The train for Submas is approaching.

Some time later, Nate emerged from the very deep underground warehouse retracing his steps under the guidance of the wild Joltik he had rescued earlier, and this time decided to investigate Bede.

'I’m really reluctant, but let’s ask about Bede this time.'

"And before answering, the workers looked at Nate, wondering why he was asking about Bede this time, following his questions about that incident."

"Is your target that 'Arrogant Worker' this time?" "You really are curious, aren't you?" "Well, I suppose it makes sense for a New Worker to have a lot of questions."

However, with the exception of the workers who were very busy working, most of the workers answered Nate about Bede without hesitation, unlike when asked about 'that accident'. (It felt strongly as though they were seizing the opportunity to badmouth Bede behind his back, since he was away on a delivery and wasn't even at Gear Station…)

"That left-handed delivery worker is one of the few people who belongs to the inner circle trusted by the current Boss, Ingo." "Bede is arrogant, but he's good at working. Which makes him an even bigger jerk." "He’s a great worker, but that arrogant personality of his is the real problem." "He did such a good job from the start as a New Assistant Worker that he became a Worker very quickly. Well, back then, Boss Ingo was still kind, so everyone's time as an Assistant Worker was much shorter than it is now." "You'd better stay away from Bede's partner, Hatterene, as it sometimes goes around hitting other Pokémon with its claws while pretending to be inertia." "I knew Hatterene was a naturally fierce Pokémon, but Bede's Hatterene seems exceptionally fierce."

Through this, Nate truly realized that while Bede worked well enough to earn Ingo’s trust, his reputation among the workers was just as bad as Rosa had told him on his first day of work. (and even his Pokémon, Hatterene, was no exception.)

"From what I gathered, everyone says Bede is arrogant. The only good thing they had to say about him was that he's good at his job. I guess his terrible reputation is just the natural result of his rude behavior!" "Dew!"

While Nate was investigating Bede, it was already evening and the trains were returning, Then, after transferring all the packages from the parked trains into the packing rooms, the Assistant Workers were instructed via Xtransceiver to clean the delivery trains. They immediately started sweeping and mopping the interiors with brooms and mops.

This was because cleaning was also part of an Assistant Worker's duties. Nate, who shared the same role, had been ordered to join in, and just like yesterday, he found himself sweeping the inside of Boss Ingo’s train with a broom.

"Ugh, I literally just cleaned this yesterday! Now I have to do it again?!" "Because no matter how thoroughly you clean it, by the next evening the inside of the train gets dirty again with foreign substances that have come in from the outside." "I see…"

And today, yet another Delivery Worker was supervising the cleaning under Ingo's orders, walking through the train to watch over the Assistant Workers.

"Hmm? A delivery worker is supervising the train cleaning again today." "Originally, when cleaning Boss Ingo’s train, Ingo would randomly select a delivery worker from those who boarded his train each day to supervise the cleaning." "Because Boss Ingo is so strict… I mean meticulous! Thanks to his meticulousness, the Gift Train service is still running smoothly without any problems to this day!" 'So, it’s usually the delivery workers who oversee the train cleaning. Yesterday, the assistant workers cleaning, including me, were grumbling to Bede, so I didn't even realize it… …Well, this is probably what Bede brought upon himself with his usual behavior. And he might not care about that at all!'

Just then, a sharp voice was heard from nearby.

"Are you lot just idling about instead of cleaning?"

And that sharp voice belonged to Bede.

"Bede!? Not you again!?" "Oh? Well, well, look who it is. If it isn't Nate?"

Bede was loitering around the train just like yesterday, claiming that he was helping the person supervising the train cleaning.

"Wasn't someone else supposed to be supervising today instead of you?" "I took it upon myself to offer Boss Ingo my assistance in overseeing the train cleaning for the other delivery worker. And graciously, Boss Ingo was more than happy to accept."

On top of that, with Bede claiming he had Boss Ingo’s permission, Nate was left completely speechless; he had no choice but to quietly finish sweeping the floor with his broom.

"ugh…! If Boss Ingo really did that, then it can't be helped…." "Right then, make sure it’s absolutely spotless, won't you?" "Aaaagh…! I was going to do that anyway, alright…!?"

The next day, Sunday morning, an off-day for Gear Station Nate and Dewott would have liked to sleep in, but they woke up early to investigate Bede more thoroughly.

"Since today is a day off, I'll be able to sleep all day… No, I'll be able to focus on the investigation all day!" "Dew!" "Right now, the investigation is more important than sleeping! We can sleep after the investigation is done, right, Dewott?" "Dew-ott!"

However, since it was an 'off-day,' most Gear Station workers were out, so it was highly likely that Bede was also absent like the others.

"But what if Bede is out too, just like everyone else?" "Dew…."

Fortunately, Bede was still inside the Gear Station, And Bede was in the packing room with his partner, Hatterene.

"Ah..! There he is..! He's in the packing room, and Hatterene is there too." "Dew…!" "You're right. Let's observe quietly for now so we don't get caught."

Bede was intently watching the robotic arms wrap the gifts that the workers hadn't finished wrapping yesterday, while diligently writing something in the small notebook he always carried with him.

However, Hatterene sensed Nate and Dewott's presence and turned her head sharply toward them, glaring menacingly, so they ended up being discovered by Bede.

"Hatter…!" "….!!!" "Hmm? What's the matter, Hatterene? Goodness, Nate and Dewott…?! Whatever are you lot doing here?!"

Nate couldn't think of an excuse right now, and since there was no one around him other than himself, Bede, and their respective Pokémon, So he spoke to Bede directly.

"To be completely direct, there's something I want to ask you." "And what might that be? If you are looking for the secret formula to becoming an elite like myself, I'm afraid that is top secret—strictly classified for the likes of you." Absolutely not! It’s something else!" "Then what, pray tell?" "Where were you during 'that accident' a few years ago?"

Surprisingly, Bede didn't get flustered and confidently told Nate everything that had happened that day.

"Ah, if that is what you are referring to. At that time, much like the other Workers, I was preparing to head home. However, fearing that Cleaner who was the Boss at the time might be up to something malicious, I went down to the platform. And there I witnessed it. Cleaner was shredding the gifts with scissors and using a lighter to burn Boss Ingo’s train. That is my alibi, you see. Is there a problem with that?"

However, Nate, not believing Bede's words, pointed his finger at him and abruptly claimed that Bede was the 'real culprit' of 'that accident'.

