The sound was sharp, almost like a piercing sonic attack. The waves echoed through the gym, rumbling from near to far. Every single Team Yell member, including Piers, was thrown off balance, clutching their ears in pain on the floor.
To Marnie, however, the noise was pleasant. It reminded her of a dozen Rookidees hopping between branches in a forest, chirping together.
With tears in her eyes, she looked up. A relieved smile spread across her face. The drops on her cheeks slid to her lips, carrying a faint sweetness.
"Thank you, Rookidee..." she murmured, bowing her head again.
Corviknight remained silent, simply standing guard at the Spikemuth Gym's main entrance.
In the hall, it took more than a dozen seconds after the cry faded for Piers and the Team Yell members to shakily push themselves up. Without a word, they all began edging backward, fear driving them toward the open hallway at the rear.
"Go... to the back door. We'll leave from there," Piers ordered in a low voice. But his weak body kept him from getting ahead, so several of the grunts sprinted past and reached the front of the group.
Kennya and two others supported him, helping him out of the hall and into the corridor.
Piers frowned deeply. Just thinking about the stench near the back door made him want to gag. As a child, he had gone there once out of curiosity, spat at a few filthy street beggars, and never returned.
He hated the idea, but right now the only option was to leave through the garbage exit.
The group ran as fast as they could. Piers stumbled along until they skirted around a side hall and the kitchen, crossing the backyard into a grimy black corridor that led to the end.
The ones in front relaxed when they got there. They politely waited for Piers, smiling as they gestured for him to open the door first.
He gave them an irritated glance. The handle was dirty and discolored, and the sour stench hit his nose. He waved for them to do it instead.
They were more than happy to take the lead. An oval-faced man rushed forward, grabbed the handle, and turned it.
The moment a narrow gap opened, an eerie sound slipped inside.
"Ke-ke-ke-ke-ke..."
It was like a deranged madman's creepy laughter.
Startled, the man immediately let go of the handle and backed away.
"W-What... what the hell is that?" Kennya felt a bad feeling rising. But seeing Piers' face grow even paler, she gritted her teeth and stepped in front of him.
The door swayed slightly on its hinges, the gap opening and closing. Through it, they saw only darkness.
Piers pointed with a trembling finger. "Someone... open it all the way. Open the door!"
The group exchanged uneasy glances. The two nearest to the door swallowed hard but quickly reached out and shoved the filthy thing open.
The filthy door slammed against the wall with a dull thud.
Outside, it looked as if night had fallen. Nothing could be seen.
Piers hesitated. He couldn't tell if this was dangerous or just the usual state of the back door. He started to ask, "Has it always been—"
Kennya yanked him backward, whispering urgently in his ear, "We need to go..."
Around them, the other grunts also stepped back.
It was daytime, well into the afternoon, with the sun still strong. Even in the dim alley behind the trash street, it should not be this dark.
Suddenly, a faint rustling came from outside.
The group slowed their retreat, trying to listen closely. But before they could make anything out, a deafening roar erupted.
"Rooaaar!"
The voice of some great beast shook the grimy corridor.
Panic broke out among the group. They scrambled backward, even Piers forgetting his dignity in his rush to get away.
Beyond the door, Haunter hovered with both claws outstretched, ghostly energy shrouding the doorway. Its grin was sly and full of mischief.
Beside it, Bewear straightened from its forward-leaning stance after the roar and scratched its backside in puzzlement.
* * *
On the streets outside Spikemuth Gym, Unown A's psychic power easily covered the entire town and a large portion of the surrounding forest.
Based on the strength of the Liepard from earlier and the psychic abilities used to control Firth, the culprit had to be at least at Gym-level. Shiro instructed A to scan only for Pokémon at or above that level, and trainers who possessed them.
In no time, Unown A opened its single eye, descended slowly from the air, and extended one slanted leg toward the north of Spikemuth.
'Over there. It's someone you met before in the Wild Area. He has a Malamar and is heading this way.'
"A Malamar... coming here?" Shiro furrowed his brows.
Someone he'd met in the Wild Area with a Malamar could only be Felix. Dalton had once mentioned he was related to the dead Silas.
If Felix had planned this from the start, using Firth to frame him for the murder, then the logical move would be to run far away, not get closer.
Shiro thought briefly, then said, "A, take me to him. Meeting Felix will clear things up."
A burst of blinding psychic light flared from Unown A's body, and in the next moment, the two vanished from the street.
* * *
Meanwhile, In the northern forest near Spikemuth, Malamar floated through the air with psychic power, carrying its trainer swiftly toward the town.
"Firth has done his job. My dear brother is dead." Felix's lips curled into a sinister smile. He could already picture himself pretending to stumble into Spikemuth by chance, having Malamar hypnotize a few more people, and then reporting everything to Macro Cosmos.
Given the situation, as the rightful heir to the Spikemuth Gym and an ally of the company, he would almost certainly gain their support and be made the acting Gym Leader.
But his smile faded quickly.
Things were going well, but there was one problem he hadn't anticipated…
Shiro had been in the gym at that exact moment... If he hadn't reacted fast, the blame could easily have stuck to him. If that man decided to take revenge and hunt him down to the bitter end, it would be trouble.
From what he knew, Shiro wasn't the type to panic. But mistakes happened. If word had already leaked, it could ruin everything.
Felix had no interest in becoming Gym Leader with a powerful, vengeful trainer always on his tail.
Bzzzz...
The air ahead distorted with a sound like electronic static. In an instant, a figure appeared in the sky above the forest.
"Teleport..." Felix ordered Malamar to stop at once.
**
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