Relying on his own overwhelming strength... no, on Misdreavus and Serperior's overwhelming strength, Dian picked out the Poké Ball engraved with a "d," unlocked it, and released the Pokémon inside.
"Swalot..." He watched the purple creature flop limply onto the ground as soon as it appeared and start eating the scattered little black berries... It looked like a purple, tube-shaped slime standing roughly two meters tall.
Gero apparently had a brain after all. He had put the object containing the important data inside Swalot's body. Any attempt to forcibly retrieve it would surely trigger its instinctive resistance, leaving them with nothing in the end.
After all, this Pokémon's stomach was said to be capable of breaking down any substance... except its own body.
"Ma-lulu~~" With a (?˙▽˙?) expression, Swalot rolled around on the ground, leaving nothing in its wake. Never mind the black berries or the layer of fallen leaves more than ten centimeters thick—even a good portion of the dark soil seemed to have been swallowed.
Dian glanced at it twice. "Gero, are you sure you want another charge added?" He took another look at Swalot, which was slowly getting up and inching toward a tree to collect its berries... How long had it been starved to reach this point? Pokémon abuse?
Gero looked at the scholar, who appeared so righteous but was actually devious and shameless. "I get it, I get it."
Wasn't he just urging him to get on with it? Did he really need to make up an excuse like that?
"Swalot, spit that thing out." His expression turned stern, and he sighed inwardly.
"Ma-lulu~" Swalot did not even glance at Gero. It kept happily struggling up the big tree, inch by inch... The berries up there were its paradise.
As for the human below, ma-lu,