Pokémon: Who let him leave Pallet Town?

Chapter 472 Shaka's Trouble

"Stab~"

As the sun set, a red light flashed out of the car window, standing out vividly against the backdrop of the colorful clouds reflected in the sky.

As dusk completely swallowed the skyline of Shuanglong City, neon lights began to illuminate the city, reflecting its unique contradictory character of heavy industry and vibrant life.

The taxi did not head directly to the old site of the Blueberry Academy in the suburbs, but instead drove through the somewhat old municipal district, finally stopping in front of a building covered in ivy and exuding a calm and composed atmosphere.

Shuanglong City Hall.

This is where Mayor Shaka's office is located.

"Mayor Shaka should still be in his office; he's usually handling official business at this hour." The driver turned off the engine, his tone carrying familiarity with the mayor and a hint of respect.

"Gentlemen, watch out for the steps."

"Thank you." Natsume nodded in thanks and led Jiaozi out of the car.

Looking at the somewhat austere building in front of her, Jiaozi subconsciously moved closer to Natsume.

After being informed, the two were quickly led into an office that was not luxurious but exceptionally clean, filled with the faint smell of tobacco and old books.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is the dazzling night view of Shuanglong City.

Behind the desk, a tall, robust old man with a neatly trimmed red beard and sharp, piercing eyes looked up.

The other party was none other than Shaka, the leader of Twin Dragons City, whom he had met briefly in the Dragon Sanctuary.

"Natsume! You're here so fast!" Shaka put down the documents in his hand, strode forward, and patted Natsume's shoulder with his arms outstretched, his familiarity with him was genuine.

His gaze then fell on the somewhat flustered young man behind Natsume, and he gave him a gentle, elder-like smile:
"Miss Jiaozi, you must be tired from your journey."

"I'm sorry that things have turned out this way regarding the academy." Shaka's smile carried a hint of helplessness and exhaustion.

Jiaozi quickly bowed and said, "Mr. Shaka, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Troublesome?" Natsume raised an eyebrow, pulled Jiaozi to sit down on the sofa, and got straight to the point, his tone undisguisedly straightforward:
"I'd rather ask you, Mayor, how can we just stand by and watch a bunch of thugs, under the guise of 'protection,' shit and piss on our heads?"

"You're slandering and defaming me again, and blocking my territory? This doesn't make sense, either from a personal or interest perspective."

Beside Natsume, Jiaozi's face turned bright red, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

His questions were sharp, without the slightest hint of politeness or evasion.

The smile on Shaka's face vanished completely, replaced by a deep heaviness and a hint of frustration.

He walked back to his desk, but instead of sitting down, he leaned on the table, his tall figure casting a long shadow under the light.

He was silent for a few seconds, then sighed heavily, a sigh that seemed to weigh a ton.

“Natsume, you’re right. We’ll show no mercy and no regard for personal gain.”

Shaka's voice lowered, filled with a deep sense of powerlessness.

"It's not that I don't want to move, it's that I can't move for the time being."

"At least, we can't use administrative means to force it right now."

"Oh?" Natsume's eyes sharpened.

"Can't be moved? The United States' laws stipulate that Officer Jenny has the right to remove illegal intruders, even though the current property trustee is the Land Bureau."

"But if you were to step in, the process would have been completed long ago. Wouldn't a joint enforcement action be possible then? Don't you, Mayor Xia Ka, have even this much influence in Shuanglong City?"

"Influence?" Shaka gave a wry smile, grabbed a thick document from the table, and tossed it aside with a dull thud.

"An individual's influence is nothing but a decoration in the face of an organization."

“They are more slippery than eels, and they have precisely targeted the fatal flaw of the ‘legal vacuum’ during the property transfer freeze period! If you haven’t completed the procedures, the land trusteeship right is in the hands of the Municipal Land Bureau, not under my direct jurisdiction.”

"Forced clearance. The chain of evidence needs to be detailed and sufficient to prove the damage or obstruction of public safety!"

"And what about them? They used public opinion to their advantage, shouting to protect Pokémon. They sat there, held up signs, and went live. Apart from the crowd blocking the road and making a bit of noise, there was no physical conflict. They didn't litter, and they even brought their own simple eco-friendly trash cans."

"Completely clean! Pure and innocent!"

Shaka became increasingly agitated, her voice rising several decibels as she tapped her finger forcefully on the table: "Officer Jenny is here! But what can they do?"

"Forcibly dispersing a group of peaceful protesters? More than half of them are just ordinary citizens who have been misled and incited? With the live camera pointed at you, try doing it yourself! You can put the label of tyrannical mayor on me in minutes!"

Hearing this, Natsume raised an eyebrow slightly.

With his position as mayor, Shaka certainly has more to consider.

"We can't just let it drag on like this and let them disgust us, can we?" Jiaozi couldn't help but whisper, sounding aggrieved.

"Drag?" Shaka gave another bitter laugh, wearily pinching his brow. "I also want to cut the Gordian knot. But right now, I've gotten myself into some trouble."

Natsume's gaze sharpened slightly: "Trouble?"

