Chapter 161: Encounter

Chapter 6 Encounter

Withered, yellow weeds grew haphazardly upon the brown dirt along the roadside, and the cries of unknown insects brayed weakly across the barren earth. Everything in the world seemed utterly devoid of spirit.

Outside the car window, still flecked with raindrops, the desolate landscape shifted rapidly.

The humid, fresh air following the rain squeezed through the slightly opened gap of the vehicle window and poured into the interior of the SUV.

The icy, refreshing sensation slightly eased the previously stifling atmosphere within the car.

Crimson, silky hair drifted gently in the air, blown by the flowing wind like a flickering cluster of flames.

Scarlet sat in the passenger seat, her cleanly rolled-up sleeves revealing fair wrists, her chin resting softly upon her hands.

Her pale gold pupils lacked luster, gazing blankly out the window with a preoccupied expression.

The cool breeze rushing into the car seemed to awaken Scarlet slightly. With a movement of her eyes, she cast her gaze toward the rearview mirror, revealing a hint of worry.

Reflected there was the scene in the back seat.

A Buneary, its chest, elbows, and waist wrapped completely in bandages, drooped its fluffy, long ears and huddled listlessly upon the seat.

"Sigh."

Silently sighing in her heart, Scarlet felt a slight tug in her chest.

"What a pitiful little creature."

Yes, the Pokémon sitting so desolately in the back seat at this moment was none other than the Buneary of Scarlet's deceased teammate, Qinghe.

This absurd world always seemed to produce such theatrical events.

Qinghe, who had wanted to save his partner Pokémon, died beneath the claws of a Golisopod;

While that Buneary, originally on the verge of death, stubbornly survived thanks to the lingering attachment to life generated by its master.

Yet, to its sorrow, when it strained every nerve to open its eyes, what welcomed it was the news of its master's death.

Scarlet shook her head with a trace of sorrow.

"Unwilling to eat, unwilling to communicate with others, and unwilling to return to its Poké Ball for a proper rest."

"It has even torn apart the bandages treating its wounds several times over."

I'm afraid... this little fellow already harbors the will to die.

At this moment, Scarlet no longer knew what to do.

By reason, as a Pokémon Trainer, she could not simply stand by and watch the Buneary die;

By emotion, for the Buneary as it was now, continuing to live on like this would merely turn it into a walking corpse devoid of a heart.

Perhaps following in its master's footsteps was the only way it could attain ultimate liberation...

Chaotic thoughts, like a massive ball of tangled yarn, were wildly intertwined within the young girl's heart.

In a daze, Scarlet suddenly noticed that the SUV, which had been speeding along the road, was abruptly slowing down.

Recovering her senses, she perplexedly directed her gaze forward.

Through the transparent windshield at the front of the car, Scarlet noticed a slender figure standing squarely in the middle of the road not far ahead.

As the distance gradually closed, Scarlet could make out that it was a meticulously dressed golden-haired man.

Beneath a dark red handmade cotton coat, he wore an advanced silk shirt, its silver-white carved buttons featuring ornate patterns fastened immaculately and securely.

Beneath a dome hat edged with brilliant gold was a mane of smooth, lustrous blond hair that emitted a soft glow against the sunlight.

"Move! Get out of the way!"

"Have a death wish or what, standing right in the middle of the road!"

Beside her, the security guard driving the SUV rolled down his side window, thrusting his head out to hurl vicious curses at the front.

This transport mission had already been troublesome enough; why was someone still getting in the way now?

As if to vent all the frustration and humiliation suffered before the Golisopod, vulgar and foul language poured continuously from the driver's lips.

Yet the blond man acted as though he heard nothing.

A warm smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth, and he cheerfully raised his right hand high, waving it vigorously toward the convoy.

Scarlet's heart was already extremely agitated at this moment, and encountering such trivial annoyances along the journey made her even less inclined to pay attention.

Just as she was about to wave her hand and leave it to the armed guards beside her to resolve,

bizarrely, an extremely subtle premonition erupted from the depths of her heart, as if disaster would strike the very next second if she remained silent.

Scarlet was startled into a slight shiver.

She concentrated her gaze upon the blond man.

"Although dressed in luxury with delicate skin, looking like a young master raised in a wealthy household, he is still just an ordinary person!"

Scarlet's pale golden pupils shifted slightly, her gaze sweeping across the blond man's waist and clothes.

"There's no place to hold a Poké Ball either?"

"This premonition..."

Although she saw nothing noteworthy about the blond man, this sensitive-hearted young girl still intended to trust her intuition.

She reached out to tap the driver, who was still cursing furiously, signaling him to shut his mouth, and then had him stop the SUV on the roadside not far in front of the blond man.

Opening the car door, under the protection of several surrounding security guards, Scarlet slowly walked toward the blond man.

The Pokémon in the convoy had all sustained heavy injuries and lost their combat capability. As the sole remaining Trainer, naturally, every move she made was shielded by the armed guards.

"Excuse me, pardon the interruption."

As if completely blind to the unusual formation of Scarlet and her guards, the blond man wore a radiant smile and asked cordially,

"Pardon me, have you happened to see any strange Pokémon along the road?"

As he spoke, the blond man even raised his hands to gesture wildly in the air.

This nonsensical inquiry echoed in the air.

The security guards wore expressions of impatience; had Scarlet not insisted on getting out of the car, they would have long since driven this obstructive man away.

What they failed to notice, however, was that Scarlet, whom they were protecting at the center, seemed somewhat stiff in her posture...

Now standing close to the blond man, Scarlet felt a terrifying malice capable of devouring the heavens, carrying the deep murderous intent of countless wailing souls, surge endlessly from the blond man before her, wrapped seamlessly in his gentle smile.

In an instant, Scarlet felt as though she had plunged into an icy cellar; a chill surged straight up from her tailbone, and goosebumps broke out wildly all over her body.

It was as if an evil demon were crouching upon her back, chanting whispers from the abyss directly into her ear.

Within Scarlet's mind, the figure of Lu Yun involuntarily emerged.

The five fingers behind her back clenched tightly, her slender fingers piercing viciously into her palms as her knuckles turned slightly pale.

"Never seen any..."

The piercing pain allowed Scarlet to regain a shred of rationality. Gritting her teeth, her words seemed to be squeezed straight out of her throat.

With that, she forced a cold expression and immediately turned to walk back toward the convoy.

Though somewhat puzzled, the security guards closely followed by Scarlet's side.

"I see. Thank you then," the blond man said somewhat dejectedly, watching the young girl's retreating back.

Standard League boots trod upon the still muddy ground, splashing droplets of muddy water.

Scarlet forcefully braced her body, which had already grown weak and numb under the terrifying pressure.

Every step she took looked steady, but in truth, the clothes across her back had long since been soaked through with cold sweat.

Just when she thought the man behind her was about to leave,

abruptly, a voice that seemed to rise straight from the depths of hell echoed from behind.

"Wait!"