"Phew… thanks for the meal!"
"Chaa!"
After devouring three sandwiches in a row, the ''adventurer'' Mark solemnly thanked Joseph and Sato. Beside him, Arbok, also full, nodded continuously in agreement.
Out of sheer humanitarian concern, the two hadn't left the lost adventurer behind in the wild. But asking him to help search for Chansey? Yeah… no.
An adventurer who provided intelligence reports and still got lost in a forest he claimed to know inside and out…
'Tch. That level of unreliability…'
"This is where we are right now. Just head this way and cross two more hills. You'll be back in Shadownight Town."
Sato spoke while handing Mark a map with a red-marked route.
"This is emergency food. I packed enough for double the travel time."
Joseph handed him a large parcel, clearly not planning to bring Mark along with them.
"Wait! Don't kick me out yet! I really can help you find a Chansey!"
Mark kept his hands behind his back, refusing to take the supplies.
Sato and Joseph exchanged deeply skeptical looks… so skeptical they were practically certain.
"Wait! Look at this! These are my intel points from the Shadownight Intelligence Shop. I really can find Pokémon others can't!"
Suddenly, Mark rummaged through his gear and pulled out a card in a hurry.
Then it hit him! There were no computers here, no card readers. There was no way to check his points.
"Pfft-" Joseph couldn't help laughing out loud but quickly suppressed it when he realized it might be rude.
"Ahh, Arceus… how do I prove myself..."
Mark scratched his wild nest of hair in pure "despair".
"Chaa~ chaa~"
Just then, Mark's Arbok slithered up to him, bobbing its head and hissing softly. Then, in one smooth motion, it dove into the nearby grass, rustled around, and popped back out.
"Right, right! Arbok, you're a genius! That's it!"
Mark hugged Arbok in excitement, then ran up to Sato and Joseph, full of energy.
"Very soon, we're going to encounter… uh… a rare Skarmory!"
He declared this loudly and confidently.
Sato and Joseph stared blankly as Mark gestured wildly, going from despair to joy, looking like someone who was totally off his rocker.
One thought crossed both their minds: 'Such a …guy, but definitely a bit nuts.'
"SKREEE!"
Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from above. A silver-flashing Skarmory screeched overhead and vanished into the forest in the blink of an eye!
...
Silence.
Sato and Joseph stared in the direction the Skarmory had flown.
Even Sato -someone who had lived a second life- couldn't quite believe it...
Just luck, right?
"Hahaha! Skarmory! You saw that, right? I said it, and it happened!"
Mark was euphoric, so thrilled he practically flew into the air.
"I've got one question for you. If you answer it right, we'll take you with us."
Sato turned to him seriously.
"Ask anything! I'll tell you everything I know, no holding back…"
"Stop. Is this how you've always gathered intel for your reports?"
Sato cut him off and asked bluntly.
"Uh… just promise not to tell anyone else, okay?" Mark paused, scratched his hair again, and spoke cautiously.
"Go on."
"Yes! That's how I do it. Heh."
"You mean… you just shout what Pokémon you want to find… and wait?" Sato's eyes widened.
"Not exactly..."
Mark hesitated.
Sato internally relaxed a little. Yeah, no one's words could be that powerful; it wasn't like he could summon Pokémon just by yelling their names.
"As long as I chant it in my heart, it works."
"...Huh?"
"I just said it out loud earlier because I was worried you wouldn't believe me. You've already asked several questions… Can I stay now?"
"Joseph, do you believe him?"
Sato ignored Mark and turned to Joseph.
"I didn't at first, but then I thought about us… and now I kind of do."
Joseph nodded seriously. As he lifted his hand, a soft green glow radiated from his palm.
Sato paused, suddenly realizing that Joseph had a point. Weren't the two of them also people with special powers?
So… was Mark's ability being the "Chatting Overlord"?
"Mark, can you summon a Legendary Pokémon with that mouth of yours?"
Joseph suddenly asked. Sato was immediately intrigued too, looking straight at Mark.
"No, no, definitely not!"
Mark waved his hands frantically, panic flashing in his eyes. The look on his face said it all: he'd clearly tried it before, and it hadn't ended well.
Sato and Joseph exchanged glances, and without a word, silently took back the map and the emergency supplies.
"Let's go. Time to find that Chansey."
"Got it!"
Mark nodded rapidly and immediately started mumbling, "Come on, Chansey… come on, Chansey..."
Joseph called back Kirlia and Wigglytuff, and the three of them followed behind Mark as he wandered randomly through the forest.
Over half an hour passed. Mark stood awkwardly in front of them, a swift river flowing before them.
Sato looked at the map carefully, but no matter how he compared it, he couldn't find any matching features in the current surroundings.
They hadn't found Chansey… they had gotten lost first!
"Uh, if I told you this was just the side effect of my good luck… would you believe me?"
"I believe you."
Joseph replied with a smile, ''calm'' as ever.
Sato silently folded up the map, unsure what to say anymore.
"You keep leading. At the very least, find us the Chansey, okay?"
Joseph continued smiling at Mark.
"Haha, yeah, yeah!"
Then Mark dashed ahead, diving back into the forest.
"We're really going to keep following him?"
Sato asked helplessly.
"Let's go. At least-"
"Chansey! I found a Chansey!"
Mark's loud shout cut Joseph off, and the two didn't waste a second. They charged into the forest after him!
"It's real!"
Sato's eyes spotted it. Through the thick greenery, a round pink Chansey was fleeing in a panic, with Mark in hot pursuit.
"Gengar, Mean Look!"
"Gen!"
Gengar leapt out of Sato's shadow, undeterred by terrain, and in a moment had caught up to the fleeing Chansey.
A flash of dark light swept across; Chansey suddenly felt as if all paths had vanished, and froze on the spot.
The three quickly encircled Chansey, and naturally, both Sato and Mark turned to Joseph, waiting to see what he would do.
"Sato, have Gengar release Mean Look."
"Gengar."
"Gennn~"
Gengar nodded, and a flicker of gold flashed in its pupils. The invisible barrier surrounding them quietly dissolved.
"Chansey!"
The Chansey looked around, noticing the walls that blocked its escape were gone… but now it was surrounded by three humans.