Jinwoo's gaze sharpened as he studied the two figures before him.
Their dark blue uniforms, silver bowl-cut hair, and the stylized "G" emblem on their chest were all too distinct.
Team Galactic.
The criminal organization operated in Sinnoh, but from what he had learned, they weren't just a group of petty thieves or troublemakers.
They had goals, ones that involved legendary Pokémon and reshaping the world.
But right now, these two weren't their leaders.
They were just grunts.
One, a tall man with a smug grin, crossed his arms.
"Well, well, what do we have here? A lone trainer, in the middle of nowhere, using some… unorthodox methods to control Pokémon."
The second grunt, a woman with narrowed eyes, added.
"That Mightyena shouldn't be standing. We saw it go down. What did you do?"
Jinwoo said nothing.
He had no reason to explain himself to them.
Instead, his shadow shifted beneath his feet.
The pressure in the air thickened as Mightyena, newly turned into his shadow, stepped forward.
Its glowing blue eyes locked onto the grunts.
The first grunt flinched, but quickly masked it with a laugh.
"Creepy, but interesting. I don't know what kind of trick you're using, but our boss would love to see it."
Jinwoo's patience thinned.
"Leave."
His tone was flat, but the weight behind it was undeniable.
The second grunt scowled.
"Tch, acting all high and mighty, huh? We were just gonna ask nicely, but since you're being difficult…"
She grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt.
A flash of light, and a Golbat appeared, its wings flapping wildly as it let out a piercing screech.
The male grunt smirked, tossing his own Poké Ball.
A Stunky emerged, its tail raised high, ready to spray a noxious attack.
Jinwoo barely reacted.
Weak.
He turned to Weavile.
"Take care of them."
Weavile moved the instant the command was given.
Golbat screeched and dove down, its fangs glowing with Poison Fang.
Weavile vanished.
A blur of movement, and then it was behind Golbat.
Ice Punch.
Weavile's fist froze the air as it connected, sending Golbat crashing into the sand.
The flying-type twitched, trying to get back up, but its wings were coated in ice.
It wouldn't be flying anytime soon.
The male grunt cursed.
"Damn it! Stunky, use Smokescreen!"
The small dark-poison Pokémon released a thick, black cloud, reducing visibility.
Jinwoo remained unfazed.
He didn't need to see to hunt.
A dark blur cut through the smoke.
Night Slash.
The moment the air cleared, Stunky was sprawled on the ground, unconscious.
The battle had ended before it even began.
The grunts stumbled back.
The woman's hand shook as she reached for another Poké Ball, but her partner grabbed her arm.
"Forget it! We're not ready for this guy!"
She hesitated, then clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Fine. But don't think this is over."
With that, the two turned and fled.
Jinwoo watched them disappear into the night.
He could have pursued them, ended it right there, but they weren't worth his time.
Instead, he looked at Weavile.
"Good work."
The ice-dark Pokémon smirked, pleased with itself.
Jinwoo glanced at his newly turned Mightyena.
It had proven itself a predator, a valuable addition to his growing army.
But this encounter made one thing clear, his presence in this world wasn't going unnoticed.
And sooner or later, stronger enemies would come.
He welcomed it.
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