Chapter 189: An Incredible Big Shot
Outside Shabboneau Castle.
Meowscarada, who had arrived first, tilted her head in confusion as she watched Will jump down from the castle roof.
"It's all over. Where's Seigo?"
"Meow-meow," Meowscarada shrugged. She said that the moment the light appeared on the rooftop, Seigo had taken off to bang on the door of the town's police station. In two or three minutes, he'd probably be back with several police cars.
"Is that so? I thought he would have snuck back up to take pictures," Will said, a little surprised. It seemed Seigo was reliable when it counted.
"Meow?" Meowscarada pointed at the objects in Will's hands.
"It's nothing. Just helping someone out. I'll put them in the bag for now," Will said, shaking his head. He walked over to Meowscarada, opened her backpack, and placed the letter and the amulet inside.
If it was on the way, he wanted to deliver these two important items personally. This world was full of accidents; it would be terrible if they were lost in the mail. He had given his word to Nico and the Cofagrigus. But if Liz's next destination wasn't Unova, but Paldea, then he would have no choice but to mail them.
Wee-woo, wee-woo~
Sirens wailed in the distance. Seven or eight police cars were speeding towards them. This was more than Seigo could have possibly called for. The appearance of the Dusknoir must have alerted the police station as well, which was why they had sent a full investigation team.
"Sceptile! Meowscarada! You're okay! That's great! What was that giant Dusknoir all about?" Seigo yelled as he ran up.
Although he had run to the police station, he had still seen the massive Dusknoir on top of the castle from the street. Unfortunately, his camera's zoom wasn't good enough. Even though he had gotten a picture, it was extremely blurry.
"What else? It came to reap a soul," Will replied distractedly. Whether Seigo understood him was his own problem.
The events of this night had been a huge shock to Will. Nico and the Cofagrigus's persistence was one thing. But more than that, this world was far larger than he had imagined, and the number of powerful Pokémon was far greater.
This world was so... interesting.
He had been in this world for ten years now, but he still felt it was full of excitement and fun. He was an immortal being. Sooner or later, he would visit all of those other worlds. Even if the Spirit World was a one-way trip, and the Reverse World could only be opened by Giratina, he would still go and see them.
"Meow?" Meowscarada frowned at Will. Why is he acting so weird and spouting nonsense? Could that ghost have possessed him?
"MEOW-MEOW!!" At that thought, she pounced and started scratching him.
Smack!
"Are you crazy?!" Will smacked her on the head.
...
Thirty police officers had arrived. Almost every one of them had a Pokémon of around Lv. 40. This level didn't seem very high, but there were a lot of them. Thirty Lv. 40 Pokémon would have no problem taking down a Lv. 60 Pokémon.
The one in the lead was Officer Jenny, accompanied by a Manectric, the standard-issue Pokémon for Kalos-region Jennys. They were a canine-type, just like the Growlithe in Kanto, Stoutland in Unova, and Boltund in Galar. They were loyal, brave, and had keen senses, making them excellent at tracking criminals.
Officer Jenny waved her hand. Thirty officers split into three teams. Two fanned out to surround the castle, while she personally led the main group inside.
Will just shook his head. The birds have already flown the coop. There was nothing to find in the castle now, except, perhaps, for a few things in the bedroom where Nico and Cofagrigus had lived for twenty years.
After about half an hour, the police emerged, looking confused. Will and Meowscarada were then taken in to give a statement, where they were introduced to the profession of "Pokémon Translator."
After the statement was done and they were sent back to the hotel, Seigo chased after them, asking a barrage of questions. Will didn't bother hiding anything. He just told him the simple truth: a spirit and a Cofagrigus had lived in the castle, and they had been taken away by a Dusknoir.
That was it.
As for what the Kalos League would officially announce, or how this rumor would change Parfum Palace Town's future... that was none of his business.
They rested for one more night, and then set off again the next day. This time, Liz's phantom seemed to have found a traveling companion. Under their guidance, she was no longer heading aimlessly north, but had turned northeast, and was moving at a steady pace, as if in a carriage.
"Is the next stop... Lumiose City?" Will guessed, looking at the direction.
Lumiose City was the central city of the Kalos region, and in the future, it would be the most populous city in the Pokémon world. But as for its current state, Will had no idea.
Without much curiosity, he headed northeast. And then he watched as Liz's phantom... completely bypassed the city, traveling straight through the desert that bordered it.
"Meow?" Meowscarada, who had been expecting to stop, looked at Will in confusion. Aren't we going in? It's such a big city! It must be a lot of fun!
"This... Let's go in," Will hesitated, then looked down at her and patted her head. Although he wanted to continue following Liz, he had to consider his daughter's feelings. If she wanted to play in Lumiose City for a while, he would just have to pause his pursuit.
He was pretty sure he knew where Liz was going anyway. It had to be Laverre City, in the northernmost part of Kalos, directly north of Lumiose. A thousand years ago, it was probably a major trading town.
"Meow~" Meowscarada's ears perked up, and she ran into the city ahead of him.
Will smiled and followed.
Lumiose City was incredibly prosperous, definitely the most advanced human city he had seen since coming to this world. Cobblestone pedestrian streets fanned out in all directions, and the avenues were lined with classic Parisian-style buildings. The roads were so wide they wouldn't need to be changed even two hundred years in the future. If he wasn't fully conscious, he would have thought he had traveled to the future.
Standing on the outskirts, he could see the tower in the very center.
"Meow!" Meowscarada pointed at it excitedly.
"That's the Prism Tower. It's the symbol of this city," Will explained.
As they walked down the street, they were once again the center of attention.
"Look, that's a Meowscarada! A Pokémon from the Paldea region! But what's the other one?"
"That's a Sceptile, from the Hoenn region."
"Where's their trainer? They must be an incredible character to have raised a Sceptile and a Meowscarada this large."
"Let's follow them! Maybe we can ask their trainer for a battle!"
Will glanced at the people following them, a little amused. This was a strange experience. In the northern regions, everyone had recognized him as a Sceptile but had no idea what a Meowscarada was. Now, in the southern hemisphere, the roles were reversed. He was the rare, exotic one.
"The battle-atmosphere in this city is developing quickly. It's not much different from Johto," Will muttered, surprised. He noticed that most of the Pokémon with the trainers were in their second or third stages.
"Meow," Meowscarada, getting annoyed by the crowd, grabbed Will's hand and ran off, quickly losing them. But soon, another group had spotted them. She sighed in frustration. She turned to look behind her.
"Meow?"
She tilted her head. She saw that Will had frozen in place. She wouldn't know it, but Will had just seen an incredible, important figure.
Or rather... he had just seen a "god."
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