Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The Absol Being Driven Away
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"Well..."
After hearing Rosa's question, Minako sighed and continued, "Actually, I've tried to advise them before, but unfortunately, the people here won't listen to me."
"I see!"
Rosa understood Minako's difficulties. "Then what should we do, Gary?" She looked at Gary, wanting him to provide a solution.
"We..."
However, before Gary could finish speaking, Hilda, who was a bit indignant about Absol's situation, stood up and declared, "Those disasters were obviously not caused by Absol! How dare they do this!"
"No, we must rescue Absol!"
Hilda looked at Gary with a firm expression in her eyes, conveying her determination without words.
"I'm not saying I won't go; you just interrupted me, okay?" Gary replied, noticing the intense looks from Rosa and Hilda. He touched his nose, shrugged, and added, "Well, let's hurry up and rescue Absol."
Seeing Gary's agreement, Hilda was eager to act. She immediately stood up alongside Gary and Rosa, preparing to leave.
"Wait a minute!"
Just as they were about to head out, Minako called out to them.
"What's wrong, Aunt Minako?"
The trio turned back to face her.
"Absol is a child in need of help," Minako expressed her concerns.
"We will!"
Hilda answered with determination. After that, she led the way out of the house, followed closely by Gary and Rosa.
Once outside Minako's house, the three quickly trotted toward the commotion created by the villagers.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a gathering of people, all wielding various farming tools and knives.
The one they surrounded was a Pokémon with white fur—there was no doubt this was the Absol Gary wanted to help.
"It is because of this disaster beast that our village has suffered several disasters, so today we must drive it away completely!"
As Gary, Rosa, and Hilda arrived, Absol was already encircled by the villagers. One of the leading villagers shouted to rally the crowd.
"Yes, drive the disaster beast away!"
The other villagers echoed in unison.
Under the leadership of the main villager, they began to advance toward Absol with hostility. Hilda, noticing the danger Absol was in, felt a surge of sadness.
"Stop!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Hilda squeezed through the crowd and positioned herself protectively in front of Absol, shouting loudly.
The villagers halted their advance, looking at each other in confusion. The leading villager stepped forward and said, "Little girl, this has nothing to do with you. Please don't interfere."
"I won't let you harm Absol!"
Despite the villagers' warnings, Hilda stood her ground.
"Why won't you listen? Get out of the way, or I won't be polite!"
The villager's eyes glinted with menace as they assessed Hilda's defiance.
Hilda, however, remained unwavering. Absol looked at her, and its previously dull eyes began to shine with hope.
"Hey, it seems I really need to teach you a lesson!"
Seeing Hilda's resolve, the leading villager's temper flared, and he prepared to use force against her.
Gary couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. He rushed to Hilda's side and declared, "Let's see who dares!"
"Yes! If anyone bullies Hilda, I won't hold back!"
Rosa stood beside Gary, her big eyes glaring defiantly at the foolish villagers.
Hilda felt a warm sense of comfort as Gary stood up for her, and at that moment, she began to see him in a new light. Rosa's presence, however, faded from her awareness.
The villagers realized that Gary, Hilda, and Rosa were not to be trifled with, so they looked to their leader for guidance.
The leading villager stepped forward and rudely demanded, "Who are you? Why are you stopping us from driving away the disaster beast?"
"A disaster beast? You dare call Absol that?"
Hilda was furious, emboldened by Gary's support. She questioned the villagers, "Since it came to our village, disasters have never stopped. Isn't that proof enough that it's a disaster beast?"
"You are ignorant!"
The leading villager replied, defending their position.
"That's right, you're being really foolish!"
Rosa chimed in, supporting Hilda.
"Oh, just because you say it's not a disaster beast doesn't make it so. You need to provide a reason!"
The leading villager challenged, looking around for agreement among the crowd. "Isn't that right, everyone?"
"Yes, you need to give us a reason!"
The surrounding villagers echoed in agreement.
"Okay, I'll give you a reason!"
Hilda was furious, but she knew she needed to resolve the issue with Absol. "Absol is not a disaster beast. The reason it appears during disasters is that the sharp horns on its head can sense changes in the environment, allowing it to predict disasters. It comes down from the mountains to warn humans of the impending danger."
"That's why Absol is often seen with disasters."
Hilda finished her explanation, looking at the villagers with indignation.
Despite her reasoning, the villagers remained skeptical.
"Since you don't believe us, give us some time. We will subdue Absol, how about that?"
Gary, recognizing Minako's challenges, proposed a final solution.
"Fine, but we can only give you one day. If we still see this disaster beast after one day, we'll take action ourselves."
The villagers deliberated briefly before agreeing.
"Okay."
After receiving Gary's confirmation, the villagers began to disperse one by one.
Once the coast was clear, Hilda, who had been protecting Absol, felt a sense of relief. After the villagers left, Gary and the others turned to Absol.
"Hilda, you can't stay here anymore. Do you want to come with us?"
Hilda looked at Absol with hope, wishing for a positive response.
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Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone