Pokémon: Who let him leave Pallet Town?

Chapter 490 Suanmu Town, the hometown of champion Adek
"That's strange. Even though it's just a small town, it shouldn't be this deserted."

Natsume walked down the street with a slight frown on his brow.

The surrounding houses had their doors and windows tightly shut, the curtains drawn tight, and the streets were deserted.

It was as if some ferocious beast was patrolling the streets outside.

This is, after all, the hometown of champion Adek!
"Wow~"

A clear bark broke the silence.

Natsume looked up.

An elderly man with gray hair was struggling to push a small cart that was full of things.

The cart was piled high with unsold pastries.

A Growlithe ran ahead, its leash in its mouth.

It bared its teeth, pushed off the ground with all four paws, and pulled forward with all its might.

The two of them, one human and one dog, were struggling immensely.

"Pickup!"

The girl with the middle parting skillfully jumped out of the red and white ball, skillfully snatched a small cream cake from the cart, skillfully didn't pay, and skillfully scurried back into the Poké Ball on Natsume's waist.

The movements are smooth and flowing.

"I'm so sorry."

Natsume quickly stepped forward, his tone apologetic.

He took out a few coins from his pocket.

It was handed to the sweating old man.

The pastries sold by the old man exuded an enticing milky aroma.

At that moment, he was somewhat bewildered by the sudden yellow flash.

Looking up, sweat dripped down the tip of his nose.

He glanced at the money Natsume handed him, then at Natsume himself, and quickly waved his hand.

"No, no, no! Let's go! It's not a good day to go out. I just found out!"

The old man's voice was urgent.

"Why shouldn't we go out?" Natsume pressed, his eyes filled with genuine confusion.

No wonder the streets are so deserted.

"Are you from out of town?" the old man asked confidently, looking Natsume up and down.

“Yes, I just arrived in Suanmu Town this morning,” Natsume readily admitted.

"No wonder! There was a sandstorm last night!" the old man said in a low voice, mysteriously.

"A sandstorm?" Natsume was taken aback, not understanding what this had to do with not being able to go out.

"It's hard to explain in a short time! Come to my house! Otherwise, you'll have nowhere to hide later!"

As the old man spoke, he pushed the cart even harder.

The Growlithe started pulling frantically again.

"Stab~"

The stroller suddenly felt lighter.

The old man felt his hand loosen.

The Growlithe, which had been baring its teeth, was now wagging its tail excitedly.

It barked at Natsume as if to express its gratitude.

"What is this?" The old man looked at Natsume in surprise.

"A little trick." A blue light flickered in Natsume's eyes, and an invisible telekinetic force lifted the cart. "Let's go, sir. Where do you live?"

Following the old man's instructions.

Using his telekinesis, Natsume easily carried the cart towards the direction of Suanki Ranch.

Edge of the pasture.

A farmhouse with a yard comes into view.

Two trumpet-shaped buds are climbing on the fence.

In the yard, several woolly sheep were leisurely chewing grass.

Beside the food bowl in the corner, several probing mice were peeking out and staring at Natsume with an air of scrutiny.

"This is my home. Fortunately, it's far from town, so there shouldn't be any major problems here."

The old man took out a towel and vigorously wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Natsume's gaze swept across the courtyard.

he noticed.

Many things in the courtyard were completely covered with colorful cloths.

The well pulley, the stacked firewood, the drying rack.

Even the Snorlax dozing in the corner of the yard?

They were all covered with a cloth, only their round outlines were visible.

Natsume's heart skipped a beat.

“Sir,” he began, his voice gentle, “what exactly is this sandstorm you mentioned earlier…?”

The old man sighed, sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard, and poured himself and Natsume a glass of water.

"Well, this story begins about six months ago."

“Every now and then, a sandstorm blows through Suanmu Town!”

"That sand was so fast and fierce!"

"The first time they came, there was absolutely no warning!"

"The entire town was covered with a thick layer of sand!"

"The doors and windows are blocked!"

"The crops are ruined!"

"So many things have gone down the drain!"

The old man's voice was filled with lingering fear.

"But later," he changed the subject.

"The second time, the third time, the fourth time!"

"The strange thing is that before each sandstorm..."

"There's always a light sandstorm at night!"

"The grains of sand are not large."

"It's like reminding you!"

"Once everyone is reminded, they can prepare in advance, cover their things up, and hide inside."

"The losses will be much smaller!"