"A problem? Of course there is! Did you think I wouldn't know you're the real culprit?! After listening to what you said, I am now certain that you are the real culprit!"

Bede was naturally dumbfounded to be suddenly accused by Nate of being the 'real culprit' behind 'that accident'.

"What?! I am the real culprit? Ha! Don't make me laugh! Are you seriously suspecting me?" "Well, yeah! You were the very first to arrive at the scene, and you were the first to point your finger at Boss Emmet as the culprit. I have no choice but to suspect you!" "Well, I did face some brief suspicion because of that… but as I have told you before, I have a foolproof alibi." "Even so, according to my deduction, everything points to you being the real culprit." "Haah… And what, pray tell, is this 'deduction' of yours?"

Nate confidently laid out his deduction to Bede.

"First, having overheard the conversation between Boss Ingo and Boss Emmet, you used Hatterene's Teleport to secretly follow them, moving mainly through the blind spots of the security cameras on the platform. Next, you tracked down Boss Emmet. Using Hatterene's Hypnosis, you manipulated him to rip the gifts open and set the train on fire. Soon after, as people started flocking to the scene of the fire one by one, you shamelessly pointed out Boss Emmet as the culprit right in front of everyone. Then, you hurriedly hacked the security camera to bypass the password. You doctored the footage by erasing the scenes of Hatterene casting Hypnosis on Boss Emmet and handing him the crime tools, and then you showed that doctored footage to Boss Ingo and Boss Emmet!"

However, Bede’s reaction was not one of shock; instead, he merely gave a lukewarm, even more absurd response, as if he found the whole thing utterly ridiculous.

"So, how’s that?! How do you like my deduction?!" "Excuse me, you call that a deduction? Personally, I think it’s nothing but a ridiculous stretch." "What?! A stretch?! You’ve gone too far!" "Precisely. Anyway, I believe it is now my turn to refute your little theory. Let me lay it out for you in three simple points."

Bede logically dismantled Nate's reasoning.

"First of all, when it comes to the intricate layout of the Gear Station, Boss Ingo and Cleaner know it far better than I ever could. Secondly, my Hatterene was behaving perfectly inside her Poké Ball the entire time." "Hatter!!!" "Furthermore, my Hatterene doesn't even know how to use Teleport or Hypnosis. And lastly… as much as I am an elite among elites, I am afraid I have no idea how to doctor footage or hack into systems. This concludes my refutation of what you so proudly call a 'deduction.' Now, are you going to keep making a fool of yourself by insisting that I am the real culprit?" "Ugh…!"

To Nate, Bede's rebuttals sounded so logical that all he could do was clench his hands tightly and tremble.

"If you have nothing more to say, please stop wasting my time and show yourself out." "……."

With nothing left to say, Nate had no choice but to bite his tongue and stamp out of the packing room for now.

"I need more solid and definitive evidence… something undeniable to completely smash Bede's 'logical' refutations…!"

And Nate decided to find more solid and definitive evidence that could overturn Bede's refutations and simultaneously prove that Bede was the real culprit, But finding evidence in the massive Gear Station was a difficult task, unless it suddenly fell to the floor.

"But where am I supposed to find more solid and definitive evidence…? If only I had that, I could prove that Bede is the real culprit…!"

Nate's Dewott was also hoping to find solid evidence.

'I’m right there with you, partner. I want to find that solid evidence and give that Hatterene a taste of her own medicine! Ah… if only some evidence would just fall out of nowhere onto the floor right now…!'

As they spent the whole day wandering around the massive Gear Station looking for evidence, late that afternoon, Dewott accidentally discovered something that had been dropped on the ground.

'Hmm? What is this?'

Dewott picked it up, examined it for a moment, and hurriedly handed it to Nate with a surprised expression.

"Dew! Dew dew!" "Hmm? What is it?" "Dew!" "Wait a minute… No way…!!!"

What Dewott handed over was Bede's small notebook. (The notebook cover was made of artificial leather in a light purple color, and the word 'Bede' was written in small cursive on the bottom left of the cover.)

"Is this Bede's notebook?!" "Dewott! Where did you get this?!" "Dew! Dew-ott" "What? You found it dropped on the floor by chance and picked it up? Well, if that's what you say… I get it. Anyway, let's open the notebook and see what's written in it!

Nate opened Bede's small notebook.

"This can't be…!!!"

The notebook contained highly detailed information about the interior of Gear Station, including the blind spots of the security cameras installed on the platforms (though the location of the secret passage leading to the very deep underground warehouse was not listed). It also held the personal data of the station workers (which, of course, included meticulous details on Ingo and Emmet), the structural design of the gift train, and even the security camera passwords.

"It has everything… the entire layout of Gear Station, the blind spots of the security cameras on the platforms, the blueprints of the gift trains, and even the workers' personal information! "Oh my Arceus… It even has the security camera passwords…!!!"

It seemed as though Jirachi, known as a wish-granting Pokémon, had granted their wish to find solid evidence.

"This is it! This is the solid and definitive evidence we need to prove Bede is the real culprit! Thank you, Dewott! You really are my best partner ever!" "Dew-ott~!"

The next morning, amidst the Workers and Pokemon who were once again loading gifts onto the train or cleaning as usual, Bede and Hatterene were moving gifts onto the train, looking anxiously at the floor from time to time with an unusual expression.

"Where on earth could it be… my notebook… 'm certain I dropped it somewhere or other…" "Hatter….." "I must find it sharply, before someone else lays their hands on it…!"

Then Nate and Dewott stepped right in front of them.

"Found it! Hey, Bede!" "Dew-ott!" "What on earth is this? Can't you see I'm rather occupied at the moment?" "Hatter!"

With a confident smirk, Nate held up the lost notebook right in front of Bede’s face.

"You look like you're searching for something. Would it happen to be this?" "I…isn't this my notebook?! How on earth did you get your hands on it?! Hand it over this instant!"

His usual calm completely shattered, Bede desperately demanded it back, but Nate instead crossed his arms and challenged him to explain the contents of the notebook.

"But before that, there's one more thing I want to ask you! This notebook contains highly detailed information about the interior of Gear Station, the structural designs of the gift trains, and the personal data of every single worker here. It even lists the security camera passwords! So come clean right now! What is the deal with this suspicious notebook?!" "…!!!"

Before long, a crowd of workers had gathered around them. Hearing Nate’s accusations about the suspicious notebook, they began to murmur anxiously among themselves, eyeing Bede with distrust. Seeing this, Nate looked back at Bede with a confident smirk.

