Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

"Snapped!"

A box of Power Cubes was thrown in front of him, but the Night Hawk ignored it dismissively.

Ha, money can't buy my happiness. Just look at the attitude you had when you kidnapped me here, don't even think about it!

"Snapped--"

Two more crisp sounds of metal boxes clashing rang out, and the Night Hawk swallowed hard.

Xia Chen added with a smile, "There will be three more boxes after tomorrow morning's event!"

The night owl nodded reluctantly.

I originally wanted to refuse, but he was offering way too much.

Chapter 156 The Days I Spent with Karuni

The pitch-black night is often the time when trainers traveling in the wild need to be most vigilant, not to mention the Enchanted Forest where sunlight is rarely seen even during the day.

If you were to encounter danger at such a time, or accidentally stumble into the territory of a short-tempered elf, how could you possibly be a match for an elf who knows the surroundings like the back of their hand?

Even the powerful Karuni didn't want to create unnecessary trouble for herself because of this.

Looking at the darkening sky above, she called out loudly, "Hawkman, let's find a place to rest!"

"Howling!"

Above the dense, shady forest, came the voice of the Hawkman responding.

At the same time, Karuni also made the Ice Dragon stop and wait for the Wrestling Eaglemen to scout.

Half a minute later, a lithe figure fell from the tree, and the masked Hawkman landed gracefully with a cool pose.

But he didn't have time to show off right now. His arm, which was glued to his wings, pointed forward and shouted, "Howl!"

Karuni, who was of one mind with her own elf, immediately understood what the wrestling eagle man meant. She frowned and asked, "You mean, there are traces of people ahead? Poachers or travelers?"

If it's the latter, that's fine, but if it's poachers...

Although with Karuni's strength, there are almost no poachers in the world who can defeat her.

But this is the unregulated wilderness, and the opponents are a group of cunning villains who might resort to American-style iaido at the slightest provocation. No matter how you look at it, encountering such people is ultimately not a good thing.

The wrestler shook his head, dismissing his trainer's worst guess.

However, Karuni did not let her guard down. Bad guys don't write their true colors on their faces, so it was safer to check it out herself.

After thinking for a moment, she took out a Poké Ball and summoned the Pokémon inside, Pumpkinman.

Ghost-type Pokémon are good at hiding, making them deadly weapons in wild battles.

With everything prepared, Karuni said seriously, "Let's go, let's go meet him."

…………

Night had not yet fully fallen, but the makeshift campsite was already burning with the light of a campfire.

Scattered orange-yellow sparks crackled and popped among the firewood, adding a warm and reassuring atmosphere to the cold forest night.

The enticing aroma wafting from the pot above the campfire made Night Hawk a little regretful of his earlier feast on the energy cubes.

It thought the energy cube was the most delicious thing in the world, so what was this aroma? It was so tempting!

Unfortunately, my belly has been enlarged by the energy cubes, so I can't even find a reason to go out for a free meal.

The night owl sighed inwardly.

Never mind, I'm a security guard, protecting the peace of the area.

Thinking that he would do his job for every penny he received, the night owl dutifully kept its eyes wide open and ears perked up, observing the movements around it.

Although it had lived in this area since birth, it knew that no elves would be out wandering around at night.

Honestly, how come humans are even more timid than me? In such a tranquil and peaceful forest, how could there be a ghost?

As the night owl mentally complained, it suddenly caught a glimpse of a terrifying face emitting a dim orange glow in the dim woods, giving it a creepy smile.

"Goo-"

The Night Hawk's alarm went off instantly, and a hysterical, terrified scream echoed through the forest.

……

"Phew, it's you, Miss Karuni! I thought it was another elf poaching group."

Beside the campfire, which radiated warmth and light, Xia Chen, who had just been relieved of his guard, let out a long sigh and said to the big star who sat down next to him.

Karuni never expected that the first person she would encounter in this vast and cold forest would be the boy she had met briefly a few months ago.

This strange coincidence made her smile involuntarily. She replied with a smile, "I also thought you were a poacher. Luckily, you're not. Wait, why did you say 'again'? Have you encountered them before?"

Xia Chen said helplessly, "It happened once, but that was in the forest on Route 16."

Karuni frowned and said, "That was a terrible experience. What happened next? How did you escape the pursuit of those thugs?"

Xia Chen touched his chin. Oh no?

Ok

It must have been really bad for the three brothers; one died on the spot, and the other two were imprisoned.

"Uh, I'll subdue them all, and then wait for the rangers to arrive."

Karuni nodded in realization, "So they were forest rangers. Wait, you said you subdued them all?"

