“Um… are you interested?” Tyson was stumped when no one responded. Feeling awkward, he approached Terrance, who was closest to him, and asked warmly.
However, as soon as he opened his mouth, he hesitated. Terrance appeared to be around ten years old and should be a rookie Trainer.
If he entered the mountains, being a rookie Trainer, he might not be able to take care of himself if something unexpected happened.
“…” Tyson’s eyes widened, fearing that Terrance might agree. He didn’t want to bring along dead weight. He had only heard that this incident was serious and believed that more people could make it safer. However, that didn’t include a rookie who had just started out.
Terrance raised an eyebrow, hesitating for a moment. To be honest, he was interested. This incident had indeed aroused his curiosity, but considering that he was with Master Victor, it would definitely cause trouble for him, so he dismissed the thought.
Seeing the curiosity in Terrance’s eyes, Tyson’s expression turned bitter, thinking of the trouble ahead.
“I—”
Terrance was about to tactfully decline, but his words were immediately interrupted by someone else.
“Tyson, right? Don’t bother with the brat. The four of us are enough. A rookie like him won’t be of any help.” Among the three who had first stepped forward, a Trainer around fifteen or sixteen years old spoke.
Tyson didn’t say anything and just smiled awkwardly, tacitly accepting.
Terrance was stunned.
…
…
“Hey, how can you judge someone by appearances?” The girl Trainer among the group of three walked over, her tone filled with dissatisfaction. This was exactly the kind of hateful tone others had used to mock her when she first started out.
“Is there a problem? At his age, he’s probably still playing house with Pokémon, hahaha…”
Terrance stood on the side, a black line forming on his forehead, his mouth twitching. He began to doubt whether he had entered the wrong set.
“I’m not a rookie Trainer.” He felt the need to explain himself.
He was a Breeder, and Trainer’s identity was something he hadn’t paid much attention to.
“Not a rookie? Then how many Pokémon have you caught?” The Trainer in the blue jacket, who seemed to enjoy opposing rookies like Terrance, asked.
“Two.” After Terrance spoke, he suddenly felt his words lacked persuasiveness.
Indeed, the Trainer in the blue jacket burst into laughter immediately. “Alright, stop bragging. If you’re not a rookie Trainer at your age, then I’m already an Elite Four.”
“…” Terrance was also helpless.
“Enough, don’t mind him. Who didn’t start as a rookie Trainer? Keep it up, and you’ll eventually become an outstanding Trainer.” The girl Trainer interrupted them, not wanting the conversation to continue and have him crush Terrance’s confidence.
The attitudes of the few made it clear that they considered Terrance a rookie Trainer.
Terrance also couldn’t be bothered to explain anymore. Oh well, a rookie Trainer is a rookie Trainer after all. If he registered as a Trainer in the Pokémon League, he would indeed be at the age of a rookie.
But being a Breeder was completely different from being a Trainer.
“Alright, let’s not argue.” Tyson felt a bit uncomfortable as well. He was also young, although he had only started a year ago, he considered himself capable. Seeing Terrance being targeted, he brought the attention to himself.
“Since that’s the case, let’s form a team of five. With more people, we’ll be stronger. Let’s not create internal conflicts,” Tyson sighed inwardly. He was the one who invited Terrance, and if he were to reject him again, it would hurt Terrance’s pride. Tyson decided to agree to Terrance’s inclusion, and at worst, he would have to pay him more attention.
Meanwhile, Terrance looked puzzled. When did he agree?
Tyson had also forgotten that Terrance hadn’t finished speaking. He just saw curiosity and a hint of interest in Terrance’s eyes, which subconsciously led him to believe that Terrance was accepting his invitation.
“It’s okay, you can follow me. My Roselia will protect you.” The girl Trainer patted her chest and wore an expression that said, “I’ve got your back.”
Terrance rejected once again.
But he was immediately met with criticism.
“You should have confidence in your own strength. We are five people, so there shouldn’t be any danger.” Tyson said.
“…”
“Just a rookie being a rookie, can’t handle a few words? Show some backbone, will you? Don’t make me look down on you,” the Trainer in the blue outfit remarked.
