"Coor!"
Corvisquire swooped down from the air, landing on Shiro's arm.
"Is the situation ahead serious?" Shiro asked, looking at the Pokémon.
"Corv! Corv!" Corvisquire flailed its claws, gesturing in a flurry of movements. Shiro barely managed to make sense of it.
The air above Stow-on-Side was almost entirely swallowed by sand and dust, leaving not even a glimpse of the sky visible.
"How are we supposed to get through this?" Shiro frowned, growing increasingly doubtful about this so-called mission.
He hadn't even encountered the wild Pokémon rampage yet, and the path was already nearly impassable. If the sandstorm was this intense, once the riot started in two days, Stow-on-Side would likely be buried under thick layers of mud and sand.
Suddenly—
Buzz!
His communication device vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen: the target location is in the western desert of Stow-on-Side. Leon is waiting for you there.
"Leon... waiting for us?" Shiro turned to Marvin, who still carried his usual carefree demeanor, then glanced at Allister and Nessa, both of whom remained unfazed.
As the undefeated champion, Leon had at least six Gym-level Pokémon by now, some possibly even Elite-level. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't they be waiting for him?
"Leon said he has urgent business." Marvin looked at the communication device in his hand and added, "It seems like some of the townspeople are buried under the sand. He went ahead to help."
Standing among the withered grass, Shiro gazed at the sand-covered mountains ahead, hesitating.
Even without stepping in, it was obvious that the situation inside was severe. Unless they borrowed the forces of Macro Cosmos to clear a path, it would be extremely difficult to reach the other side of Stow-on-Side safely.
Moreover, with the sandstorm this intense, it was nearly impossible to see clearly.
"Let's walk through it," Nessa said, confidently stepping past Marvin and Shiro, heading forward alone. It was just some wind and sand. As a water-type trainer, she wasn't worried in the slightest.
Shiro returned Corvisquire to its Poké Ball, exchanged a glance with Marvin, and followed. Allister, silent as ever, trailed behind them like a ghost.
After a while, as the dry yellow grass thinned out beneath their feet, the towering cliffs came into view, their rugged brown surfaces barely visible through the swirling storm. Sand battered their skin, and the wind howled in their ears.
Shiro reached into his bag and pulled out a metal mask, securing it over his face.
"Huh? Shiro? you have something like this?" Marvin, his face buried in his arms, asked, his voice muffled.
This was something Shiro had bought at the black market, preparing for situations just like this. It filtered out toxic gases and dust while also concealing his face.
Besides that, he had stocked up on several high-quality knives—sharp enough to slice through bone like butter. He was deeply concerned about potential conflicts. To avoid trouble, it was best to be prepared to strike first.
Without a word, Shiro took out another gray metal mask from his bag and handed it to Marvin. He had only prepared one extra mask.
"You're the best, Shiro," Marvin mumbled in relief as he put it on, finally able to breathe properly. "I didn't even think about bringing one, but you had this all along."
With that, Marvin stretched his hands behind his head and walked forward, his steps large and defiant, as he entered the narrow path covered in deep mud and sand.
Shiro noticed Nessa's silent gaze and could only shrug, indicating that he had no more to spare. Preparing even one extra mask had been considerate enough—who would randomly buy three or four?
Seeing this, Nessa turned to look at Allister, who remained unaffected by the sandstorm, before lowering her head and pressing forward. She had grown up by the water, spending her childhood playing and fishing by the sea. Her clothes were mostly short-sleeved and lightweight, built for movement. She didn't even have a cloak to shield herself from the sandstorm.
On the other hand, Shiro and Allister were wrapped up tightly out of habit. Even Marvin wore the standard long-sleeved white uniform of Macro Cosmos. The quality of those uniforms spoke for itself.
As the group entered the narrow mountain trail, it felt like they had stepped into a world made entirely of sand. The towering rock walls on both sides were barely visible in the swirling dust. Everything around them was just shades of brown and gray.
Shiro had to move carefully, feeling his way forward to avoid stepping into a pit and getting stuck.
At the rear, Nessa was slowing down. The exposed parts of her skin stung as the sharp grains of sand cut into her, but she gritted her teeth and kept going.
Up ahead, Marvin and Shiro were too focused on scouting the path to notice her struggle.
Shiro felt the terrain getting harder to walk on. The constant sandstorm had completely distorted his sense of direction and distance. He had no idea how far they had gone or where exactly they were now.
All he could hear was the howling wind and the endless rustling of sand.
Suddenly, Marvin yanked his arm.
Shiro froze and turned his head. A brownish-yellow arm had appeared beside Marvin, holding a black baton pressed against his waist.
There was another person next to Marvin.
The stranger wore a brownish-yellow long, sand-colored cloak that blended in perfectly with the surroundings, making them almost invisible.
Before Shiro could react, he felt a firm pressure against his own waist. A muffled voice came from behind him.
"Hand over your Poké Balls and I'll spare your life."
Using his peripheral vision, Shiro caught a glimpse of the person beside him. They were holding the same kind of black baton in one hand while stretching out the other, demanding the Poké Balls.
Shiro didn't move. Keeping his voice even, he asked, "Hey, man. What's that baton for? You think you can kill me with it?"
"Heh..." The attacker let out a low chuckle. "A high-voltage stun baton. Strong enough to match a Thunderbolt attack. If I wasn't worried about—hey, what the—ugh..."
As he spoke, a sharp blade sliced cleanly through his arm, cutting through flesh and bone in an instant.
Shiro acted with lightning speed. With a slight twist of his wrist, he drove his knife into the man's throat and pulled it out just as quickly.
The attacker slumped against the rock wall, then slid to the ground. Shiro took a step back, scanning the area as he moved toward Marvin.
This sandstorm was the perfect cover for an ambush. A great spot to rob travelers—or even betray allies. But at the same time, the poor visibility worked against the attackers, making it hard for them to react in time.
Shiro's training had paid off. He was no longer the weakling he had been in Spikemuth. Now, he could hold his own against even Beginner-level Pokémon.
His eyes shifted to Marvin.
In the thick sandstorm, all he could see were Marvin's hands fumbling around, stalling for time.
The voice of the second attacker drifted through the wind.
"Hurry up! Don't even think about sneaking out a Pokémon. If you try anything, I'll—ugh..."
Marvin knew Shiro had arrived. He immediately jumped back, putting distance between himself and his attacker.
Then, he saw it—an arm hitting the ground, followed by a body.
In the brief flashes between the swirling sand, Shiro's black cloak appeared and vanished like a shadow.
"Uh—" Marvin started to speak but quickly shut his mouth, not wanting to interfere with Shiro's next move.
He realized something.
There might be more of them hiding in the storm.
**
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