Chapter 286: 286. Professor Elm

Words : 1295 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

---- Suicune opened its mouth, and in an instant, a thick mist spread out, engulfing everyone in a dense white fog. The mist came swiftly and was so heavy that everything turned into a vast sea of whiteness. Visibility dropped to less than a meter, making Kai lose sight of everyone else in an instant. Fortunately, he could still faintly make out the hazy silhouettes of his two Pokémon beside him, preventing him from panicking. At the same time, Gardevoir and Gengar quickly moved closer to him, forming a protective stance while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Kai raised his voice toward Sabrina's direction, "Sabrina! Are you okay?" Sabrina's steady voice responded almost immediately. "I'm fine." Judging by the distance of her voice, it seemed that the fog hadn't caused anyone to lose their sense of direction it had merely obstructed their vision without any additional effects. Then, Looker's voice came from another direction. "I'm okay too, but I can't see Silver anymore! And just now, I saw flashes of red light!" 'Red light?' Kai instantly realized what that meant. In most cases, a flash of red light indicated someone was withdrawing a Pokémon into a Poké Ball. 'Could Silver be using the fog as cover to escape?!' Turning to Gengar, Kai gave a quick order, "Blow away the fog, quickly!" "Got it!" Gengar took a deep breath and then unleashed a gust of eerie wind into the air. In the next moment, the swirling mist was swiftly blown away. As the fog dissipated completely, they immediately turned their eyes to where Silver had just been but he was already gone! "Damn it! He got away!" Looker's expression darkened as he scanned the surroundings, but all he could see were thick trees and an endless forest. There were no signs of Silver anywhere. Silver had escaped meaning Looker's mission had completely failed. After all that effort, all the planning, the long pursuit... it had all been for nothing. The disappointment on Looker's face was undeniable. By the time they recovered from their shock, they realized that Suicune had also disappeared. "Damn it!" Looker punched a tree in frustration. "Why the hell did Suicune help Silver escape?!" Kai shook his head. "Suicune didn't help him it was here to stop the battle. I think if it had been anyone else fighting, Suicune still would have done the same thing." After a moment of silence, he added, "Either way, we can't just let him go. Everyone split up and search for Silver or Suicune whichever we find first works!" Hearing the command, Gardevoir, Gengar, Sabrina's Pokémon, and Looker's team all scattered into the forest. They searched for over half an hour. But in the end, they found nothing. "...Forget it!" As they regrouped, Looker sighed in defeat, finally accepting reality. "They must've gotten too far by now. This mission is a complete failure." "Well, it's not a total loss," Kai said, glancing at Sabrina. At that moment, she still had the Poké Ball they had taken from Silver firmly in her grasp. "At least we managed to get Professor Elm's Pokémon back." "...You're right." Looker was momentarily stunned, but after processing it, he nodded. His mood seemed to lighten just a little. Recalling their Pokémon, the three of them left the forest and returned to New Bark Town. By then, it was already past 11 PM. The town had become eerily silent. It seemed that everyone had already gone to bed, as not a single pedestrian could be seen on the streets. Professor Elm's laboratory was quiet as usual there were no signs of anyone realizing it had been secretly broken into just hours earlier. Yawning, Looker rubbed his temples. "Professor Elm is probably asleep by now. Since there's no rush, we'll just return the Pokémon to him tomorrow morning. For now, let's find a place to rest." Kai had no objections. Rather than going out of their way to look for a hotel, they decided to stay at the nearby Pokémon Center instead. When they arrived, Nurse Joy, who had been preparing for bed, still wearing her pyjamas and a face mask, stepped out, surprised to see guests at such a late hour. "I'm really sorry for disturbing you at this time," Kai said, feeling a bit guilty. If they had known Nurse Joy had already gone to bed, they might as well have walked further to find a hotel instead. "No worries." Nurse Joy waved her hand dismissively. "The Pokémon Center is meant for travelling trainers. A lot of people check in late like this, so I'm already used to it." While talking, she handed them two separate room keys. The problem? Pokémon Center dorms were gender-separated. Which meant... Kai had no choice but to share a room with Looker, a single old man. After spending so much time sleeping next to Sabrina, he had completely adjusted to it. This was the first time they had been separated overnight. Kai lay down on his bed, feeling strangely empty. Every night, he had gotten used to holding her in his arms, enjoying the warmth and comfort. But now? Now he was lying here alone, and it felt incredibly wrong. 'Sigh...' 'The first hour without Sabrina?' He missed her. The first hour and five minutes without Sabrina? He still missed her. But at least, after the lights went out, Looker kept chatting with him. Their conversation spanned all sorts of topics Pokémon battles, Looker's work, the structure of the International Police, and even Looker's past missions. Kai actually learned a lot, hearing about some truly fascinating cases and gaining insight into how the International Police operated. Still, he couldn't sleep well. That empty feeling lingered all night. By the time morning finally arrived, Kai saw Sabrina again and immediately felt like his soul had been restored. After having breakfast at the Pokémon Center, the three of them set out to return the stolen Pokémon to Professor Elm. During the daytime, Professor Elm's lab had a much livelier atmosphere. Inside, researchers bustled about, fully engaged in their work, making the place feel energetic and busy. Eventually, inside his office, they finally met Professor Elm himself. Elm looked to be in his late twenties. He wore the typical white lab coat, had semi-circular glasses, and... His hair was styled in a way that looked like a sea urchin. After a round of introductions, they explained what had happened. It wasn't until they mentioned Silver's break-in that Professor Elm finally realized... That one of his Pokémon was missing. Kai handed him the retrieved Poké Ball, which he took with a heavy sigh. "So it was Totodile's Poké Ball..." With a bitter smile, he muttered, "Man... I really must be the worst Professor ever. I didn't even notice I lost one of my Pokémon..." "Don't blame yourself, Professor," Looker reassured him. "You were just too focused on your research. Besides, New Bark Town has always been peaceful. That thief clearly scouted the place ahead of time he knew your schedule well. You guys had no reason to be on guard." Even after Looker's comforting words, Professor Elm still looked guilty. "...No matter what, it was still my mistake. Thank you all so much. If you hadn't intervened, the kids set to begin their Pokémon journeys this week would've been so disappointed." ---- Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!???????????? For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon. P@treon/iamxeno Thank you so much for your support and for reading!

Chapter 286: 286. Professor Elm

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