Chapter 57
After returning to the tent and treating Beedrill’s wounds with medicine from his bag, Mike looked at the Bug-type Pokémon lying across the ground and pressed his lips together.
They had helped him. He couldn’t simply abandon them.
"Gengar."
Mike called his name.
Without needing any further explanation, Gengar took a bottle of medicine and floated toward the injured Bug Pokémon.
Mike followed close behind.
Gengar tilted the bottle upside down and slapped the bottom several times.
When nothing came out, he lowered it and looked sadly at the remaining Pokémon who still hadn’t been treated.
"Gar—"
[We’re out of medicine.]
Mike had just finished wrapping a bandage around a Beautifly when he heard Gengar.
Turning around, he saw Gengar holding an empty bottle in one hand while repeatedly patting its bottom with the other, hoping to shake out even a little more medicine.
"There’s none left?"
Gengar nodded.
Mike looked at the Pokémon who still needed treatment and opened the Viewership Point Shop without hesitation.
The moment he saw the price of a Potion, he couldn’t stop himself from cursing the greedy shop.
One hundred and fifty Viewership Points for a single bottle.
Mike muttered another complaint and was about to exchange his points when the Bug Pokémon who had already received treatment began returning with Berries.
They fed the Berries to their wounded companions.
’So that’s it...’
Mike watched them with deep emotion.
Wild Pokémon naturally had their own methods of treating injuries, and Berries were one of the most common.
His legs had gone numb from crouching, so Mike simply sat on the ground among the injured Bug Pokémon.
"Sni~"
Snivy swung down from a tree with Vine Whip, her arms filled with Berries.
"Did you pick all of those?"
Mike looked at her.
Snivy nodded.
Mike noticed several scratches across her face. He gently wiped them clean before accepting the Berries.
"Thank you, Snivy."
Snivy shook her head and gave him a gentle smile.
Mike asked Gengar to distribute the Berries among the injured Pokémon.
Once every Pokémon had recovered enough strength to move, Mike stood and bowed deeply to the Bug Pokémon gathered around them.
"Thank you."
He remained bent at the waist as he spoke.
"Gar!"
[Thank you!]
"Sni."
[Thank you.]
Gengar and Snivy bowed as well.
"Meow."
Glameow lowered her head slightly.
Feeling the sincerity from Mike and his Pokémon, the Bug Pokémon flapped their wings and circled around them several times.
"You should all rest nearby tonight. Wait until your injuries to get better tomorrow before leaving."
Mike looked at Gengar.
"Gengar will keep watch over everyone tonight, right?"
Gengar grinned and pounded his chest hard.
"Gar! Gar!"
[Leave it to me!]
The weakened Bug Pokémon nodded before settling onto the ground and closing their eyes to rest.
Mike quietly returned to the tent with Gengar and the others.
Fortunately, the battle had taken place far enough away that the tent hadn’t been damaged.
Mike sat weakly inside, pulled Glameow into his arms, and carefully stroked her fur.
"That scared the hell out of me. I really thought I was going to die back there."
Even now, he still felt shaken.
"Gar—"
[Should we leave, then? Like in the stories—nigerundayo!]
Mike gently stroked Glameow and nodded.
"Tomorrow. Once these Bug Pokémon leave, we’ll pack everything and go."
"Gar?"
[Where are we going?]
"Jubilife City."
Gengar nodded and picked up his bamboo staff.
Then he started searching for Kakuna.
It wasn’t until he saw Beedrill hovering outside the tent that he remembered his brother—who normally had to be carried all day or balanced on his head—had already evolved.
’He really saved us today.’
’I wonder if he still likes listening to stories.’
’If he does, I’ll keep telling it to him.’
Glameow wasn’t used to being held so tightly.
She tried to struggle free, but after seeing Mike’s expression and sensing that he was still worried, she thought about it and allowed him to keep holding her.
She even permitted his wandering hands to remain on her body a little longer.
Mike considered the situation, then took out his Rotom Phone, found Professor Rowan’s number, and called him.
The call was answered quickly.
Voices could be heard on the other end at first, but they immediately stopped once the connection went through.
"Hello, Mike. Is something wrong? It’s quite late," Professor Rowan asked first.
Mike was surprised by how quickly he had answered. Normally, Rowan wouldn’t pick up this fast.
"Good evening, Professor. I hope I’m not interrupting anything?"