'Checkmate! Try refuting this if you can!'

Cornered with nowhere left to run, Bede was forced to explain the contents of his pocketbook right there in front of the watchful crowd.

"…Very well. I shall come clean. This pocketbook is the bitter fruit of my blood, sweat, and tears, written so that I could survive here at Gear Station. I left my homeland with absolutely nothing to my name and crossed over to the Unova region just to make a living, forcing myself to study like my life depended on it. Unlike you, who received a proper education back in Aspertia City, I had to start from the very bottom with nothing. I had no choice but to record every single detail to learn the ropes, from the architectural layout of Gear Station to the structural designs of the gift trains. All of it. Granted, highly sensitive information happened to be recorded in the process, but my dedication to becoming an elite of Gear Station was nothing but sincere."

Upon hearing Bede's seemingly sincere words, the workers' reaction instantly shifted from suspicion to deep pity.

"Does it satisfy your ego, Nate? To ruthlessly crush someone who had no choice but to start from zero?" 'W..Wait…. This…. This wasn't supposed to happen….'

Ingo had also been drawn by the loud commotion, arriving just in time to see Nate’s utter bewilderment. Wearing an even icier, expressionless face than usual, he delivered a chilling warning in a strictly professional tone.

"Ahem…" "Ah…! Boss Ingo…?" "Nate. You are formally cautioned. Create another disruption of this magnitude, and there will not be a next time." ​ Still wearing that icy, expressionless face, Ingo announced that the Gift Trains were due to depart shortly and ordered the workers to return to their stations immediately, Intimidated by Ingo's commanding presence, the watching crowd quickly dispersed and hurried back to their duties. In the midst of the hustle, Bede, who had been appealing to their emotions just moments ago like a crying Sobble, instantly returned to his usual expression and snatched his pocketbook right out of Nate's hand. And Beside him, his Hatterene scoffed triumphantly, as if mocking Nate.

"Since I have confessed everything just as you requested, I shall be taking my notebook back." "……." "Now, if you will excuse me, I am rather busy, so I must be on my way." "Hatt!"

Speechless and stunned, Nate and Dewott stared after Bede and Hatterene as they left. Soon, a faint murmur from Emmet cut through the workers' voices, making them look back. Emmet was standing there, as blank and devastated as Nate, having dropped his broom entirely.

"was not the real culprit…? Then… was I truly the one who caused that accident…? No… No, there is no way… I would never do such a thing…"

When Nate and Dewott stepped toward him, the sight of them snapped Emmet out of his daze.

"Gasp…! Boss Emmet!? How long have you been standing there?" "Ah, it is you two. I am Emmet. I also arrived when the crowd gathered around you, Bede, and Hatterene." "But… Boss Ingo was there, too." "Yup. So, I bent my posture as low as possible and hid among the workers so Ingo would not spot me. Fortunately, Ingo did not seem to notice me at all…" "It is a relief that Boss Ingo didn't see you, then…" 'Wait, should I really be calling that a relief…? I am not so sure…'

While Nate and Dewott initially felt relieved that Ingo hadn't spotted Emmet, they couldn't help but question whether that was truly a good thing.

"Oh, and… I'm sorry to disappoint you, Boss Emmet… I confidently said that Bede was the real culprit…” "Dew……"

Then, Nate bowed his head to Emmet and apologized, but Emmet told him it was okay and gently patted his head. (Emmet's expression was gentle, showing no resentment toward Nate.)

"Boss Emmet….?" "It is okay, Nate. I am not disappointed in you. Because I know very well that you are doing your absolute best for my sake. So, there is no need to blame yourself so much. Do not stop, and keep running toward the truth just as you always do. Because… I can tell that you won't give up." "Boss Emmet….!" "Dew….!"

Comforted and encouraged by Emmet’s words, Nate found his strength again. For the sake of Emmet, who believed in him so deeply, he resolved to continue the investigation.

"Yes, I will not stop, Boss Emmet! So, let’s depart once again, Dewott!" "Dew-ott!"

However, they decided to completely rule Bede out from their list of suspects.

Before long, time passed and all the Gift Trains had departed, the remaining Workers went to clean the inside of the Gear Station, pack packages received from all over the Unova region, or head to the cafeteria to have breakfast they had missed because they were too busy.

And it was only then that Nate and Dewott, who had been searching for Emmet, began to feel hungry.

((Grrrrrr….))

"Ah… shall we eat first and then go find Boss Emmet?" "Dew…" "Alright, let's go to the cafeteria. I hope there are some seats left."

So they went to the cafeteria for a late breakfast, but the area was already packed with people, so Cilan's Pokémons, who were in charge of breakfast, were each holding signs that read 'PLEASE LINE UP' and guiding the workers to wait in an orderly manner. (Even then, most of the Pokémons were green, so they were mixed in with the workers wearing green clothes, making the signs the Pokémons were holding barely visible.)

((Rhubarb Rhubarb))

"Oh no! There are even more people than yesterday!" "Dew..!" "I think we arrived too late. What should we do? Should we keep waiting? Maybe the line will get shorter if we just keep at it." "Dew…."

Nevertheless, they decided to keep waiting, holding onto the small hope that the line would shorten soon.

((Grrrrrr…))

"No… I'm too hungry to keep waiting… We've been moving the Gifts since early morning without even eating… And… the people waiting here must be feeling the same way… …But right now I'm so hungry…!!!"

However, Nate was too hungry to think rationally and could not come up with a good idea, but fortunately, a passing worker gave Nate some advice.

"If the cafeteria is too crowded and you are having trouble finding a place to eat, you can also grab a meal at a nearby diner or convenience store." "R-really!?" "Of course, because I just ate breakfast out too. But there will probably be a lot of people there as well. So you'd better hurry up and move." "Thank you so much!

After hearing Worker's advice, Nate and Dewott walked out of the Gear Station as fast as they could, clutching their hungry stomachs, to have breakfast at a diner. (They were too hungry to run, so they didn't have the strength to do so.)

And not long after, Nate and Dewott were returning from a satisfying breakfast at a diner near the Gear Station.

((Ring ring~))

"Mmm~ Pancakes with lots of syrup~ They were really delicious~ You liked the pancakes too, right? "Dew-ott~"

In the meantime, they discovered a wild Joltik being pecked by a wild Pidove in front of Gear Statoin.

"Besides, there weren't as many people as I expected… Huh?! What is that?" "Pi-dove dove dove!" "tik…..!"

