The five people following Tetsuya discussed things while they ate.
"The Leader only told us to follow him and keep track of his movements. She didn't tell us anything else. I don't even know what we're supposed to do now. What if he discovers us and a conflict breaks out?" One of them said helplessly.
"I think we'd better get in touch with the Leaer as soon as possible. Otherwise we'll be at a loss when the time comes."
The five of them reached a unanimous decision once again and made the call.
The face that appeared on the Pokédex's calling function was Asea!
Tetsuya heard their entire conversation clearly. However, Asea only instructed them not to get into a conflict with him and said nothing that could be exploited or used as leverage.
It seemed that Asea had designs on him and his Pokémon, but Tetsuya's status was rather special.
If someone like him disappears or died in the Kanto Region, the Johto League would certainly demand accountability. If the Indigo League failed to provide an explanation, the Johto League would have the right to intervene in the investigation.
That was a major taboo!
Once the Johto League's official forces entered Kanto, they would be like bandits who crossed the border. Sooner or later, some disgraceful deeds would be uncovered, and by then there would be no turning back.
However, that also made things difficult for him. These five people were most likely Asea's Gym pupils. If he killed them, Asea's first suspect would undoubtedly be him. By then, he would have offended both Asea and Agatha. It's not that he's afraid of them, but in the Kanto Region, he would find it difficult to take even a single step.
After weighing everything carefully, Tetsuya decided to hold back for now. If Asea herself were here and had set her sights on his Pokémon, he could kill her without anyone noticing and dispose of the body without leaving a trace.
Besides, there was no way she would let anyone know about her own disgraceful intention of stealing someone else's Pokémon.
Since his opponent had no intention of coming into conflict with him, he would deliberately stir up some trouble instead.
---◓---
Tetsuya walked ahead in advance, set up camp by the roadside, then sat beside his tent and gazed at the stars.
Before long, the five people caught up as well. However, the moment they saw Tetsuya and his tent, they stopped, their expressions becoming somewhat awkward.
The leader deliberately raised his voice and said, "Everyone's tired after traveling all day. Why don't we set up our tents here and get some sleep!?"
""""Aye!""""
The other four all agreed.
At that moment, however, Tetsuya walked over and said, "You're disturbing my stargazing. Please leave."
Tetsuya's tone was stiff, carrying an unmistakable sense of coercion.
One of them stepped forward and said, "Hey! We're just setting up our tents here. What does that have to do with your 'stargazing'? Are you deliberately asking for it!?"
Tetsuya replied as though it were only natural, "Hn. You're blocking my view. Please don't appear within my line of sight."
"Y-You're going too far! We're setting up our tents here. What are you going to do about it!?"
"…Then don't blame me for using force."
As soon as Tetsuya finished speaking, he already had a Poké Ball in his hand.
"So what if you've got Pokémon? There are five of us!" The hot-tempered one among them immediately rushed forward to battle Tetsuya, but two of the others pulled him back and quietly said, "Bear with it… Remember what the Leader told us."
'Besides, we were supposed to just be "playing along"…'
After that, the five of them continued retreating until they were completely out of Tetsuya's sight.
Tetsuya let out a snort and thought, 'We'll meet again tomorrow. I refuse to believe that if I keep acting this arrogantly and forcing the issue step by step, I won't lure Asea out. So what if she's a Gym Leader? As long as it's beneficial to her, she'll take the risk.'
---◓---
Sure enough, those five people never appeared again for the rest of the night.
Early the next morning, Tetsuya went to a nearby stream to wash up and let his Pokémon wake themselves up as well.
At that moment, the five Trainers appeared again, washing up upstream from Tetsuya.
Tetsuya immediately shouted, "Fuck off! Do you expect me to use your dirty water!?"
First thing in the morning, Tetsuya had already cursed at them once. Four of them were finding it difficult to endure any longer. A stream like this had a strong current. If it was a problem, they could simply wait a little while. It was not a big deal at all. Tetsuya was clearly picking a fight on purpose.
"Hurry up and leave!" Tetsuya said, becoming even more overbearing.
These five Trainers were all pupils of an official Gym and were normally treated with respect. Yet now they had been humiliated again and again. They were filled with anger!
They had already been on the verge of losing control yesterday. If not for Asea's orders, they would have clashed with Tetsuya long ago. Now they could no longer restrain themselves.
"Heh… Then let's see what you're really capable of… Come out, Arbok!"
"Arbok!"
"Golbat."
"Golbat!"
All four of them send out their Pokémon and charged toward Tetsuya without hesitation.
The leader knew he could no longer stop them, but he also felt that Tetsuya had gone too far, so he decided to watch the battle first.
The Golbat flapped their wings at incredible speed and closed in on Tetsuya in an instant. The two Arbok followed close behind, preparing to wrap around him.
Before Tetsuya even threw a Poké Ball, he simply used his psychic powers to stop the two Golbat in front from advancing any farther.
"W-What is that…?"
"It's just like the Trainers at the Saffron Gym!"
All five of them were astonished, even though they only had a superficial understanding of psychic users.
Tetsuya then threw out the Poké Balls of Skorupi and Houndoom. Those two were more than enough to deal with these five people. More importantly, he wanted Skorupi to gain battle experience. Otherwise, he would have already had Golurk deal with them.
"Houndoom, keep the two Golbat under control. Skorupi, the two Arbok are yours," Tetsuya commanded.
The moment Tetsuya withdrew his psychic power, the Golbat immediately lunged forward with all their might. Houndoom answered with a Flamethrower that engulfed them. In an instant, one of the Golbat was reduced to a charred black mass and fell from the air.
"I-Instantly defeated…" One of the Golbat's Trainer could hardly believe what he was seeing. The Golbat he had carefully raised had been instantly defeated by a single Flamethrower from Houndoom. He stood there in complete shock.
The poison sacs of these low-level Pokémon were of no use whatsoever to Skorupi. Only by drawing Asea out would things become worthwhile. Her shiny Arbok would certainly be of great benefit to Skorupi's growth.
The leader no longer dared to underestimate Tetsuya. Seeing Tetsuya's power left him in disbelief. After all, they were five or six years older than Tetsuya, yet the gap was so enormous.
"Come out, Nidoking!" At last, the leader sent out his strongest Pokémon, Nidoking.
The moment Nidoking appeared, it let out a roar, pounded its chest, and charged straight toward Tetsuya.
Nidoking's arrival immediately restored the confidence of the other three Pokémon. They regained their fighting spirit and prepared to continue the battle.
The Golbat circled overhead, searching for an opportunity to strike. The Arbok began flanking Houndoom and Skorupi from both sides.
Charging down the center was Nidoking, lowering its horn as it rushed forward!