A large wolfhound surrounding Lalulas suddenly raised its head and took a deep sniff. Its ferocious eyes instantly locked onto the direction of the bushes.
The reaction of the other wolfhound was even more aggressive. It opened its mouth wide and launched a Shadow Ball at the bushes.
The dark purple energy sphere shot forward at an incredible speed. Albus barely had time to react before he felt a heavy impact on his chest.
Nima! He had only wanted to ask for directions—there was no need to be so ruthless!
The sudden commotion caught the attention of two men standing nearby, and they quickly turned toward Albus, who had been knocked to the ground.
"Roar."
The large wolfhound growled deeply, pressing its strong front legs onto Albus's chest. Its sharp eyes bore into him with hostility.
"Gah!"
Seeing Albus attacked, Will Young's usual dazed expression shifted. A white glow flickered in his eyes, and in the next instant, blue rings materialized around his body.
The air around them turned restless, and an indescribable pressure filled the atmosphere.
"What is that?!" One of the men behind the wolfhound gasped in shock.
That Pokémon, that oppressive aura… He had never seen anything like it before!
No one answered him. The next second, countless bluish-white flashes of energy burst from the glowing rings around Will Young, striking both wolfhounds with frightening precision.
Albus stared, dumbfounded.
Isn't that the Root Wave of Zampa?!
Lalulas watched the scene unfold, its gaze shifting between Albus and Will Young.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
The area before them transformed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Trees, grass, and plants all decomposed, destroyed and annihilated within seconds.
The two wolfhounds collapsed, barely clinging to life.
When everything settled, Albus swallowed hard.
The sheer power of this move was outrageous!
He slowly stood up and turned toward Will Young.
After using the attack, Will Young had returned to his usual vacant expression, perching on Albus's shoulder as if nothing had happened.
The two men finally snapped out of their shock, glancing at each other with fear written all over their faces.
That wide-ranged attack had barely missed them.
Looking at the wolfhounds—completely defeated in one strike—they dared not even imagine what would happen if they had been hit.
Realizing their predicament, they exchanged glances, then immediately turned to flee.
But before they could escape, a figure materialized in front of them—graceful yet filled with arrogance.
Albert.
His eyes glowed with a layer of blue light, and with a flick of psychic power, he lifted the two men off the ground and slammed them against a thick tree trunk.
A dull thud followed, and both men fell unconscious instantly.
Fast.
Albus barely had time to react before a flash of white light appeared before him. Albert had teleported above him in an instant.
Psychic energy condensed into a tangible blade, poised to strike down—
Suddenly, a small figure stepped between Albus and Albert.
Lalulas.
Albus quickly backed away from the dangerously aggressive Albert.
Lalulas spoke anxiously to Albert.
After a brief exchange, the psychic blade in front of Albert dissipated. He gave up the attack and turned toward Lalulas with a serious expression, his gaze resembling a mother reprimanding her child.
Lalulas let out a soft cry, glancing back at Albus one last time before vanishing with Albert using teleportation.
"Whoo…"
Albus exhaled deeply.
Clearly, Albert had mistaken him for being in league with those two men.
The Pokémon world is really too dangerous. He had just wanted to ask for directions!
Albus turned his attention to Will Young.
So… was that an automatic protection mechanism triggered when he was attacked?
"Use the Root Wave again," he tested.
"Gah?" Will Young tilted his head and covered it with his wings, looking at Albus with his usual vacant expression.
Albus: "…"
He gave up trying to communicate and walked toward the two injured wolfhounds.
[Species: Great Wolfhound ♂]
Type: Dark
Ability: Overconfidence
Base Stats: 420 (HP: 70, Attack: 90, Defense: 70, Special Attack: 60, Special Defense: 60, Speed: 70)
Known Moves: Crunch, Thief, Sand Attack, Roar, Shadow Ball
Current Status: Unconscious (Unable to perceive surroundings)
Physical Condition: Seriously injured (Cannot recover naturally)
Dying (Will die if left untreated)
Friendliness: -50 (Caution! It considers you an enemy and will attack if it regains consciousness)
One-hit KO with massive destructive power…
Even Albus was stunned by the abilities of the Pokémon he had modified.
With maxed-out stats in all categories, it even surpassed Zampa's highest recorded stat totals.
This kind of absurdly overpowered existence appearing in a game… As the creator, he owed Game Freak an apology!
If only Will Young could communicate with him properly. Albus sighed in regret.
After grasping the sheer destruction Will Young was capable of, Albus stood and approached the two unconscious men.
He checked their breathing.
Still alive.
Nodding, he stripped off their shirts, twisted them into makeshift ropes, and tied them securely to two trees.
Then, he searched their belongings and lined up everything he found on the ground.
Two empty standard Poké Balls, a black communication device resembling a walkie-talkie, a few bottles of wound medicine, a wallet containing Union Coins, and a boat ticket to Melbourne City.
"Melbourne City… So this is the Hoenn region?" Albus murmured as he examined the ticket.
Were these two affiliated with Team Magma or Team Aqua?
No, their uniforms didn't match.
At that moment, a crackling noise came from the walkie-talkie, followed by a woman's voice.
"Sydney, have you got it? The auction is ready, and we need Lalulas now!"
Albus remained silent.
The voice on the other end sensed something was wrong.
"Sydney?"
"He's asleep," Albus said in a low voice. "Just tell me what you need."
"???"
The person on the other end grew wary and immediately cut off the communication.
Just then, the unconscious man stirred.
Albus set down the walkie-talkie and said casually, "Wake up, or I won't mind feeding you to this dead fish behind me."
The man jolted awake. He glanced at his defeated partner and then at Will Young, who perched innocently on Albus's shoulder.
A chill ran down his spine.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice shaky.
"Simple," Albus said, crossing his arms. "Answer my questions."