The night grew deeper as players who had joined the night patrol team logged back into the game after a short break.
"Holy shit, this is so beautiful!"
"It's been ages since I've seen this many stars!"
"Too bad this game doesn't have screenshot functionality, otherwise I'd use this as my wallpaper."
The moment they stepped out of the castle, the players were stunned by the view before them.
The dark, crystal-clear night sky was studded with countless twinkling stars like gemstones surrounding the bright moon.
The clear moonlight poured down like flowing water across the land, interweaving with candlelight from houses to create an extraordinarily beautiful night scene.
Players accustomed to neon-lit urban environments had never witnessed such natural nighttime beauty, leading to exclamations of awe.
As they walked through the quiet streets, free from the usual noise and chaos of reality, they felt an unusual sense of peace and comfort.
Upon reaching the city gates, they found Leon waiting for them.
"Tonight is your first patrol, so I'm a bit concerned. I'll be leading this one personally."
The players naturally welcomed Leon's participation.
Truth be told, they felt somewhat nervous about their first Pokémon battles.
But with Leon accompanying them, they felt much more at ease.
"These are signal flares. If you encounter an emergency, light one to alert others. Anyone who sees it must immediately provide support."
Leon distributed the signal flares and demonstrated their usage.
After everyone learned how to use them, he divided the eleven players into six groups—pairs for most, with one remaining player joining him.
"Wind, since you don't have a Pokémon yet, you'll be with me."
Leon said to Dylan.
"Understood! It's an honor to patrol with you!"
Dylan responded loudly.
He secretly rejoiced—he'd originally planned to stick with Ethan Carter, but now he had an even more powerful ally.
Tonight seemed secure; no need to worry about mishaps.
After grouping up, Leon and the players began their patrol.
He took Dylan toward the farmlands at the territory's edge, close to Glowfern Forest where Rattata were most numerous.
Upon arriving, Leon spotted numerous Rattata digging up seeds under cover of darkness, with Diglett trying to drive them away.
To better combat the rodent problem, Leon had specifically stationed Diglett and Water-type Pokémon in the fields to assist the patrol team.
Of course, this counted as overtime work, so he provided ample food as compensation, including delicious and nutritious Pokéblocks.
The Pokémon had never tasted anything so wonderful before, and they sensed these small cubes weren't just tasty but beneficial to their health, making them eager to work overtime.
Unfortunately, Diglett lacked effective offensive moves, only able to use Sand Attack and Scary Face to repel Rattata.
The Marill, however, proved exceptionally fierce, blasting Rattata with Water Gun or even grabbing them with their tails to slam repeatedly against the ground.
"Tsk tsk, truly worthy of being Dragon Slayers,"
Leon murmured to himself.
"Huh? What was that?"
"Nothing. Stay here and don't move. I'm going to buy some... ahem, I mean, deal with these Rattata."
Leon took out several Poké Balls and tossed them forward lightly.
"Come out, Scyther, Aron, Ursaring, and Poliwhirl."
"Attack the Rattata freely!"
Against mere Rattata, Leon didn't need to issue detailed commands.
He also woke up Bounsweet, who had been napping on his head.
"Bounsweet, join the battle too. Good chance to practice your new move."
"Boun!"
Bounsweet nodded before hopping cheerfully into the fray.
"Without realizing it, Lord Leon has already collected so many Pokémon!"
Dylan watched the battling Pokémon with immense envy—he still didn't have even one, while Leon had five!
And these were just the ones in Poké Balls. The Diglett and Water-types in the territory technically belonged to Leon too.
He knew Leon was the game's protagonist and couldn't compare, but he still felt a pang of jealousy.
Within moments, Scyther and the others had knocked out swathes of Rattata, sending the survivors fleeing back into the forest.
"Lord Leon is amazing! Just a casual effort sends these Rattata scurrying!"
Dylan showered him with praise, never missing a chance to boost favorability.
"It's not over yet. This was just one field's worth. There are more elsewhere. Let's keep patrolling."
"Got it! Your will is my command!"
"...Just speak normally!"
Leon found Dylan's flattery unbearable—it was downright nauseating. He wondered where Dylan even learned these phrases.
"Hoot... hoot..."
"What was that?!"
Dylan tensed up, scanning his surroundings nervously. He'd been afraid of the dark since childhood, along with ghosts and supernatural things.
That was the real reason he'd hesitated to join the night patrol—lack of time was just an excuse. He didn't care about the pay; he just didn't want others to know.
Even with Leon nearby, he still felt uneasy, almost paranoid.
"Probably just a Hoothoot. They're active at night."
Leon didn't notice Dylan's fear, assuming mere curiosity.
He pointed toward distant Glowfern Forest.
"See how beautiful the bioluminescence is? That's how the forest got its name."
"Many Volbeat and Illumise live there. At night, Illumise use their fragrance to guide Volbeat in tracing geometric patterns across the sky, like what you see now."
Following Leon's explanation, Dylan gazed at Glowfern Forest, mesmerized by the shifting patterns of light.
He'd never witnessed such a spectacle before, and his fear gradually subsided.
After helping clear another field of Rattata, Dylan realized he wasn't afraid anymore.
With Leon and Ursaring around, even if ghosts existed in this world, they'd be pulverized instantly.
Just as Dylan began calculating potential mission rewards, a flare exploded in the night sky.
"Signal flare! Someone's in trouble!"
Leon checked the flare's distance.
"It's not far. I'll go assist. You stay here—the area's secure since I drove off the Rattata."
He quickly briefed Dylan, who lacked Pokémon and would only be a liability in combat.
With that, Leon sprinted toward the flare's origin.
Leaving Dylan standing dumbfounded. Moments later, he snapped back to reality—but Leon was already gone.
"Fuck! Don't leave me alone! I'm scared of the dark, goddammit!!!"