A hint of relief appeared on the old man's face.

"The townspeople all say it's the mountain god appearing!"

"It was our sacrificial ceremony that worked!"

"The gods took pity on us and informed us in advance!"

The old man's tone became devout.

It's as if it's telling an ancient fable.

Natsume listened quietly.

My fingers gently caressed the rim of the warm teacup.

He knew it.

Mountain God, Earth God, Cloud. Fable
But, as Natsume listened, it sounded more like the Tyranitar had done it.

It seems that everything the Peace Dove Company gives to Bangiras is sent to Suanmu Town.

Then the Tyranitar will use a sandstorm to hide itself and come to take it.

After causing massive destruction the first time, it used this method to remind the town's residents on several subsequent occasions.

He's not a bad person at heart.

Why did Peace Dove Company send the levitation device to Bangiras to Suanmu Town?
Wouldn't it be more convenient to send it directly to Shuanglong City?
Bangilas has so many underlings.

Why not just send any pickpocket cat to retrieve it? Oh, I almost forgot, its underlings were all imprisoned and have now been handed over to the Chosen One by Shaka.

Natsume's gaze swept over the objects in the yard that were completely covered with cloth once again.

"Was the temperature during that sandstorm a bit cold?"

Natsume asked tentatively.

"Oh right, I also need to keep my food warm!"

The old man slapped his forehead, grabbed the insulation film and a few bamboo strips, and headed towards the vegetable garden in the corner of the yard.

It seems to be that Bangalore.

Natsume stood quietly in the courtyard, watching the tea leaves float in his teacup.

Natsume stood quietly in the courtyard, his gaze lowered, staring at the warm teacup in his hand.

The emerald green tea leaves unfurl and float in the clear water, like the trajectory of life.

Suddenly, a tiny ripple appeared on the surface of the teacup.

Natsume looked up at the edge of the pasture outside the yard, where a wisp of dust, barely visible to the naked eye, was swept up by an invisible current and swirled into the air.

A breeze rose, light and cool, stirring the fluffy wool of Woolbraid and lifting a corner of the cloth covering Snorlax.

The old man straightened up and looked up at the sky in confusion: "Huh? This..."

Before he could finish speaking, the breeze suddenly became more intense.

"Whoosh—" The wind rushed into our ears, swirling up dust and bits of grass that swept into the yard.

"Wow!"

The cloth covering the woodpile was lifted.

The dog barked anxiously, the mouse scurried back into its hole, and the sheep bleated in panic.

The old man's expression changed drastically: "Oh no! A sandstorm is coming! Quick, come inside!" he shouted anxiously to Natsume.

Natsume remained motionless, still holding his teacup, but his gaze pierced through the fluttering fabric and reached towards the distant sky.

The ripples in the teacup expanded rapidly, and the tea leaves spun and floated wildly like a small boat in a storm.

Outside the courtyard, the dust vortex had transformed into gray-yellow wind columns, connecting the earth with the lead-gray clouds.

The wind column roared and expanded, swirling up withered branches and sand, emitting a low rumble.

"Woo--Woo--"

The sky and earth were shrouded in a dim yellow hue. In the distance, Suanmu Town was swallowed by a sandstorm, while the nearby pastures and grasslands were quickly covered with grayish-yellow dust.

A devastating sandstorm has arrived.

Why make such a big fuss just to get something?

Natsume frowned, his good impression of that Tyranitar instantly crumbling.

The old man ducked under the eaves and waved frantically, "Young man! Come in quickly! It's dangerous!"

"Pray to the mountain god with me, and this will pass soon!"

The old man was holding a bundle of incense in his hand.

Natsume ignored it.

He gently placed the warm teacup on the stone table.

The teacup stood firmly upright, but the tea inside was still swirling violently, the tea leaves spinning wildly, like a miniature storm.

Natsume straightened up, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing through the raging sand and locking onto the most violent core of the storm.

"Sir, thank you for your hospitality."

His voice was calm, yet it roared through the wind and sand.

"Things can't be solved by gods; people have to do it."

As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward, and his figure was instantly swallowed up by the raging sandstorm.

The old man opened his mouth in astonishment, only to see a pale blue, semi-transparent telekinetic shield, like a solid reef, breaking through the raging sandstorm and resolutely going against the current in the dim light.

On the stone table, the cup of tea swayed and spun on its own, steam rising in wisps.

(End of this chapter)