With Sato's current physical dition, Telep with Akazam no longer caused dizziness, but repeated secutive teleports still left him feeling drained.

  When the final teleportation ended, Sato found himself standing within a dehicket.

  The occasional chirping of is and birds could be heard, but aside from that, there was no trace of any other humans.

  "Zorua, transform into Gastly and follow me. Gastly, stay hidden!"

  "Zor!"

  "Kehehe~"

  A strange glow enveloped Zorua's body, quickly altering its appearao that of a Gastly—though aside from its looks, it retained none of Gastly's actual abilities.

  Lag Gastly's Levitate ability, the illusiastly had no choice but to sit on Sato's shoulder, while the real Gastly vanished into the shadows.

  After briefly surveying his surroundings, Sato quickly spotted signs of human activity. Without hesitation, he sprioward the disturbance.

  -------

  Beh some low-lying grass, a small burrow, clearly dug out by human hands, came into view.

  Reag inside, Sato pulled out a rolled-up map.

  "As expected. So, I'm here?"

  Leaning against a tree, Sato studied the map, pinpointing his current location.

  Just then, a faint, unnatural energy fluctuation caught his attention.

  "Zorua, prepare Scary Face! Gastly, get Shadow Ball ready!"

  The energy signature was closing in fast from behind. Yet, the ambient noises of birds and is remained unged, and the earthy st of the grass was undisturbed.

  Whoever roag had a near-perfect cealment teique—there was no way a mere recruit could possess such a skill!

  "Swish!"

  A sharp gust of wind sliced through the air, barely missing Satht shoulder—aimed directly at the illusiastly on his shoulder!

  "Zor…!"

  Sato instinctively dodged, while Zorua leaped away, nding on a low-hanging branch just as the attack passed beh it.

  Scary Face activated!

  "Ziii!"

  A high-pitched screech rang out, apanied by the rapid fpping of wings.

  Sato immediately identified the attacker as either a Golbat or a Zubat! At the same time, Zorua's Scary Face took effect—severely redug the oppo's speed!

  "Go in, use Sucker Punch!"

  Sato swiftly repositioned himself, firming that his attacker was a Golbat.

  Unlike in training, he didn't bother hiding his skills. Instead, he stepped forward like a true Pokémon Trainer, anding Zorua directly.

  "Zor!"

  No longer frail and undernourished, Zorua vanished in an instant, reappearing behind Golbat. By the time Golbat realized what had happened, Zorua's eyes fshed red, and it nded a devastating Sucker Pun its back!

  "Golbat, use Gust! Houndoom, Fire Fang!"

  The enemy's voice echoed from multiple dires.

  Golbat, enduring the attack, quickly fpped its wings, summoning a powerful gust aimed straight at Zorua.

  At the same time, a Houndoom leaped out from behind Sato, its fming jaws lunging directly for his neck!

  "Zorua, use Fake Tears! Gastly, hit them with Toxic!"

  Sato barked out his ands while swiftly sidestepping, dashing toward a specific dire. Houndoom missed its target, and Gastly suddenly emerged, unleashing a cloud of poisonous gas directly into its face!

  The enemy visibly tensed—watg Sato run directly toward his hiding spot.

  ce? Or had he been discovered?

  "Argh!"

  The Toxic gas was inhaled directly through Houndoom's nose, instantly crippling it! This wasn't a bad-forth battle—Sato had already pnned his terattack against Houndoom long beforehand, making sure Zorua and Gastly kheir roles perfectly!

  "Zorua, use Dark Pulse! Gastly, Shadow Ball! Take out Golbat first!"

  Sato suddenly turned back, as if he had just escaped Houndoom's attack. His back was now fully exposed to his pursuer.

  "Zii!"

  Golbat, having already suffered the effects of Scary Fad Fake Tears, was now at a severe disadvas Trainer failed to issue a ter-and in time.

  Panicked, Golbat reflexively folded its wings, trying to shield itself from the ining attacks!

  Boom!

  The collision of energy resulted in a small explosion.

  Golbat colpsed instantly, uo battle. Its Trainer had focused entirely on Sato, failing to notice Golbat being taken down.

  "Damn it! Houndoom, use Fmethrower! Weezing, Sludge Bomb!"

  "Gastly, rapid Shadow Ball! Zorua, use Scary Face!"

  Houndoom was struggling to trate due to the searing pain in its nose.

  Gastly fshed forward, swiftly dodging past Weezing. It then unleashed six smaller Shadow Balls in a rapid volley, f Weezing to retreat.

  Meanwhile, Zorua transformed bato its inal form and rushed forward, activating Scary Face more!

  "Weezing~"

  Weezing was knocked back by the barrage of Shadow Balls, suffering minimal damage due to their weaker power, but now it was also slowed by Scary Face!

  "Whoosh!"

  A faint rustling caught Sato's attention—his oppo was trying to flee, abandoning his Pokémon!

  Quick deaking!

  "Gastly, go after him and use Lick! Zorua, Dark Pulse on Weezing's smaller head!"

  "Kehehe~"

  Gastly, sensing an opportunity for fun, vanished into the shadows, quickly closing in on the fleeing assassin.

  Zorua, oher hand, charged up Dark Pulse, aiming directly at Weezing's smaller head.

  Without ands from its Traihe already slow and dazed Weezing had no ce to react. Just like Golbat, its ability to fight back ractically ent.

  As for Houndoom, it was still wheezing and suffering from poison, pletely helpless.

  Without hesitation, Sato ordered Zorua to finish it off.

  When he caught up to Gastly, his oppo was already lying paralyzed on the ground, Gastly h pyfully nearby, occasionally lig him to keep him immobilized.

  "Gastly, use Hypnosis!"

  "Damn it!"

  Realizing his predit, the man lunged forward, drawing a dagger, aiming directly at Sato!

  Sato remained motionless, not even blinking—because Zorua and Gastly had already acted. Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse struck simultaneously, sending him crashing to the ground.

  Sato approached, looking down at his fallen oppo.

  "You were patient. Only attacked now. Did you sider the possibility of failure?"

  He then removed the man's Red-rank badge, pced his thumb on the fingerprint ser, unlog it.

  Without hesitation, Sato took both the badge and the man's spatial backpack, walking away.

  Not once did he ask for his enemy's name.

  Zorua quickly caught up, while Gastly, having anticipated Sato's pn, stayed behind to up.