Ever since he became famous, Nozomi could hardly remember the last time anyone had dared to provoke him like this.
So right now, Nozomi was in an exceptionally foul mood.
"Mewtwo, hypnotize him!"
With a single command, Mewtwo unleashed Hypnosis on the man disguised as a League investigator, already frozen in place by Nozomi's telekinetic grip.
Unlike Nozomi's human-based hypnosis, which relied purely on his own spiritual power to subdue others, Mewtwo's Hypnosis was the real deal—an overwhelming psychic assault that completely took control of the target's mind.
Under Mewtwo's influence, the fake investigator's eyes soon went blank, and he slumped into a dazed, puppet-like state.
"Who are you?" Nozomi asked bluntly.
"I am… a Pokémon Trainer from the Unova Region… and also… a Pokémon Hunter," the entranced young man mumbled, eyes glassy and voice hollow.
"Pokémon Hunter? Unova?"
Those two words made Nozomi frown. Something felt off.
If this had been before he learned of the Pokémon Hunters' planned large-scale invasion of Kanto, he might've assumed this man was just some small-time criminal from Unova who had drifted into Kanto to try his luck.
But now—at such a critical time—a Unovan Hunter appearing right before him could only mean one thing.
They were here for him.
"What's your mission?" Nozomi pressed.
"To lure Nozomi… five kilometers east… into the forest."
"As I thought. You're after me," Nozomi muttered, his suspicions confirmed. "Then where's Gary now?"
At this point, the only thing weighing on Nozomi's mind was Gary.
He trusted Gary's strength, but if the enemy were Unovan Pokémon Hunters, then even Gary might be in danger.
And he'd already promised Professor Oak that he would bring Gary back safely—so finding him was the top priority.
"Gary?"
The Hunter's expression twitched at the name, his jaw tightening in barely restrained rage.
"Gary… escaped. He's still running in the forest. But my teammates will catch him soon!"
Seeing the man's hatred, Nozomi couldn't help but wonder—what on earth had Gary done to make this man seethe like that?
Still, now wasn't the time to ask. Finding Gary before the Hunters did was all that mattered.
"Take me to your camp," Nozomi ordered coldly.
He lifted the Hunter with his psychic power and shot through the air in the direction the man's thoughts pointed him toward.
Meanwhile, deep within the forest five or six kilometers away…
Gary, covered in dirt and leaves, crouched on a tree branch, breathing quietly as he tried to avoid detection.
"Damn it, are these guys insane? I only overheard their conversation!"
He glared down at the patrol of Pokémon Hunters below. His irritation was matched only by his exhaustion.
Earlier, he had been traveling alone. Ever since that humiliating incident at Grampa Canyon—where he'd dug up what turned out to be fossilized Pokémon droppings—his luck had been terrible, and he'd decided to head toward Cinnabar Island to clear his mind.
But along the way, he ran into a suspicious-looking group. Their clothing and accents weren't Kantonian, and their behavior was shady enough to catch his attention.
The thrill from uncovering Team Rocket's conspiracy aboard the S.S. Anne had never quite left him. Though that plot had ultimately been crushed by Nozomi long before Gary's interference, the adrenaline rush had left a mark.
So, unable to resist, Gary tailed the mysterious group.
Through their hushed conversation, he discovered the unthinkable—their true identities as Pokémon Hunters from the Unova Region, plotting a large-scale invasion of Kanto and even collaborating with the sinister Team Plasma.
That realization chilled him to the core.
This was way beyond anything he could handle alone.
Naturally, his first thought was to contact Nozomi. If anyone could deal with this kind of mess, it was him—the man who had dismantled Team Rocket with his own hands.
Gary had it all figured out. As long as he could reach Nozomi, everything would be fine.
But just as he was about to withdraw, his foot snapped a dry branch.
And from that moment on… he'd been running for his life.
"Damn it! If only my communicator wasn't broken…"
He glanced at the cracked screen of his handheld device.
It had taken the brunt of a Horn Attack during a skirmish earlier, saving his life in the process—but leaving him cut off from contact.
If it were still working, he'd already have called Nozomi for backup!
Just then, angry shouts echoed from below."He's here! Up there!"
Gary's heart skipped a beat. No time to think.
He hurled out a Poké Ball and leapt onto his Arcanine's back—the loyal Fire-type's fur matted and scorched from battle—and the two bolted through the trees.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
The moment they sprang off the branch, a flurry of razor-sharp wind blades sliced through the air, shredding the spot where Gary had been hiding.
"Air Slash!"
Gary's eyes widened. His pulse spiked.
Up until now, his pursuers had mostly aimed to capture him alive—but these attacks weren't for capture.
They were trying to kill him.
"Damn it!"
He ducked as several Razor Leaf attacks zipped past his head, flattening himself against Arcanine's back.
"Run, boy!"
Gary slapped Arcanine's flank, and the majestic Fire-type roared, flames blazing around its paws as it sprinted at full speed.
The chase tore through the forest like a storm—Gary and Arcanine charging ahead, a horde of Hunters and their Pokémon in hot pursuit. Explosions rattled the ground, trees splintered and fell, and bursts of fire and wind turned the tranquil woods into a war zone.
At the forest's edge, Nozomi hovered in the air, surveying the chaos.
A flock of Pidgey scattered from the treetops as shockwaves rippled outward.
"Looks like things are getting intense…" he murmured, shading his eyes to peer toward the heart of the battle.
Distant explosions echoed one after another, pillars of flame lighting up the horizon.
He could practically feel the ferocity of the fight from here.
"Seems your usefulness has ended," Nozomi said coldly.
He glanced at the Hunter still dangling helplessly in his telekinetic grasp. The man had regained consciousness by now—and sheer terror filled his eyes.
"N–no…"
He trembled violently.
Nozomi hadn't ordered Mewtwo to erase his memory, so the man remembered everything: how he'd been hypnotized, how he'd spilled every detail of their operation, their plan, and their manpower.
Now, he feared not only what Nozomi might do to him—but also what his comrades would do once they found out he'd betrayed them.
Neither fate promised mercy.