"Uh..."
The staff member instantly let go of the black feather, feeling as if some demon had locked onto him, ready to drag him straight into hell.
That Corviknight... was real? Not some illusion or trick?
His mind went blank. He stood frozen in place.
Corviknight spread its wings slightly, and Ryan, reacting fast, yanked his coworker back while keeping his eyes fixed on the steel bird in front of them.
If Corviknight was still here, that meant Shiro hadn't left. He was still nearby.
Ryan scanned the forest. The trees were sparse, nowhere that looked like someone could be hiding.
Just as he was about to pull out a scanning device, Corviknight suddenly dipped its head and let out a sharp, echoing cry. The sound wave alone forced Ryan to stumble back, his body stiff from the pressure.
It was stopping him from moving?
He immediately understood the situation and stood still, not daring to act rashly. He had just finished a call with Oleana, and calling her back now would be pointless.
Ryan knew Shiro would never abandon his Corviknight. He had to be close, only stalling for time to coordinate with that ship approaching from who knows where.
This had happened several times over the past few days. Each time the details changed, but the pattern was the same. Ryan had grown used to it.
Most likely, Shiro would vanish again when the next ship arrived. The company couldn't risk gambling on when that would happen.
* * *
On the northeastern edge of Galar, a white cruise ship was slowly approaching from a distance. From the jagged, rocky shore, more than half its hull was already visible.
High above, Peony and his Bronzong were racing toward it, having just departed from Wyndon.
The moment he received Oleana's message, Peony ordered Bronzong to move at full speed. Judging by the distance, they would just make it in time.
A while later, out at sea, the cruise ship began to turn away when it was still about a kilometer from Galar's rocky coastline.
A report came through from the team stationed onshore.
"Sir Peony, the ship's turning away…"
"I know. I'm already here!"
Peony snapped through his communicator. He then blinked forward with Bronzong, appearing right in front of the massive ship, blocking its path.
Seeing him hovering in midair, the ship stopped on its own as if expecting inspection.
"Damn it..." Peony muttered, his face twisting in irritation.
It was like a rehearsed act. This was the fifth time he had intercepted a ship like this.
Every time, he had to search every corner with his Pokémon, from deck to engine room. Just the thought of another inspection made his stomach churn.
And this time, he was almost certain Shiro wasn't aboard.
Peony was aware the man had a Psychic-type Pokémon capable of teleportation. As soon as Shiro spotted him from afar, he would simply vanish.
There was no need to waste much effort. All Shiro had to do was disappear from the company's sight and they'd waste manpower and energy looking for him.
Now, the entire Galar coastline was locked down by teams and Pokémon, just to ensure they'd have a lead the next time he disappeared.
Peony snorted and ordered Bronzong to teleport back to shore.
The waves rolled endlessly. Finding no more obstacles, the cruise ship started sailing away.
"Sir..." one of the agents asked cautiously, "should we... search the ship again?"
"I already did! Nothing!" Peony barked, waving his hand impatiently before vanishing once more.
He was at least ninety percent sure Shiro was still in Galar.
If not, well, then it was just his bad luck. One man escaping wasn't the end of the world. He could just claim Shiro had developed some new ability and be done with it. That would neatly wrap up the assignment.
Peony wanted nothing more than to fly back to the Crown Tundra and see his two beloved daughters.
With Bronzong's help, he returned to Wyndon in no time.
When he reached the outskirts, Oleana's voice came through the communicator.
"We've confirmed Shiro is still in southern Wyndon. You can return now."
"Hmm." Peony grunted in response, saying nothing more.
After a brief silence, Oleana added, "There's a special task. I want you to find Shiro."
"Got it." Peony ended the call.
* * *
In the southern forest of Wyndon, Corviknight still stood motionless, its scarlet eyes locked on the group of company agents before it.
Ryan and the others didn't dare move, but their Psychic-type Pokémon had already relayed a message out.
Moments later, Shiro stepped out from between the trees, his boots crunching over dry leaves.
"Come back, Corviknight."
He held up a Poké Ball, recalling the steel bird in a flash of light.
He had actually been standing near Corviknight the whole time, cloaked by Unown A's psychic ability, and the bird had known it perfectly well.
According to Professor Rowan's latest update, this ship inspection had gone differently. Peony had only taken a brief look before leaving. He hadn't gone below deck with Bronzong to comb through the ship inch by inch using psychic power like before.
Maybe it was finally time to plan a real escape. Perhaps by sending out two ships at once?
There might be difficulties on Rowan's side, though. And two cruise ships appearing suddenly would surely attract extra attention from the company….
Shiro already had a better idea. He no longer relied on deception or luck alone.
For now, his goal was to waste as much of the company's time and energy as possible. His survival depended on it. And watching Peony run around pointlessly again and again wasn't without its amusement.
Aside from needing Rowan's help to arrange another ship, everything else was under control.
With that thought, he casually waved for Ryan and the others to follow.
"Shiro... just now, you..." Ryan asked in a low voice.
"Oh, just went to the bathroom. What, is it illegal to relieve yourself in this forest?" Shiro joked without slowing down, striding toward Wyndon.
Ryan and the others exchanged a glance, said nothing, and followed in silence.
After about fifteen minutes, they reached a smooth cement path lined with quiet trees on both sides.
Shiro was walking ahead when the space in front of him abruptly distorted.
He froze, recognizing the ripple of teleportation, and stepped back several paces. The others followed suit.
In a blink, a familiar yet unwelcome figure appeared before them, Bronzong floating at his side. Peony's face was dark with frustration.
"Hey! Shiro!" Peony tore off his sunglasses, his brow furrowing sharply, his tanned face nearly dripping with anger.
Shiro stopped and observed him carefully, uncertain of his intent.
Peony had come to confront him directly?
If the company was that desperate, ready to drop all pretenses before the Champion Cup, then he was ready. With Unown A and G, he could still try to escape. In terms of psychic power, those two were not inferior to Bronzong.
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