"Stop right there!"
Ron shouted, his voice booming like a thunderclap. At that moment, the Machamp beside him released a wave of Elite Four-level pressure that swept across the square like a storm.
Under this terrifying aura, the townsfolk who had been attacking Absol froze in place, their limbs trembling uncontrollably.
"Are you okay?"
Dwight approached Absol, clearly shaken, yet determined. He gently stroked the Disaster Pokémon's head with trembling fingers.
As he stepped closer, Ron activated his Fighting Aura, scanning Absol's condition. He sensed it was at Level 20—a solid match for someone like Dwight to begin bonding with.
Ron stared into Absol's eyes. In that gaze, he found his answer. This Absol didn't resist Dwight's affectionate gesture—not because of fear, but because it sensed his sincerity. Despite being strangers, there was a mutual understanding.
He handed Dwight a Poké Ball. "Here. I'm not going to make the decision for you—but the choice is yours, and Absol's."
Dwight simply nodded, accepting the Poké Ball without a word. His eyes never left Absol. He stood there in silence, letting the moment speak for itself.
"Who are you?! Why are you protecting that demon?!"
"Yeah! Are you with that monster or something?!"
Their fear turning to anger, some townspeople began shouting now that a few had broken the silence. Some even grabbed stones, preparing to throw them at Ron.
But what they didn't realize was that they were far out of their depth.
While the ignorant masses fumed, the stationed police officers and local Trainers recognized the danger: this man wasn't just anyone. He was a quasi-Elite Four Trainer—perhaps even higher. Someone who could level their entire village and leave no trace.
Before the officers could intervene, Ron struck first.
"Enough noise."
His words came like a gunshot. In sync, Machamp stepped forward and unleashed Daytime Tiger.
A shockwave erupted.
The force alone sent several of the loudest villagers flying into the air before they came crashing down like ragdolls. Others nearby were knocked to the ground by the blast, suffering injuries of varying severity.
And still, Machamp held back—those farther away were unharmed, but the sheer presence of such overwhelming power left them paralyzed with fear.
These people had dared to attack Absol for two reasons: they believed the presence of Trainers would protect them, and Absol had never once retaliated. That only emboldened their cruelty.
But they had misjudged their target this time.
"You say one more word," Ron said coldly, "and I will kill every last one of you."
There was no need to raise his voice. He spoke plainly—but anyone could tell he meant every word. And unlike the others, the police and Trainers knew: if Ron wanted to wipe out this village, he could... and the League would never trace it back to him.
As the square fell silent again, Ron stepped back and waited for Dwight's answer, not saying another word.
No one dared move. Even those who'd been injured by the blast didn't dare seek help. Fear outweighed pain.
Finally, Dwight broke the silence.
"Come with me, Absol."
With gentle resolve, he tossed the Poké Ball forward. It opened with a click—Absol entered without resistance.
Ron wasn't surprised. What did surprise him, though, was how deliberate his words had been.
Four words. He counted them carefully.
He almost wanted him to repeat it, just so he could write it down.
"Absol, from now on, let's protect Master Ron together, okay?"
As Ron blinked in slight disbelief, Dwight held the Poké Ball close to his chest and whispered with quiet reverence.
"You're the local police, right?"
Now that the encounter had ended, Ron turned to the side, addressing the nearby officers, who stood stiffly at attention, clearly on edge but too afraid to make a move.
"Yes, y-yes sir! Is there something you need from us?" one of them stammered out, trying to hide the tension in his voice.
Ron raised an eyebrow, amused by their nervousness.
"No need to be so uptight. If I meant any harm, this wouldn't have ended with just a few injuries."
He glanced at the townsfolk who had been involved in the earlier scuffle and then turned back to the officers.
"Word of advice—if you've taken it upon yourselves to protect this town, then teach your people to think twice before they act. One day they might provoke the wrong person, and they won't even realize how they died."
"Oh, and for the record—my name's Ron, from Kanto. Feel free to report my appearance here to the League, along with the fact that I injured some of your townsfolk."
He gave a firm pat on one officer's shoulder, almost like an afterthought.
"Wait… you're Ron? The Ron—the one who turned the tide against Team Aqua?" the officer suddenly asked, his fear vanishing, replaced by awe.
"That's me," Ron replied casually. "Though I wasn't the deciding factor—those League trainers were the real heroes."
"Please, don't be modest! Your exploits were all over the news. You—"
Ron cut him off before the officer could fully shift into fanboy mode.
He couldn't help but think: I just showed these people what I'm capable of—and now you're idolizing me? Really?
"Alright, alright. I've got other things to do, so I'll be on my way. I'm leaving the rest of this mess to you."
"Yes, sir! Safe travels!"
Now that's not just a fanboy. That's a full-on bootlicker, Ron thought dryly but kept the comment to himself. Without another word, he turned and left the town with White by his side.
After what had just happened, there was no way Ron was sticking around to restock in that town again.
As his figure disappeared down the road, the officer watched in silent admiration. To him, Ron seemed larger than life. He didn't even view Ron's earlier attack as reckless violence—but rather as a wake-up call to the townsfolk, a warning to steer clear of the real dangers that lurked in the world.
What the officer didn't know was that Ron had actually contemplated killing him. Fortunately for him, Ron hadn't been given a reason to follow through.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the town, Ron turned to Dwight.
"Alright, let's bring out your Absol. I want to check if it sustained any internal injuries."
"Okay," Dwight nodded.
With a flash of light, Absol appeared before them.
Ron extended his hand toward Absol's head. Perhaps influenced by Dwight's calm demeanor, the Disaster Pokémon didn't flinch or resist—allowing Ron to gently rest his palm against its fur.
Ron activated his Fighting Aura, channeling it as a warm, soothing current that flowed through Absol's body. As someone who had lived alone in the wild, Absol had built up several deep-seated injuries, but the aura worked quickly to heal them.
The warmth and comfort visibly relaxed Absol, who closed its eyes contentedly.
Watching this, Dwight felt a sudden desire to experience that sensation himself—to feel that healing energy.
Sensing his thoughts, her Gardevoir stepped forward and gently placed a small hand on his head, soothing him with an empathetic touch.
One day later, a devastating landslide struck the area, burying most of the town beneath rubble. Those who failed to react in time suffered heavy casualties.
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