The man pats his dragonite and then approaches me. I do not miss how the chubby upright standing dragon seems to almost recoil at the touch. The man... Wait he was called Garret right? Garret seems to notice and send a glare at his pokemon. Not a really good start in my eyes.

"How did you disappear for a whole day? No I don't care, I don't have time. You are coming with us, right now!" He snarls. Oh he is pissed. "What about great Mewtwo? Is he taking a nap? Hold on, are those... bandages? What have you done to him?" His tone shift quite a bit here, from concern to distress to anger once more.

I barely give what he says any attentions, more intent on how I can slip past a dragonite. I do not like my odds in term of speed. I still have enough power to maybe put a bit of distance... but-

"Stop ignoring me! I saw the chatty coward rush toward his mistress! I have little time, and the rest of my team will soon have their hands full. So give up, and let my dragonite hold the both of you!" At his words, the orange dragon starts to move forward. I might have no choices here. Shit.

I gently lower Mewtwo to the ground. Once he is laying down, I turn toward Garret and his dragonite, and take my sword out. "Where did you find that?" He is clearly taken aback by the sword manifesting out of thin air, or by the fact I have a sword, it's hard to tell. "Never mind that. Do you really intend to fight us?" He asks with a smug smile on his face.

I take the sword with both hands. "Well shit, you are. Dragonite, extreme speed, knock him off and take Mewtwo, we'll explain his trainer died once we return to the camp."

I concentrate solely on the dragonite, ready to intercept, only for it to disappear, and for the ground to suddenly become my sky, rushing away at absurd speed. Wha-? Then the crunching sound of my insides ring to my ears. Ah.

I feel the sudden drag of air, and close to me is the dragonite, with their chubby fist buried in my torso. Thankfully it did not penetrate my skin, only crushing what is beneath... which might not be that much better. The pokemon expression is unreadable as we travel at absurd speed skyward. I wince at what I am about to do, but I have little choice here. I angle my sword and stab the dragon. They cry out as my sword surprisingly penetrates. Although my surprise turns to dismay as said sword breaks down in pieces, leaving part of the blade buried just beneath the pokemon arm. What? Wait the durability! Shit.

The dragonite has now turned their head to me, surprise and pain battle upon their round snout. Yep sorry buddy. Our ascent stop as the wound seems to have affected them more than I expected. With how I angled my strike, the blade might have touched muscles connected to his wings. Still with their fist buried within my chest, he circles down toward the ground. It seems whatever speed they used has waned off.

As we close on the ground, the dragonite suddenly pick speed back up and before I can realize what is about to happen, I end up almost a meter deep within the ground, with another worrying crunching sound. That... hurt? Not really... Weird... Is... Wait... I can still move??

I slowly pick myself up from the newly Astra shaped hole doting the landscape and wince as I finally witness the extent of my damages. My chest... is caved in. My breath actually come out wheezing now. I can hear some crunching and clinking sound coming from my back and legs, but they still move as they should. Maybe a little stiff? The dragonite eye me in disbelief, as does a rushing Garret. Before the dragonite can try to move anymore, they stumble on one knee, their hand going to their side, where the blade of my sword is still lodged between their ribs.

Garret pales as he sees the wound, and I take the time to look at something that has been bothering me after I noticed it. At the start, Garret had my full attention, but now the dragonite has. A little header above his, for it is a male according to the WAYLA system, shows his specie's name as well as his level. And I am... surprised because that does not make sense. That dragonite should not be a dragonite. Not when his level is listed as 26!

Garret is fretting at his dragonite, although from what I hear it seems to be mostly scolding. And from the dragonite expression, it seems more like he only reluctantly listens to his human trainer than he agrees with him, as if he has no choice but to follow his trainer and accept anything he says. My face turns blank at that realization, my entire expression is only a mask of placidity to hide a growing wish to let my disgust be known. Mewtwo had warned me, and from the way Garret had acted before, I had suspicions. I now have possible confirmation. Time to get to the bottom of this.

I quickly take out one of our remaining sandwiches and gobble it. I almost choke on it as the caved chest is clearly not just for show, but manage to get it down. The flush of energy is almost instantaneously absorbed by my ongoing repairs.

With my survival assured for the next few minutes at least, I turn my attention back to the duo. "Hey," I start, softly but still loud enough for the both of them to hear me, "Why do you obey him?"

Both Garret and his dragonite look at me. One with outrage, the other with confusion. "Does he have something to keep you in line? I do not see pokeballs around." I continue.

"Shut up, you freak! You have no idea what our bond is like!" Garret spits out, his face turning redder by the second, but a bit of fear is present beneath the veneer of anger.

"If there truly is a bond, I am sure it is not one of friendship." I shoot back. A part of me is outraged at what I am seeing and hearing. The part that once was Aster Stradivii feels violated that people would treat their companions like this, especially after he might have helped train the founder of the league. The rest of me is cold and analytical, if this world is as harsh as it seems, then it is logical that some would rely on violence or worse to acquire allies.

"Do not question us! Dragonite, use dragon pulse, destroy that freak!" Garret shouts out. Ah shit, back to fighting it is.

An orb of light gather within the dragonite mouth, and freeze. I was about to rush, and use my left hand as a sword, like I did against the hunter, but does that dragonite deserves death? Wait, new plan.

The dragonite finishes charging his dragon pulse and fires. A stream of yellow light comes forth in a cone, and I dash to the side. The heat of the move washes over me and I keep going. I am fast. Faster than I gave myself credit for. And it suddenly clicks. I am strong! I am fast! I can tank an extreme speed from a dragonite! Of course I can! Up to this point, I have only been fighting absurd opponents. Beings and monsters I should have only faced year or more into this ordeal, or weak creatures only meant to kill normal humans! But here, I am facing an opponent that might have yet to face any real challenges, an opponent that might be average in term of power compared to me. Not absurdly weak, or absurdly strong.

"How long have you been here Garret?" I taunt as I angle myself. I am now making a beeline toward the human.

I almost reach him but his dragonite interposes himself in front of his trainer. Sorry, but I need to pass. I punch the dragonite. My left arm buries itself into the chubby pokemon belly. The dragonite eyes bulge, before rolling back and he crumple on me.

He is still breathing though. He is only knocked out. I silently breath out in relief, and gently lay the unconscious dragon on his side, making sure the place I stabbed him is up. If Mewtwo wakes up, maybe we can try to heal him up.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"No! Dragonite!" Garret cries out in dismay, his face turning from red to white. He takes a step back as I now approach him without much hurry. "What are you?"

I keep walking, my eyes are cold and I can see how disturbed he is. I can feel the crater in my chest slowly rising. "What the fuck are you?!"

I keep walking. His legs are trembling. "Stop! don't get any closer!" Still I keep walking. And finally, he breaks. He turns around and tries to run. I catch up to him in seconds.

"You never answered me Garret. How long have you been here?" I ask him again, my tone almost robotic. My left hand is holding the back of his head and slowly crushing it.

Garret is now crying, clearly terrified of me and in pain. "F-Five months... I arrived five months ago," He finally answers between his sobs.

Yeah, he would not survive a Praetor in his state. What now? Mewtwo is still unconscious, and I have yet to see the forest. And supposedly the rest of his team, whether he means more pokemons or his followers from the village, will try to stop Princess from reaching us. Yet I have a hard time believing someone from Aster's old team having a problem with people like Garret.

"How could you order that dragonite when he clearly dislikes you. And no bullshit, I saw enough to know it is not respect." Aster within me is fuming, and he wants answers.

Garret face is already pretty pale, and yet it somehow gets even paler. For a minute, he is silent. Then finally, he talks. "His... his family is protected at our main compound. But it will only remain so if he listen to the trainer he is assigned to."

I barely restrain myself from crushing his head there and then. Protected my ass. They are using pokemon families as hostage to have their stronger members act as little soldiers uh? I no longer hide my disgust, and Garret struggle in my grasp.

"Next question, why are you not trying to defend yourself?"

"What's the point? you took out dragonite, I have no way to surpass him!"

"What about soul coins? Did you not improve yourself?"

"I'm not a hunter! I am a trainer! Our coins go to our pokemons! We're investing for the future! When I get reset, my pokemons will still be as strong as they were!"

Interesting information here. That might explain Aster's team strength. Too bad I was too overwhelmed to check Hound level at the time. Alright, I have nothing else to do here. Time to bail.

"Help me get Mewtwo on my back and do not try anything funny. I can behead you with one hand." I think I can anyway.

"Ye-yes..." He stammers out.

I let him go and turn toward where I laid Mewtwo down. The big mon is still asleep. Heavy sleeper here, mister Mewtwo. With the help of Garret, I quickly get Mewtwo positioned once more. I give Garret one last look of disgust, but cannot stop myself from giving him one line of advice straight from Aster. "Try to be friendlier and respect your partner. That's how you'll grow stronger."

With that line, I turn away and take off in the same direction I had been going until the trainer had stopped me.

Once I am far enough away, I let out a breath as I feel my entire body unwind. This situation was... Insane. Good news: I am stronger than I realized. Bad news: the league clearly wants Mewtwo, and my death might be of no concerns to them. Which will be problematic to them, because without me, Mewtwo's growth will be slower... Oh Trio they have arenas do they not? I am practically certain they must have places where they force pokemons to fight one another to grow stronger.

I scowl at that. If I ever get the chance, or the ability, I will absolutely try to see how awful the league truly is. Mewtwo might also want to do that himself.

As I keep running, I spot shapes in the distance. A thunderclap echoes and I realize I might be approaching the rest of Garret's team. Yep, they were his followers. I should avoid them- Wait! That's the chatot! He is flying wildly, trying to shake off a large black white and yellow seagull like bird. His plumage seems darker even from how far I am. The humans beneath them seem to be cheering on the kilowattrel, and whenever the little bird tries to fly away, sparks of lightning shoot from the ground to cut his espace. This is bad... With Mewtwo on my back, I have little in term of fighting capability. How do I help... Hum... I could try something risky... Fuck it, I should survive, and I'll have to hope the trainers are not as dumb as I fear they might be, but also dumb enough for my idea to work.

I rush forward, straight at the group. Before I can truly reach them, one of the ground pokemon notice me, crying out in warning. The houndour squares itself, ready to intercept. His trainer turn to his pokemon and then to me. I can tell by the way he recoils that he is more than surprised to see me. He quickly get the attention of the others and soon they are almost all turned toward me. But at this point it is too late, because I barrel through their group, straight toward the flaafy that has been shouting lighting to contain the little chatot.

The electric upright sheep eyes widen at my approach, and before they can do anything, I kick them, making sure to avoid having my talons for toes hurt the poor sheep. They cry out in surprise and land a few meters away. The stunt stuns most of the pokemons and trainers. "Chatot! let's go!" I shout and take off once more.

Seconds later, the exhausted bird lands on my head.

"How did win? How did win?" He asks in between ragged breaths.

"I'm stronger than anyone realize." I simply answer. "Still that way?" I ask back.

"Still that way. Still that way. Keep going. Keep going."

"Okay," I acknowledge. I almost nodded, but that might have dislodged the bird.

We run for a few minutes in silence, until an angry cry disturb it. The chatot cries in alarm. "RIGHT! RIGHT!" Unsure to what eh means, I look to my right, seeing nothing.

"GO!" He adds urgently.

I obey, and by the gust of wind passing where I had just been running, I realize we have pursuers. Clearly it is not the flaafy, it would be too slow. A growl clue me on one of them. An electrike is easily keeping up with me. The kilowattrel is also circling again for another strike. That's what I just avoided. The electrike strike at my leg. I barely avoid the strike as I jump over the green quadrupedal pokemon. Its angular head still clip my foot and I almost falter on my landing. You're heavy Mewtwo.

"Chatot, I can try to occupy them. Is the forest far? Could you fly to it fast enough?"

"Not far! Not far! Can do! Can do!"

"Then once that kilowattrel passes me, go!" I order. "I'm carrying the one they want."

I do not see the blue bird nod, but I feel his body move. he is ready. "Tell me when it is almost about to get me."

I keep running, avoiding another strike from the electrike. "Now! Now!"

I stop, lean back and then deliver a massive headbutt to the passing kilowattrel. The large yellow bird falls on the ground, one wing clearly hurt. The chatot takes that as his cue and flies off.

Alright, now to make good on my promise to hold out.

The electrike has also stopped, stunned by my stunt. Try and get me little lion cub, I have a foot with your name on it. It is at this moment that a little notification makes itself known.

/!\ Warning /!\

POWER RESERVES CRITICAL!

Entering power-saving mode. Do note certains abilities will be reduced.

(You should REALLY be careful of you power supplies)

Oh fuck. Mewtwo's weight immediately makes itself known. My knees buckle as my entire body slowly shuts down synthetic muscles after synthetic muscles to keep itself powered. I let go, unable to hold Mewtwo any longer and his body flop down next to me. Fuck! I quickly take out as much food as I can from my inventory and gobble it. The crater in my torso is almost filled up, no wonder I went through all my reserves. Between the running, holding Mewtwo and fighting that dragonite, I have spent my energy a bit too liberally.

The pop-up vanishes after the second sandwich, but I can see the energy get consumed fast still. My strength returns, and I stand back up. I guess I am making my stand here.

The kilowattrel stands back up, both wings seem healed somehow, but he does not take to the sky. The electrike now circle me, slowly closing to her ally. I presume they are either going to wait for their trainers or try to incapacitate me. I look in the distance and I can see the other humans and pokemon coming. The kilowattrel has seen it too.

However, something happens to the group. One of the humans suddenly go flying, in a bit too many pieces. Lighting it shot, fire is breathed and soon only one human shape remains in the distance.

I try to make sense of what just happened, but the human shape vanishes. Is the hunter back? did we not kill it? No we got the achievement, so what is happening? The kilowattrel squawks in surprise and I turn around just it time to see it vanish in a mist of blood and feathers. What?

The electrike vanishes as well, and then reappears with a cry, one leg missing. And before me, a few meters away, stands a human. His grey hair and youthful look clash together, as his piercing grey eyes lock onto mine. "Hi there, long time no see." He starts cheerfully, "I'm Hans Senah." The man casually add as he throw away the electrike leg he had been holding.