"Where to next?"
Ron's question hung in the air as Dwight didn't respond right away. Instead, he knelt to examine the faint traces left nearby.
The fact that Ron had stopped here to ask meant there must be some clue—evidence from their target's escape.
"To the right."
A full minute passed before Dwight finally gave his answer.
Slow by tactical standards—but for someone just starting to apply his tracking knowledge, it was a solid effort.
"Well done. You did great."
"Gardevoir, continue the pursuit."
With Gardevoir's psychic detection abilities, Ron didn't need to worry about losing the trail.
What he didn't notice, however, was the flicker of joy in Dwight's otherwise calm eyes when praised.
From that point on, Ron began using the signs left behind by their fleeing target as a kind of exam—testing Dwight's comprehension of what he had been taught.
In practice, Dwight quickly grasped and internalized Ron's teachings. Still, when it came to navigating traps, his lack of field experience sometimes led to minor misjudgments.
But that wasn't a problem. In fact, it gave Ron the perfect opportunity to teach Dwight something new.
While Ron and Dwight enjoyed their quiet mentorship in stride, the fleeing Zon was having no such peace of mind.
Thankfully, he was near a town he vaguely remembered—one that offered a slim hope for survival.
If he could just make it close enough, slip into the crowd, and blend in as a local... maybe he could live.
The only thing that puzzled Zon was: who exactly was chasing him?
They weren't Rangers, and they didn't act like Pokémon Hunters.
He wracked his brain but couldn't figure it out. The truth was far more humiliating—he was being hunted down not out of justice or revenge, but simply as a teaching prop.
"All right, Dwight. That's the end of today's lesson. Any longer and he'll make it into the town."
"Remember what you've learned today and everything I've taught you along the way. I expect an even better performance next time."
"Yes. Understood."
"Well then... let's begin your final lesson for today. Gardevoir—Teleport."
With Ron's command, Gardevoir initiated a rapid chain of Teleports, instantly bringing Ron and Dwight to Zon's path—cutting him off before he reached safety.
Zon, who had just glimpsed the promise of salvation, went pale when Ron and Dwight suddenly materialized in front of him.
"Bellossom—take down his Pokémon. Gardevoir—lock him in place!"
Ron didn't even give Zon a chance to speak. At once, Bellossom struck, and Gardevoir followed up with a psychic bind.
Zon was only a quasi-Elite Four level Trainer. His strongest Pokémon wasn't even a match for Bellossom, losing in a single exchange.
With his main protector defeated, Zon's fate was sealed.
Gardevoir easily immobilized him with its psychic grip, and while Zon watched helplessly, Ron began to strip him of everything—possessions, items, even Poké Balls—right before his eyes.
"Go ahead, Dwight. This is your final lesson for the day. Kill him."
Ron pulled out a dagger and placed it in front of Dwight with a tone of encouragement—like a father teaching a child to ride a bike.
"Yes."
Dwight didn't hesitate. He calmly took the dagger from Ron and walked toward Zon.
With Gardevoir holding him still, Zon couldn't even speak. He could only plead with his eyes—desperately.
But Dwight ignored the unspoken begging.
He drove the blade straight into Zon's throat.
The dagger was razor-sharp. Even with his small frame, Dwight had no trouble ending the man's life in one clean stroke.
He tilted to the side to avoid the blood spray and pulled the blade out quickly, keeping his clothes clean.
After all, Ron had given him those clothes, and Dwight didn't want them stained by a man like Zon. That was all that mattered to him.
Watching Dwight move from start to finish without flinching or changing expression, Ron began to imagine the kind of life the boy must have lived before.
"This dagger is yours now. For self-defense... and for killing."
Ron wiped the blood off with a cloth and handed over a sheath along with the weapon.
"Alright."
Maybe because of his past, Dwight didn't speak much. His tone remained flat, his expression unreadable.
But to Ron, that was perfectly fine.
"Let's go. We'll restock in the next town," Ron said after quickly tidying up the aftermath of their battle.
"Mm."
Well, that was just one syllable again.
Ron couldn't help but think so after hearing Dwight's typically terse reply.
It wasn't long before they arrived at a small town nestled at the foot of the mountains.
"Did you hear the news?"
"What news?"
"The Harbinger of Misfortune. They say it appeared outside the village again yesterday."
"What!? That means another family's been cursed!?"
"Not exactly... But I heard some folks say this time, when the disaster strikes, it's going to be worse than ever."
"Damn it... Why does that cursed thing keep coming to our village!?"
Just as they stepped into the town, Ron overheard villagers murmuring in alarm.
For some reason, the phrase Harbinger of Misfortune made Ron feel strangely uneasy.
Just as he was about to ask someone what this Harbinger actually was, a shout rang out.
"It's the Har... Harbinger of Misfortune!?"
Someone had turned pale, staring directly toward Ron's direction, voice trembling.
Almost instantly, Ron's expression darkened.
"Seriously? What are you, a spiritualist? You think you can just look at me and declare I'm some bringer of doom? Where's your evidence?"
Of course, Ron didn't actually say that out loud. Instead, he followed the terrified villager's gaze—out toward the edge of town.
There, standing silently, was a small white Pokémon.
"Absol," Ron muttered.
Though its image was a bit hazy, Ron recognized it instantly.
Absol, a Dark-type Pokémon, known for its pure white fur—except for its face, tail, claws, and the sickle-like horn on its head, which were all a pale steel-blue.
That horn, sharp and curved, wasn't just for show. It possessed the unique ability to sense impending disasters.
Because of that ability, Absol was widely regarded as a harbinger of misfortune, a Pokémon that brought calamity wherever it went. But few people knew the truth: Absol didn't bring disaster—it warned of it.
Seeing the Absol, Ron immediately pieced together what had happened.
It had probably tried to warn the villagers about an incoming threat—but they, misunderstanding, believed the Pokémon itself was the danger.
No doubt the local Trainers had tried to explain, but from the looks of it, their efforts hadn't done much.
Sometimes, people only believe what they see with their own eyes. They won't be swayed by the truth of outsiders.
"Get out of here!"
"Why'd you come back!? Haven't you already brought enough disaster on us!?"
After a moment's hesitation, one of the townsfolk stepped forward and hurled a stone at Absol.
That was all it took.
More followed suit, emboldened by the first thrower. After all, in their minds, if the Absol fought back, the town's Trainers would protect them—and if it didn't, they'd be seen as heroes for standing up to it.
"Let's go, Dwight," Ron said, noting the look in the young man's eyes. "Looks like you've just found your first Pokémon."
Plans were never set in stone. And since fate had led them here... Ron didn't mind giving destiny a little nudge.
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