The four robbers were tied up tightly by Ariel, looking like four salted fish strung together, paralyzed on the ground and unable to move.
The bandits, who had been full of ferocity just moments ago, were now covered in tears and snot, looking utterly pathetic.
"B-Big boss! We were blind to your greatness. This is our first time, really our first time!"
The crew-cut man struggled to lift his head, squeezing out a smile that looked uglier than if he were crying.
"Please, have mercy and let us go! We won't dare do it again!"
"Yeah, yeah, we just wanted to get some money, we never thought about killing anyone..."
The other tall, thin man chimed in, his voice shaking uncontrollably.
Before they could finish their words, Tome couldn't take it anymore.
She took a step forward, her chest heaving with anger. Pointing at them, her voice was clear but filled with suppressed fury.
"Shameless! With how practiced you looked just now, does that seem like a first time? And didn't you just say that the number of people you've killed is more than the pieces of bread you've eaten?"
"Why are you afraid to admit it now?"
The short-haired woman who was called out, though her body was bound, stared fixedly at Tome with spiteful eyes and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.
"Stupid brat, just you wait! Once I get out, the first thing I'll do is rip your mouth apart!"
Her voice was sharp and piercing, echoing in the vast cavern and sounding particularly eerie.
"I'm not just going to kill you, I'm going to..."
Before she could finish her sentence—
Thud!
A dull sound of impact.
The crew-cut man slammed his head violently into the short-haired woman's cheek. The force was so great that it choked back all the filth she was about to spew, leaving her only able to let out a pained groan as blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
"Shut the hell up!"
The crew-cut man growled low, his eyes bloodshot and filled with terror.
He knew very well that for every harsh word they said now, their fate would likely become even more miserable.
The entire cave fell silent instantly, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing.
Ariel stood with his hands on his hips, watching this farce with great interest, as if he were enjoying a poorly acted stage play.
He turned his head, glanced at the silent Steven beside him, and spoke lazily.
"Hey, Steven, what's the plan? Bury them on the spot, or pack them up and send them away?"
His tone was light, but the content made the four of them tremble, forgetting even to beg for mercy.
Steven didn't answer immediately.
His gaze swept across the four fearful and despicable faces before finally landing on the dark depths of the cave in the distance.
The stone walls were damp, and occasionally water droplets fell, making a 'drip-drop' sound in the silence.
He was thinking.
Seeing him like that, Ariel already had an answer in his heart.
Foolish benevolence.
He curled his lip, internally labeling Steven.
If it were him, there wouldn't be so much hesitation.
These four people were cruel in nature and ruthless in their methods; keeping them alive was just asking for trouble.
Dealing with them right here would be clean, efficient, and eliminate any future problems.
Moreover, their Poké Balls and resources could all end up in his own pocket.
It was simply killing two birds with one stone.
What a pity.
Ariel sighed inwardly. With Steven, this 'Justice' Buddha present, his simple and efficient methods couldn't be used.
Tome and Masaki weren't the type of people who could accept 'robbing the robbers' either.
What a hassle.
"This is the interior of Mt. Pyre, and the signal is completely blocked. It might be difficult to contact Officer Jenny."
Masaki pushed up his glasses, calmly analyzing the current situation.
Steven finally moved.
He snapped out of his silence, his face regaining the calm and confidence belonging to the strong.
"It's fine. A small matter like this won't stump me."
As he spoke, he took out a Poké Ball from his waist.
With a flash of red light, a lithe and steady Lucario appeared before everyone.
This Lucario had a sharp gaze, immediately grasping the situation upon appearing. The spikes on its chest reflected a cold, hard luster in the dim light, giving off a powerful sense of pressure.
Steven's bodyguard.
Ariel raised an eyebrow, seeing this Lucario again. The last time he saw it was still fresh in his memory.
That was when they first met in Granite Cave; back then, Lucario had easily resolved the danger.
He remembered it was Level 66 then, and now, it was only Level 67.
Its strength didn't seem to have grown much.
Clearly, its aptitude was likely at the Quasi-Elite level, which was the ceiling for this Lucario.
But the strength of an Quasi-Elite was exceptionally powerful in Mt. Pyre!
Steven walked over to Lucario and whispered a few instructions.
Lucario listened intently and then nodded solemnly, the two black ribbon-like sensory organs on its head moving slightly.
Then, it turned and walked toward the four people tied in a string.
Seeing Lucario approach, unprecedented fear erupted in the eyes of the four, and they began to twist their bodies violently, making pleading sounds.
Lucario ignored them completely.
It extended its claws, but instead of hurting them, it precisely hooked onto the ropes binding them.
The next second, it pulled with force.
Screech—
The four people were like a string of dragged sacks, rubbing against the rough rock floor and making a tooth-gritting sound. Accompanied by their intermittent screams and pleas, they were effortlessly dragged by Lucario into the deeper, darker cave tunnels.
The sounds gradually faded until they disappeared completely.
The entire cavern returned to silence, leaving only the dripping water, as if providing a final footnote to everything that had just happened.
Ariel looked at the bottomless tunnel and whistled, breaking the silence.
"Not bad, does your Lucario work part-time as a delivery man?"
Steven withdrew his gaze, his expression indifferent.
"Just leave it to him," he stated calmly. "He knows how to deliver them to Officer Jenny's hands."
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