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In the end, Liam made it ashore, walked to the tree line, picked up the backpack placed under the tree, and tossed the peacefully sleeping Gible aside.
He retrieved a set of clean clothes, changed behind the tree, and emerged with a stern expression.
"I'm so sorry!! I really, truly apologize!!"
"Growlithe…"
As soon as Liam stepped out, the Officer Jenny stood up, bowed deeply in apology, and even the Growlithe by her side lowered its head, whining softly.
Although Liam very much wanted to take out his Magikarp and give her a slap with its tail, as a man of dignity and composure, he decided to hold back. Assaulting a police officer would be a big deal, after all!
"Ahem. Forget it, forget it. I'm not hurt or anything. Let's just pretend this never happened," Liam said, waving a hand generously.
But Officer Jenny wouldn't accept that.
"No way! If I made a mistake, I have to own up to it! I take full responsibility for what happened!" she declared with determination.
"Please don't be like this! I'm an engaged man!" Liam's internal thoughts were in turmoil, his inner gentleman's soul roaring in frustration.
"Seriously, there's no need. There's nothing for you to take responsibility for. Just don't be so reckless in the future, and we'll call it even. Let's part ways here. The mountains stay green, the rivers flow long—we'll meet again someday!" Liam clasped his hands as if in a traditional gesture of farewell.
"What?" Officer Jenny tilted her head, utterly confused.
"...It means goodbye!" Liam clarified, then ignored her entirely.
Spotting that Gible had somehow climbed back into the backpack and was sound asleep again, he packed up his fishing rod, shouldered the backpack, and turned to leave.
"Wait!! Don't go! You can't head that way—it's dangerous!"
Officer Jenny, seeing that Liam wasn't listening, finally gritted her teeth and called out about the danger ahead.
Liam paused, turning to look at her, his gaze questioning.
If anyone else had warned him of danger ahead, he might not have believed it or cared. But if an Officer Jenny said there was danger, then there was likely real trouble—serious trouble.
"What's going on?" Liam asked, returning to her side.
"Well… uh… actually…" Officer Jenny stammered once he was back.
"Don't want to say? Fine, I'll just keep going. If something happens to me, I'll leave a note saying a certain reckless Officer Jenny directed me down this path. You'll bear all the responsibility," Liam said, feigning a turn to leave.
"Hey! How could you say that?! Do you have any idea how much I've done for you?!" she exclaimed, flustered.
Liam had no intention of responding to such remarks. He turned again, lifting a foot to leave.
"Alright, alright! I'll tell you!" she finally relented, looking dejected.
Smiling, Liam turned back to wait for her explanation.
"Hmph. You seem so serious, but who knew you'd be this bad? Never judge a book by its cover," she huffed before continuing. "This is a dangerous matter. I didn't want to involve a civilian like you, but seeing you so intent, I'll graciously let you in on it."
Liam raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"We're tracking a fugitive. He committed a crime in Cerulean City and fled here. The police have traced him to the forest ahead, and we've surrounded the area. We're ready to apprehend him any moment now. So I'd like you to wait here until we catch him, and then I'll personally escort you across." She proudly patted her police motorcycle.
Looking at the gleaming bike, Liam shivered involuntarily and quickly waved her off.
"And how long will that take? Do you have an estimate? I can't be waiting out here until nightfall. This place is in the middle of nowhere, and I don't want to sleep in the wild," he said, frowning.
"Don't worry about that! Trust us police officers! We're…" Jenny began confidently, but Growlithe suddenly perked up, switching into alert mode. Its body tensed, head low, and a warning growl rumbled from its throat.
"Huh? Growlithe seems to have noticed something."
Jenny immediately tensed as well, her expression shifting to that of a seasoned officer. Liam couldn't help but feel like she'd suddenly transformed into a battle-hardened professional.
He followed her gaze toward the forest.
"Hmm? Why is there a policeman here? But just one? Hmph, I'll take care of them!" A chilling voice came from the forest, and a man dressed in gray stepped out.
He wore a gray jacket and pants, with a felt hat, black sunglasses, and a black mask covering his face entirely.
"It's the fugitive! How did he get here? Stay back! I'll handle this!" Jenny pushed Liam behind her and commanded Growlithe to attack.
"Growlithe!!" Growlithe growled low and leapt forward.
The gray-clad man sneered, pulling out a PokeBall and casually tossing it.
With a flash of light, a large Piloswine appeared, unfazed by Growlithe's charge. It rushed forward on all fours, raising its tusks, and collided with Growlithe with a resounding thud.
Growlithe was sent flying, rolling several times before standing again. A bloody gash marred its face, blood dripping from its left eye to the ground.
"Growlithe! Are you alright?!" Jenny ran to Growlithe in concern, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood from its face.
"Growlithe!" Growlithe barked, indicating it was fine. Its gaze locked on the Piloswine, flames of anger igniting in its eyes.
"Good! Then let's fight together and teach this criminal a lesson!" Jenny said, her face full of resolve as she pointed at the fugitive.
The fugitive laughed coldly, his sinister glare visible even through his sunglasses. "You pesky cops chased me all over the place! I'll make you pay today! Piloswine, use Powder Snow!"
"Pilo!!" Piloswine unleashed a torrent of icy snow, the chilling stream racing toward Jenny and Growlithe.
"We won't back down! Growlithe, use Flamethrower! "
"Growlithe!!" Growlithe opened its mouth, releasing a powerful stream of flames. The fire clashed with the icy attack, creating a dense fog of steam that enveloped both sides, blocking their view.
"Heh, as I thought. You used Flamethrower, just as I predicted. You're just an amateur. Now… prepare to face death's judgment!" The fugitive's laughter echoed chillingly, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
Amid the mist, Growlithe's nose twitched, sniffing the air intensely. Suddenly, it seemed to sense something and looked at Jenny's back with alarm.
A small, shadowy figure emerged silently behind her, its claws glowing with a menacing light, ready to strike her defenseless back.
"Growlithe!!" Growlithe lunged with all its strength, but it was too late. The attack was already closing in—life and death balanced on a knife's edge!