"Hwoo~"
A long, melodic note echoed through the open space.
The sound of the flute was ethereal, almost like the distant cry of a mysterious creature, carrying an enchanting resonance that spread layer by layer through the air.
As the final note faded, Elias glanced around expectantly.
And sure enough—just as Latias had told him—the moment the flute was played, she appeared.
Floating in midair not far away, as if she had materialized out of thin air.
Just as expected.
Except…
"Elias!!"
Latias called his name through gritted teeth, her adorable face flushed with streaks of red from anger.
She had just been curled up at home, watching a movie on TV—one about the romance between a human and a Pokémon.
She had finally reached the climax of the story, her anticipation at its peak—
When suddenly, the sound of the Eon Flute cut through the air.
Thinking something had happened to Elias, she had rushed over without even bothering to transform!
And the first thing she saw?
Elias, standing leisurely in the courtyard, watching her arrival with amused interest.
"Idiot Elias! You ruined my climax! You ruined my climax!!"
Fuming, Latias flew up to him and began smacking his head with her tiny hands.
She wasn't using much force, but the words she was shouting…
Elias froze.
A chill ran down his spine.
Thank Arceus she was using telepathy.
Because their courtyard wasn't exactly soundproof—
And it just so happened to be peak rush hour, with working adults flooding the streets on their way to work.
If the neighbors overheard that, he might as well just dig a hole and never show his face again.
Latias finally stopped her light barrage, seemingly exhausted. But she still shot him a fierce glare and gave a stern warning:
"If you misuse the Eon Flute again, I won't come next time!"
---
[To be fair, Latias' warning was effective—you never played the flute out of curiosity again.]
[Meanwhile, the League finally sent word—they had arranged a proper undercover identity for you.]
[Months had already passed since you joined. This experience gave you a whole new understanding of the League's… efficiency.]
[Still, considering how much preparation a fake identity required, you forced yourself to be patient—hoping that the result would be a flawless alias.]
"You don't have to worry about that," said the officer in charge of your transition.
"The League has plenty of experience in forging identities."
"No one will be able to see through yours!"
He thumped his chest confidently.
It wasn't an empty boast.
Since higher-ups placed significant importance on your abilities, they went out of their way to ensure your cover had zero weaknesses.
To do this, they even sought assistance from Koga, the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City in Kanto.
Though officially a Gym Leader, Koga was also a highly skilled ninja.
Forging identities, concealing information—these were practically second nature to him.
So unless the impossible happened—like Koga himself turning out to be a criminal—your cover was airtight.
…There's no way the League's Gym Leaders would be criminals, right?
…Right?
Hearing the officer's explanation, Elias felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
For the sake of his own safety, he decided to look into this "Koga" guy when he had the chance.
---
[The handover was quickly completed. You were now officially "Aquadon Hunter."]
[You chose the name yourself—though you weren't entirely sure why. "Aquadon" just felt oddly fitting for Latias.]
"If you want to establish a reputation in the poaching world, you'll need to make a big move—fast."
"You don't actually have to capture a Pokémon," the officer explained. "Just make it look like you did, then hand them over to us. We'll handle the rest."
"And always remember—you are an officer of the International Police. You are Elias!"
At the end, the man stood straighter, his expression growing uncharacteristically serious.
Too many undercover agents had fallen into the temptations of wealth and power, ultimately becoming real criminals.
He refused to let Elias—one of their most promising recruits—follow that path.
"I understand," Elias replied, nodding lightly.
Internally, his thoughts were already racing.
It was time to put his plan into motion.
---
[Over the next few days, you began operating under the identity of "Aquadon Hunter" in the areas surrounding Alto Mare.]
[For now, you only carried out minor poaching activities—]
[To prevent your sudden appearance from seeming suspicious.]
[In the underground black markets of Alto Mare, word gradually spread of a newcomer—]
[A skilled yet ruthless poacher who cared only for profit.]
[Yet unbeknownst to them, their own perceptions had already been subtly altered—hypnotized without them realizing it.]
"Even if it's poaching, isn't this… a bit much?"
"If the Pokémon's in such bad shape, how much can it even sell for?"
A poacher muttered as he watched from a distance.
From his perspective, the figure dressed entirely in black—the new poacher—was gripping a severely injured Treecko, its body bloodied and barely clinging to life.
"Who knows? Maybe they just enjoy the slaughter," another voice responded.
The speaker was also cloaked in darkness, but their silhouette—curves accentuated despite the layers—made it clear she was a woman.
Unlike the others, she didn't rely on ordinary vision.
Through the advanced tactical lenses of her customized visor, she saw a very different picture—
The Treecko wasn't injured at all.
It was merely unconscious—fast asleep, in fact, looking rather peaceful.
Using brutality to quickly erase suspicion from your peers…
Clever.
Beneath her mask, J smirked in approval.
Her eyes held both admiration for Elias—
And pride in herself.
The prey she had set her sights on…
Was turning out to be quite exceptional.
---
[Over the following days, you finalized the details of your plan with Latios.]
[Upon hearing your request, Latios hesitated.]
"Elias…"
"Be honest with me."
"Do you… have some kind of OTHER intentions toward your uncle?"
Latios' voice came through the call, dead serious.
His tone was heavier than even the time he had warned Elias to take good care of Latias.
And it wasn't an overreaction.
Because just moments ago—
Elias had made a bizarre request.
He had asked to be the one to personally send Latios off on his final journey.
To put it bluntly—
"Kill me with your own hands."
Latios thought to himself—who in their right mind would make such a psychotic request?
Sure, he knew he didn't have much time left—
But Elias's request still sounded downright insane.
"Cut the nonsense. If you want to live, do as I say."
Once again, his weird ability had people thinking he was some kind of lunatic.
Elias's expression darkened slightly.
There was no point in explaining himself.
Once Latios crossed into the realm of spirits…
He would understand everything.
---
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf