Chapter 119

Kazuki led Suzie and Misty in the direction guided by his Aura Power.

After pushing through a thicket, he heard noises.

Moments later, the trio spotted a Pidgeotto chasing a Diglett.

Huh? What's going on?

Logically, Pokémon shouldn't be attacking Diglett here...

Kazuki was puzzled by the Pidgeotto's pursuit.

But this was the perfect opportunity to earn the Diglett's favor.

"Suzie! Now's our chance! Have Vulpix help drive off that Pidgeotto!"

"This'll boost your chances of catching it!"

"Oh! Got it!" Suzie followed Kazuki's advice and immediately sent out Vulpix.

Suzie's Vulpix was already an Elite-tier Pokémon at level 35, with impressive combat prowess.

However, since Suzie had mostly participated in showcases, it lacked some battle experience.

Still, dealing with this Pidgeotto was as simple as a single Flamethrower.

The rescued Diglett glanced back at Suzie, hesitated for a moment, then scurried over to her.

"Diglett! Diglett!"

The Diglett chattered frantically at Suzie, clearly distressed.

Without any special abilities, Suzie couldn't fully understand Pokémon that weren't her own.

Faced with the panicked Diglett, she had no idea what it was saying.

"You... you're really scared, huh? Diglett, don't... don't worry! Vulpix and I will protect you!" Suzie was slowly grasping what Kazuki and Misty meant by "special captures."

"It says there's a whole group of hypnotized Pokémon behind it and that we need to leave with it right now!" Kazuki translated the Diglett's words using his Aura Power.

"No wonder! So they're using Hypnosis to force Pokémon to attack Diglett!"

"K-Kazuki! Look over there—something's charging this way!" Misty pointed nervously at the rustling bushes in the distance.

An Elite-tier Nidorino burst through the bushes first, followed closely by Gary.

"Hahaha! The glory of defeating these pests belongs to me, Gary Oak!"

The Nidorino's aggressive stance terrified the Diglett, which immediately burrowed underground.

When Gary spotted Kazuki, he froze for a second before breaking into a smirk.

"Kazuki, didn't you say you wouldn't stoop to this task?"

"What are you doing here then? Trying to steal my glory?"

"Listen, my Pokémon just got healed at the Pokémon Center!"

"But this Nidorino's already level 33—I'm not scared of your little yellow rat!"

Kazuki, now aware of Gary's Pokémon's level, saw an opportunity.

"If you want a battle, we can have a proper one tomorrow in an open area!"

"Right now, I'm not interested in a fight against a hypnotized Pokémon!"

"Otherwise, you'll just make excuses after losing!"

Kazuki deliberately provoked Gary by challenging him, knowing his competitive nature.

Gary took the bait instantly. "Fine! Tomorrow, we'll settle this fair and square!"

"But we haven't finished this Diglett hunt yet!"

"Your little Diglett's already run off!"

Gary was still fixated on the task.

"Diglett hunt?" Kazuki glanced at the burrow.

"What if I told you there's an entire colony of Diglett and Dugtrio behind this?"

"They're protecting this forest's ecosystem!"

"If that reservoir gets built, thousands of Pokémon habitats will be flooded!"

"Still want to keep hunting them?"

"What? Seriously?" Gary had only taken the job for the reward—his allowance had been cut recently, and he was feeling the pinch.

But Kazuki's words made him realize the wild Pokémon he'd disturbed along the way.

As Professor Oak's grandson, Gary would never willingly harm Pokémon habitats.

As for the reward money, he still had enough savings—he just wasn't used to budgeting.

Plus, with no recent achievements, he was too embarrassed to ask his grandfather for more.

Spotting the Diglett bounty had seemed like easy cash while his other Pokémon were recovering.

After a moment's thought, Gary recalled his Nidorino.

"Fine, whatever. Weak Diglett aren't worth my time anyway. Later!"

"Oh, and Kazuki! There's a whole crowd of trainers behind me—not everyone's as rich as me, y'know!"

"Hope you brought enough Pokémon to handle them!"

"And save one for our battle tomorrow! I won't accept any excuses!"

With a dramatic flourish, Gary strode off into the forest.

"Staryu, Starmie, Oddish, Psyduck! Go!"

Misty released all her land-capable Pokémon at once.

"What are you doing, Misty?" Kazuki asked, confused.

"Didn't Gary say a bunch of trainers are coming?"

"Aren't we protecting the Diglett? I'm getting ready to fight!"

"Yeah! The Diglett are defending this forest—we can't let them get hurt!" Suzie chimed in, equally fired up.

Kazuki burst out laughing. "There are dozens of skilled trainers coming! You two think this is a wild Pokémon horde?"

"We need to reason with them first!"

"Then we'll teach the stubborn ones a lesson!"

"You really think five Pokémon can take on a hundred?"

Quack? Quack quack!

Hearing "a hundred," Psyduck immediately waddled backward in panic.

"Now it's four against a hundred!"

Misty stomped her foot. "Psyduck! You're impossible! Get back here!"

Quaaack~

Psyduck reluctantly shuffled forward, hiding behind Starmie.

"Alright, listen to me—talk first, fight if needed. Got it?"

"Okay!" Misty and Suzie, impressed by Kazuki's calmness, nodded obediently.

But before they could meet the oncoming trainers, a rumbling sound erupted behind them.

The Diglett and Dugtrio colony surged forward, pushing mounds of earth ahead of them.

"Ah! What's that?!" Misty yelped, hastily recalling her Pokémon.

The first Squirtle to emerge from the bushes was so startled it snapped out of its hypnosis.

Using their terrain advantage, the Diglett species overwhelmed the trainers' Pokémon one after another.

Gary, halfway down the path, ducked into the bushes in alarm.

"Wh-what the—?!"

"Is there a legendary Ground-type here?"

"Oh? Then I'll—"

He patted his pockets, then deflated. "Ugh, why do I only have Nidorino right now?!"

Defeated by his lack of options, Gary stayed hidden.

Moments later, as the Diglett horde stampeded past with trainers in tow, his jaw dropped.

"Th-this is a Diglett swarm?!"

He wiped sweat from his forehead.

"If Kazuki hadn't stopped me earlier... that'd be me getting bulldozed!"

"Yikes, these bounty missions are dangerous!"

"Whatever, I'll just tighten my budget."

"Better stay away from these jobs!"

Gary slunk off down a side path, abandoning the main trail.

Misty and Suzie were equally stunned, only snapping out of it once the Diglett were gone.

"Guess we worried for nothing!"

"Diglett are this strong?!"

The spectacle had completely changed Misty's perception of the species.

Kazuki, who'd recorded the event, added, "Yep."

"Let's go. Those trainers learned their lesson—they'll leave by tomorrow."

Suzie watched the retreating Diglett and sighed. "Maybe they belong here more than we thought."

"I hope they can protect this place and stop the reservoir!"

She could only offer a prayer in her heart.

Back at the hot spring town, Kazuki immediately began editing the footage and compiling the Diglett incident report.

Learning he was working on the reservoir issue, Misty insisted on staying up with him.

After finishing, Kazuki sent the materials to Professor Oak.

The professor, obsessed with rare Pokémon phenomena, routinely stayed up until midnight studying Kazuki's findings.

So he responded almost instantly.

Reading the email, the drowsy professor shot upright.

He grabbed his phone and started calling his League contacts.

Once Kazuki received Oak's reply, he shut down his devices and prepared to rest.

Misty was struggling to keep her eyes open, fingers propping up her eyelids.

Chuckling, Kazuki kissed his drowsy girlfriend and headed to bed.

"Mmm... done?" Misty mumbled.

"Mmhmm," Kazuki whispered.

"I-I wasn't sleeping! I was... keeping you company..." Misty slurred.

"Got it. Time for bed now."

"Mmm... cuddles..." Her arms instinctively wrapped around him.

"Alright. Sleep well. Thanks for staying up, sweetheart."

"Not tired... you worked harder... love you, Kazuki..."

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