Suicune opened its mouth, and in an instant, a thick white fog drifted from all around, enveloping everyone.
The fog came extremely quickly and was incredibly dense. Everything was a vast expanse of white, with visibility of less than a meter, and Natsui instantly lost track of the others.
Fortunately, he could still see the hazy silhouettes of the two Pokémon beside him, which kept him from panicking.
At the same time, Gardevoir and Gengar quickly moved closer to Natsui, protecting him in the center, cautiously watching their surroundings.
Natsui shouted in Sabrina's direction, "Sabrina! Are you okay?"
Sabrina's steady voice came back a moment later.
"I'm fine."
Judging by the distance of her voice, the white fog hadn't made them lose their sense of direction, only blocked their vision, causing no other effects.
Just then, Looker's voice also came from the other side. "I'm fine too, but I can't see Silver's position anymore! And I just saw a red light flash a few times!"
A red light flashing?
Natsui knew that a red light usually meant someone was recalling their Pokémon with a Poké Ball.
Is Silver trying to escape in the fog?
Nodding to Gengar beside him, Natsui commanded, "Quick, blow this fog away!"
"Got it!"
Gengar took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply into the air. The next second, a strange wind blew, quickly dispersing the thick fog.
As the white fog completely disappeared, they quickly looked towards where Silver had been, but there was no longer any sign of him.
"Damn it! He used the opportunity to escape!"
Looker's face changed drastically. He looked around, but the area was surrounded by dense forest, leaving no trace to follow.
Silver's escape also meant that his operation this time had completely failed.
To have wasted so much energy only to come back empty-handed was undoubtedly a blow to him.
When they came to their senses and looked for Suicune again, they found that it too had disappeared.
"Darn it!" Looker punched a tree in frustration. "I really don't understand why Suicune would help Silver!"
Natsui shook his head. "Actually, Suicune didn't mean to help him, but to stop the battle. I think even if it had been someone else, Suicune would have done the same."
With that, he commanded the Pokémon beside him, "Don't just stand there! Everyone, split up and search! Whether it's Silver or Suicune, finding either of them is fine!"
Hearing his command, Gardevoir, Gengar, and even Sabrina's and Looker's Pokémon all scattered to search for any trace of Silver and Suicune. But after searching for over half an hour, they found nothing.
"Forget it," Looker sighed when they regrouped, seeming to have accepted his fate. "It seems they've gotten far away. This time, it was a complete and utter failure."
"I wouldn't say it was for nothing," Natsui said, glancing at Sabrina. In her palm, she was still holding the Poké Ball she had snatched from Silver. "At least we got Professor Elm's Pokémon back."
"That's true," Looker said, taken aback for a moment, then nodded. This seemed to lift his spirits a little.
The three recalled their Pokémon and, following the path they had come, left the forest and returned to New Bark Town.
It was now past eleven at night. Everything was quiet, and the entire town seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, with not a single person on the streets.
Professor Elm's laboratory was as quiet as ever. It was clear that the people inside had not realized that their lab had been infiltrated.
Looker yawned and said, "Professor Elm must be resting at this hour. We're not in a hurry anyway. Let's wait until tomorrow morning to return the Pokémon. For now, let's find a place to rest."
Natsui naturally had no objections. But instead of going out of their way to find a hotel, they went to the Pokémon Center near the laboratory.
Nurse Joy, who was just about to go to sleep, was wearing pajamas and a face mask. Hearing someone enter the lobby, she had to get up again to greet them.
"Sorry to bother you at this hour and disturb your rest," Natsui said, also feeling a bit embarrassed seeing her dressed like this.
If he had known she was already asleep, they would have walked a bit further and stayed at a hotel for the night.
"It's fine," Nurse Joy said, waving her hand. "The Pokémon Center is here to serve trainers like you. Many people come to check in late at night, just like you. I'm already used to it."
As she spoke, she also arranged two dormitory rooms for them.
It had to be said, although staying at the Pokémon Center was convenient and everything was free, unfortunately, because it was a dormitory, men and women had to be separated. Natsui had no choice, and although he was reluctant, he had to share a room with the single old man, Looker, for the night.
To be honest, since he had started sleeping with Sabrina, he had gotten used to her presence. This was the first time the two of them had been separated.
With a soft body in his arms every night, Natsui had been living quite comfortably. Now, being all alone, he couldn't help but feel a bit unaccustomed.
Sigh, the first hour without Sabrina, I miss her.
One hour and five minutes without Sabrina, I still miss her.
But fortunately, after the lights were turned off, Looker chatted with him for a long time. They talked about everything from Pokémon to work, and from work to competitions. While deepening their relationship, he also heard many of Looker's stories as an International Police officer, which broadened his horizons and introduced him to many new and interesting things.
But that night, Natsui didn't sleep well. He kept feeling that the space beside him was empty. He finally managed to get through to the morning, and when he saw Sabrina again, his lost heart was finally full again.
The three of them had breakfast at the Pokémon Center before going to visit Professor Elm.
During the day, Professor Elm's laboratory was much more lively. Many researchers could be seen walking around, looking quite busy.
In the workshop, they met Professor Elm.
Professor Elm was not very old, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a white lab coat and half-moon glasses. His hairstyle was very unique, like a sea urchin.
And after they told him what had happened, Professor Elm belatedly realized that one of his Pokémon was missing.
Natsui handed the Poké Ball back to him. After taking it, Professor Elm looked at it and let out a long sigh. "So it was Totodile's Poké Ball. I'm such a failure as a professor. I didn't even know a Pokémon was gone."
"Don't say that, Professor," Looker smiled. "You're just too busy with your work. And the security in New Bark Town has always been good. That thief had clearly scouted the place in advance and knew your routine, so you were naturally unprepared."
Although Looker's words were comforting, Professor Elm still felt very guilty. "Sigh, no matter what, it was my negligence. Thank you so much this time. If you hadn't acted in time, the children who are supposed to start their journey from here in a few days would have been very disappointed."
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