“This is a good opportunity for training. Don’t worry, my Pokémon can help you if you are in danger.” The girl Trainer said.
“Just be careful…” the last person said.
And just like that, Terrance’s polite refusal was seen as cowardice. The group couldn’t bear to watch and decided to pull this “rookie Trainer” along with them.
The leader, the young boy who had faced off against four challengers on the roadside, was called Tyson.
The blue-jacketed Trainer was named Josa, with a record of challenging three regional tournaments.
The girl Trainer’s name was Little Qi. She was aspiring to become an excellent Coordinator, and the last person, A’Yue, was an apprentice from Rustboro Gym.
Along with the reluctant inclusion of Terrance, the five of them began planning to enter the mountains and uncover the mystery of the Whismur disturbance.
Rusturf Tunnel’s construction had been interrupted, and whenever the Trainers appeared, the Whismur would escape into the mountains and wait quietly for an opportunity to strike again.
Terrance had heard the story from Master Victor and was no less informed than these few people. He was also very curious about the reason behind it and wanted to verify his own speculations.
The group planned to enter the mountains in the middle of the night when the police’s surveillance would be weakest. Terrance, who was listening on the side, rolled his eyes. Even though he was curious, he had no intention of venturing into the mountains with these kids.
The night was for rest, and Terrance, with his precise schedule, was mentally and physically exhausted after nearly a month of training on Mt. Chimney. He had no intention of willingly subjecting himself to more hardships.
The four of them were chatting excitedly, and in the end, they agreed on a time and meeting place.
Then, the group dispersed to make their preparations. However, once Terrance left, he had no plan to see them again. He wanted to find a place to rest, and Swablu and Beautifly also had their own training tasks. Time was of the essence.
Master Victor hadn’t given him any specific instructions, leaving Terrance helpless. He wondered if Master Victor had forgotten that he didn’t have a Trainer ID and couldn’t stay at the Pokémon Center.
People like Terrance exist as well. They all carry their own tents and, upon finding a suitable location, set up temporary shelters.
Terrance was familiar with this kind of makeshift living arrangement, even quite proficient. He sighed and felt like he was back to the situation when he first left Fallarbor Town.
…
…
The next morning, Terrance was awakened by a loud noise.
The commotion was significant, and Terrance walked outside in confusion, wanting to know what was happening.
After looking around, he didn’t find anything, but then two figures caught Terrance’s attention.
“Officer Jenny, and…Master Victor—”
Terrance hurried over, wanting to inquire about what was happening and how things had developed.
“Terrance?”
As he approached, Master Victor clearly noticed him.
“I was drawn here by the noise,” Terrance said.
“So, you heard it too,” Master Victor frowned and said, “Things have become somewhat clear, but it will take time to resolve.”
“It’s the sound of Noise Pokémon, emitted by Exploud. It seems to be the leader of Whismur and some Loudred. It seems all of them are in an agitated and unfriendly state.”
“Is it serious?” Terrance was surprised.
“They are highly aggressive now, but they have retreated into the mountains.”
“That’s not good.” Terrance rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. “It seems like a few Trainers went into the mountains yesterday without permission. I don’t know if they were stopped by someone or not.”
As he spoke, Officer Jenny beside him was taken aback. “I haven’t received any reports.”
“If they took action, they should probably be in the mountains now,” Terrance looked at Master Victor.
If the Trainers were attacked by the agitated Exploud at this moment, it wouldn’t be surprising if some unexpected incident occurred.
“I understand.” The situation was indeed serious. Master Victor hesitated for a moment, then handed Terrance a Poké Ball.
“You know those Trainers, right? This is Pidgeot’s Poké Ball. See if you can find them first and persuade them to wait for rescue. Tell them not to act recklessly. Officer Jenny and I will immediately investigate the situation with Exploud.”
“Leaving it to him, are you sure?” Officer Jenny was taken aback, looking at Terrance, who was around ten years old.
“Don’t worry,” Master Victor said, “He’s a Breeder. If any unexpected situation arises, he can handle it better than an ordinary Trainer. Plus, with Pidgeot by his side, nothing should go wrong.”
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