"Bang!"
Suddenly, one of the Trainers' heads exploded.
It was the one who had advised against infighting. With no Pokémon left to guard him, he was instantly killed by Hitmonlee's Vacuum Wave.
"Cha ba! Dong~"
His nearby companion barely survived—his Arbok moved in time to shield him, taking the hit instead.
The others, by sheer luck, were not targeted.
This was likely due to Hitmonlee's condition. In its current injured state, killing a Trainer through a protective suit still required effort.
"Who's next? Hahaha~" Hirano laughed mockingly as everyone hurriedly recalled their Pokémon.
If they had continued attacking together, they might have bought more time. But human nature is what it is—no one wanted to gamble their life for others.
"Yeah bip~"
Hitmonlee swung its fists, scanning the group as if choosing its next victim.
Just as tension reached its peak—
something unexpected happened.
"Swish—!"
Hitmonlee was suddenly blasted backward.
Two long, bloody gashes appeared across its body.
"No! Hitmonlee—run!" Hirano shouted, instantly turning to flee.
He hadn't expected Investigator Depp to arrive this quickly—nor that he had a Flying-type Pokémon ready.
Or rather—
not hidden, just newly advanced and not yet deployed earlier.
Hirano's gaze locked onto the Pokémon blocking their escape.
A sleek purple body, wings spread wide, with a cross-shaped silhouette formed by its wings and tail.
"Just stabilized at Elite-level…" Hirano's expression turned grim.
Even if it had just broken through, its natural speed advantage alone made escape nearly impossible—especially with Hitmonlee injured.
"Hitmonlee—Vacuum Wave!" Hirano ordered, still clinging to a sliver of hope.
Maybe its realm wasn't stable yet. Maybe it was still weak.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
Several invisible strikes shot toward the Crobat.
But—
Swish! Swish!
The purple figure flickered through the air, effortlessly dodging every attack.
"Damn it!"
"Hitmonlee—carry me! Use Agility and head for the dense forest!"
Hirano's heart sank.
He had to run.
If he could reach the forest, maybe—just maybe—he could escape.
"That man must've sent Crobat ahead first… If I can shake it off, I still have a chance…"
Clinging to that last hope, Hirano climbed onto Hitmonlee's back.
Just as they were about to move—
"WHOOSH—!"
A stream of flames tore through the air.
"Yeah bip!"
Hitmonlee leapt aside, but its injured leg slowed it down—it was grazed by the attack, leaving a burn mark.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Investigator Depp stepped out slowly, accompanied by a powerful Houndoom.
He had rushed here at full speed on Dodrio—and arrived just in time.
"Damn it!"
Hirano's face completely fell.
Still, he made one last attempt.
"You want this, don't you?! I'll give it to you—just let me go!"
He held up a strange stone.
Icarus's eyes immediately locked onto it.
That's… the stone from the trailer!
The object was half purple, half green, engraved with a mysterious symbol.
Hirano gripped it tightly, using it as his bargaining chip.
Depp chuckled.
"If I capture you, everything you have becomes mine anyway, doesn't it?"
He raised his hand—ready to attack again.
"Then I'll have Hitmonlee destroy it!" Hirano snapped, desperation creeping into his voice.
"If I can't have it, neither can you!"
He shoved the stone toward Hitmonlee.
"As long as you let me live, I'll hand it over intact!"
Depp's expression didn't change.
"Heh. If you can destroy it, go ahead."
"Houndoom—continuous Flamethrower!"
"Crobat—continuous Air Cutter!"
"Hitmonlee—dodge with Agility! Block if you can't!" Hirano shouted.
But—
its injured leg betrayed it.
BOOM!
Flames engulfed it.
Air blades tore across its body.
"Yeah bip—!!"
At the last moment, Hitmonlee threw Hirano off its back—
and took the full force of the attacks.
Its body burned, blackened, trembling in agony.
Still—
it remembered its Trainer's command.
"Bang! Bang—!"
It swung its fists, trying to smash the stone.
But—
nothing happened.
Not even a crack.
Finally—
Hitmonlee collapsed.
Barely alive.
"Hitmonlee!!" Hirano cried out in anguish.
But only for a moment.
Then—
he ran.
No hesitation. No turning back.
Because he knew—
staying meant wasting Hitmonlee's sacrifice.
"Swish—rustle—!"
His body moved in a strange rhythm, weaving and sprinting through the forest.
Icarus's eyes widened.
What the hell…
That's basically martial arts movement…
In just a blink, Hirano had already covered over thirty meters.
That speed… it's almost on par with an Ordinary-level Pokémon.
Still—
Icarus knew the truth.
No matter how fast he was—
there was no escaping Investigator Depp.
-------------Author---------------
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