In this situation, a normal Joltik would have unleashed all the electricity accumulated in its electric pouch at once to drive away Pidove, but the Joltik being attacked by Pidove was unable to do so, perhaps because it had no stored electricity.

"Pi-dove dove!" "tik…." "Oh no! Joltik is being attacked! That Joltik is so pitiful!"

Even though it was a natural Pokémon ecosystem, Nate thought it was really excessive that the weak Joltik was being attacked so unilaterally.

"Pidove! Don't attack Joltik! Dewott! Hurry up and drive Pidove out with the Razor Shell!"

So Nate instructed Dewott to use the Razor Shell, and Dewott saved Joltik, who was being attacked by Pidove, by threatening and driving Pidove away.

"Dew-ott!" "Dove?! Pi-dove…!"

((Flap flap flap!))

But Joltik had suffered too much damage from Pidove's attacks; its health was completely depleted, and it had already fainted.

"Let's take Joltik to the Pokémon Center quickly!"

So Nate and Dewott hurriedly ran to the nearest Pokémon Center with the fainted Joltik, and not long after arriving, Nate handed the fainted Joltik to the Pokémon Center Lady.

"Hallo, and welcome to the Pokémon Center." "Please heal the fainted wild Joltik quickly!" "OK, I'll take wild Joltik for a few seconds." "……"

A moment later, having recovered its health and received first aid, Joltik was sleeping peacefully in the Pokémon Center Lady’s hands.

"Thank you for waiting. We've restored wild Pokemon to full health." "Thank you" "We hope to see you again!"

However, the moment Nate received Joltik, the awakened Joltik bounced up from Nate's palm and hopped toward the door of the Pokémon Center.

"Tik! Tik!" "Joltik! Where are you going!" "Tik Tik!"

Joltik, who had been hopping along, stopped at the door, turned around, and gestured with Joltik's front paws as if telling them to follow it.

"Tik! Tik!" "Dew-ott" "What? You think Joltik is telling us to follow it? Then let's follow Joltik!" "Dew!"

So Nate and Dewott followed Joltik, And Joltik, having arrived at the back of the Gear Station building, hopped onto a thickly painted wall, stuck to it, and then flapped its four short legs rapidly.

"Huh? This is the back of the Gear Station, isn't it?" "Tik! Tik Tik!" "And why did Joltik suddenly stick to the wall? Is there electricity flowing through that wall?"

Nate approached cautiously and examined the wall closely; it was not a wall but an iron door thickly painted, and along the edges of the door, jagged cracks in the paint were visible, suggesting someone had already opened it.

"Wait a minute, looking closely, that's a door?! The door was painted the exact same color as the wall! "Tik! Tik!" "Hmm… besides, looking closely, there are signs that someone opened it. I wonder what's beyond this door? I'll have to open it!"

As Nate grabbed the doorknob and turned it carefully, the door creaked open with a sharp metallic screech, and beyond it stretched pitch-black darkness where no light could reach.

((SCREEEEECH-!))

"Whoa… It's too dark….! I can't see at all what's over there…!"

And as Joltik jumped into the darkness beyond the open door, Nate likewise entered the darkness beyond the door with Dewott to chase after Joltik.

"Tik~!" "Oh! Wait! Joltik!" "Dew! Dew-ott!"

On the dusty floor of a very deep underground warehouse, Emmet was curled up sleeping, surrounded by his Pokémons.

"Zzzzzz….."

Normally, Emmet would have been up very early and cleaning the Gear Station, but he was so tired from cleaning the Boardroom until dawn that he was still sleeping even though his work time had long passed. (And for the current Emmet, commuting time was meaningless.)

Then suddenly, the loud sound of objects falling came from not far from Emmet.

((CLATTER-BUMP-CLACK!))

"…!"

And Emmet, waking up with a start, instinctively turned toward the source of the sound.

"Who's there!"

And Emmet, having spotted the intruders from a short distance, picked up a broomstick nearby and glared at them, Eelektross and Galvantula enveloped their entire bodies in electricity, while Archeops and Durant each created rocks in the air, preparing to cast their abilities toward the direction Emmet had turned.

"I am Emmet. I am a Cleaner. I just revealed my identity, so you reveal yours too, suspicious strangers. And if you come to attack us, we will attack you in self-defense!"

Then, surprised by Emmet's response, the intruders spoke in a panicked voice.

"Aaaah! Please don't attack! We are not suspicious strangers!" "Then who are you?"

The intruders were Nate and Dewott, Nate was covering his head with both hands with a frightened expression. And Dewott stood in front of Nate in an attack stance, leading the way with the two pairs of scalchops he always had; his expression was grim, but he was trembling slightly, as if he were frightened.

"It's me! Nate, the assistant worker you met yesterday!" "Dew..! Dew-ott!" "And this is my partner, Dewott!"

However, even though Nate stated that he was not a suspicious stranger, Nate and Dewott appeared as suspicious intruders to Emmet, so he still remained wary and asked how they had gotten in.

"Ah… so your name is Nate. Right? But… how did you get in here?" "Well… you might not believe it, but we followed a wild Joltik and ended up by chance behind the Gear Station building, where we discovered an iron door thickly painted the exact same color as the building's walls." "I see, so that's how it was."

Upon seeing that Joltik was scared, Emmet ordered his Pokémons to stop preparing to attack.

"Tik….." "Don't be scared. We won't attack you. Guys, stop preparing to cast your ability. We're not attacking anymore."

Then, as Emmet instructed, his Pokémons began to withdraw their preparations to use their abilities one by one. Emmet approached Joltik, who was trembling with fear, and began to gently stroke it with one hand. Joltik, who had been shaking violently, stopped trembling, put on a relaxed expression, and fell into a deep sleep.

"Shhh, it's okay." "Tik….Zzzzzz…."

Seeing this, Nate thought that Emmet's wariness seemed to have dropped a lot compared to before, so he spoke to Emmet again as he was stroking Joltik.

"Anyway, where is this, Boss Emmet? Except for this slightly bright spot, the whole surrounding area is dark." "This is a very deep underground warehouse. This place is so deep that workers don't come here often. So they don't even come to change the light bulbs that are out." "So that's why the surroundings were this dark, right?"

Emmet, who answered, asked Nate to leave the 'home' where he lived in a rather polite manner. (However, there was just a very slight hint of annoyance in his voice.)

"And please, get out of here right now. You just barged into someone else's home." "Are you saying this is home?" "Yup."

At the mention that this was Emmet's home, Nate looked around.

