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Early the next morning, Chris rode atop his Arcanine while Professor Vladimir mounted his Gogoat as they traveled through the dense Malaya Forest.

"Professor, are they still following us?" Chris asked his mentor with curiosity.

"Yes," Professor Vladimir nodded with confirmation.

"How dare they?" Chris felt somewhat amused by the situation.

During dinner the previous evening, Professor Vladimir had informed him that an Elite-level Sableye was tracking their movements, which had initially shocked Chris.

An Elite-level Sableye? When had such a powerful Pokémon appeared in the vicinity of the Malaya Forest? Eighty percent likelihood suggested it belonged to a skilled trainer.

However, any Elite trainer bold enough to stalk Professor Vladimir—one of China's most renowned Pokémon Breeders—seemed to be seriously overestimating their capabilities.

"They're targeting you specifically. When I travel, my appearance is altered by Zoroark's illusion abilities, making it impossible for them to identify me," Professor Vladimir explained as he handed his phone to Chris. "This person has been following us. Check if you have any history with him."

"I need to catch a Zoroark myself," Chris decided, reaching for the phone.

The screen displayed the face of an unfamiliar foreigner—someone Chris had never encountered before. Since Chris rarely traveled internationally and had no conflicts with foreign nationals, he didn't recognize this individual at all.

However, given that this person commanded an Elite-level Pokémon, he was likely well-known in international circles.

Chris entered the facial image into a search engine and immediately obtained results. This foreigner was indeed a celebrity, with detailed information available on various websites.

After clicking through to review the information, Chris learned that their pursuer was named "Jack Wales."

He served as one of the Elite Four from the "Kingdom of Thousand Castles" in the western regions, nicknamed "The Boss," and was also a famous jeweler in civilian life.

His specialty involved Electric-type Pokémon, but his Trump Card was actually a Ghost-type "Sableye," which he had trained specifically after obtaining a Mega Evolution stone for that species.

This represented normal behavior for trainers who acquired Mega Evolution stones. Since Mega Evolution stones were extremely rare, few people could simply obtain stones matching their preferred Pokémon. When trading wasn't possible, many trainers chose to raise Pokémon that corresponded to whatever Mega Evolution stone they possessed rather than waste such valuable resources.

Jack Wales clearly fell into this category.

Chris investigated further and discovered numerous online reports speculating about his potential connections to a foreign criminal organization called "Hunter Camp." However, due to lack of conclusive evidence, he had avoided arrest thus far.

It seemed highly likely that members of a criminal group were now targeting Chris.

Chris didn't need to think hard to understand that they viewed him as valuable prey. After all, who could resist the allure of a Mega Shiny Gardevoir and Mega Garchomp? Especially in this remote forest location where no witnesses would be present.

"Traveling abroad is dangerous," Chris reflected privately, then addressed his professor. "He's one of the Elite Four from the Kingdom of Thousand Castles. They're probably following us with malicious intent."

"Should we take preemptive action?"

"No need. We'll continue our mission, and if they're foolish enough to attack us, we'll deal with them accordingly," Professor Vladimir replied casually, showing no concern whatsoever for the Elite Four from such a small nation.

"You're absolutely right," Chris agreed. With his professor accompanying him, Chris felt no panic—only anticipation. "Professor, if a battle occurs, please let me handle it!"

"I want to challenge Elite-level trainers after the New Year. The Kingdom of Thousand Castles is just a small western nation. Their Elite certainly can't compare to our China Elite, but this should provide good practice."

Chris rubbed his hands together eagerly, clearly looking forward to potential combat.

"Very well," Professor Vladimir agreed, knowing that Chris had previously defeated Alexis. Even if his strength hadn't quite reached Elite level, he was certainly close.

Rather than worrying about Chris's safety, Professor Vladimir felt more concerned that their pursuers would be disappointed by the outcome.

The Elite Four from such a minor nation would likely face a harsh reality check.

"By the way, Professor, how exactly do we rescue Professor Theodore from the spatial rift?" Chris had always been curious about this rescue plan.

"It's quite simple—we just need to tear open space again."

Chris: ???

While the statement was technically correct, it carried an unmistakable air of casual confidence.

"Once space has been torn, it leaves traces that ordinary people and most Pokémon cannot perceive. However, for Pokémon capable of controlling spatial forces, these fractures remain detectable," Professor Vladimir explained patiently.

"Therefore, we need to locate where space was previously torn, use a Pokémon with spatial manipulation abilities as a guide, then apply sufficient force to reopen it. This will recreate the spatial rift leading to the same dimensional space."

"Should I return the Lustrous Orb and Gengar's Mega Evolution stone to you first?" Chris asked, naturally thinking of his professor's Gengar and the legendary artifact he had just received when considering spatial control abilities.

"You named that orb the Lustrous Orb? That's quite appropriate."

"But no, that won't be necessary. Even without the Lustrous Orb and Mega Evolution stone, my Gengar can still locate spatial fractures," Professor Vladimir declined with a slight shake of his head.

As someone at the pinnacle of China's Pokémon Breeding community, he possessed both the confidence and ability to make such statements.

Pokémon Breeders were never merely academic theorists. Knowledge required practical application to be truly verified and mastered.

Consequently, serious Breeders were never lacking in combat ability. More than half of the current top 100 competitors in the World Pokémon Championship possessed Breeder backgrounds or extensive research experience in Pokémon care and development.

After all, truly understanding Pokémon was essential for optimal training and development!

"However, I don't know the size of the world behind that spatial rift. Once we open it, the passage will close quickly, making it impossible to search for Theodore directly.

Therefore, I'll need your assistance with this mission."

"How can I help?"

"I need you to enter that spatial rift carrying a space locator," Professor Vladimir explained, handing Chris a black metallic cylinder resembling a thermos bottle.

"What does this device do?" Chris accepted the space locator and examined it carefully. The device was surprisingly heavy, weighing approximately ten pounds.

Chris gestured to his right, and Gengar, which had been residing in his shadow throughout their journey, poked its head out and opened its mouth to swallow the device into its dimensional stomach.

Chris continued to regard Gengar's stomach as a convenient storage space that could be easily accessed when needed.

"When you enter that spatial rift, I can use the space locator to determine the exact position of the world behind that dimensional barrier and construct a temporary spatial channel.

This will allow you to return safely with Theodore."