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The roadside was littered with dry, yellow weeds, tangled across the brown soil. Unseen insects droned weakly in the desolate fields, their calls blending into the heavy stillness of the land.
Outside the rain-streaked car window, the barren scenery rushed past in a blur.
The damp freshness of post-rain air slipped through the small gap of the half-open window, filling the SUV's cabin with a cool, cleansing breeze that eased the heavy silence inside.
Scarlet hair fluttered gently in the airflow like a flicker of living flame.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Scarlett rolled up her sleeves, her pale wrist supporting her chin as she stared out the window with dull, golden eyes. Her expression was distant, her thoughts adrift.
A faint shiver of concern flickered across her gaze as she looked toward the rearview mirror. Reflected there was a small, pitiful figure curled up on the back seat a Buneary, wrapped in bandages from its chest to its waist, its long ears drooping lifelessly as it stared blankly at the floor.
Scarlett sighed quietly, her chest tightening.
"What a poor little thing…"
That injured Pokémon had once belonged to her late teammate, Aiden.
It was a cruel twist of fate. Aiden had died trying to rescue his partner from a wild Golisopod… and the same Pokémon that had nearly killed the Buneary had taken his life instead.
Yet somehow, against all odds, the wounded creature had survived as if clinging to life out of sheer longing for its lost trainer.
Only to wake up and find him gone forever.
Scarlett lowered her head, sadness in her eyes.
"It won't eat. It won't rest in its Poké Ball. It doesn't respond to anyone…" She exhaled deeply. "Even the medical bandages it's torn them off more than once."
A painful thought crossed her mind. Maybe… it just doesn't want to live anymore.
Logic told her she couldn't let a Pokémon die like this not as a Trainer.
But emotion whispered otherwise. For Buneary, living without its partner was no life at all.
Maybe… following him would be its final peace.
Her thoughts tangled like a ball of frayed yarn. She rubbed her temples and stared blankly ahead only to notice the SUV had begun to slow.
"Why are we stopping?" she murmured.
Through the windshield, a lone figure stood in the middle of the muddy road tall and slender, wearing a sharp crimson coat that gleamed faintly beneath the gray sky.
As they drew closer, Scarlett could make out his features: a well-dressed man with golden hair, his attire immaculate a silk shirt, silver-patterned buttons, and a rounded hat trimmed with gold. Sunlight glinted off his hair, making it shine like liquid amber.
"Get off the road, idiot!" the driver barked, rolling down his window. "You trying to get yourself killed?"
This mission had already gone sideways enough times and now a stranger was blocking the path?
But the man didn't react.
He simply smiled warmly and raised a hand in friendly greeting, waving cheerfully toward the car.
Scarlett frowned, irritation mixing with unease. She was about to signal her guards to handle it when suddenly a strange chill ran through her veins.
A gut feeling.
If she ignored this… something terrible would happen.
She froze, heart hammering, and focused sharply on the man.
He looked ordinary enough refined, almost noble. No Poké Balls visible on his belt. No weapons. Nothing dangerous.
Yet every instinct in her screamed otherwise.
Trust your intuition, she thought grimly.
She tapped the driver's shoulder. "Stop the car."
Confused but obedient, the guard eased the SUV to the side of the road. Scarlett stepped out, her security detail forming a protective ring around her as she approached the stranger.
"Excuse me," she said calmly. "Is there a reason you're standing here?"
The man turned toward her with that same pleasant smile. His voice was soft gentle, even.
"Pardon me, miss. I was just wondering have you seen any… unusual Pokémon around here?"
He gestured vaguely in the air, as though sketching invisible shapes. His tone was casual, but the question sent an uneasy ripple through her chest.
Her guards frowned impatiently, muttering under their breath. If Scarlett hadn't insisted on stopping, they would've dragged the man off the road already.
But Scarlett barely heard them. Every cell in her body was trembling.
Because beneath that warm smile… she felt it.
A suffocating aura of hatred deep, ancient, and vast.
It rolled off him in invisible waves, filled with the echoes of countless dying cries.
Her blood ran cold.
It was as if a demon crouched behind her, whispering from the abyss.
She bit her lip, forcing her voice through the tightness in her throat. "…No. Haven't seen anything."
Without waiting for his response, she turned sharply on her heel and walked back toward the SUV, her legs trembling under the crushing pressure. Her guards followed quickly, still oblivious to the danger that had nearly frozen her in place.
Behind them, the man sighed softly. "Ah, I see. That's unfortunate."
Scarlett's boots splashed through puddles as she climbed back inside the car, every step deliberate, every breath shaky.
Cold sweat soaked her back, her heart pounding painfully.
Just as the engine roared to life, a voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of horror echoed behind her.
"Wait."
Her blood turned to ice.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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