Want to read ahead. You know where
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The unnamed rocky island was quiet once more.
Calm had returned.
The members of the Gold Poaching Group were all kneeling on the ground, their hands over their heads, trembling with fear and resignation.
"Luka!"
Lucario paced silently around them, his aura flaring with alertness.
The moment anyone so much as flinched, he would be ready to strike.
Darkrai drifted in and out of visibility, flickering like a shadow in the sun.
His presence alone was enough to freeze the poachers in place.
Every one of them wore the same expression—dread, disbelief, and the grim understanding that their freedom was over.
From this moment on, the rest of their lives would be spent behind the walls of Prison.
—
Not far from the captured criminals, Sam knelt beside a cluster of Lapras.
Though the gentle sea Pokémon harbored a deep hatred for the poachers, they huddled trustingly around Sam, the one who had rescued them.
A familiar small voice called out.
"Wooo~"
The baby Lapras Sam had saved earlier nuzzled up to its parents, finally safe in their embrace.
"It might sting a little," Sam said gently, kneeling beside a wounded Lapras.
"But be strong, okay?"
The Lapras gave a soft, understanding nod.
Sam first fed it a detoxifying Pecha Berry, watching closely as it swallowed.
Then, with practiced hands, he carefully wrapped a bandage around a deep gash, tying it snugly without hurting the creature.
Sam's demeanor was calm and composed.
He showed no mercy to his enemies—if a threat needed to be taken down, he would do it without hesitation.
But to Pokémon, especially the wounded and helpless, he offered every ounce of his strength and kindness.
"Alright," he said with a small smile, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he rose.
Rest now. You're going to be fine."
Just then, a commotion rippled through the Lapras pod.
"Woooo~!"
"Woooo~!"
Dozens of Lapras turned toward the horizon, their voices low and warning.
Sam followed their gaze.
In the sky, black specks appeared—small at first, then growing larger with every passing second.
Flying Pokémon.
Riders on their backs.
Sam raised his hand and motioned for everyone to calm down.
"They're friends," he said.
"They won't harm anyone."
The Lapras quieted, uneasy but reassured by Sam's words.
—
BOOM.
A sharp gust of wind kicked up as Garchomp landed heavily on the rocky island, sending pebbles scattering.
Cynthia stepped down from her partner's back, her sharp gaze immediately scanning the scene.
Her eyes widened when she saw the poachers, kneeling helplessly under Lucario's watch.
"Luka~"
Lucario spotted her and raised a paw, giving her a friendly wave.
"Luca…" Cynthia started, then paused.
"Where's Sam—"
Before she could finish, her eyes caught a blur of motion.
A dark shape. Vanishing, reappearing.
Darkrai.
Cynthia's heart skipped a beat.
He did it.
He really caught a Darkrai.
She had heard Sam say as much before, in passing.
But seeing it with her own eyes—the mythical Pokémon moving freely around him, unbound and unrestrained.
It was something else entirely.
In her brilliant golden eyes, awe shimmered.
Darkrai turned his head slightly toward her.
Their eyes met for the briefest moment.
He regarded her quietly.
Then turned away.
"Luka~ Luka~"
Lucario barked a few soft notes at Darkrai, as if explaining something—probably that Cynthia was a friend, someone important to Sam.
Darkrai gave a small wave of his claw in return.
A simple gesture. But it was enough.
Sam finally emerged from the Lapras crowd, brushing dust from his hands.
When he noticed Cynthia standing among the new arrivals, he blinked in surprise.
"Cynthia?"
He walked toward her.
"Why are you here?"
The Champion of Sinnoh didn't answer right away.
Instead, she ran to him.
Cynthia stepped closer, her brows furrowed in concern.
"Sam, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
He offered a faint smile.
"No injuries."
Cynthia glanced around at the restrained poachers, her expression turning serious.
"Sam… these members of the poaching gang… did you take them all down by yourself?"
Sam nodded casually.
"Yeah. It's all settled."
He looked toward the officers now landing nearby.
"Officer Jenny will take care of the rest."
Just then, one of the investigators accompanying Officer Jenny came hurrying over.
His face was flushed with excitement as he tried hard to maintain professional composure.
"Miss Cynthia!" he said, practically out of breath.
"We found J's body—the leader of the poaching group!"
He held up a report tablet, scrolling through the list.
"According to the captured members, everyone else from the Gold Poaching Group is accounted for. No one escaped."
Cynthia stood frozen.
The Gold Poaching Group—infamous across several regions for eluding even the most coordinated League operations—was finally done for.
The League had launched multiple campaigns to bring them down.
Planned every step. Sent elite agents.
And every time, they slipped away without a trace.
Now, in one night, Sam had dismantled the entire organization.
Just like that.
The weight of that sank in slowly.
This wasn't just a success. It was monumental.
And the one responsible stood calmly among injured Lapras, rolling up his sleeves.
"I've already checked all the Lapras," Sam said, turning toward Officer Jenny, who was coordinating the roundup.
"I gave them basic treatment. Their wounds are stable for now, but they'll need more thorough care."
He pointed toward a few Lapras resting farther back, each with a red thread gently tied around their necks.
"The ones with red markers are seriously hurt. Please make sure Nurse Joy gives them priority when they're transported to the Pokémon Center."
His tone was calm. Focused. Not a single wasted word.
Cynthia watched him speak, watched how the officers nodded, taking his words as directives.
This wasn't just someone who had knowledge or strength.
It was someone who understood leadership.
Someone who took responsibility when it mattered most.
And for a moment, she found herself thinking—
Sam felt more like a Champion than she did.