Chapter 155: Purpose and Transaction
On the other side, inside the Dynamax Den.
Golem, which had crashed into the pit, still hadn't managed to get back up after half an hour.
During that time, the regular hunters who had managed to hide near the edges of the space used the chance to escape. Riding their Pokémon, they shot toward the breach in the sky, where the barrier had been broken. That was their only path out.
"Bunch of idiots..."
In the dense forest, Felix was rushing toward the middle section of the mountain, riding a large Skuntank.
Since the Dynamax Den was still shrinking, the tall mountains that once flanked the field were now being forced out. The area where someone could hide was getting smaller and smaller.
The Skuntank beneath him was tracking the scent of Obstagoon. That was the Pokémon Felix had left with Dalton before he left with Shiro, just in case any passing hunter tried to finish off the injured man.
Dalton was still useful to him. He couldn't die yet.
Now that the exit had opened, the defensive strength of the rest of the barrier should have dropped drastically due to the distribution of force. A Gym-level Pokémon should be enough to break through it.
It was like an eggshell. You might not be able to crush it with one hand, but once you crack an edge, the rest breaks open easily.
"Dalton's still alive, right..." Felix muttered as he looked around while following Skuntank's trail.
He wasn't in a rush. He planned to rest a while before leaving the den. Maybe he'd even pick up some useful Pokémon resources along the way.
He didn't trust Shiro, who had gone out first. He had a feeling the man would camp outside with that Corviknight for a few days and slaughter anyone who came out. That way, no one would know what he took from the hunters.
In truth, Felix wasn't even sure what their mission target was. Hunter G never explained clearly.
All he knew was that it was hidden beneath the Stony Wilderness and had something to do with the ancient past. It was extremely mysterious.
"Dalton? Dalton!" Felix called after not spotting him for a while. But Skuntank had stopped in the woods, which meant the man was close.
He paused, then called out again in a lower voice.
"Obstagoon."
Buzz—
A shadowy figure leapt down from a nearby tree and rushed over to him.
Felix had trained his Pokémon to obey strictly. Unless he called them directly or gave a clear signal, they were expected to carry out the last command, even if they saw him.
Obstagoon stopped in front of him. From up in the same tree, Dalton let out a long sigh and began climbing down slowly.
The tree he had hidden in was thick and densely covered in leaves, strong enough to hold his weight and conceal his bulky figure.
"What were you hiding for?" Felix asked, staring at the bald man.
"Thought there might still be a Gym-level trainer pretending to be a regular guy..." Dalton sighed. He rubbed his shiny head and rolled his shoulders and arms a couple of times.
Thanks to the high-quality healing medicine Felix had given him, most of his injuries were now healed. He could now manage a light jog.
Felix let out a cold snort, recalled Obstagoon into its Poké Ball, then released the exhausted and unconscious Malamar. After feeding it some Pokéblocks and water, he finally sat down to rest.
He would only leave once all his Pokémon were fully recovered.
For now, staying inside the den was the best option. Even if the Golem in the pit got back up, as long as nothing provoked it, it would likely follow its natural instincts and pretend to be a boulder, going right back to sleep.
"When are we leaving?" Dalton asked in a low voice, sitting beside Felix.
The man glanced sideways at him and replied, "We wait until most of those hunters are gone. They won't turn on each other, but with so many of them rushing out at once... let's see if any come crawling back. First, we need to make sure it's actually safe out there."
"You think..." Dalton guessed. "That Corviknight's trainer might be waiting to ambush us outside?"
"Hmph. We're all veterans of the wild. What do you think?" Felix's face stayed calm, but his tone was full of scorn. He truly looked down on Dalton at this point. Getting his Pokémon stolen, then captured himself... If Felix were in that position, he'd rather bash his own head against a rock than live with that shame.
"Right..." Dalton spoke hesitantly. "Doesn't your Skuntank have the ability to track the scent of people or Pokémon you've interacted with?"
"What are you planning?" Felix turned to the bald man sharply.
"I want to find that guy... and try to trade something in exchange for my Pokémon," Dalton explained. As a Bug-type specialist, he not only carried a few with him at all times but also had a secret facility where he raised and bred others.
Bug-types didn't live long. It had become a habit of his to keep raising new ones while using the old. And within that facility, there were still some valuable things.
"Oh?" Felix narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew the man had a hideout for raising bugs, and that he had once captured a wild Drapion, the former leader of a Skorupi tribe on the eastern side of Motostoke.
Dalton had never successfully tamed that Drapion. If he had, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state now, without even have a single decent battle Pokémon to his name.
"You were planning to replace your training focus with dragon-types, weren't you?" Felix said, pulling out the backpack he'd snatched from one of the hunters during their escape earlier. Inside was the reward those people were originally going to pay them.
His share was a pair of Black Glasses, a Pokémon-held item that boosts the power of Dark-type moves. These couldn't be found in Galar and had to be purchased from outside regions.
Dalton's was a Noibat egg.
"This egg is yours. In return, I want the method for raising Skorupi and that Drapion." Felix added, "I'll take you to see the guy... but if a fight breaks out, I can only do my best to keep you alive."
"Deal!" Dalton agreed without much hesitation.
* * *
The next morning. At the edge of Lake of Outrage.
The sky had only just begun to lighten when Shiro woke up on his own.
He pushed aside Haunter drooling in his sleep on top of him, stepped over the sleeping Growlithe beside him, then carefully avoided Vibrava at the tent entrance, and finally walked out.
Corviknight and Bewear were sleeping side by side outside. The ever-alert bird immediately opened its eyes the moment it sensed movement from the tent.
"Kniiight!"
It let out a deep, low cry. Inside the tent, Haunter snapped awake as if an alarm clock had gone off.
Ever since its reintroduction to its big brother Corviknight, it had developed a deep sense of reverence (fear) toward the steel bird.
It was fine during battles, when they faught together, but once left alone with bird, those sharp red eyes and overwhelming presence made Haunter feel seriously intimidated.
"Hauunn-teeer!"
It was the first one to dash out.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!