Behind Ninetales stood Zeraora and Lucario, the only three Pokémon Roy had chosen to show. Though he had others in his party, he clearly had no intention of revealing them here.
Zeraora and Jirachi were not bound to Roy by a Poké Ball — they stayed with him freely, choosing to remain by his side of their own will, often wandering off to greet other Pokémon nearby.
Jirachi, despite being a free Pokémon, felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the human who had helped fulfill its wish. As long as Roy never turned it away with his own hands, Jirachi had no reason to leave. After all, Roy had done what so few others could — he had fulfilled Jirachi's wish. In return, Jirachi was content to use part of its power to help Roy fulfill his own goals in kind. Sotis, the hearts of Pokémon like Jirachi were simple in the most pure sense: a wish had been granted, and now it would grant wishes in return.
Zeraora, on the other hand, was filled with quiet confusion. It had the raw power to strike down most opponents in an instant, yet Roy had chosen to let certain enemies live. It could not quite understand what this man was thinking.
Without a strong enough human body and a capable team of Pokémon, there was simply no way to guarantee your safety in a world like this — not unless you stayed locked in a human settlent and never drew the attention of any dangerous force.
But they were already entangled with such a force. That ant only two options remained: grow stronger themselves, or strengthen their Pokémon enough to sleep without fear.
When the two brothers had first made contact with the Black Moon organization, they had been desperate.
The unspoken rule of this world was clear: if no Pokémon chose to partner with a human, that human could not beco a Trainer. They could not draw on the bond that gave Trainers their edge in battle.
It was possible, in ti, to beco a Pokémon Breeder — to slowly build trust with Pokémon through care and dedication. Breeders could form aningful bonds and, through those bonds, develop a kind of strength. But compared to a Trainer who fought side by side with their partner, a Breeder's path was always considered a step behind. Their purpose was to raise and nurture Pokémon, not to stand with them in battle as equals.
The brothers had no interest in becoming Breeders. So when the Black Moon organization crossed their path, they took the opportunity without hesitation — even as peripheral mbers with no Pokémon of their own. The organization offered them sothing else: power that didn't depend on being chosen. Since no Pokémon had chosen them, they would let the organization be their ans of selection instead.
In this world, power was everything. And true power ca from working alongside Pokémon. But if you could borrow that power — channel it without needing a partner — then maybe you didn't need to be burdened by the usual rules.
The branch leader of the Black Moon organization had been waiting in his office for so ti, expecting the return of the Sima brothers.
"I never put much hope in those two," he muttered to himself, settling back in his chair. "But I'll admit — completing this task was no small thing. If this experience pushes either of them to reach the fifth-level master rank, then I suppose I'll have to thank those lucky little fools."
What kind of mission produces growth like that?
As the leader of a branch base, he had long stopped expecting much from the lower ranks. All he needed from them was reliable information — eyes and ears he could pass along to stronger operatives. That was their value. But this ti, he had clearly underestimated them.
Those he had written off as dead weight had actually co through.
Half a day had passed in a blur of motion.
They had been moving without rest, pushing their speed with Agility again and again, crossing long stretches of terrain until at last the destination ca into view. From the outside, it looked no different from the rocky earth-and-stone formations common to the area — just another cluster of caves carved into the hillside.
"This place is well hidden," Roy said quietly, studying the entrance. "If it were just an obvious building, it would draw attention imdiately. But disguised like this — blending into the natural terrain around it — you'd never find it without knowing exactly where to look."
He kept his thoughts to himself as Roy fell into step behind Sima Yi and slowed to a stop.
"We've made it," Sima Yi said, glancing back at Roy. "The base is just through that cave ahead. But I'll warn you now — our leader isn't the only powerful one inside. There are other high-ranking mbers as well. Be careful in there. If sothing goes wrong, don't say I didn't tell you."
The warning sounded sincere enough, but Roy had already read through it.
Sima Yi wasn't worried about Roy's life. He was worried about the Pokémon at Roy's side. If Roy were to fall, those Pokémon would no longer have a Trainer — and in the chaos, there might be a chance to claim sothing valuable. Even if he couldn't extract the power held within their Pokémon cores, he could hand them over to the leader and walk away with a reward.
Ahead of them, the cave mouth opened into darkness. No jungle canopy covered it — just the rough, earthy stone of the mountain, cold and silent, with no way of knowing what lay on the other side.
"Don't worry about ," Roy said calmly. "Even if things go sideways in there, I won't be the one in trouble. Just lead the way and get us to the right place. The rest will work itself out."
The Guzzlord's Pokémon core was still in Sima Yi's possession.
That alone was reason enough to keep moving forward. One way or another, an answer would co.
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