Natsuhiko paused momentarily, then walked forward with steady steps.
And naturally, his appearance caught the attention of several Magma Team members opposite him.
"Captain Yamauchi, it's him, Zhenwu. I saw him enter here earlier with Nanmu and Ishino, then Nanmu and Ishino came out, holding the Pokeballs of the three Shimono members," said a slim, rat-faced fellow in a fawning whisper to the leader beside him.
Just like Nanmu and Ishino thought they could hang onto Natsuhiko's "big leg," Yamauchi, as an Elite Captain, is naturally the one being flattered by other Magma Team members.
Upon hearing the thin man's words, Yamauchi's eyes flashed, and he nodded indifferently.
Natsuhiko walked beside the Salazzle; the conversation opposite wasn't very quiet, making it easy for him, a Superpower User, to hear.
He had considered that some of his Pokémon might attract unwanted attention and be coveted, causing trouble, so he tried his best to keep Togetic and others from appearing.
But he never imagined that the ones drawing attention would be Salandit and Salazzle, which, in his view, were at most "tools."
Ultimately, he had somewhat overestimated the quality of the lower and middle-level members of the Magma Team.
When Nanmu and Ishino showed greed upon seeing Salandit use Dragon's Fluctuation, Natsuhiko had considered it.
But he felt they were just regular members, coming to get defeated.
He hadn't expected even Elite Trainers would take notice.
Typically, those at the Elite Trainer level would not fancy Pokémon with little potential for development.
Either the quality of this Elite Trainer's Pokémon isn't high,
Or they coveted the rarity of Salazzle.
"Are you Zhenwu?" Yamauchi sized up Natsuhiko.
Natsuhiko showed no response, merely observing him quietly.
Seeing Natsuhiko unmoved, Yamauchi raised his eyebrows and then said with a smile:
"I ask you, what happened to Benwu and Jing Tian, your teammates? Also, where are the three Shimono members originally responsible for clearing this area?"
As he spoke, he slowly squinted his eyes, his gaze sharper, and he asked again in a stern voice, "Did you take them out?! Do you know it's a serious crime to act privately against members of the organization?!"
After hearing his words, Natsuhiko smiled.
Quite capable of maneuvering.
First, place a figurative crown on him. Whether true or not, let him bear such a reputation, and no matter what follows, there will be a suitable excuse.
"These Pokémon are ones you've grabbed recently, aren't they? The signs of them being Wild Pokémon are still very apparent."
Upon hearing this, Natsuhiko realized.
It's said that no matter how arrogant a person is, they would still fear or dread upon seeing a Gym Leader Level Pokémon, right?
But if that Gym Leader Level Pokémon was captured recently and has a low affinity with the Trainer, it's different.
Natsuhiko indeed hadn't trained Salazzle and Salandit.
Naturally, in some of their actions and behavior, it's easy to spot their habits from when they were still Wild Pokémon.
And the same goes for Gym Leader Level Pokémon; the affinity with the Trainer determines how much strength can be exerted, which can vary greatly.
The person in front apparently believes that the Salazzle and Salandit belonging to Natsuhiko have low affinity with him, making it difficult to exert their full strength even in battle, thus feeling bold.
Normally, regular Wild Pokémon cannot defeat Gym Leader Level Pokémon trained by Trainers, as there would be significant gaps in tactical literacy, technique mastery, and the timing of technique usage.
Seeing Natsuhiko remaining silent, Yamauchi continued, "I'll give you a chance. You keep those Elite Level Pokémon, and hand over this Gym Leader Level Pokémon's Pokeball. I can recommend you to join Nether Fire's command, and maybe gain the chance to be promoted to Elite Captain in the future."
Ultimately, it was Natsuhiko's Salazzle that caught their eye.
"Alright." Natsuhiko finally spoke.
And he directly agreed to the request.
"I can... huh?" Yamauchi obviously did not expect Natsuhiko to agree so straightforwardly and was a bit surprised.
Then, Natsuhiko expressionlessly placed a Pokeball on the ground, "You can take it."
As he spoke, he took a step back, gesturing invitingly.
Yamauchi gave Natsuhiko a deep look, not quite understanding his intention.
But he still signaled to the "mouse" who relayed the information beside him, indicating that he should step forward to take it.
The fellow nicknamed "Mouse" swallowed lightly, eyes filled with greed as he looked at the Pokeball on the ground, his body slightly twitching and rigidly moving forward, carefully watching Natsuhiko to guard against any sudden movement.
Yet Natsuhiko just crossed his arms and stood still, silently watching the movement.
Due to caution, the movement was slow.
Seeing Natsuhiko showed no sign of making a move, Yamauchi's gaze flickered, urging, "Hurry up!"
At this point, a Magma Team member behind Yamauchi sniffed and suddenly said puzzled, "It smells sweet. Is someone using Sweet Fragrance to attract Wild Pokémon?"
Splat—
The "Mouse" touched the Pokeball on the ground, his expression relaxing, and joy sparked in his eyes.