Some time later... At the house.
"How's the water?"
Akira Hayashi stood outside the bathroom, a neatly folded stack of Naranja Academy uniforms in his hands. From the other side of the door came the soft pattering of hot water cascading over tile—and a moment later, a cheerful voice echoed back.
"It's perfect!"
He nodded and placed the dry clothes into the laundry basket beside the bathroom door. "Your uniform's all set. Serperior and the others helped wash and dry them for you. They're right outside."
"Thanks!"
Hearing Nemona's energetic reply made Akira chuckle, though his smile faded quickly. His gaze sharpened as serious thoughts crept in behind the soft domestic moment.
The stream where he had found Nemona wasn't far from the House—barely a ten-minute walk. It had only been half an hour since he had pulled her out of the water.
His heart was still racing. But until she finished her shower and pointed the way, all he could do was wait.
Stepping outside, Akira was greeted by his usual squad: five dependable Pokémon standing at attention, and one Mimikyu whose presence was so subtle it was easy to forget he was there.
"All right, team," Akira addressed them with calm authority. "Priority one: ensure the safety of the kidnapped kids. No mistakes. Got it?"
"Meowr!"
"Bawooh!"
"Gaaah!"
"Serrrpee~~"
"Swaampp!"
"Mimikyuuu~."
Leading the team was his Luxray, its tail flicking with voltage-charged confidence. Every one of them radiated battle readiness—not just power, but trust in their Trainer.
Akira nodded and recalled them one by one into their Poké Balls, leaving only Dragonite out. The big guy stood ready, wings twitching with anticipation.
Akira glanced at the six Poké Balls clipped to his belt and let out a long breath. Ever since he had accidentally cleared the Champion challenge in Paldea and "retired," this was the first time he had carried a full squad again.
He gave Dragonite's plush belly a pat. Soft. Soothing. Then his mind replayed what Nemona had told him on the way back.
Apparently, she had had a fight with her family yesterday and stormed off. A childish reason, really.
Nemona, the battle fanatic, had suddenly decided she didn't want to be a Trainer anymore. She wanted to help manage the family business, like her older sister.
Akira didn't even try to make sense of that twist.
In any case, she had wandered off to the beach near Levincia for some alone time and ended up getting kidnapped by complete creeps. They had snatched her off the sand like a shadow in the night.
When she woke up, she was in a dim, musty warehouse with a few other kids—some her age, others even younger. All of them looked drained and terrified.
While they were tied up, Nemona overheard the kidnappers' not-so-quiet conversation. The three men didn't even bother whispering, laughing and bragging about their plans.
The other kids were to be smuggled out of Paldea and sold for a high price to Team Rocket back in Kanto. Nemona, being a rich girl with a famous family, was going to be held for ransom. Pocket money for their next luxury stop.
They had had their eye on her for a while—only the tight security at her estate had kept them at bay. Unfortunately for her, she ran away from home and straight into their trap.
The only reason she escaped was thanks to a wild Bidoof that popped up out of a hole and chewed through her ropes. Honestly, she probably owed that dopey little guy her life.
Akira sighed. He hadn't asked for this. All he wanted was peace—a slow life with berry trees and zero emergencies.
But of course, people like these kidnappers had other plans. The same group had even messed with Professor Sada last time. They clearly had no idea how to leave things alone.
Lucky for him—and unlucky for them—Nemona knew exactly where their hideout was. They'd probably return there soon to relocate the other kids.
At Dragonite's speed?
He'd hit them before they could even blink.
Minutes later, Nemona sprinted out of the bathroom, still drying her hair. She hadn't even tied it up yet, eyes wide with urgency. "Big bro! Let's go save them—now!"
Akira gave a short nod, scooped her up, and settled her onto Dragonite's back. He climbed on after her.
"Hang tight. It's going to be a fast ride."
Nemona clutched his coat with both hands, nodding nervously.
The moment Dragonite felt them secure, his usual dopey smile faded. His brows lowered, and a quiet, commanding pressure spread from his wings.
He flapped once, then twice.
A hurricane swept through the field. Wild grass bent to the wind's roar as Dragonite lifted off like a missile.
In the blink of an eye, they were high above Paldea's rolling hills. Buildings shrank into dots, rivers into silver threads.
Nemona peeked over the side, awestruck. "Whoa… we're flying so fast! But I don't feel any wind at all?"
Akira didn't look away from the horizon. "Dragonite's using Flying-type energy to shield us from the wind. Without it, we'd be flattened before we even took off."
Nemona blinked. "Oh… makes sense."
On the eastern edge of Levincia, a rusted warehouse squatted in the weeds.
Three figures stomped into the dusty interior, their voices loud and angry.
"Can't believe a ten-year-old got away from you," the leader snarled, a stocky brute with a beard like an angry cactus. He spat on the floor, glaring at the shortest of the three.
The short guy said nothing, taking the verbal beating without flinching.
The lanky one on the right tried to lighten the mood. "Boss—"
"Don't start," the leader barked, nostrils flaring. "If that brat's not dead in the river, then someone helped her. Either way, we're moving out now. Sell these kids to Team Rocket, then hit a big city. Mesagoza's got more brats to snatch."
"Right, right. Good plan," the lanky one nodded frantically.
The short guy silently pulled out three Poké Balls and released a trio of Ninjask. "I'll stand guard."
The bearded man grunted. "This time, don't screw it up."
He turned and headed deeper into the warehouse with his lanky sidekick, completely unaware of the cold fury simmering behind the short man's quiet exterior.
Nails dug into his palms, leaving bloody crescents. His eyes followed them with hatred.
Someday, he thought out loud. Someday you'll be the one begging for mercy.
A soft voice cut through the air above.
"That's not going to happen."
The short man's eyes widened. He looked up—
And saw them.
The girl who escaped.
And the man riding the Dragonite.
He opened his mouth to scream a warning, but it was already too late.
Five Poké Balls flared with red light as Akira's team shot out in formation, rushing into the warehouse like a tactical unit. A flood of draconic energy thundered down from the sky, freezing the short man in place.
He collapsed under the crushing weight of Dragonite's aura, too stunned to breathe.
His Ninjask?
They never had a chance.
One flap. A single wave of sky-blue wind slashed through the air. Three cries. Three crashes. All gone.
He stared at the ruin, lips trembling.
"M-monster…"
He'd never truly understood what "power" meant.
Not until now.
It wasn't just strength. It was the kind of overwhelming force that made resistance feel pointless. The kind of pressure that turned men into ants.
This wasn't a strong Trainer.
This was a Champion.
The apex of the world's food chain.
The summit of individual power.
The name that made even Team Rocket hesitate.
Champion.
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Author's Note:
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
+50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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