Small lights softly illuminated the surroundings, and although all sorts of odds and ends were scattered haphazardly, upon closer inspection, it also looked like home in its own way.

"Ah…was this your home?" "Yup, for now." "By the way, how did you end up living in a very deep underground warehouse like this? Wait, did Boss Ingo kick you out of the house you were living in?!"

Emmet nodded slightly up and down at Nate's words, then told him how he came to live in a very deep underground warehouse.

"A few years ago, after being kicked out of my home by Ingo, I was looking for a suitable abandoned building to spend the night in when I ended up behind the Gear Station, where I stumbled upon a painted iron door. That iron door was one I didn't know about even back when I was the Boss. And when I opened that iron door and went inside, it led to a very deep underground warehouse. I thought it would be better than sleeping outside, so I intended to stay only for a while until I found a new home, but as time passed, it became my home before I knew it." "Oh…"

Emmet, having finished answering once again, asked Nate to leave once more. (This time, he spoke exasperatedly.)

"Okay then, could you please get out now?" I told you why I ended up living here." "No. I haven't heard your answer yet." "Answer? What answer?" "About that accident."

However, when Nate refused and asked him to talk about that accident, Emmet deflected the conversation by telling Nate to return to work, as if he didn't want to talk about that accident.

"Boss Emmet, could you tell me more about that accident? What exactly happened on the day that accident occurred?" "……" "Boss Emmet…?" "Stop playing police and get out of here and return to work. It is working hours. It is time for you to work."

Nevertheless, Nate still stubbornly told Emmet

"Please don't change the subject!" "Why on earth do you want to know about that accident?" "Because I want to help you!" "If you want to help me, get out of here." "Rumor has it that you set the train on fire, but I trust you didn't do it!" "Hey, you've already heard about that accident, too. …But thank you so much for trusting that I didn't do it." "I want to know that accident from your perspective!"

And watching Nate being so stubborn, Emmet thought that if he told him about that accident, he wouldn't bother him anymore. (Honestly, it was no different from Emmet caving in.)

'Uuughh… He's really stubborn… He has absolutely no intention of leaving…. …Maybe if I just tell him everything clearly, that assistant worker won't annoy me anymore!'

So Emmet started telling Nate about that accident.

"Okay. I'll tell you the truth about that accident."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few years ago, on the day before the week-long holiday season, Everyone at Gear Station—including the workers and train drivers, as well as the two bosses, Nimbasa City gift reception center manager Elesa, and even Striaton City gift reception center managers and cafeteria chefs Cilan, Chili, and Cress—joined forces to prepare for holiday season deliveries.

They thoroughly inspected all the parked Gift Trains and operated the robotic arms on the tables at maximum power. Working alongside the robotic arms to wrap the Packages into Gifts and pre-load the wrapped Gifts onto the trains, they carried out all preparations quickly and meticulously, just like Combees executing Vespiquen's orders with precision, allowing them to finish the preparations much earlier than expected.

And then, to leave earlier than usual tomorrow, they started returning to their respective quarters as soon as they finished getting ready.

Meanwhile, Emmet told Ingo, who was getting ready to go home, that he would check the trains one last time. Even though Ingo said he would go with him, Emmet said he could handle that on his own and headed to the darkened platform alone without Ingo.

Relying solely on the light of a flashlight, Emmet walked through the dark platform, scanning the trains loaded with gifts. Suddenly, he instinctively sensed that someone else was in the darkness besides himself. He tried to turn around to find out who it was, but lost consciousness as if he had been suddenly attacked.

Then, Emmet, snapping back to reality at the sound of the workers' screams, looked around to see that Ingo and Emmet's Gift Train was on fire, the gifts around the train were torn to shreds, and a pair of scissors was suddenly clutched in his left hand.

Fortunately, it was raining outside, and thanks to Elesa, who was getting ready to go home and quickly opening the roof, the fire could be extinguished with rainwater; however, since the train had burned down, delivering gifts to the Unova region became impossible.

Nevertheless, since Ingo and Emmet were skilled bosses, they quickly regained their composure and instructed the confused workers to rewrap the torn and ruined gifts and load the rewrapped gifts onto a train bound for the Alola region, which is near the Unova region.

Just when it seemed the situation was calming down, Bede suddenly pointed a finger at Emmet and claimed that he was the culprit, stating that he had secretly followed Emmet because it seemed suspicious that he was going to the platform alone, and witnessed his ruining the gifts and setting the train on fire with a lighter.

At first, no one believed Bede's claim. Although some of the workers were shocked by Bede's words, they knew very well that Emmet was not the kind of person to do such a thing, so they believed Emmet, who claimed he was not the culprit. Ingo also believed Emmet. It was because he was the person who knew Emmet better than anyone else.

Until Bede showed Ingo and Emmet the security camera footage….

The security camera footage showed shocking footage of Emmet appearing as an arsonist, tearing up gifts with scissors and throwing them out of the train, then taking a lighter out of his pocket and throwing it directly into the train. And Stunned by the shocking footage, Ingo flew into a rage and roared at Emmet never to show his face before him again.

Upon seeing Ingo's reaction, some of the employees came to dislike Emmet just like him, some were so shocked that they quit working at the Gear Station immediately after the holiday season ended, and others still trusted Emmet, claiming that the security camera footage must have been manipulated.

Immediately after that, Ingo tried to strip Emmet of her Boss title and kick him out of the Gear Station, but Bede, as if to mock Emmet, suggested demoting him to Cleaner, and Ingo did as Bede suggested. (In fact, since the position of Cleaner did not exist, it was practically the same as being fired for Emmet.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After hearing Emmet's story, Nate told Emmet that he trusted him.

"….This is the truth about the accident, but it might not sound like the truth to you…" "I trust you, Boss Emmet!"

But, for Emmet, the most important priority was that Ingo trusted him….

"I'm really grateful you trusted me, but what's the point… Ingo doesn't trust me anymore….. It has no meaning to me, because Ingo doesn't trust me……" "Oh….."

So this time, Nate told Emmet that if he caught the real culprit, Emmet's name would be cleared and Ingo would trust Emmet again, Then, Emmet, finding Nate's words somewhat interesting, asked him who he thought the real culprit might be, and Nate replied that he suspected Bede.

"However, if I catch the real culprit, your name will be cleared, and Boss Ingo will trust you again!" "really..?" "And maybe the real culprit is inside the Gear Station!" "Then, is there anyone you suspect might be the real culprit?" "Hmm… I think it's probably Bede. It's so suspicious that he followed you behind your back." "It looks like you have a personal grudge against Bede, right?" "….."

