Chapter 41: The abandoned Sneasel

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As the danger closed in, Officer Jenny barely managed to turn halfway around. Growlithe leaped but couldn't reach in time. One human and one Pokémon could only watch helplessly as the sharp claws approached.

Growlithe's eyes were full of urgency, but Officer Jenny's gaze remained fearless, her eyes resolute as she prepared to take the ambush head-on.

"Ka-ka-ka!"

At that moment, a strange cry came from underground, and a white figure burst out of the ground. Its purple claws clashed fiercely with the shadowy attacker's claws in the dense fog. 

After a crisp sound, both sides were forced to retreat.

Officer Jenny, who narrowly escaped harm, turned to see the little one behind her. She paused, then remembered—it was the creature that man had thrown out of his bag by the river earlier! 

Who would have thought this little guy would save her at such a critical moment?

On the outskirts, Liam shook his head as the white mist spread. "Officer Jenny still lacks enough battle experience," he mused. Glancing behind him, he noticed a hole had quietly appeared on the ground, and his backpack was missing one occupant: Gible.

"Gible! Use Sandstorm to disperse the fog!" Liam commanded sharply.

"Ka-ka!"

Gible's familiar cry echoed through the mist, followed by a powerful sandstorm sweeping through it. 

The dense white fog quickly dissipated, revealing the figures concealed within—the fugitive and his Pokémon.

"Damn it! That brat ruined my plan! Sneasel, return!" the gray-cloaked fugitive growled, calling back the Sneasel whose cover had been blown.

"Sneasel!"

The ambusher in the fog turned out to be a Sneasel. Its speed allowed it to leap back to its trainer in a few quick bounds, glaring menacingly at Liam. Its sharp claws gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Liam felt a chill when he saw Sneasel. 

He had anticipated a trick when the fog rose and sent Gible underground to counter it. But he hadn't expected the ambush to come from a Sneasel. 

Thankfully, Sneasel had only used moves like Slash—had it used Ice-type moves, Gible, with its Dragon and Ground typing, would have taken quadruple damage.

As the fog cleared, Gible halted its Sandstorm. Liam approached Officer Jenny, holding two PokéBalls in hand.

"Mysterious guy, strange Pokémon—who the hell are you?" the fugitive growled.

Liam chuckled softly, casually waving his hand. "Just a passerby." But in his mind, he thought, I'm not telling you that you're worth 500 redemption points to me.

Moments ago, his system had issued a mission: Assist Officer Jenny in apprehending the fugitive. 

The reward? 500 redemption points and a Moon Stone shard.

Already inclined to intervene, Liam now had extra motivation.

"Just a passerby," he repeated indifferently.

The fugitive hesitated, reassessing the situation. "If you're just a passerby, then good. No need for conflict. I'll forget about your interference if you leave now." He forced a smile beneath his mask.

Before Liam could respond, Officer Jenny interrupted, "He's right. This is police business. There's no need to involve civilians. If you really want to leave, I'll hold him off. Go now!"

Liam looked her over, then smirked and tossed out his two PokéBalls.

"Nidorino, Double Kick on the small one! Arbok, Fire Fang on the big one!"

"Nido!"

"Chaaarbok!"

The two Pokémon launched their attacks immediately.

Seeing this, Officer Jenny was moved but quickly collected herself, directing Growlithe into battle. "Growlithe, use Flamethrower! We can't lose this fight!"

The sudden assault caught the fugitive off guard. He dodged, leaving his Pokémon to fend for themselves. 

Sneasel evaded Nidorino's Double Kick with its speed, but Piloswine wasn't so lucky—it took the brunt of Growlithe's Flamethrower before being bound and bitten by Arbok's Fire Fang.

"Piloswine! Return! Damn it! Sneasel, use Icy Wind at full power!"

The fugitive tried recalling Piloswine, but Arbok's grip prevented it. Frustrated, he ordered Sneasel to unleash an indiscriminate Icy Wind.

"Sneeea!"

Freezing gusts swept across the battlefield, forcing Nidorino and Arbok to retreat and shield Liam from the cold.

Liam's eyes narrowed as he spotted the fugitive trying to escape amidst the chaos. Fury surged within him. "Coward! Abandoning your Pokémon during battle?! Gible, use Dragon Rage! Stop that bastard!"

"Gible!"

Gible leaped forward, braving the cold, and unleashed a bluish-purple blast of energy. The attack streaked across the field, exploding near the fleeing fugitive.

"Sneasel!"

Hearing the explosion, Sneasel faltered, looking back to see its trainer far away, unconscious from the blast. A mix of disbelief and anguish flickered in its eyes.

"Sneasel, this battle is meaningless now. Your trainer has abandoned you. He's unworthy of being your partner. There's no need to keep fighting," Liam said calmly as he approached.

Sneasel turned to face him, wary and confused, but didn't attack immediately.

Meanwhile, Arbok returned, dragging the unconscious fugitive wrapped in its coils. The scene felt strangely familiar...