In front of Marnie, Rabby wouldn’t send out his Pokémon to kill. He po shake her off before making his move. But by then, Shiro would have no ce of survival.

  Shiro uood his situatioer than anyone. Right now, with both of them standing in front of Marhis was his best opportunity!

  Rabby didn’t dare to make a move—but Shiro did!

  He pulled out the knife from the fat man’s waist. Rabby, stunned, instinctively reached for his Poké Ball.

  “Rook-Ki!”

  Rookidee hidden in Shiro’s coat leaped out, its sharp beak glowing white as it stabbed straight into Rabby’s wrist.

  A bloody hole instantly appeared in Rabby’s fragile flesh. His fingers, just about to grasp the Poké Ball, stiffened and veered off course.

  In just a few moments, Shiro had already pluhe ko Rabby’s throat and twisted the handle forcefully, stirring the bde inside.

  “Urgh, you—”

  Rabby couldn’t even finish his sentence before colpsing stiffly to the ground.

  Despite being a trainer of a much higher level than Shiro, wild battles weren’t just about Pokémon duels. The fastest way to win was to take out the opposing trainer first!

  Shiro withdrew the knife and wiped it on Rabby’s gray Team Yell uniform befng at Marnie, who was frozen in shock.

  The girl had one hand c her mouth. After swallowing hard, she lowered it again, staring at Shiro as he looted Rabby’s body.

  He found a total of eight cssic red and white Poké Balls, four of which were empty.

  Besides that, Rabby had a League issued card for st money and a silver watch.

  Shiro also yahe metal from Rabby’s ned stuffed it into his pocket. After firming he had takehing of value, he briefly sidered stripping Rabby’s clothes—then decided against it.

  “Are you pnning to escape?” Marnie suddenly asked. She stared at Shiro, her thoughts focused on the Rookidee that was about to be taken away from Spikemuth, showing no fear.

  Shiro nodded.

  “Yeah.”

  With that, he couldn’t be bothered with this girl anymore. After putting the knife away and tug Rookidee bato his coat, he prepared to leave.

  Since his dead father never gave him this newbie starter gift, Shiro decided to take it by himself.

  Whether Rabby was the true culprit behind killing the inal Shiro’s father, he didn’t know, but there was definitely some e.

  Right now, in Spikemuth, his enemies were still alive, and he'd definitely be back.

  "Rookidee got hurt because of my Pokémon training!" Watg Shiro’s back as he walked away, Marnie ched her fist, leaned forward, and shouted with all her might, "You must take good care of it!"

  Shiro didn’t care to respond to this young girl. But then, his hand brushed against the Exp. dies in his pocket. After a moment of thought, he turned, nodded and waved goodbye to Marnie.

  It wasly proper to afriendly after taking someohings.

  As Shiro disappeared into the forest he grass, Marurned her gaze back to the body on the ground. She gritted her teeth and took out a Poké Ball.

  "Toxicroak! e out!"

  A deep blue, upright frog-like creature appeared. Its red vocal cords on its chest pulsed as it let out a cry.

  "Croooaak!!"

  "Toxicroak, use Toxic to dissolve this thing." Marnie anded.

  "Toxi-croak!"

  Toxicroak opes mouth and sprayed a deep purple acidic liquid onto the fat body.

  Rabby’s corpse immediately began to smoke as the hissing sound of corrosion filled the air.

  In just a few moments, the body quickly dissolved, turning into a puddle of white water.

  "Good, e back."

  Marnie recalled her Pokémon into its Poké Ball, standing still for a moment before pulling out another one.

  "e out, Liepard!"

  A deep purple, elegant leopard stepped forward with graceful cat-like steps. Marnie jumped onto its bad ordered.

  "Go! We’re heading to the house we visited earlier..."

  Liepard nodded slightly, its lithe body quickly being a blur of purple, leaving only its devilish long tail swaying behind.

  ……

  Spikemuth.

  Ihe Spikemuth Gym.

  In the main hall, the dark walls encircle the rge mouth of a dark type Pokémon. As the dark type gym of the Gar region, the architecture and décor were all filled with an atmosphere of darkness and malice.

  The t pilrs in the hall were like twisted bck thorns, stretg out as if to wele those who entered.

  Marnie walked in slowly, her steps quiet against the carpet patterned with the Dark type emblem.

  "Well? Marnie, did you see that kid and his Rookidee?" A broad-shouldered figure stood at the far end of the hall, his back to her, speaking without turning around.

  Before him, a Scrafty ummeling a Greedent with full force.

  The Scrafty, sp the same mohawk as Team Yell, had its rge white teeth coated in dark energy as it bit down viciously on the Greedent’s thick, fluffy brown tail.

  "Greed!"

  The Greede out a pained cry, struggling to break free, but the grip was too tight.

  "In Pokémon battles, as long as they fight, they naturally refiheir moves. Victory builds fidence, making training and growth much easier..." The man spoke as he turo face Marnie.

  Dressed in a bck kimono, he looked middle-aged, but his graying hair and beard showed his advanced age.

  "Dad, I went to check. There was nothing to see." Marnie replied.

  "Hmm?" The Spikemuth Gym Leader let out a doubtful grunt, shifting his gaze to a nearby Team Yell member who stood silently by.

  "That kid asked for the crippled Pokémon himself, didn't he? I eve more resources his way. If he’s not at home raising his Pokémon, thehe hell did he go?"

  The questioeam Yell member hesitated, struggling to find words before nodding awkwardly.

  "Uh... Yes..."

  "Hmm? His father just died. Where the hell could he have gohe Spikemuth Gym Leader muttered to himself in fusion before turning to Marnie. "You went to his house. What was the situation there?"

  "The doors were open. No one was inside, but everything had been rummaged through and trashed." Marnie paused, gng at the Team Yell member beside her before adding.

  "I think someone from Team Yell broke into his house and stole his stuff. He might've been scared and ran away."

  "Hmph..." The Gym Leader rubbed his , the out a sigh. "Shiro’s father actually did det work. By all rights, Shiro should’ve joieam Yell too. What a waste... The ones who looted his pce—"

  He shot a look at the Team Yell member beside him. The tall, nky grunt immediately uood ao take care of it.

  "Tch, those little street rats are still trash even after joining Team Yell! Robbing houses in the residential district? What’s , killing people in broad daylight?"

  He cursed openly in front of Marnie before his tone softened into something more reassuring.

  "I’ve already sent someoo ha. Marnie, don’t worry. There won’t be any more robberies in Spikemuth after this."

  Marnie looked at her father, hesitating to speak. In the end, she simply nodded and turo leave the Gym’s main hall.

  Watg his daughter walk away, the Gym Leader exhaled sharply through his nose, pag the carpeted floor.

  Under his breath, he muttered, "Those useless bastards... Doing something this reckless. If they all end up dead, what the hell am I supposed to use?"

  **

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