And Emmet was also suspicious of Bede, who had naturally accessed the security camera that no one could access.

"But you're not wrong, because I was actually suspicious of Bede too." "Really?" "To view the security camera on the Gear Station, the security password must first be unlocked, but only Ingo, Elesa, and I know it. Even the other workers and train drivers don't know the password." "Was it Elesa who unlocked the password that day?" "No, Elesa opened the ceiling and rushed to the platform to check if the fire had been extinguished." "Then, don't tell me….." "Yup. It was Bede." "At the time, when Ingo didn't believe Bede's claim, Bede ran to the desk telling them to check the security camera, and by the time Ingo and I followed him, he had already unlocked the password and was ready to play the footage." "You mean Bede unlocked the password? Hmm… As expected, it's very suspicious. But why didn't everyone suspect Bede back then?" "Everyone was so flustered back then that I don't think they noticed Bede handling the security camera so naturally…. I only started to suspect Bede a few days later."

After hearing Emmet's words, Nate was strongly convinced that Bede was the real culprit behind that accident.

"Then Bede has to be the real culprit behind that accident! Bede started the fire and is framing you!"

However, even if Bede was the real culprit of that accident, Ingo trusted Bede overwhelmingly more than Emmet and Nate, and since there was no concrete evidence that Bede was the real culprit, they could not hastily inform Ingo.

"But… will Ingo believe you? Even if you tell Ingo that Bede is the real culprit, Ingo will only believe Bede's word because there is no evidence. He will not listen to you at all, as you are a new worker and an assistant worker. Needless to say, he has absolutely no intention of listening to anything I say… Because Ingo doesn't even want to hear my voice…" "That's true… In that case, I need to find the evidence! And it must be solid evidence!"

And when Nate decided he had to find concrete evidence that Bede was the real culprit, Emmet suddenly hugged him.

"Thank you… for believing in me too…"

Early Saturday morning, before the sun had risen yet, Nate was still sleeping in bed with Dewott, still wearing his Assistant worker uniform, which consisted of green overalls, and had not changed into the pajamas provided by Gear Station because he was very tired from his first shift yesterday.

And just like yesterday, Nate and Dewott were startled awake by the loud alarm on Nate's smartphone.

Ro-to-to-to-to! Wake up Wake up! Ro-to-to-to-to! Wake up Wake up!

"Ahh!!!" "Dew?!!?!?"

Yesterday, Nate was tired and couldn't turn off his smartphone alarm beforehand, so it went off.

Ro-to-to-to-to! Wake up Wake up! Ro-to-to-to-to! Wake up Wake up!

"Oh, I forgot to turn off the alarm yesterday… By the way, what time is it?"

Nate turned off the alarm that was constantly blaring, and when he checked his phone to see the time, it said 6:10.

"Ugh… It's only 6:10… I woke up too early… But today is Saturday, so I can sleep in a little longer, right?"

So, as Nate closed his eyes again to sleep more, a piece of advice Cheren had given him years ago when he was attending Trainers’ School flashed through his mind.

"Remember, Nate, Gear Station delivers gifts on Saturdays, too. So, when you work at Gear Station later, don't make a mistake by thinking Saturday is your day off and sleeping in or skipping work. Okay?"

"….!!!"

And Nate, who opened his eyes with a start, jumped out of bed like yesterday, straightened his clothes, and hurriedly got ready for work.

"Dew?!" "Dewott! Let's go to the platform quickly!" "Dew..Dewott!"

So Nate and Dewott rushed to the platform just like yesterday.

"I hope it's not as late as yesterday!" "Dew-ott!!"

Fortunately, Nate came to work on time again today

"Phew… That's a relief. I'm not late again today…"

The platform was unfolding in a similar scene to yesterday. Most of the workers were still carrying gifts onto the train today, and the engineer workers from Anville Town were also inspecting the train as usual.

"As expected, Gear Station is really busy from early in the morning. I see a lot of people moving gifts, and some are even moving them while eating breakfast."

Some of them were eating sandwiches or rice balls in one hand while pulling carts loaded with gifts with the other hand. Some workers even ran around in a hurry, pulling carts loaded with gifts, like in a cartoon from the Kanto Region, with toast or sandwiches in their mouths.

As Nate watched the people moving busily, Rosa, who was moving a pile of gift boxes on a cart with Pignite nearby, approached Nate and called out to him cheerfully.

"Huh? Nate~!" "nite!" "Hmm? Rosa! and Pignite!" "Good morning Nate." "Good morning Rosa."

And when Rosa came closer, Nate helped her carry some of the gift boxes she was carrying. (Dewott also carried a few of the gift boxes Pignite was carrying)

"There seem to be a lot of gift boxes. Should I help you carry them?" "Oh my, thank you so much. I had so many gifts to move, it was hard." "Then… ugh..! It's heavy because there are so many gifts..!" "If you move them in a cart, it will be easier for you to move them, Oh, there are a lot of carts over there, you can use them." "Okay..!"

Nate, who had brought a cart as Rosa had advised, talked with Rosa as they walked towards the gift train, their destination, pulling the cart loaded with heavy gift boxes.

"By the way, yesterday was your first day at work. Wasn't it hard?" "Well… honestly, it was a bit harder than I thought…" "Hehe it's okay Nate, the first day is hard for everyone When I first came here last year, I had a hard time on the first day just like you." "Oh…."

Nate said as he looked at the gifts being carried by numerous workers, including Rosa, who was right next to him.

"By the way, everyone probably got off work around the same time as the delivery workers, so what happens to the packages that haven't been packed yet?" “Oh Because…”

Then, a large Worker, like the Snorlax Nate had met the day before yesterday when he accompanied Cloud, joined their conversation.

"The power of science is amazing! Even after all the workers at Gear Station have left work, many robotic arms can come out from the tables in the packing rooms and wrap gifts quickly and accurately all night long!" "Huh? You're the Uncle Snorlax I met the day before yesterday!" "Hello, Mister"

When Nate called him 'Uncle Snorlax,' the large Worker laughed heartily and continued.

"Hahaha! Uncle Snorlax… that's a good nickname, Anyway, those tables were developed and provided to us by Clemont back when the Kalos region and delivery routes were just being connected." "So you're saying they did gift wrapping all night long before they were provided with those tables?!" "Yeah, that's right… but back then, there were far more workers here than there are now, so we were able to finish faster than expected." "You mean there were far more workers than there are now…?"

