Pokémon: Check-In System

Following the trail of Meowth's footprints, Nero and Combusken walked forward until they reached the end of the path. There, a few abandoned small buildings stood in decay.

Standing before one of the buildings, Nero could vaguely hear the sound of cats meowing inside.

Quietly, he approached and reached out his right hand to grasp the door handle. After giving Combusken a subtle signal with his eyes, he turned the handle and gently pushed the wooden door open.

The entire scene inside the house was laid bare before them.

This place appeared to be an abandoned storage room from an old kindergarten. Inside, several Meowth were chasing each other around playfully, while some were occupied with batting around a ball of yarn. In the corner, a Persian lay with its eyes half-closed, dozing off, and beside it was an orange-gold spherical object.

A Fast Ball!

Nero's actions quickly caught the attention of the Meowths. Within an instant, over a dozen pairs of feline eyes turned toward the doorway.

A human?

For a brief moment, the Meowths were stunned. But once they processed the situation, whether they had been playing or resting, they all immediately assumed a battle stance!

The Meowths huddled together, their eyes fierce and hostile, fur bristling as they let out warning growls.

At the same time, they revealed their sharp white fangs, their hind legs tensed and ready to pounce at any moment.

"Chamo!!"

Combusken spread its arms, shielding Nero behind it. Flames flickered in its throat, glowing with intense heat. If the Meowths made the first move, Combusken wouldn't hesitate to unleash a Flamethrower to scorch them.

The blazing heat radiating from Combusken made the Meowths wary. Though they continued their loud cries, none dared to make the first attack.

As Nero observed his surroundings, he noticed that this abandoned warehouse was filled with various valuables, suggesting that these Meowths had stolen a considerable amount from humans.

However, retrieving every stolen item and returning them to their rightful owners was impossible. He only needed to reclaim what belonged to him.

"I don't mean any harm. I just want my item back."

Nero pointed at the Persian clutching the Fast Ball and spoke.

At the mention of the Fast Ball, the other Meowths turned to look at their leader, their eyes filled with envy.

The Fast Ball's orange-gold color made it appear incredibly luxurious, its exquisite design catching even the faintest light in the dim room, causing it to shimmer faintly.

Meowths naturally loved round objects, and they were particularly fond of shiny things. The Fast Ball perfectly met both criteria, making it extremely desirable among them.

But no matter how much they admired it, the ball belonged to their boss. None of them dared to entertain the idea of taking it away.

Persian slowly rose to its feet, its sharp gaze fixed on Nero and Combusken.

At the same time, Nero activated his glasses to scan Persian's data.

Pokémon: Persian

Type: Normal

Ability: Technician

Gender: Male

Level: Elite

Condition: Good (No Status Ailments)

Persian continued to lock eyes with Nero and Combusken but refrained from making any reckless moves.

From Combusken's presence alone, Persian could tell that this fiery combatant was no weaker than itself. On top of that, it was a master of fire attacks.

It wasn't that Persian feared fire itself. Rather, if a fire were to break out in this warehouse or spread to the surrounding buildings, this entire hideout could be reduced to ashes overnight.

Persian liked this temporary home. But with just one spark, it could all be destroyed.

It had to carefully consider whether it could afford such a loss before taking any action.

After all, safe shelters away from humans were becoming increasingly rare, and rival groups were growing stronger. Moving an entire clan to a new place would be a major hassle.

Looking at the human before it, Persian had a feeling that this wasn't someone who had come to pick a fight for no reason. If it simply handed over the golden ball, the human would likely leave peacefully.

But the real issue was that Persian itself had grown quite fond of this golden ball and was reluctant to part with it so easily…

"You seem hesitant."

Nero's words broke the silence.

From Persian's subtle movements and the unwilling look in its eyes, Nero could tell it was struggling with a decision.

Glancing at Combusken, whose fighting spirit was already burning, Nero immediately understood what was on Persian's mind.

He had to admit—this Persian was quite level-headed.

Most Persian that had only recently evolved were much more aggressive and prone to fighting at the slightest provocation. But this one, as the leader of a small clan, had to consider many factors before acting.

"Meow! Meow! Meow!"

The sharp cries of the Meowth echoed through the abandoned kindergarten, blending with the eerie silence of the dark alleyway outside.

For a moment, Nero was reminded of an old book he had read in elementary school—Charlie IX.

Although the story involved a fox's howl, the current atmosphere felt strangely fitting…

"Alright, alright, enough already."

Scratching his head, Nero was getting a little irritated by the endless meowing. Of course, he wasn't about to give up the Fast Ball just because of that.

"How about this?"

He turned to Persian and raised a single finger. "When faced with a conflict like this, we humans usually resolve it through battle. Let's have a one-on-one Pokémon match."

"If I win, I'll take my Fast Ball and leave without further trouble. If I lose, I'll leave empty-handed. What do you say?"

Nero knew that peaceful negotiations weren't realistic at this point.

Since the situation was bound to be resolved through force anyway, a fair one-on-one battle would be preferable. If Persian agreed, he could avoid dealing with a swarm of attacking Meowth.

"Meow!"

Persian hesitated for a moment upon hearing Nero's proposal.

Having lived in a human city for so long, Persian naturally understood that this was a common way for trainers to settle disputes.

Scheming and trickery were far too tedious. A direct battle was much simpler—and honestly, that suited Persian's personality just fine.

After a brief pause, Persian gave a firm nod in agreement.

Leaving the storage room, they moved to the only open area nearby—the playground.

Though the kindergarten's playground wasn't particularly large, it was spacious enough to serve as a battlefield, just slightly smaller than a standard Pokémon arena.

Upon arriving, Persian dug a small hole in the ground and placed the Fast Ball inside, warning the other Meowth not to interfere.

Nero took his position opposite Persian. Behind him, not far away, stood the dilapidated remains of an old school building.

Then, suddenly…

A chilling gust of wind swept through the area, sending shivers down Nero's spine.

A strange, unsettling feeling crept over him. But with both Pokémon locked in a fierce staring contest, he had no choice but to push aside his unease and focus on the battle ahead.

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