“The term of office for local mayors in the Unova region is four years. Three months before the end of the current term, the ‘Council of Four Sages’ recommendation system is activated, which combines the recommendation of the council with the evaluation of the citizens’ representatives to confirm the next candidate.” Shaka’s voice was as deep as lead.

"My re-election was almost a foregone conclusion."

“But just last month, someone raised a strong objection.” Shaka paused, a sharp yet helpless glint in her eyes:

"That competitor... he has intricate connections with our Twin Dragons City, this 'Pokémon Protection Organization'."

"As you know, in the United States' term-of-office system, the people's votes are very important, and this organization still has influence in Twin Dragons City."

“At this juncture, I can use any means that might be interpreted as ‘violent suppression of environmental voices’ on the Blueberry Academy issue.”

"Whether it's legal or compliant or not, it will be amplified infinitely and become ammunition for my opponents to attack me."

As Shaka spoke, he slammed his fist heavily on the table, making the teacup rattle.

"I suspect they timed this perfectly."

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

Jiaozi stared blankly at Natsume with a dazed look in his eyes. He never expected that a mere protesting organization blocking the door could lead to such a huge vortex, even affecting Shaka.

Only Natsume showed no surprise on his face. Instead, as he listened to Shaka explain the relationship between the Four Sages Council competitors and the protection organization, a fleeting glint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

He said it was so strange that someone was targeting him when he had never even been to Hezhong.

After all that, it turns out that by using the academy to launch an attack, the target was actually Shaka?
He stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazed at the city's dazzling lights, and suddenly blurted out:
"That's really unfortunate."

"I was planning to spend the night at the old college site I just bought. Could you do me a favor and get me a truckload of temporary beds and furniture?"

Shaka, preoccupied with the frustration of the election crisis, was taken aback by Natsume's abrupt shift in thought:
"Now? Spend the night at the academy? Kid, are you kidding me!"

"There are hundreds of people over there now, so many that not even a fly can get in!"

"I said I wanted to go inside to sleep, not that I wanted those protectors outside to invite me in."

Natsume turned around, a relaxed smile on his face that was almost irritating.

"Believe it or not, I bet it'll be really quiet outside tonight, perfect for moving in."

Shaka frowned, staring at Natsume suspiciously: "What are you up to now? Don't do anything rash, especially at this crucial moment."

"Don't worry, I've always been a coward." Natsume waved his hand, interrupting him, who looked unconvinced.

"Please arrange a car and furniture for me, just deliver them to the college gate. Anyway, I haven't completely finished the formalities yet, and the land is still under the management of the trustee, so I can't just stay temporarily."

Xia Ka looked at Natsume intently for a few moments. His young face held a certain certainty that Xia Ka couldn't quite understand, yet which inexplicably convinced him.

He waved his hand impatiently: "Fine, fine! Whatever! I'll make the call right now!"

"But let me make this clear first: if those people outside really stop you or a conflict breaks out, I can't get involved right now! If anything happens to you..."

"Don't worry, nothing will happen." Natsume stared at his phone, seemingly watching a video.

More than an hour later, a convoy of light trucks with municipal license plates, carrying makeshift beds, bedding, and some basic furniture, were forced to stop at an intersection some distance from the gate of the former Blueberry Academy, amidst the bewildered expressions of several municipal workers.

The reason is simple—it's too quiet.

The anticipated scene of bustling crowds and deafening slogans vanished.

It was even a little too desolate.

The area where the protesters had gathered was now a mess, yet strangely "clean."

The large banner lay broken on the ground, with obvious tears in many places, but not cut by a knife; it looked as if it had been torn apart from the inside by some enormous force.
Or, like the wreckage after being impacted by high-pressure water?

Several huge inflatable arches, bearing the logo of a green sapling, lay pitifully deflated on the ground, like large, punctured balloon dolls.

Large patches of wet water remained on the ground, reflecting a greasy sheen under the dim streetlights, and a faint, burnt smell lingered in the air.

It's not a fire, but more like the smell of burning electrical appliances due to a short circuit?
In the corner, several support frames that had originally housed live streaming equipment lay twisted and deformed, lying there.

As they got closer, the workers instinctively covered their noses.

Besides the burnt smell, there was also a sweet, cloying aroma.

The strangest thing is that there wasn't a single person left.

Hundreds of people seemed to have vanished in an instant.

Only empty mineral water bottles swaying slightly in the wind and a few scattered flyers remain, proving that this place was crowded with people not long ago.

The municipal staff member in charge of on-site command and dispatch looked bewildered and pulled out a walkie-talkie:
"Mayor Shaka, we have arrived at the designated location, but it seems everyone has already left?"

His words carried a considerable degree of uncertainty.

Sitting in his city hall office, awaiting news, Shaka suddenly stood up, his beard seemingly twitching.
"Gone?! There's no one left? What happened? I've confirmed the location correctly?"

"The location is correct! Mayor! It's right in front of Blueberry Academy! But it's really empty!"

"The banner was soaked in water and lying on the ground, all the equipment was ruined. It looked like we had just been in a battle and then it was washed by water."

Municipal workers tried their best to describe the magical scene before them.

Shaka's hand holding the microphone froze, and Natsume's smiling face flashed through his mind.

(End of this chapter)