Nate, having heard from a large worker that there used to be more workers, thought that it might be related to 'that accident'.

'He said that there used to be more workers than there are now…. When did the number of workers decrease? It might be a clue about 'that accident'!

So Nate asked him about when and why the number of workers had decreased.

"So, when did the number of workers decrease?" "Hmm… that was probably a few years ago." "A few years ago!? Then why did the number of workers decrease?"

However, he told Nate about the time when the number of workers had decreased, but as if reluctant to explain the reason, he ran toward the train using the excuse that he was busy with work.

"Oops! I forgot! It's working hours! Sorry, Kiddos. I have to go put these gifts on the train, so I'll be going now. Well then, work hard today too, Kiddos~" "Uncle Snorlax…!" "Nate, don't hold on to busy people. Besides, we're busy working right now, aren't we? "That's true…"

Leaving his regrets behind, Nate resumed pulling the cart with Rosa, and before long, upon arriving at their destination, the gift train, they met the Train Driver wearing a brown armband on one arm.

"Hello Josh! We brought some gift boxes!" "Hello Rosa, and…"

The train was scheduled to depart for the Kanto region, and upon seeing Nate, a train driver named Josh took off his hat and greeted him in a friendly and polite manner.

"It's really nice to meet you Nate "I'm Josh and I'm in charge of the gift train to the Kanto region." "Ah… hello…! But, how did you know my name?"

Also, Josh already knew Nate's name, and when Nate asked about it, Rosa and Josh answered.

"You're already famous at Gear Station." "Because you are the 'only new worker of the year'!" Ah, I see. So I am the 'only New Worker of the year'… Wait, what!? I'm the 'only new worker of the year'???" "yes that's right"

Nate was momentarily flustered by the unexpected answer that he was famous for being 'the only new worker of the year,' but since he still needed to satisfy his curiosity, he asked for details, and Josh and Rosa answered cautiously and in great detail.

"But why am I the only new worker? Don't they usually hire about 10 new workers?" "Actually… recently, the number of applicants has been decreasing every year for various reasons, such as Boss Ingo being very scary or the work environment at Gear Station appearing difficult." "Even when I applied here at Gear Station last year, the number of applicants didn't exceed five, including me." "What?!" "As the number of applicants kept decreasing, there was only 'one' applicant this year, and that 'one' was you." "It was only me!?" "of course?" "Nite…" "Oh dear….."

After hearing their answers, Nate fell into deep thought for a moment.

'So that's why most of them recognized that I was a new worker… But why didn't Cheren tell me that I was the only applicant for Gear Station? Hmm… I'll have to ask Cheren about that later By the way, it's been said that Boss Ingo and Boss Emmet have often been considered scary by people… Nevertheless, I heard that there used to be many applicants here and the competition was fierce. But to think the number of applicants decreased because Boss Ingo is scary… That must have been because Boss Ingo's personality became coldly twisted, making him look scarier than before. When I saw Boss Ingo the day before yesterday for the first time in a while, I also felt scared of him… Also, the day before yesterday, Cloud and Elesa told me that Boss Emmet is one of the reasons Boss Ingo became twisted. And yesterday Rosa told me she heard that Boss Emmet was demoted to Cleaner because of 'that accident'. After hearing that, I asked Boss Emmet directly about 'that accident,' but Boss Emmet trembled violently, kept muttering the same thing over and over, 'I didn't do this,' and then left with his Pokémon… Hmm… the more I think about it, the more 'that accident' bothers me…

While Nate was lost in deep thought, Josh briefly said goodbye to Nate and Rosa, saying he had to check the gifts loaded on the train, and left. And when Rosa called out to Nate several times, Nate came to his senses again.

"…….." "Eh…Nate…? Nate? Nate!" "Huh..! Rosa?!"

However, even when Nate finally came to his senses and looked for Josh belatedly, the train driver had already left.

"Rosa! Where is Josh?" "He said he had to check the gifts and already left." 'Oh no! I got so lost in thought that I completely forgot to ask Josh about 'that accident'!'

Furthermore, Rosa also left, saying she was going to move the rest of the gifts.

"Well then, I'll go finish moving the gifts! Thank you so much for helping me move the gift box! See ya!" "Ah! Rosa…! Oh no, she's already gone…"

Nate was sad that Rosa had left. He didn't want to drag Rosa into his Investigate for clues, but even so, Nate was sad.

'Since I was accompanying Rosa, I wanted to investigate with her…. No, I don't want to drag Rosa into this. But it feels a bit lonely to investigate alone….'

Then, Dewott, who was standing nearby, assured Nate, who was feeling sad, that he was always by his side, and thanks to Dewott, Nate, who had been feeling down and sad, was able to feel better again.

"Dew-ott!" "Oh, I forgot. You were always by my side, Sorry Dewott." "Dew!" "Okay, then let's investigate it together!" "Dew-ott!" "Let's move the gifts and ask the workers at the same time." "Dew!"

As they loaded the gifts onto the train, they started probing the workers about 'that accident'.

However, most employees were reluctant to talk about 'that accident,' or some, like Rosa, were workers who joined after 'that accident,' so they could not obtain much useful information.

"That accident? Ugh… I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about that…" "That was so terrible I don't want to remember it again…" "Oops! I briefly forgot I had to mop!" "Sorry, I don't really know either. I got a job here last year." "Stop playing police and focus on your work. We are busy right now."

He also accidentally spoke to Bede.

"Why." 'Ugh, my mistake! I only saw the back and thought it was another Hatterene trainer!' "It's nothing" "Then do be on your way As you know, I, Bede, am far too busy." "I was going to anyway."

Nate and Dewott, having obtained no useful information, were walking along listlessly.

'It seems like no one wants to talk about 'that accident'…. Also, some joined after 'that accident' like Rosa… …Bede is an exception! because I spoke to him by mistake! Haa… I couldn't get any information… so I feel like I'm losing energy…'

Then someone called out to him from behind Nate.

"Hey Assistant worker Boy!"

When Nate turned around at the sound of his name being called, there stood a girl with short black hair wearing a green worker uniform (though there was no name tag on her vest) and a hat pulled down low to cover her eyes, and next to her, Whismur was fidgeting nervously, holding onto her leg as if wary of Nate.

Anyway, the girl spoke to Nate, and the girl and Nate talked for a while.

"Me?" "It is our first real meeting, right?" "Uh… yes, that's right." "I see. And um… your name is Nate, right? You're the Assistant worker at Gear Station and the only new worker this year… Now, aren't you?" "Yes, that is also right."

