Chapter 5

The man called Takehara swallowed and said, "What do you want to know?"

Hu Yang could tell that the other party was very afraid of him. In his previous life, he had never encountered such a situation, but having watched a lot of TV, he found it easy to play this role.

He asked expressionlessly, "What area is this?"

Takehara looked at the stern-faced young man in front of him, recalling the terrifying scene just now, and answered honestly, "The Hoenn region." He paused and added, "This is the Orange Forest to the west of Orange City."

Hu Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The other party didn't seem to have a die-hard character, so he continued his interrogation:

"Who are you?"

Takehara: "We are Pokémon hunters."

Pokémon hunters are a criminal organization that captures rare wild Pokémon for underground trading.

Unlike Team Magma, which aims to expand the land, their goal is simply for money.

In the language of another world, they are the poachers of the Pokémon world.

As long as the money is enough, they would dare to catch anything, be it lions, tigers, or even dinosaurs.

Thinking of the "auction" that was mentioned through the communication device just now, they must have caught the Ralts to sell it.

After sorting through this information, Hu Yang quickly understood the whole situation.

In his previous life, he had been lucky and had always been far from criminal activities. Now, encountering it for the first time, he didn't know how to handle these two people.

After a moment of serious thought, Hu Yang asked, "How long does it take to get to Orange City from here?"

Takehara didn't know what he was thinking, but he keenly sensed that the other party was considering how to deal with them. He swallowed and answered, "If... if we walk, it will take two hours."

"Hmm." Hu Yang nodded. It seemed that the direction the Bidoof had pointed to was correct. He stood up and started to gather the things on the ground.

Takehara watched helplessly as the other party put his wallet, boat ticket, and Poké Balls into his own pocket. His eyes widened in disbelief:

"T-That's my stuff!"

Hu Yang glanced at him, half-smiling, half-not, and said, "Your Growlithe injured me. These things are the compensation for my medical expenses and mental distress."

Takehara was stunned. In the past, it was always he who robbed others; he had never encountered such a situation!

He tried to argue, but seeing that bird that looked like a fool, he became timid again.

Hu Yang didn't say much more, gathered his things, and prepared to leave.

Seeing him turn to leave, Takehara panicked: "You can't leave us here!"

At night, they would be torn apart by wild Pokémon!

Hu Yang reassured him, "Relax, someone will come to rescue you."

This matter should be left to the police of this world to handle.

With that, he turned and left without caring about the man's reaction.

Perhaps because they were at the edge of the forest, the Pokémon ecosystem here had changed.

The larger, more cautious Pokémon were nowhere to be seen, while smaller, less aggressive Pokémon like Caterpie and Weedle were more common.

As Hu Yang walked, he observed their detailed information and inner emotions.

At this moment, Hu Yang understood why there weren't so many professional trainers in this world.

Because the journey was truly too arduous!

When they set out on their travels, they were just ten years old, a time when they lacked social experience and maturity. Whether one could survive in the wild was a question.

It was easy to imagine that many aspiring trainers, after leaving home, either couldn't endure the hardships of the journey or faced repeated setbacks in challenging gyms.

In the end, only a small number of them persisted to participate in the League tournament, and even fewer stood out.

The road was winding, but the future was bright.

Two hours later, Hu Yang finally emerged from the dark forest. Looking at the open road and the bright world ahead, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Finally!

At the entrance of the forest, there was a warning sign that read, "Please bring your Pokémon before entering the forest."

Hu Yang adjusted his backpack, licked his lips, and, seeing living pedestrians on the road, he became excited.

The excitement made him forget the fatigue of the journey. With renewed energy, he followed the wooden road signs and arrived at Orange City.

Standing on the bustling street, seeing the harmonious coexistence of people and Pokémon, he was so moved that he almost wanted to cry.

He was very hungry and tired, but the important matter came first. Hu Yang gathered his strength and asked a passerby for the location of the police station.

The passerby didn't show any disgust at his disheveled appearance but instead warmly said, "Are you a trainer traveling outside? Go to the Pokémon Center and rest well!"

Trainer? He wasn't one yet.

At this moment, Hu Yang suddenly realized that if he was dressed as a trainer, he might be considered an illegal resident in this world?

Hu Yang felt a headache. He bid farewell to the passerby, found the police station with the Gloom, and informed Officer Jenny about the Pokémon hunters in the forest.

Officer Jenny's efficiency was impressive. After confirming the location, she rode a black and white police trike with a Growlithe and disappeared down the road.

Not long after, she returned with the two men who were crying and wailing.

After verifying the situation, the officer in charge of the interrogation expressed sincere gratitude to Hu Yang.

Was that it? Hu Yang was greatly disappointed. He had thought he would receive a reward for catching the criminals.

Before leaving the police station, he asked Officer Jenny, "Excuse me, if I lose my ID, where can I get a replacement?"

Officer Jenny: "Are you a trainer traveling outside?"

Hu Yang wasn't, but he could pretend to be one.

Officer Jenny, thinking he had lost his Pokédex, didn't think much of it: "You don't need to get a replacement. You just need to show the badges and your name to the League to participate in the tournament."

Hu Yang understood, but in this world, only the children of League officials and those with status could get a Pokédex, and they were called Pokédex holders.

Pokédex holders were responsible for helping local professors collect data on wild Pokémon and had the privilege of using Pokémon Center facilities for free.

Other civilian trainers did not have this privilege and had to pay to use the Pokémon Center.

Hu Yang paused and asked, "What about ordinary people?"

Officer Jenny didn't understand: "What do you mean?"

"I have a friend who has lived in the forest with his parents since childhood and has never left."

Officer Jenny now understood. The situation of illegal residents wasn't uncommon; she had even heard of humans being raised by Pokémon.

She thought for a moment and answered, "That's simple. Have his parents accompany him to the police station to register his identity. We will upload his information to the network."

Hu Yang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked, "What if his parents are deceased?"

Officer Jenny answered seriously, "Then he will have to handle it himself."