Remembering the voices he had heard, Mike asked carefully.
"It’s fine. I was just speaking with a student who studied under me for many years. Your call came at a convenient time."
Professor Rowan sounded cheerful.
"How has the journey been? Is it manageable?"
"You’ve been in the wilderness for quite a while now, haven’t you?"
"A little over a week," Mike answered honestly.
"That’s still fairly short compared to the amount of time most traveling Trainers spend outdoors."
Professor Rowan paused.
"Why did you call so late? Do you need help with something?"
"I encountered Pokémon Hunter J," Mike said.
"Pokémon Hunter J?"
Professor Rowan sounded confused, but someone beside him appeared to give a brief explanation.
His voice immediately grew louder.
"You mean the leader of that Pokémon Hunter organization?"
"Yes. Her."
"What’s the situation over there?"
Concern filled Professor Rowan’s voice.
Mike felt warmth spread through his chest.
"I’m fine. Gengar, Snivy, Glameow, Beedrill, and I forced her to retreat."
"As long as you’re safe then its fine. When traveling, your safety must always come first."
Professor Rowan breathed a sigh of relief.
Mike acknowledged him, then continued, "Professor, can you contact senior members of the League?"
At the sudden question, Professor Rowan glanced at the woman sitting beside him, coughed twice, then answered, "I should be able to. Why? Is there something important?"
Mike exhaled.
As expected, Professor Rowan could contact the higher-ups of the Sinnoh League.
"Professor, I overheard Hunter J speaking on the phone. It sounded like her employer had hired her to capture the three Legendary Lake Pokémon."
"Are you certain?"
Professor Rowan’s voice suddenly rose.
"Yes. It seems she came to Lake Verity to investigate the area."
"Her next move will probably be to take her subordinates to Lake Acuity or Lake Valor. I’d like you to report this so the League can set up an ambush before she arrives and arrest her."
"I understand."
Professor Rowan saw the woman beside him nod.
"I’ll report it immediately and have the League prepare in advance."
"One more thing, Professor. She’s extremely strong. If I hadn’t prepared an ambush beforehand, she probably would have succeeded."
"Make sure the League knows to be careful of her goggles and the launcher mounted on her arm."
"What do they do?"
"The goggles can calculate a Pokémon’s attack pattern and movement trajectory in advance. The launcher fires a petrification beam that can turn both Pokémon and humans to stone."
"She also has a glass container used to store petrified Pokémon. It’s extremely durable."
"They need to be very careful. And please, if possible, send powerful people. She’s strong and has many subordinates."
"All right. I’ve reported everything you told me."
Professor Rowan then asked, "Is it safe for you to remain there?"
"It should be. Besides Gengar and the others, the Bug Pokémon in the forest also helped us tonight. Without them, we probably would have lost."
"They’re injured now, so I plan to remain here overnight. I’ll leave after they recover and depart tomorrow."
"All right. Stay safe."
After ending the call, Mike scratched beneath Glameow’s chin and smiled.
"She doesn’t seriously think I’m the kind of person who’ll obediently wait around after she threatens to come back, does she?"
"Meow."
[Probably not.]
"When did I ever claim to be an honorable gentleman?"
Glameow began purring under his touch, and Mike’s smile widened.
"I can’t beat her, but that doesn’t mean I can’t call someone who can."
"I hope the League takes this seriously. Ideally, they’ll send an Elite Four member. No matter how strong she is, she can’t defeat one of Sinnoh’s Elite Four, right?"
...
At Professor Rowan’s laboratory, the professor looked at the woman sitting beside him after the call ended.
"Judging from the way he spoke, this Pokémon Hunter J must be quite powerful."
"You think highly of him, Professor?"
"He’s different from you, yet also very similar," Professor Rowan replied.
"I understand. I’ll handle it."
The woman stood and prepared to leave the laboratory.
"It would be best to send people with considerable strength," Professor Rowan reminded her.
"I’ll have Lucian and Flint go to Lake Valor."
"As for Lake Acuity, I’ll go there myself."
She looked back at Professor Rowan.
"That should satisfy his request for powerful personnel, shouldn’t it?"
Professor Rowan smiled.
One Champion and two members of the Elite Four.
If that wasn’t enough, then nothing would be.
"Be careful."
"Don’t worry."
The woman stepped outside in her high heels, leaped onto Garchomp’s back, and soared into the sky.