Karini was fairly aware of Xia Chen's abilities; he was a rookie trainer who had only been in the industry for a year.

An Eevee, a Ralts, and a Milotic that looks like the leader subdued a vicious Pokémon poaching gang in the wild.

This has a bit of a science fiction feel to it, doesn't it?

Or perhaps Xia Chen himself is actually a powerful humanoid Fighting-type Pokémon?

Karuni observed Xia Chen with suspicion, but no matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem quite right.

So, it should still be thanks to those few elves.

Karuni looked at the elves beside Xia Chen and noticed something she hadn't paid attention to before.

What is this snow-white, pinkish-white elf nestled on the ground next to Xia Chen?

Karini, the future Carlos champion and superstar who had been isolated from the world for more than a month, was completely shocked.

…………

"So Miss Karuni has had no contact with the outside world for over a month."

No wonder it feels like living on Mars.

Xia Chen didn't say the second half of his sentence aloud, but Karuni understood what he meant.

Reluctantly averting her gaze from Xianbu, she explained, "My phone died a long time ago, and besides, there's almost no signal in the mountains, so I just left it. I never imagined so many big things would happen during this time, and they're all related to you."

Xia Chen said admiringly, "I didn't expect that Miss Karuni, who is always in the world of fame and fortune, could endure being cut off from the outside world for more than a month. It seems that you really love Pokémon battles."

Karuni smiled and said, "You're too kind. I'm currently heading to Yingxue City to end this trip."

She then asked, "And you? What are you doing in the Enchanted Forest? Do you want to encounter your next elf?"

Encountering more Pokémon and capturing compatible partners from the vast sea of ​​Pokémon is also an important reason for trainers to embark on their journey.

Xia Chen replied, "It's for taming the elves, not for myself."

Then, he briefly explained to Karuni the task that Dr. Blatano had given him.

"What negative consequences might Xerneas's awakening bring?"

Karuni pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Now that you mention it, I do recall some illogical things I've seen along the way. Would you mind if I traveled with you? I'm also very curious about the Doctor's conjecture."

Karuni wants to be with me?

Xia Chen was slightly surprised, but then he realized that Karuni was one of the more reliable champions of the same period, and he understood.

Compared to that young nobleman who was either digging for stones or on his way to dig for stones, and that mythologist who spent his days mingling with historical sites.

Although she hasn't become the champion yet, Karune's sense of belonging and responsibility to the region is truly remarkable. She should get along well with Leon, who is committed to revitalizing his hometown.

Moreover, from any perspective, having a trainer close to the Elite rank traveling with you in the Enchanted Forest, where the dangers are still unknown, is not a bad thing.

Regaining his composure, Xia Chen smiled slightly, "Then I hope you will take good care of me during this time."

------

To the east of the Enchanted Forest lies a high mountain perpetually covered in snow.

Located north of Reysel City, Mount Kawa, with an altitude of over 4,000 meters, is the highest peak in the Albil Mountains, which stretch for thousands of miles, and is also the highest peak in the entire Carlos region.

In any world, snow-capped mountains that stand proudly against the sky have always been places that explorers and trainers want to conquer, let alone the famous Kawa Snow Mountain.

On the mountainside of the majestic snow-capped mountain, an elf with snow-white fur and a deep blue crescent-shaped horn on its head lay quietly in the snow, seemingly sensing something.

A biting wind, carrying with it the chill of snow, swept across Absol's head, lifting one side of her bangs to reveal her solemn face.

The snow-capped mountain stood silently beneath her, seemingly solemn and sacred, forever unchanging, yet she vaguely sensed something.

Absol is a type of elf with special abilities. They can keenly sense changes in the sky and the earth, and therefore also have the ability to foresee disasters.

The older one gets, the more sensitive one becomes to disasters.

This Absol is nearly a hundred years old and has long passed the peak of her physical functions, but her ability to sense the earth has become stronger with the passage of time.

On several occasions, she was able to sense impending small avalanches and save travelers who came to challenge Mount Kawa.

This time, though she clearly sensed the unusual rhythm coming from underground, she hesitated.

Because this rhythmic sound is truly extraordinary.

It was unusual. The disaster it caused was beyond its comprehension.

Absol didn't know whether he should believe his incredible judgment, but when it comes to disasters, it's better to believe they exist than not.

She gazed at the Enchanted Forest at the foot of the mountain, and in another direction at the tiny, almost invisible city inhabited by millions of humans and elves.

If that disaster really happened, these elves and humans

Not daring to think any further, Absol stood up and stared resolutely into the distance.