Nessa, nervous and uneasy, searched through the fishermen's hamlet and nearby alleys again, but still came up empty.
The fishermen looked at her with fearful eyes, and she couldn't bring herself to use her Pokémon to scare or force answers out of them. In truth, if they tried to lie, it would be obvious anyway. Facing a powerful trainer, most of them lacked the nerve to keep calm. Some were frightened at the mere sight of her and rushed to explain everything in a flurry of words, more anxious than she was.
In the end, she returned to Hulbury.
* * *
Meanwhile, Shiro strolled aimlessly through the streets, completely unfamiliar with the town and unable to find an inn. He had thought the place would be like Hammerlocke, filled with smart systems and hotels every few blocks. Instead, all he saw were rows of small villas, with hardly a pedestrian in view.
At one point, he wondered if he had taken a wrong turn. Ryan and the filming crew following behind him were just as lost.
"I think... we should stop and figure out where we are," Ryan suggested.
Shiro paused, thought for a moment, then pulled out a Poké Ball.
"Haunnnteeer!"
The ghost Pokémon burst out, cackling happily as it drifted around the street.
"Go check for an inn, someone we know, or even just a passerby," Shiro ordered.
Haunter nodded eagerly and zipped into the sky. From above, it quickly spotted Nessa walking on another street. With a sharp turn, it rushed back to Shiro and waved excitedly, pointing in her direction.
"Let's go!" Shiro called out, breaking into a jog. The others hurried after him.
Moments later, Nessa froze when she saw Shiro running toward her with a whole group trailing behind.
"What are you all...?" she asked in confusion.
"Good work, Haunter," Shiro said, praising the ghost as it twirled and pulled a silly face before vanishing back into its ball. He turned back to her with a serious expression. "We got lost."
"..." she had no words.
* * *
With her leading the way, they soon arrived at a small inn close to Hulbury Gym, right on the corner southwest of it.
"All the facilities and shops here are centered around the gym," Nessa explained softly. "As long as you know where it is, finding the rest is easy."
"I see," Shiro nodded in realization.
Not far away, Ryan and the crew breathed a sigh of relief and rushed inside. They hadn't slept in proper beds for nearly half a month.
Shiro was about to follow them when Nessa caught his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
"I have something to ask too..." she said hesitantly.
He glanced around to make sure no one was near, then gave a nod in response. "Go ahead."
She told him everything about her parents' disappearance in detail.
"Your parents are missing..." Shiro muttered, his gaze shifting toward the gym in the distance.
In his mind, the prime suspect could only be the Gym Leader. He had little faith in the conscience or integrity of any of them, especially not this one. From what he had seen on the way, Nathan had likely ordered fishermen's traces to be wiped clean and driven into the depths beneath the bridge.
If two noisy ants, or livestock, for that matter, suddenly showed up at Nathan's doorstep, he would either kick them away or deal with them quietly, burying them somewhere no one would ever find. And even the kicking away would depend on his mood, if Nessa's words were anything to go by.
"Most likely, your parents already met a bad end," Shiro said bluntly. "The one responsible is probably the gym leader."
Nessa opened her mouth but no words came out. She had suspected as much herself, yet she still clung to the hope they had left town in search of her.
"If you're worried they went somewhere looking for you..." Shiro shook his head. "Pardon me, but do they even have League ID cards? Are they Advanced-level, or at least Intermediate-level trainers?"
He recalled his own struggles sneaking from Spikemuth all the way to Hammerlocke and then looked at her once more. It didn't seem like she had any idea how hard it was for undocumented people to slip into another city. She wasn't like him, who had only joined the company after making it across.
Did they spot her in Hulbury and take her right away?
Impressive…
The thought crossed his mind, and he added, "From Hulbury, the only real way out is through Galar Mine No. 2 to Hammerlocke. The western Route 5 crosses all the way through Galar to Turffield, and that place isn't much of a city. Not worth the risk. The mine is still being developed. There must be plenty of League staff and company workers along the way, checking IDs and League cards. If you really want the details, just ask Oleana. She will know."
She lowered her head, deep in thought. Shiro studied her a bit, then questioned, "Anything else you want to ask?"
"I..." She raised her head slowly, her eyes meeting his. After a brief silence under his gaze, she whispered, "I don't know if I can beat Lina. If I fail..."
"Why would you think like that?" Shiro frowned at her words. "There are four of us. The company's mission is to reach the Champion Cup and defeat the Gym Leaders. You're strong, a water-type trainer at the Gym-level. A simple roadblock challenge should be no problem for you."
She hesitated, then spoke quietly. "There are four of us... but I've always felt out of place."
"Huh?" Shiro blinked, still not being able to understand her.
Out of place? She didn't fit in? Was her relationship with the others that bad? He didn't think so.
Seeing his confusion, she explained, "Allister has an Elite-level mentor guiding him since childhood. Marvin may have started later, but he's still the son of a gym leader."
"And what about me?" Shiro pointed to himself with a faint smile.
A cheater? Was that what she meant? Not quite.
Sure, reaching this point had a lot of luck: getting the Dragon Scale, meeting Drakloak, even stumbling upon the Rusted Sword and Shield and the Unown. But those chances weren't something just anyone could seize. He'd faced plenty of danger to get here.
"You're a genius," Nessa said in a heavy tone, her expression dejected. "Whether it's capturing, training Pokémon, or battling."
She had actually studied his battles carefully. Every fight was flawless, as if he was playing a game where victory was certain.
**
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