly.
Tetsuya stepped forward and knocked on the door.
He heard someone inside the courtyard shouting, "Who's there!?" However, Tetsuya ignored it and continued pounding on the door.
Eventually, an ojisan opened the courtyard gate, while Will had already hidden behind Tetsuya.
"Hmm…? Tch. Kid, what do you want?" The ojisan was broad-shouldered and heavily built. He spoke to Tetsuya with obvious displeasure.
"May I ask what your relationship is to Gion?" Tetsuya asked directly.
"He's my son. Is there a problem?"
"He stole Will's Pokémon. Please return it," Tetsuya said.
The ojisan looked completely disdainful and said, "Wahahaha! What a joke! He's the strongest in the whole town. Why would he need to steal someone else's Pokémon!?"
"That doesn't mean your son wouldn't do it," Tetsuya replied.
"Tcht… wait here."
However, when the man called Gion over, he also firmly denied everything.
"Mmm. Then I suppose I'll have to search for it myself."
After saying that, Tetsuya started walking into the house. Gion's father immediately stepped in front of him and blocked his path.
"You've got some nerve kid! How dare you question my words!? Come out, Bronzong!"
This time, Bronzong itself directly blocked Tetsuya's way.
At that moment, Gion's father burst into laughter and said, "Wahahaha! Young man, don't be so eager to show off. It's very easy to get beaten up~"
"No need for the reminder. Come out, Golurk."
A imposing three-meter-tall Golurk appeared. In its eyes, Bronzong was nothing more than a bell clown. Before Tetsuya could even speak, Golurk launched a Focus Punch.
Clang!
With a single metallic crash, Bronzong was sent flying by Golurk's punch…
A one-hit knockout!
Will, Gion, and the Gion's father all stood there dumbfounded; the strongest person in the town had just been instantly defeated…
Bronzong had been sent flying so far that it disappeared from sight!
There was no way to recall it now. They could only search for it later.
Gion and his father stood frozen in place. They wished they could crawl into a hole and hide. Their earlier arrogance had completely vanished.
"Go. Drain that Bronzong dry."
Since it was currently nighttime, Gengar could move around freely. It had been a long time since it had absorbed the vitality of a Psychic-type Pokémon; as a result, the growth of its psychic powers had been somewhat slow recently. Bronzong had arrived at just the right time!
This was a Pokémon used in ancient rituals, was revered as a bringer of rain, a Pokémon discovered in ancient ruins.
After sleeping for hundreds or even thousands of years and still being able to survive in this world, just how powerful must its vitality be? Tonight, Gengar was destined to have a great feast!
Tetsuya only needed a slight mental command, and Gengar immediately understood what it needed to do. Silently and without a trace, it left Tetsuya's shadow and flew off in the direction Bronzong had been sent flying.
At this moment, a big overweight woman came out of the house and saw her husband and child standing there in a pitiful state.
Sensing that something was wrong, she immediately shouted, "You little bastards actually dare come to my doorstep and cause trouble. Somebody come! Somebody come!"
The overweight woman began throwing a tantrum and rolling around on the ground, trying to get the neighbors to stand up for her. "Waaa! My life is so miserable! People are actually bullying me in my own home!"
Gion and his father immediately thought they had been saved. As grown men, it was difficult for them to throw tantrums and make a scene, but this woman excelled at exactly that. This trick had extorted countless people and had never failed before.
Just as they were feeling pleased with themselves, the overweight woman suddenly fell silent.
A red light flashed in Tetsuya's eyes. His psychic power had already sealed her mouth shut, and she was then thrown into the air. Her face turned deathly pale with fear. She wanted to scream, but no sound could come out.
At this point, Gion and his father both ran over and knelt before Tetsuya, pleading for mercy. Everyone in this mountain town raised Psychic-type Pokémon, and the psychic abilities displayed by Tetsuya was no different from that of a deity in their eyes.
Tetsuya made the overweight woman spin around twice in the air before dropping her back onto the ground. She was now completely out of her wits, her face pale as a sheet.
"If you say one more word… I'll kill all of you."
Tetsuya's words made the three of them tremble uncontrollably. They did not dare show even the slightest sign of defiance.
"Come out, Houndoom."
Tetsuya then threw out Houndoom's Poké Ball. Just Houndoom's aura made Gion and his father even less willing to make any reckless moves.
"Go find Girafarig's Poké Ball."
After Tetsuya spoke, Houndoom sniffed the air and ran into Gion's house. The sound of drawers and cabinets being searched echoed from inside. It seemed the three of them had hidden it very carefully, yet Houndoom still found it.
Soon, Houndoom appeared with a Poké Ball in its mouth. Tetsuya took the Poké Ball from Houndoom and handed it to Will.
Will eagerly opened the Poké Ball. It was indeed his Girafarig. His gratitude toward Tetsuya deepened even further!
---◓---
Will then led Tetsuya and Catherine toward his home. Although it was a household consisting only of a mother and her son, it was obvious that their life was not difficult. In fact, they lived better than most families in the town.
As they approached Will's courtyard, they saw a woman standing at the entrance looking around anxiously. The moment she saw Will, she hurried over and said, "Will! Why are you back so late today? Just wait and see how I'll deal with you when we get home-"
"Mom! A lot happened today. I especially need to thank these two friends. Let's go inside first, and I'll tell you everything slowly."
After Will spoke, his mother greeted Tetsuya and Catherine and warmly invited them into the house.
Will's mother was warm and gentle. She appeared to be only a little over thirty years old and still retained her charm. No wonder even a "priest" would secretly become involved with her… cough!
Will told his mother about everything that had happened to him. Naturally, she was extremely grateful to Tetsuya and Catherine, but she also had some concerns.
•.
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¹. Canon: Draconid people
[1] Canon: Draconid people