With the two extra finds, Icarus went back through the pile of miscellaneous items from the beginning.
If those two worn manuals hadn't been hidden with the notebook, he might have tossed them aside as junk.
"Trash… junk… huh? A USB drive?"
Sure enough, something turned up.
"'Youxing Family'… one of the families they looted?"
Looking at the engraved words on the black drive, he guessed it belonged to that family—but what was inside remained unknown.
"Alright, that's enough. Time to head back."
After storing it carefully, he went to help process the remaining Pokémon.
With the trio working together, Arbok and Golbat were quickly dismantled. Useful materials were collected; the rest was discarded.
"Let's move. We'll sort the gains later."
After burying the remains, Icarus glanced at Luna, who stood quietly to the side.
"Mm." Airi and Stone nodded.
"Um… could you help me with something?"
Seeing them about to leave, Luna hurried over.
"Say it first," Icarus replied calmly. "I'm not deciding alone."
"My fiancé… he was killed by that man." Her voice trembled.
"His body—and his Pokémon—are nearby. Could you help bury them?
You can take anything valuable from him… I just… want him buried properly."
"Okay." Stone agreed immediately.
Airi nodded silently.
"Thank you… thank you!" Luna bowed repeatedly.
"Stay close. Pidgeotto, scout and lead the way."
"Beep~"
As they walked—
Luna's gaze drifted.
Pidgeotto.
Weepinbell.
Even the weakest in this team felt comparable to her fiancé's Pokémon.
"…He's already this strong…"
A quiet comparison formed in her mind.
Icarus…
and her late fiancé.
The gap was obvious.
Her expression dimmed slightly.
But she said nothing.
Soon, they reached the site.
The man's body was intact—
but Raticate and Pidgeotto had already been partially eaten by wild Pokémon.
"…They really don't value their lives," Icarus muttered.
"Attack. Clear them out."
"Pidgeotto, Gust!
Weepinbell, Bullet Seed!
Houndour, Ember!"
"Geodude, Rock Blast!
Poliwag, Bubble Beam!"
The wild Pokémon—mostly weak Mankey—were quickly overwhelmed.
Within moments, the area was cleared.
"Same as before. Collect materials first," Icarus instructed.
"The damaged bodies—bury them with their Trainer."
While the others worked, Icarus searched the man's backpack.
At first glance—
nothing valuable.
Just basic supplies.
"…As expected."
But then—
"…Wait."
He flipped through a manual.
This one caught his attention.
It described an advanced concept:
Turning Peck into Fury Attack.
Not by increasing power—
but by increasing speed and frequency.
One strike → multiple rapid hits.
Even if each hit was weaker, the total damage would surpass a single Peck.
"…This works."
He immediately decided to implement it in Pidgeotto's training.
After checking everything else, the most valuable item turned out to be this mid-stage training manual.
Ning Hui—now Luna—watched silently.
Her eyes flickered slightly as she observed Airi.
"…There's another girl…"
Something subtle shifted in her expression.
After packing everything—
"I'll return the bag," Icarus said. "We only took what we needed."
Just as they prepared to leave—
Beep beep beep!
Airi's communicator rang.
"Brother Icarus! Urgent message from Investigator Depp!"
Her voice tightened.
"The other fugitives have been captured—but the leader, Hirano, escaped!
He's badly injured and heading this way!
We're ordered to block him for one or two minutes while Depp catches up!"
Silence.
Then—
"Don't panic," Icarus said immediately.
"We regroup with Brother Teng first."
An Elite-level Trainer—
even injured—
was still terrifying.
Running wasn't an option either. Disobeying orders would ruin their future in the League.
"Understood."
"Okay."
Both nodded seriously.
"What about me…?" Luna asked, clearly shaken.
"You stay with us," Icarus said bluntly.
"When we arrive, find somewhere to hide."
"We can't spare anyone to protect you."
He paused.
"…Or you can try going back alone."
The meaning was clear.
This wasn't a situation for hesitation.
Everyone would need every bit of strength—
just to survive what was coming next.