Waves rolled in steadily, washing over the wet sand before pulling back into the grey sea. The sky hung low and heavy with dark clouds, and a light dusting of snow drifted down in silence. Sea fog crept up from the water, curling slowly across the surface of the ocean.
After a long journey, Meyer finally set foot on the small island where the trade with Jacob was to take place.
"We finally meet, Champion Meyer." Jacob watched as Meyer stepped ashore, a calm smile on his face. He greeted him with the ease of an old acquaintance: "I thought you were sending someone in your place. Why did you come yourself?"
"I was going to," Meyer replied evenly, his tone giving nothing away. "But I kept hearing Giovanni's name lately. I wanted to see for myself."
Meyer's eyes moved across Jacob and his two companions, then naturally settled on the masks they wore — crafted from Rainbow Wing, and framed by the steady white glow of Sacred Fire. Even someone as experienced as Meyer found himself looking twice. The masks were striking, impossible to ignore.
"Is that the Rainbow Wing Giovanni took last time? And that's Sacred Fire?"
He pulled his attention away from the masks and turned it toward the two women standing behind Jacob. The blonde woman, Sylvia, he had a vague recollection of — she had appeared beside Jacob during the shipwreck incident. The other woman wore a motorcycle helmet, and Meyer had never seen her before. A quiet wariness settled into his expression.
"Andrew is right here — he's doing just fine," Jacob said smoothly, stepping aside so that Meyer had a clear line of sight to what stood behind them.
An iron cage.
Inside it, Andrew had already broken down the moment his eyes found his father. Tears ran freely down his face. Months locked away without sunlight had worn his mind down to almost nothing, and all of that pain came flooding out at once: "Father — save me."
Meyer looked at him with cold, still eyes. His voice, when it came from beneath that dark mask, was like ice: "Pull yourself together, Andrew."
The sharpness of it cut through Andrew's crying instantly. He flinched, swallowed it down, and stared at his father with wide, frightened eyes.
"You're hard on him, Champion Meyer," Jacob said, with a light smile. "Now — did you bring what I asked for?"
"Yes." The silver briefcase appeared in Meyer's hand.
"Would you open it once more? Let me see."
Meyer gave a short nod and unlocked the case without a word.
As the lid came open, Jacob took in the contents for the first time at close range: rare items, held items, and a Pokémon Egg, all carefully arranged. With the aid of his system, the details of each item surfaced clearly before him.
S-rank Armor of Celebration.S-rank Cursed Armor.A-rank Ice Stone.Duraludon Pokémon Egg — King-level Qualification.
Every item and every held item in that case met his requirements. That, in itself, gave Jacob pause.
He had expected Meyer to try something — swap in counterfeits, downgrade the quality, or at least find some way to shortchange him. He had not expected this level of honesty. And that, more than anything else, put him on guard.
"Champion Meyer is generous," Jacob said, keeping his voice steady. "Everything looks good. Place the case on the ground, and I'll have my Pokémon collect it. I'll release Andrew at the same time — your Pokémon can bring him to you."
This was the heart of the exchange. Both sides moved carefully.
"Darkrai." At Jacob's call, Darkrai materialized from the shadows, its dark form drifting slowly through the air toward the briefcase on the ground.
At the same moment, Meyer's Metagross began moving toward Andrew's cage.
Jacob's gaze shifted to the Metagross. Its steel-blue body caught the pale light with a faint gleam. It moved with the composed, measured presence of a Pokémon trained to the peak of its ability — Champion-level, without question.
That alone was enough to make Jacob uneasy.
And Metagross wasn't even Meyer's strongest. From what Jacob knew, Meyer also had a Gholdengo and a Duraludon of comparable or greater power. What else he might have hidden away was anyone's guess. At minimum, Jacob was looking at two Champion-level Pokémon — and possibly something at Quasi-Master level.
The exchange proceeded.
Darkrai reached the briefcase and drew it into its dimensional space. At the same instant, Metagross twisted the iron cage open with Psychic, and Andrew stumbled free.
Darkrai returned to Jacob's side. Andrew was guided back to Meyer's by Metagross.
"Goodbye, Champion Meyer." Jacob kept his tone light, but he was already thinking about leaving. He wanted to take Sylvia and Whitney and get off this island as quickly as possible.
"Mr. Giovanni."
Meyer's voice stopped him.
"Don't be in such a hurry. I still have something to say to you."
At those words, several Pokémon appeared around Meyer — a Champion-level Gholdengo, a Champion-level Duraludon, a Champion-level Ferrothorn, a King level Gliscor, and a King level Klefki.
The sight of it pressed the air from Jacob's lungs.
So this is the full strength of a Champion.
Three Champion-level Pokémon, and two more just shy of Champion. It was an overwhelming display of force.
"Kill him! Father — help me kill him!"
Andrew's voice broke through the silence, raw and shaking. The months of humiliation had twisted his face into something ugly and desperate. He was screaming at his father now, his composure gone entirely.
"Andrew." Meyer turned to look at him, his voice unhurried, almost patient — the way someone might speak to a young child throwing a tantrum. "While I'm talking, I need you to be quiet. Please don't interrupt me."
Andrew's mouth snapped shut. His body trembled. He nodded, slowly, stiffly.
Meyer turned back to Jacob. He reached up and removed his mask, revealing a composed, sharp-featured face. His blue eyes settled on Jacob without wavering.
"Have you ever considered working for me, Giovanni?" he asked. "Your strength is real. I respect that. If you're willing, I'll let you keep everything in that case, and I'll consider the matter of Andrew closed. Beyond that — I'll see to it that you're well compensated. Wealth, resources, whatever you need."
He held Jacob's gaze and waited.