When Aaron heard that familiar voice, the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.
"They're finally here?"
"Brutus..."
At that moment, everyone heard the overwhelming roar and turned their heads, looking up at the sky.
They saw a Heracross flying over at incredible speed.
Standing on its back was a one-armed, muscular man with a fierce presence.
Behind Heracross were several official aircraft, with large words printed across their fuselages:
First Ranger Corps
BZZZZZZ...
A moment later, Heracross and the aircraft reached the open space in front of the crowd and landed steadily.
The one-armed man jumped down from Heracross's back, his face dark with rage, his eyes burning with fury.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
A series of heavy footsteps sounded behind him.
The cabin doors opened, and uniformed Ranger Corps officers, each carrying a special-issue rifle, quickly stepped out.
There were quite a few of them.
More than a hundred in total.
They surrounded Donovan, Harris, and the Pokémon police officers. Then they raised their laser-equipped rifles and trained them on Harris and the others.
"Everyone, lower your weapons."
"You're surrounded."
One officer spoke coldly to Harris and the others.
When the crowd saw the officers arrive, especially the one-armed, muscular man leading them, their eyes lit up.
They immediately began talking excitedly.
"It's actually Fighting-type Champion Brutus! Incredible. A Champion came here in person!"
"It really is Champion Brutus... but when did he lose an arm?"
"You think being a Champion isn't dangerous? He must have lost it while carrying out a mission for Hualis."
"Champion Brutus is an upright man. Maybe he can save that young man."
"How can he save him? Forging the Highest National Honor Medal is a capital crime!"
"Sigh... that young man was too reckless. Why would he forge the Highest National Honor Medal? Now no one can save him."
"Young people just love showing off. Why else would he forge something like that?"
"You can't gamble your life just to show off!"
...
When the onlookers saw Brutus arrive, they were beyond excited.
They had never expected to meet Brutus, the pride of Grit City, here of all places.
This trip was truly worth it.
Meanwhile, on Harris's side...
"Huh?"
"Officers... did you make a mistake?"
"We're the Pokémon police. The enemy is that kid."
"He released a Pokémon in public to cause trouble, and he even forged the Highest National Honor Medal."
"His crimes are unforgivable. He should be executed!"
Harris was dumbfounded when he saw the Ranger Corps officers aiming their rifles at him and his people. He hurriedly tried to explain.
"Execute my ass!"
SMACK!
The moment Harris finished speaking, a powerful figure suddenly appeared beside him and slapped him hard across the face.
"AAARGH!"
Harris let out a miserable scream.
His round body rolled across the ground. Clutching his swollen cheek, he looked up and instantly recognized the man.
It was none other than the Fighting-type Champion, Brutus.
In Grit City, who didn't know Brutus?
"B-Brutus... Champion Brutus, why did you hit me?"
"Did I say something wrong?"
Harris stared at Brutus in shock and confusion, looking deeply wronged as he asked.
"Hit you?"
"You'd better start worrying about how many years you'll spend behind bars."
Brutus was so furious he laughed.
Then, under everyone's disbelieving gazes, he walked up to Aaron.
He gave a solemn salute and said,
"Commander Aaron. Brutus and Grit City's First Ranger Corps, reporting in."
The Highest National Honor Medal.
Possessing this medal gave him the standing of an honorary commander within the Hualis Pokémon League.
So there was nothing improper about calling him Commander Aaron.
This scene stunned everyone present.
Harris's pants were instantly soaked.
He had wet himself in fear.
Donovan's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees. Luckily, Hank supported him in time. Otherwise, he would have slumped straight to the ground.
Donovan muttered to himself,
"We're finished..."
The people around them stared with their mouths wide open, completely shocked.
Champion Brutus had actually saluted a young man.
And he had called him Commander Aaron?
Just what kind of background did this young man have?
The crowd completely lost it.
...
Hearing this, Aaron secretly rolled his eyes at Brutus.
This Brutus...
Still, since Brutus wanted him to play along, Aaron would reluctantly cooperate.
Aaron returned the salute, then said calmly,
"Champion Brutus... someone pointed a gun at me. What charge does that carry?"
Brutus glanced at Harris, who had already wet himself in fear, and said loudly,
"Raising a weapon with intent to fire at the holder of the Highest National Honor Medal is treated as treason."
When Harris heard that, he did not just wet himself.
He soiled himself too.
His face was full of terror as he cried out,
"Champion Brutus, I really didn't know the medal was real!"
"Commander Aaron... I was wrong. I was completely wrong. Please, give me a chance!"
"I'll do anything. Anything at all! I'm begging you!"
"Waaah..."
Harris scrambled toward Aaron and Brutus, half-crawling, half-kneeling, tears and snot running down his face.
"If I'd known who you were, I never would've dared point a gun at you. I swear!"
"Please... let me off this once!"
By then, all the authority he had been throwing around moments earlier was gone.
"Deputy Chief Harris... you were very impressive just now, saying you'd put me and my Pokémon down on the spot."
"I liked you better when you were acting tough."
Aaron's face was expressionless as he spoke coldly to Harris.
"You reek. Take him away and let the Pokémon League Tribunal judge him."
Brutus covered his nose, his face full of disgust as he spoke to the officers nearby.
"Yes, sir!"
Two officers immediately took Harris and the rest of the involved Pokémon police officers away.
The other Pokémon police officers were pitiful too.
They had thought they were simply coming here to throw their weight around.
Never in a million years did they imagine they would end up face-to-face with the Pokémon League Tribunal.
Their careers were basically finished.
Although their crimes were not as serious as Harris's, they would definitely be stripped of their uniforms.
The way they looked at Harris was filled with deep hatred.
It was all because of that damned fatso.
But regret meant nothing now.
Amid Harris's miserable screams, the Pokémon police officers who had arrived so aggressively were now dragged onto the aircraft, crying and begging the whole way.
...