Before long, Gastly darted out, unusually excited, its entire body surging with Ghost-type energy.
Without disturbing Sato, who was still modifying the badge, Gastly immediately rushed over to Golbat and Weezing, making sure to "finish them off" again.
"Kehehe!"
Ghost-type Pokémon were feared precisely because they could e souls to grow stronger—but doing so had serious drawbacks.
Just like now, Gastly's eyes glowed blood-red, its energy surging violently, and even its gaze toward Sato and Zorua seemed somewhat hostile.
"e here!"
"Kehe…!"
Gastly hesitated, struggling internally before finally floating over obediently. And waiting for it was that same hand it had e to fear.
"Kehehe!"
Dark Energy flooded into Gastly's body, eliminating the unstable energy and residual thoughts geed from abs souls. Although Gastly had not directly absorbed them, the purification process was still agonizing.
After a brief moment, Sato released it and tinued adjusting the Red-rank badge. He o send a distress signal to lure the Green-rank assassin—but without alerting the entire camp.
The w had to be precise.
Meanwhile, Gastly, having barely escaped Sato's grasp, cautiously examiself. Then, realizing its signifit power boost, it quickly became excited, cirg Sato with joy.
Gastly discovered that after ing four souls, its strength had greatly increased. And thanks to Sato's Dark Energy purification, the ive side effects were pletely erased.
"You tinue using this method to grow stronger," Sato said, raising his right hand. "But every time, you have to e bae afterward."
"Kehe?"
Gastly shuddered, recalling the terror of Sato's hand, aated. Why couldn't power e without pain?
If Fairy-types were closest to the essence of life, then Dark-types embodied pure destru.
After sending the distress signal, Sato used Dark Energy to erase all battle traces, including the corpses.
Ohe Red-rank assassin's badge was pletely erased, Sato shouldered the more advanced spatial backpad moved swiftly deeper into the forest.
----------
A temporary clearing had beeablished at the forest's edge, where rows of military-grees stood ly arranged. Inside a slightly rger tent, twenty Blue-rank assassins and freen-rank assassins sat in silence.
At the ter of the group sat a gaunt man bck, a Silver-rank badge hanging from his waist.
"Buzz—buzz—"
The sudden vibration of an badge broke the silence.
A Green-rank assassin nervously grabbed his badge, cheg the tents.
"Something wrong?"
The Silver-rank assassin asked indifferently.
Even a slight gnce from him made the Green-rank assassin even more nervous.
"S-sir… just a minor issue," he stammered. "Some Ordinary-level Pokémon appeared ier area… a recruit was caught off guard and died. The assigned Red-rank assassin is requesting backup."
"Which division?"
"HL Division," a Blue-rank ander answered, standing up to shield his subordinate, his expression calm and posed.
"So it's yroup." The Silver-rank assassin waved dismissively. "Send someoo ha quickly."
"Uood, sir!"
The Green-rank assassin nodded, grateful for the intervention of his superior.
Without hesitation, he left the tent and headed into the forest.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Gastly, use Hypnosis!"
"Kehehe!"
Now much strastly's Hypnosis had bee far more effective. A group of Oddish and Gloom colpsed instantly, falling into deep sleep.
Sato checked the time on his badge, then adjusted his course slightly before tinuing forward.
Thirty mier, the Green-rank assassin arrived on a rge Pidgeot and discovered the message Sato had iionally left behind on a loree.
"Damn it! They're all inpetent!"
His expression darkened. HL Division had reported casualties first—this meant no rewards for him. And now, he had to up after that idiot Red-rank assassin.
"Murr~"
A Misdreavus appeared, its voice softly f its Trainer.
Then, sensing something, it floated toward a small patch of grass.
"Shadow Ball residue?"
The Green-rank assassin frowned.
"Murr-murr~"
Misdreavus floated happily, pletely clueless about its Trainer's .
"This… is strange."
His eyes narrowed as he lifted his badge, sidering whether to report this.
But after hesitating, he put it away.
"Someone's pying tricks."
firming the trail, he mounted Pidgeot and took off in pursuit.
-----
As Sato moved forward, he spotted various signs of rookie movement and some traore experienced assassins.
At this stage, all recruits had only learned basic disguise teiques, and the lowest-ranked Red-rank assassins weren't particurly skilled either.
For Sato, who had mastered advanced reaissand disguise, these tracks were as clear as a roadmap. Had someone observed from above, they would have seen Sato adjusting his course multiple times, weaving through groups ued.
At one point, he passed within teers of aeam—but none of them noticed him.
"We're almost there."
Sato paused, gng at Zorua and Gastly.
"Eat these a for a bit."
Throughout the journey, Sato had stimuted his body with Dark Energy to maintain peak performance.
Now, firming their approach to the target location, he chose to stop and recover.
Zorua and Gastly were given high-energy Pokémon supplements, while Sato nibbled on a pressed ration bar.
He remained alert, cirg Dark Energy to relieve the strain on his body. After all, his body was still only ten years old.
Once fully rested, Sato left another marker, a symbol that only Red-rank assassins could reize.
Then, leading his Pokémon, he vanished into a heavily cealed burrow.
"Gastly, scout ahead!"
"Kehehe~"
The tunnel itch bck, an ideal battlefield fastly. Zorua, naturally adept at moving in the dark, was ued.
Meanwhile, Sato equipped a high-grade night vision device, purchased for 20 points.
The green-tinted dispy illuminated his surroundings, allowing him to navigate effortlessly.
Moving with familiarity, he pressed forward deeper into the tunnels.
