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"Nanth Town…?"
Kael rubbed his chin thoughtfully, crimson light flickering in his eyes as he considered the name.
In front of him, Quark stood with his head lowered, posture tense.
Even knowing the creature before him held no hostility, the sheer pressure leaking from Kael's presence made it hard for Quark to breathe normally. Strength like that did not need to be displayed. It simply existed.
Inside one of the vehicles nearby, Fran had already awakened from her brief fainting spell. She sat quietly in the back seat, resting, pale fingers clasped together.
Through the window, her snow-clear eyes watched Kael and Quark from a distance, fear and lingering shock mixing with unmistakable concern.
From Quark's detailed explanation, Kael learned that not far to the northwest lay a small settlement known as Nanth Town.
Recently, something there had gone very wrong.
Even the Alliance didn't know exactly what was happening.
But Kael did not need confirmation.
He felt it.
A quiet certainty settled in his chest.
Nanth Town is where I'm supposed to go.
Silently, he opened the system interface within his mind.
The Shield Gauge, the energy required to activate the Shield King state, had fully recharged after weeks of continuous combat.
That alone steadied him.
With the Shield King form available, Kael was confident that even if he crossed paths with a top-tier Legendary Pokémon, he would at least survive long enough to escape.
"Good."
He nodded once at Quark and turned, preparing to head toward Nanth Town—
Then stopped.
Mid-step.
He turned back.
Crimson eyes met Quark's gaze, the seriousness within them forcing the young man to instinctively straighten his spine.
Kael's deep voice echoed directly inside Quark's mind.
"One piece of advice."
"Avoid that town."
A brief pause.
"If something really has happened there, your team wouldn't survive a single night."
This wasn't a threat.
It was a fact.
If an Ultra Beast had escaped into Nanth Town, this team's earlier performance made one thing painfully clear they wouldn't even slow it down.
They would die.
And Kael would be forced to fight while worrying about them, which would only get in the way.
Ending their mission early was the best outcome for everyone.
Quark nodded immediately.
He had already reached the same conclusion.
After what had just happened, abandoning the mission would not result in punishment from the Alliance. In fact, a Nightmare Pokémon swarm appearing deep within human territory was far more alarming than whatever might be happening in a single declining town.
If the rear areas were no longer safe…
The consequences would be catastrophic.
Cold ran down Quark's spine.
They needed to withdraw immediately and report everything to the City Alliance headquarters. Every detail. As fast as possible.
Seeing Quark's expression, Kael knew the message had landed.
He glanced once more toward the vehicle, where Fran watched from behind the glass—
Then broke into a run.
Boom! Boom!
Each step detonated against the ground, air screaming apart under the force.
Kael's stride was enormous. Every step launched him dozens of meters forward, effortless and explosive.
Despite the low frequency of his steps, his speed was terrifying.
In seconds, the massive dark-violet figure vanished beyond the horizon.
"…Hah."
Quark exhaled heavily, tension finally draining from his body.
Concern still etched across his face, he turned and headed back toward the vehicles.
Fran, unable to contain herself any longer, hopped down and hurried toward him.
"Quark, that Pokémon just now—"
Her voice was light but unsteady, cutting into his thoughts.
He forced a small smile and shook his head.
"Just a friendly Pokémon passing through, it didn't mean us any harm."
Then, softer:
"…Are you feeling alright?"
Her face was still pale.
But instead of answering, Fran's cheeks flushed a faint pink. Something in her eyes had changed fear, yes, but also excitement.
"Did you see that move?" she blurted out.
"Just like that—everything fell out of the sky!"
"What was he? He looked a bit like a Machoke, but completely different. Bigger. Stronger."
"And someone that powerful has to have a Trainer, right? What kind of person could train something like that?"
Quark opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
He had absolutely no idea what to say.
It took him a few seconds to realize just how shaken she actually was shock manifesting as uncontrolled curiosity.
"…She'll probably calm down later," he muttered helplessly, rubbing his temple.
Before he could say anything else—
Footsteps pounded toward them.
A fully equipped team member came running, sweat pouring down his face, panic written all over his expression.
"Q-Quark! Sir—there's a problem! A big one!"
Quark's heart sank.
"Slow down. What happened?"
The man gasped for air.
"The communication unit, along with most of the stored supplies, is gone!"
Quark's head snapped up.
He looked past the man toward the roadside.
Three off-road vehicles stood there.
One of them—
Was burning.
Flames roared skyward, black smoke twisting into the air.
Rapidash was already helping the team drag what little they could from the fire.
"…Damn it."
The word barely left Quark's lips.
Something was very wrong.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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