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Canalave City.
After a full day and night out at sea, Sam finally returned to Canalave City.
He handed the rented yacht back to the dockmaster without much fuss, then made his way to the hotel.
The hot shower he took afterward felt especially satisfying, he hadn't realized how much sea salt and fatigue he'd carried with him until it all washed down the drain.
Just as he stepped out and reached for a towel, his phone buzzed on the nightstand.
[Cynthia has sent a message.]
[Cynthia: "Samy, wait for me in Canalave City."]
["I'll come find you in two days after I finish up some things!"]
["There's a surprise waiting for you~ (￣▽￣)～"]
Sam couldn't help but smile a little at her usual mix of sweetness and tease.
[Sam: "Okay, I'll wait for you."]
["I'll even treat you to a popsicle."]
He closed the message and pocketed his phone, ready to head out for dinner.
"Luka~!"
Lucario's voice stopped him just as he reached the door.
Sam turned, and his partner gave a quiet growl.
"Sam, I sense something," Lucario said telepathically through aura.
"There's a group nearby... moving suspiciously. They're watching us."
Sam's expression tightened.
He focused, tapping into his aura.
Though not as sharp as Lucario's senses, he could vaguely feel them too, unfamiliar presences in the rooms adjacent to his.
Travelers? No, that was just a cover.
These people weren't ordinary.
"Darkrai," Sam called softly.
A gentle hiss echoed from the dim corner of the room.
"Hide in my shadow," he ordered.
Darkrai's body shimmered and disappeared into the darkness below his feet, a silent agreement.
Then Sam turned to Lucario.
"Luca, return to your ball for now. If they're watching, they might get cautious if they see you following me."
Lucario nodded without protest and returned to the Luxury Ball with a flash of red light.
Sam exhaled slowly.
"Who's targeting me now?" he murmured, heading for the door.
"Don't tell me those idiots from before called in backup?"
Still, it didn't feel like that. This group was too methodical, more professional.
Meanwhile, just a few streets away,
"Subject is currently eating at a local restaurant," a man whispered into a disguised communicator.
He wore a bucket hat and a light windbreaker, just another face in a crowd of tourists.
"There are too many people around. It's not the right time to act. Requesting instructions from Director Faba."
There was a pause. Then a cool, authoritative voice replied.
"Copy that," came the voice of Faba, Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation.
"The target is not an ordinary civilian. Do not attempt anything reckless that could alert the Pokémon League."
"Our orders are clear, Sam must be captured alive and unharmed."
"He's important to Lady Lusamine's project. If there's no clean opportunity, wait."
Faba's voice crackled slightly through the communicator.
He was already in Alola, monitoring things from afar, but his tone left no room for argument.
The agent clicked the device off and stayed in position, eyes tracking Sam's every move.
Later that evening…
Sam stepped out of the restaurant, finishing the last bite of grilled Magikarp skewers.
He tossed the wrapper into a bin and walked calmly down the street, hands in his pockets.
He muttered under his breath, "Seriously? Two whole days and not even a sniff of a move?"
He could feel them. Still there, watching. But they hadn't done anything.
"Bunch of cowards…"
It wasn't even frustrating anymore, just boring.
They weren't strong, and they didn't seem to have any confidence in their plan.
Sam stretched his arms lazily, then let out a sigh.
"…Fine. Let's give them what they want."
He casually turned off the main road, strolling into a quiet side street.
His pace remained unhurried, but he knew exactly where he was going.
A small, seldom-used path through Canalave's outskirts.
It wound through a sparse grove, dimly lit by flickering street lamps.
The perfect spot for an ambush.
He could almost hear the excitement from the people tailing him.
Sure enough, as he stepped deeper into the trees, the presence behind him grew louder.
Leaves rustled.
Footsteps quickened.
And then, they stopped hiding.
Seven, maybe eight figures emerged from the brush and nearby paths, forming a rough circle around him.
Most were dressed like average civilians, but the tension in their posture betrayed them.
Their movements were practiced. Coordinated.
The leader stepped forward, a large man with a bald head and mirrored sunglasses.
"End of the road, kid," he said.
Sam slowly raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"…Really?" he said flatly.
"After two days of stalking me, this is how you introduce yourselves?"
The bald man stepped forward, his face grim as the light glinted off his sunglasses.
"Professor Samuel," he said, his tone cold and deliberate.
"We've received orders from our superiors."
"We need you to come with us."
"I suggest you cooperate... for your good."
Sam tilted his head slightly, unfazed.
"Oh?" he said with a calm smile.
"And who exactly is this 'superior' you're referring to?"
"Mind telling me what organization you're with?"
His casual tone made it clear he wasn't taking the situation seriously, and that only irritated the bald man more.
"You'll find out soon enough," the man growled.
"There's no need for you to know now. When you're in our custody, everything will be made clear."
"For now, don't resist. It'll only go worse for you."
Sam stared at him silently for a second, then spoke again, just as calmly.
"And what if I say no?"
The man's patience cracked.
"You don't have that option!" he snapped, yanking a Poké Ball from his belt.
A flash of red light lit up the grove, and a Salazzle emerged, its sleek, poisonous body hissing with menace.
The others followed suit. One by one, they released their own Pokémon, forming a half-circle around Sam.
Houndoom, Golbat, Weavile, Toxicroak... all fierce on paper, but a glance told Sam everything he needed to know.
Only the bald man's Salazzle had any real power, it was scraping the early levels of Elite-tier.
The rest? Mid-tier, Gym-level at best.
Sam sighed.
"So this is it?" he muttered.
"You're trying to strong-arm me with this lineup?"
There was a clear note of disappointment in his voice.
"If I'd known you were this weak," he added, "I wouldn't have bothered giving you the benefit of the doubt."
Of course, most Trainers would find this kind of force threatening.
Being able to train a team of Gym-level Pokémon wasn't nothing.
In fact, for most civilians, it would be impressive.
Such a person could easily work as a senior security consultant for a major company, earning over half a million dollars a year without much issue.
If they pushed further, they might even land a spot in the League's Search Division, with benefits stacked on top of prestige.
But to Sam, who had both a Lucario and a Darkrai that were Champion-level threats?
These people were nothing.
Paper tigers.
"Enough of your games," the bald man snarled.
"I see what you're doing, you're stalling."
He snapped his fingers.
"Take him!"
At that signal, the surrounding grunts started closing in, step by step.
Sam didn't move.
Just then, a cold mechanical chime echoed through his mind, something only he could hear.
[System Notification: Random Task Activated.]
[Objective: Eliminate the bald head.]
[Reward: Lucarionite – Mega Evolution Stone for Lucario (Note: This special stone does not require a Key Stone. Once obtained, Lucario will be able to enter Mega Evolution conditions on its own.)]
[Penalty: None.]
Sam's eyes narrowed.
He lifted his gaze and focused on the man standing opposite him.
"...You really should've stayed in your hotel room," he muttered.