Suddenly, when Whismur next to the girl whined softly, the girl soothed the whining Whismur.

"Mrrr…." "OK, I know, I know. I'll leave it alone. Look, I'm stopping!"

And the girl gazed at the ceiling and continued speaking as if talking to herself.

"But this sure is a ni-i-i-ice workplace, isn't it? Gear Station. And most people working here is just so ni-i-i-ice, too. The boss here was… that kind of person too."

However, it appeared to Nate that the girl stopped speaking to him and suddenly looked up at the ceiling, talking to herself.

So Nate asked accusingly what she was talking about, and only then did the girl turn her gaze back to Nate.

"Hey, What are you on about? And what on earth are you trying to say?" "…Oops! So-o-o-rry. I didn't mean to go on like that. We should keep our first meeting short and sweet, don't you think? "

The girl suggested they go to a quiet place to continue their conversation, and Nate and Dewott followed the girl and Whismur as if entranced.

"Well then, shall we continue our conversation in a quiet place for now? It's noisy here, and there are too many ears listening. "Ah… yes…!"

And a little later, in a quiet hallway like a secluded, deserted alley where people were busy moving gifts and Pokémon were absent, the girl mentioned 'that accident' to Nate.

"I saw you asking the workers moving gifts on the platform earlier about 'that accident'. You're interested in 'that accident' too, right? The reason why the twin brothers Ingo and Emmet, who were very famous for having the best brotherly bond in this Unova region, became estranged." "….!!!!!"

And Nate felt a great thrill upon hearing the girl's words, and he had a very good feeling that she would surely tell him about 'that accident,' which no one else had been willing to talk about.

So Nate answered in agreement with the girl's words.

"…yes!" "Whoa! Are we in sync or what! I was actually itching to talk about 'that accident' myself just now!" "Really?!" "Yep! Even though I've only heard rumors and the information isn't accurate, are you sure it's okay?" "It doesn't matter!"

And fortunately, Nate's feel wasn't wrong.

"Really? Then… Alright, I've decided! I'll tell you! First, let me ask you, are you ready for this?" "yes..!" "Okay, I'll tell you. Don't be shocked"

The girl began to tell the story of 'that accident' that Nate had been so eager to hear.

"A few years ago, during the busiest season of the year… I mean, the night before the week-long holiday season began, Emmet set fire. On a gift train full of gifts in advance to depart much earlier than tomorrow's delivery time." "W..w…What?! B..B…Boss Emmet set fire???!?!?"

However, the story the girl told was too shocking to Nate—that Emmet had set the train on fire.

"I told you to get ready, and you told me you were ready" "………" "Anyway, to continue, the only train Emmet set on fire was the Unova region gift train driven by Ingo and Emmet, and although the gifts didn't burn, their packaging was torn to shreds and scattered haphazardly around the burning train." "………." "Fortunately, it was raining outside at the time, so I quickly opened the ceiling and put out the fire on the train with rainwater… Wait, you didn't faint right there from such a massive shock?!"

Contrary to the girl's worries, Nate did not faint from the severe mental shock, but he remained in a state of deep shock, muttering that Emmet couldn't possibly be like that. He kept muttering so much that Dewott, the girl, and Whismur, who were standing nearby, became worried.

"…That's impossible… Boss Emmet wouldn't do that… He wouldn't… Boss Emmet wouldn't do that… Yeah, Boss Emmet wouldn't do that… He wouldn't… He wouldn't… He wouldn't…" "Oh dear… He didn't faint, but he must have been in a lot of shock…" "Dew….." "Mum…."

Nate, who had been muttering in such tremendous shock, suddenly grabbed the girl's wrist with one hand.

((Grab!))

"Huh?!" "Murrrm?!" "Dew?!" "Who framed Boss Emmet? Also, why wasn't such a major incident made known to the world? And why on earth should Boss Emmet be framed as the culprit?" "So you think Emmet was framed?" "Of course! Boss Emmet would never do that! Could you possibly tell me more about that accident???"

However, the girl said that she didn't know much about it either, having only heard rumors, and did not tell him anything more about that accident.

"I told you earlier, didn't I? I only heard it as a rumor. I don't know what happened next or the details."

Then Nate suggested to the girl that they investigate together.

"Then let's uncover the truth together! You know the saying, "The more helpers you have, the better!"

But the girl cautiously expressed her refusal to Nate while soothing Whismur, who was whining softly again.

"Mum…." "Oh~ Such a spoiled girl you are~ I'm sorry. My Whismur is such a coward, so I'm sad to say, but I don't think I can go investigate with you. Besides, you have to keep working right now, don't you?" "But right now, there is something more important than that..!"

The girl who had been soothing Whismur looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then looked back at Nate, pointed her finger at him, and spoke.

"You need some imagination! Think about what would be more helpful to your investigation in this situation."

Nate thought for a moment, just as the girl had told him to imagine.

'What is more helpful to me in this situation….. ….Yeah, I'm so sorry for Boss Emmet, whose accident is a trauma, but I have no choice but to ask Boss Emmet again about that accident!'

And Nate decided to ask Emmet directly about that accident once again.

"Hmm… I guess I should find Boss Emmet first and hear about that accident directly from him!"

Upon hearing Nate's decision, the girl became interested in him and wished him good luck.

Oh, I see… Well then, good luck, Nate. That cleaner is agile like Greninja" "Yes, got it! Let's go, Dewott!" "Dew-ott!"

And so, Nate ran away with Dewott and left the place.

Then the girl took a Pokéball out of her pocket and released a Goodra from it.

"Goodra, Dragon Pulse."

She shot down a Salandit that was secretly watching from the corner with Goodra's Dragon Pulse.

((Thump!))

"Sa…Sala…."

The girl, carefully holding Salandit who had been knocked unconscious by the Dragon Pulse, removed the completely broken miniature camera attached to Salandit's head.

"You snuck onto the gift train to get here, didn't you?"

And the girl tightly gripped the miniature camera she had taken from Salandit with one hand and smashed it.

((CRUNCH!))

"Oh, and I've been thinking about this ever since I first came here. It feels like there are too many nosy eyes secretly watching us…"

As Whismur looked at the unconscious Salandit with pity, the girl reassured her and said

"Don't worry. If I find all of this guy's friends, I mean to take them all to the Pokémon Center along with him." "Mrrr…"

And so, the girl went to look for more Salandits with miniature cameras on their heads that were hiding in the Gear Station with her Pokémon.