"What are the Elite Four? The Pokémon League's Elite Four? Or something else..."
"The Elite Four are the Elite Four. That's easy enough to understand, isn't it? Humans really are rigid. You'll understand when you live long enough to meet them."
"That's not what I meant!"
He had only just started to understand, yet now Xingye was lost again. But why the Elite Four? One thing was certain: they definitely weren't human!
But considering this was the Alola Region, the only ones that matched the number four were the four Island Guardians. If it was them, protecting Kabukicho did seem possible.
With that thought, Xingye seemed to understand again. Talking to Pokémon always made him feel like an idiot—the complete and utter kind...
"By the way, Boss Slowking, is it really okay for you to tell me all this? It looks like I'm the only human in all of Kabukicho..."
"That's why I'm letting you stay alive."
"???"
"This place is fine if you run into domesticated Pokémon. They generally can't be bothered with you. But the biggest share of customers here are wild Pokémon without Trainers, especially those ruthlessly abandoned by their Trainers and left to wander here..."
Xingye was listening intently as Boss Slowking explained the rules of Kabukicho when a chill suddenly ran down his back, as though something had appeared behind him.
Before he could turn around, a flash of cold light streaked past him, carrying flames devoid of warmth. A sharp blade was instantly pressed against his throat!
"Hey!!!"
He glanced over and saw a greatsword formed from flames and Ghost-type energy. From the corner of his eye, Xingye also caught sight of its owner.
It was a Pokémon clad in old armor steeped in Grudge-purple, with blue-violet Will-O-Wisp decorations trailing behind the knight's helmet on its head.
Although the Pokémon looked incredibly cool, like some kind of Mega Man, its emotionless eyes seemed to be intent on killing him in a single strike!
"Ceruledge!!!"
Xingye was completely stunned. He had never expected to encounter one here. Ceruledge was known for doing whatever it took to win a battle, even resorting to underhanded ambushes and sneak attacks. It was also incredibly fast—a natural assassin, the kind that could mow down an entire field alone.
Just as Ceruledge was about to slit his throat, a figure suddenly charged in from outside the izakaya and sent Ceruledge flying... or rather, Ceruledge had stepped back and dodged.
Cyclizar missed and crashed hard onto the floor.
After waking up and finding Xingye gone, it had followed his scent downstairs. Then it saw Ceruledge about to carry out an execution, so it had rammed forward without hesitation. Only...
"Cyclizar..."
"Cyclizar!"
Xingye immediately got to his feet, but Ceruledge swept its blade through the air, leaving a trail behind it. Then the sword tip pointed at his throat as Bitter Blade prepared to strike.
But at that moment, Slowking suddenly slammed the table and shouted, "Enough. Stop fighting. The things in my shop are quite expensive."
"..."
At his words, the flames on Ceruledge's greatsword instantly weakened, returning it to its normal short-blade form. Without saying a word, it walked toward the other side. Machoke and the others who had been watching also stopped, returning to their drinks and conversation.
Slowking then calmly introduced it. "It's a waiter at my shop. It's normally very quiet and never leaves this place. It only gets a little excited when it sees humans."
"A little excited? It almost killed me!"
"How could it kill you? You still owe me so much money. At least pay it back first."
"Huh?"
Xingye blinked in confusion and pulled Cyclizar to its feet. But Slowking suddenly crunched its lollipop, spat out the stick, and continued, "Didn't you know? All the food your Cyclizar took today was bought on credit. I've already put it on the tab."
"???"
Slowking suddenly pulled out another contract and placed it on the bar. "Also, the second floor of my place has been rented to it for a whole year. The contract has already been stamped with a fingerprint, so it's in effect."
"Under Alola law, a domesticated Pokémon's Trainer pays for all of its actions. So you'll have to pay the rent, unless you completely sever your relationship with it. And don't forget about water and electricity bills either."
"..."
Trembling, Xingye took the contract and looked it over. Sure enough, Cyclizar's fingerprint was on it. It must have pressed it there when it followed him into the shop that afternoon...
Seeing that, he finally couldn't take it anymore. He slammed the contract down onto the bar and shouted, "This is a scam! You're taking advantage of it because it's dumb and doesn't understand anything, aren't you?!"
But Slowking didn't care. It pulled out another lollipop, tore off the wrapper, popped it into its mouth, and waved a hand. "You're the Trainer who can't take care of his Pokémon, yet you ran into a place like this to play survival. How can you call me a scammer? From the moment you stepped onto this street, you needed to bear the consequences."
"..."
"Business at the izakaya hasn't been great lately. It wasn't easy waiting for someone like you to walk in. How could I let you go without fleecing you? If you really can't pay the rent, you still have kidneys, don't you? Just cut one out."
"..."
"But don't even think about running away. I have the contract. Even if you ran out of the Alola Region, I could drag you back here. So pay up obediently, before you die... Slow~"
At that moment, Slowking looked exactly like a villain—shrewd beyond belief. There was none of its earlier dim-witted appearance left, much less any kindness.
"..."
Xingye didn't understand. He truly didn't understand. Was this still the Pokémon world he knew? Were these guys really not humans wearing Pokémon skins?
The so-called dinner and free lodging had all been traps. Once he stepped inside, there was basically no escaping.
But the other side had also given him a solution besides paying the money: deny that he was Cyclizar's Trainer and sever their relationship.
Strictly speaking, he really couldn't be considered Cyclizar's Trainer. He had never caught it; it had simply agreed after he casually mentioned it. They had known each other for less than two days. It was a terribly cheap friendship.
An ordinary person would surely have chosen without hesitation. But Xingye was different. He had crossed over here alone, arriving in this world that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
When he had been at a loss, he had finally met a Pokémon just as alone as he was, one that had stayed by his side. Though it had only been less than two days...
He had already completely regarded it as his companion. Since it acknowledged him as its Trainer, then he was its Trainer!
"Cyclizar!"
Cyclizar stared at Ceruledge, who was standing against the wall, and took a stance as if it were about to charge again, while shielding Xingye behind it.
"..."
Ceruledge didn't even look at it. It went to help the Machoke at the next table fetch more drinks, as though Cyclizar did not exist.
Then Xingye flung the contract he had been holding back at Slowking. Looking at it with a serious expression, he shouted in a low voice, "Even I have things I absolutely cannot abandon!"
"Hm?"
"I'm staying here no matter what. Even if Arceus himself comes, it won't change anything. I said so!"
Xingye glanced at Ceruledge, meeting its gaze at just the right moment. Then he looked at Slowking, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he continued, "I didn't come to this street just to find a place to live. Since so many Pokémon gather here because they have troubles of all kinds in their lives, then let me help them!"
After saying that, he led Cyclizar, which was still in its fighting stance, out through the izakaya's front door. Only Slowking was left behind, briefly stunned by what he had just said, though it quickly came back to its senses.
It then looked toward the door and slowly said, "What a strange human. That Cyclizar was never caught at all. If he just said that, couldn't he leave safely..."
"And help those Pokémon on this street? What big words... Forget it. As long as he can pay the rent, it doesn't matter if I take in one more human."
After thinking it over, Slowking stopped dwelling on it. It picked up the contract and put it away again, then went back to reading the newspaper.
Ceruledge brought more drinks to the other customers. Everything remained as usual. The only difference was that there was now a human neighbor upstairs.
At that moment, the mascot Slowpoke lying on the bar swayed its tail and made a sound. It seemed sleepy, or perhaps it was thinking about something.
"Slow~"
Before you continue