At that moment, Gardevoir's pale purple eyes flickered...
Her tone paused mid-sentence as if sensing something, and she turned her head to look at the wall directly opposite the bed.
Hanging on the wall was an elegant pastoral painting depicting several relaxed Miltank lounging in the grass under the sun.
"What's wrong?" Caleb was taken aback and followed Gardevoir's gaze.
The next second, a blue light flashed in Gardevoir's eyes as she activated Psychic, forcibly yanking the painting (frame and all) off the wall.
*Clatter!*
A crisp sound rang out as a small square-shaped micro-camera fell from the wall and landed on the floor.
"Someone was spying on you," Gardevoir stated.
Caleb frowned and immediately crushed the camera under his foot. Then, without hesitation, he pulled out another set of clothes from his inventory and changed into them...
...
Meanwhile, in another dimly lit room within the same inn, the white-haired old woman who had guided Caleb earlier narrowed her eyes sharply...
Watching the now-blackened surveillance feed, she yanked open a drawer, retrieving a kinetic assault rifle and a button-shaped communication device.
"Block the windows and back door! Don't let the prey escape! This is a fucking huge payday!" She spat, stuffing the comm device into her ear while keeping her voice low.
Gripping the rifle firmly, she strode toward the upstairs with steady, purposeful steps.
"A Gardevoir that speaks human language… A shiny Dragonite... A Lucario…"
Even in Rocket City's largest underground black market, these Pokémon were priceless rarities...
....
"Someone's coming," Gardevoir said calmly, her psychic senses scanning the surroundings before reopening her eyes to address Caleb...
The cheap inn's soundproofing was abysmal. Just as Caleb was about to speak, the moans and gasps from the neighboring room abruptly flooded in.
His train of thought stuttered for a second before he decisively pulled out Dragonite's Poké Ball, preparing to make his exit. Until he fully grasped how far this world had fallen, he couldn't afford to draw too much attention.
"We're leaving. Get back for now!" Caleb motioned to Gardevoir, then pushed open the window.
But just as he was about to release Dragonite...
*DRRRATATATAT!!!*
A barrage of gunfire erupted from below.
Incendiary alloy bullets, glowing crimson like fire snakes, pierced through the wall beside the window, embedding themselves deep into the plaster.
"F*ck!" Caleb ducked aside just as the window shattered from the onslaught.
The sudden gunfire shattered the night's quiet, and the suggestive noises next door cut off abruptly.
In the hallway, the old woman sped up at the sound of gunfire... her movements nothing like the frail elder she had pretended to be.
"Mimikyu!"
With heavy suppressive fire outside and footsteps closing in, Caleb abandoned the idea of escape.
He killed the lights, summoned Mimikyu from its Poké Ball, and barked an order, "Double Team first, then Shadow Sneak!"
Mimikyu nodded solemnly, its body splitting into a dozen clones in an instant while its true form melted into the shadows, blending seamlessly with the darkness.
*Creak*
Caleb swung the door open.
The moment Mimikyu's clones spilled into the hallway, another deafening volley of bullets erupted.
The old woman cradled her rifle like a lover. Due to her short stature, she had to brace the stock against her sagging chest, using her entire body to absorb the recoil.
The stench of death permeated the inn...
Mimikyu's clones were shredded instantly, the bullets embedding into the walls with a sickening *thunk-thunk-thunk*.
But at the same time, Mimikyu's true form, which lurked in the shadows, materialized behind the old woman.
It leaped up and delivered a brutal strike to her lower back.
"ARGH!"
The old woman howled in pain, her rifle clattering to the floor and skidding a full meter away.
"Gardevoir, now!" Caleb released Gardevoir again.
Though it was just a service robot, it could still use basic Psychic-type moves like Teleport and Confusion.
Gardevoir gave a cool nod, its figure vanishing from the room and reappearing in the hallway.
Its eyes glowed blue as Psychic energy yanked the ornately patterned rifle straight into Caleb's hands.
Seizing the weapon, Caleb stepped into the hallway, recalled Mimikyu, and kicked the old woman who was trying to crawl away back against the wall.
With the rifle slung over his shoulder and Gardevoir at his side, he bolted for the rooftop...
...
A gust of wind roared down from above...
Caleb looked up to see a high-tech airship, the kind only seen in sci-fi movies, descending from the sky.
A piercing siren blared, followed by a cold, mechanical female voice: "Drop your weapons immediately and kneel with your hands behind your head!"
At the same time, the old woman's accomplices finally reached the rooftop.
Their eyes widened in terror:
"Shit! Who called the cops?! How'd they get here so fast?!"
"Final warning. Drop your weapons and kneel!"
The thugs immediately tossed their guns aside and dropped to their knees, clasping their hands behind their heads.
Caleb didn't move. The rifle was still on his back. His right hand reached into the air and pulled out Dragonite's Poké Ball.
The airship touched down, and four heavily armored figures emerged, surrounding him with their barrels trained on his head.
"Drop the contraband! And step away from that Gardevoir!" the leader barked.
"Poké Balls are contraband? Interesting..." Caleb murmured.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he slowly crouched and placed the Poké Ball on the ground. The armed men relaxed slightly...
But in the next instant, both Caleb and Gardevoir vanished into thin air. As if they had never been there at all.
One of the men's wrists projected a holographic screen. He scanned it, frowning, "No Psychic energy traces. It wasn't Teleport."
The leader glanced at the three cowering thugs in the corner and said flatly: "Pull all surveillance footage from this inn and the surrounding streets. Then issue a city-wide BOLO. Leave no stone unturned."
"Understood!" The subordinate nodded, then glanced at the men in the corner, "What about them?"
The leader's reply was chillingly casual, "Execute them. Pests like these don't deserve to live."
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
The screams and pleas on the rooftop ended abruptly. The echoes drifted away on the cold night wind, fading into nothingness...