"Shiro..." Felix hadn't expected him to arrive so fast. He remembered that the man didn't own a Psychic-type Pokémon, yet here he was, finding him through teleportation.
And to be able to locate him from Spikemuth using psychic power... the Pokémon's strength needed to reach the Gym-level minimum.
Hovering above the forest, Shiro's expression was stern as he called out, "Felix, a trainer from the wilds, you just killed the Spikemuth Gym Leader."
Felix didn't have time to think further and blurted out, "It was Firth who killed him, that's the truth. First, block the information, then use psychic power to hypnotize everyone and alter their memory of when we arrived. Macro Cosmos can only trace the body's cause of death, they can only find the facts!"
Shiro paused, holding off his move to arrest him and asked, "Why did you kill Silas?"
Showing no panic, Felix quickly replied, "My plan is to become the Spikemuth Gym Leader. I never intended to frame you. It's just a coincidence. Right now, we can work together to block the news with psychic power. Then we brainwash those people, creating the fact that you only entered the gym after everything happened."
Shiro gave a slight nod. What the man said matched his own thoughts. The difference was, he didn't just have the option of handling it with psychic abilities; he could also simply arrest Felix.
"Felix, if I take you back now, I can clear my name just the same... and even get a commendation," he said slowly.
Felix felt a bit more at ease. This clearly meant Shiro was willing to negotiate, and he must have already done a good job sealing the information. If that was the case, the worst-case scenario of a direct fight could be avoided.
Thinking for a moment, he said, "I want to be the Spikemuth Gym Leader. Shiro, all the Pokédollars I've saved over the years in the wild, I can give to you. It's all cash, sixty-seven million in total. We can form a temporary alliance. Once I become Gym Leader, I can help you probe the strength of other Gym Leaders, as well as Rose's decisions. We can share all that information."
Felix's way of doing things was simple, reach his goal while making more allies. The prerequisite was that the ally's strength had to be at least equal to his. If they were weaker, they weren't worth being called people, much less friends or enemies. In his world, robbery and revenge were both handled on the same day.
He had spent more than ten years making a name for himself in the wilds, all by strictly following that principle.
The air fell silent as Shiro thought.
Felix's target was straightforward, becoming the Spikemuth Gym Leader, and it made perfect sense. He had both the qualifications and strength. All he lacked was the current leader's sudden death and the backing of Macro Cosmos.
One of these conditions was already met, and the other was close at hand. If Shiro hadn't stayed in Spikemuth for revenge, Felix's plan would have been flawless by now.
Cooperating meant sixty-seven million in cash, plus a verbal alliance.
That amount of money alone was worth lending help. Sooner or later, he would leave Galar. The company's spending credit wouldn't work outside, and he would need real money. The "research funds" from Professor Rowan were also uncertain.
Cash in hand was always the safest.
"Alright." Shiro cast Felix a brief glance, then told Unown A to use Teleport.
The space around them twisted at once, and Felix's vision blurred.
Sensing the psychic wave, Malamar immediately raised its fin-blades, wrapping itself and its trainer in a defensive stance. But before it could act further, Unown A pulled both it and Felix away forcefully.
* * *
After a brief moment of mental blankness, Felix found himself standing with Shiro in front of the Spikemuth Gym entrance.
Instinctively, he touched his head, then checked the Poké Balls in his pocket. Seeing Malamar beside him looking tense, he realized it was Shiro's Psychic-type Pokémon that had teleported them here.
But… while Malamar wasn't a specialist in psychic power, it was still at the Gym-level. How had it been moved without even reacting?
Did Shiro have an Elite-level psychic Pokémon?
Felix gave him a wary look. Among the many Pokémon types, Ghost and Psychic were the hardest to guard against. If a high-level one made a move, their opponent might not even know how they died.
Shiro didn't dwell on it. He just had Corviknight step aside to clear the doorway.
Inside, the gym's main hall was a wreck, and the only other presence was a girl squatting by the door, crying. The sight made him pause in mild confusion.
Felix followed in, stealing a glance at Corviknight. It seemed even stronger than when he'd seen it in the wild, and big enough to block the gym entrance alone.
Malamar stayed close to him, keeping itself low and hidden. The unexplained Psychic-type Pokémon still unnerved it, and it avoided making eye contact with Corviknight.
Turning to Felix, Shiro said, "I've blocked both the front and back doors. The only open area is the small courtyard in the center. None of them have Pokémon. Unless they climb the walls to the roof, nobody inside can get out."
Felix nodded and gestured for Malamar to act.
It floated up into the hall's airspace, releasing faint pink psychic threads in all directions, mapping out where everyone in the building was.
* * *
Meanwhile, in one of the gym's side rooms, Piers and the other Team Yell members huddled in the corner near a communication console, fiddling with a landline phone.
"Why won't it connect?" Piers jabbed the buttons repeatedly, but the screen stayed blank.
The phone looked intact, but Drakloak had already breathed a burst of Dragon-type energy into it, frying most of the components.
The others exchanged uneasy glances. A sense of hopelessness settled in.
Their Pokémon had been taken, both doors were blocked, and now the phone was useless. The gym was sealed tight. They were like chickens in a cage, lambs waiting for slaughter.
What was Shiro planning...?
He'd killed the Gym Leader, locked down the building, cut off communication. He must be trying to erase the evidence of the murder.
The easiest way would be to kill every witness inside, then bribe the townsfolk and some Team Yell members.
They all knew how low their comrades' morals were. For a thousand Pokédollars, they would happily change their story and praise whoever paid them.
Now...
Several pairs of eyes turned toward Piers.
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