Jacob slipped out of the Qi Family mansion under the cover of darkness.
The whole visit had been a calculated deception. He had impersonated Priest 6, wearing a borrowed face and a Yamask mask, with one purpose: to find out exactly how much the Qi Family knew about the Dark Stone.
It was a useful identity to borrow. God's Coffin always operated masked, and few people outside the organisation knew who its members actually were. Jacob had prepared masks modelled after each of the twelve members — one through twelve — for exactly this kind of situation. As long as he could demonstrate the level of strength expected of a God's Coffin operative, no one would question the claim.
He had no particular discomfort about the impersonation.
Erick, for his part, was no fool. He knew God's Coffin's reputation — and that reputation wasn't built on charity. The organisation was known for deception, coercion, and taking far more than it gave. Erick's concern was plain: cooperating with God's Coffin might mean handing over everything the Qi Family had left, only to find there was nothing left at the end of it. On the other hand, refusing outright risked making an enemy of them — and the Qi Family had more than enough enemies already.
It had taken time and careful negotiation, but eventually they'd found a middle ground.
The Qi Family would share half their remaining wealth and give Jacob everything they knew about the Dark Stone — on one condition. He had to prove his usefulness first. Help the Qi Family through their current crisis, and the deal would stand.
The immediate problem was the Li Family.
The Li Family was one of the most established and deeply rooted families in the South-Western region. They had produced a Champion in a previous generation, and the current generation had the Flying-type Heavenly King member, Sylas, lending the family his standing and protection. Their pressure on the weakened Qi Family was the single greatest threat at the moment.
Jacob knew of Sylas — knew him reasonably well, in fact.
When the Bug Secret Realm had appeared in Starlight City over a year ago, Sylas had been assigned there as the presiding Heavenly King member, overseeing the Secret Realm's operations. The Xia Family held shares in the Meadow Secret Realm, making them fellow stakeholders — and the Xia Family's rapid growth in Starlight City over the past half-year had benefited, in no small part, from Sylas's support.
The connection gave Jacob pause. Moving against the Li Family meant working against someone he had a genuine and positive relationship with.
But the Dark Stone's secrets were worth the complication.
Before leaving the Qi Family estate, Jacob gave Erick his answer: he would attend the auction the following evening and make the Li Family back down.
Once outside, he stood for a moment in the cold air, then pulled out his phone.
"Senior June," he said when she picked up, "I've turned up something useful, but I need to head out of the city for a bit. I might not make it back by the time the auction starts — don't worry about me."
"Out of the city?" A short pause. "For what?"
"Something I need to handle. I'll be careful."
"...Alright. Stay safe."
He pocketed the phone and immediately set his course for the Sundawn Plateau Wilderness Area.
The auction was the evening after next. That left two full days. Jacob intended to use them.
His reasoning was straightforward.
If things turned difficult at the auction if his cover as Priest 6 came under pressure and a battle broke out he needed a Pokémon that fit the identity. Darkrai and Gigantamax Lapras were Giovanni's signature Pokémon; using either would risk exposing that layer of his identity. Iron Valiant was out entirely it was too closely associated with Jacob himself.
In other words, as Priest 6, he had no high-level battle Pokémon he could safely deploy. That was a gap he needed to close before walking into a room full of Underground World figures.
The solution, as Jacob saw it, was a Metagross.
The Sundawn Plateau Underground World had a small population of them two or three at most, all Peak King level. Catching one would address the immediate tactical problem, and it would give him the Steel-type partner he'd wanted for a long time. Steel-type Pokémon had always appealed to him.
He moved quickly, settling the decision as he walked.
Metagross. Let's go.
Sundawn Plateau Wilderness Area.
Light snow drifted through the air above Green Mountain Town. December was close, and the cold here had real weight to it — the kind that pressed through clothing and settled into bone.
The Wilderness Area had been closed for the better part of six months following Roger's death. It had only reopened to outside visitors two weeks ago.
Jacob entered without registering his presence. He kept his identity and movements quiet — which meant that, technically, he was entering as an unlicensed trainer operating outside official channels. He was aware of the irony and set it aside.
The plateau's climate was as punishing as he remembered. Thin air and bitter cold conspired to slow every step, his breath coming harder than it should as he pushed through the snow-dusted tree line. He followed the route from memory, moving under the dark, and reached the entrance to the Underground World without difficulty.
The rocks he had stacked across the opening on his last visit were still there. Moss had grown over them in the months since, blending them completely into the surrounding terrain.
No one had moved them. Nothing had come through.
"Darkrai — shift the rocks."
"Jieee."
Darkrai moved without hesitation. The rocks displaced quietly, and the two of them stepped through into the Underground World. Behind them, Darkrai sealed the entrance again.
Jacob released Charizard inside. The flame on its tail cast a wavering orange light across the tunnel walls, enough to see by.
"Darkrai, put anything we pass to sleep. Don't slow down. We're here for Metagross."
"Jie."
They moved deeper into the system. Before long, the tunnel opened into the wide underground platform Jacob remembered — the same vast space, the same populations of Steel-type and Rock-type Pokémon spread across the rock floor.
No Metagross among them.
He'd expected that. As a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, Metagross were rare even here — two or three in the entire Underground World, and scattered across a large area. Finding one simply by walking in and looking was unlikely.
Jacob had no intention of relying on luck.
He reached into his bag and produced a Metagrossite.
All Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution had a sensitivity to their corresponding Mega Stone — a pull toward the energy it carried. Metagross, in particular, responded strongly to the Metagrossite. Any Metagross within range of its resonance would be drawn toward it instinctively, unable to ignore it.
To activate that resonance, Jacob pressed his hand to the Key Stone at his wrist.
The two stones connected. A faint pulse of energy spread outward from the Metagrossite — subtle, directionless, but unmistakable to any Metagross that sensed it.
He turned to Darkrai.
"Your strength has reached king level. There may be two or three Metagross responding to this, and they'll all be around the same level. Consider this a real test."
Darkrai was silent. It didn't need to answer.
Jacob kept his eyes on the darkness further in, and waited.