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Kael's Thunder Punch cut through the air like a golden lightning bolt.
Even before it landed, the sheer force of the blow carved a sharp wind across Zeraora's face, a stinging warning.
For the first time, Zeraora's relaxed, playful expression disappeared.
Its eyes narrowed.
Zzzzt—
Silver-white electricity burst from its body, crackling like a storm tearing free of its cage.
And then it moved.
SHOOM—!
In a blur of light, Zeraora vanished, leaving behind nothing but a fading afterimage.
Kael's eyes widened.
Before he could react, that same silver silhouette reappeared right at his flank.
He was committed.
Thunder Punch had pulled every ounce of electricity from his body and used it for propulsion. His momentum dragged him forward, unable to stop, powerless to defend.
—This is bad!
A split second of realization—
—and Zeraora struck.
Electricity flared across its legs as it bent its knee and launched upward.
BOOM!
A silver-coated knee smashed into Kael's side. The Thunder Punch collapsed instantly, power scattering in all directions with a sharp electric shriek.
His body folded in half under the impact before being sent flying like a rag doll.
CRASH!
He slammed into the canyon wall and slid down, limp, rolling across the rock before finally coming to a stop.
Everything went black.
---
Tap… Tap…
Light footsteps approached.
Zeraora stopped beside the motionless Flaaffy and looked down with quiet amusement.
The corner of its mouth tugged up not mocking… almost appreciative.
---
At Dark Star Headquarters (Underground Facility – Logistics Division)
It looked less like a criminal hideout and more like a conventional office. Employees in professional attire moved between terminals, reviewing data and handling communications.
Kylie, a liaison in the Logistics Department, adjusted her headset. Her job was simple:
Handle support requests from members who had rented Pokémon from the organization's internal storage.
Maintain regular communication with those members (especially those who have leased high-value Pokémon).
File reports if contact was lost or if suspicious behavior occurred.
Today's contact on her list: Matt — currently listed as "Exploration Advisor." He had leased not one, but three elite-ranked Pokémon from the organization's high-tier pool.
Normally, that would raise red flags.
But Matt was a long-tenured member with a spotless track record. He always reported in, always returned the Pokémon as agreed.
So Kylie wasn't worried.
She dialed his number.
…ring… ring…
No answer.
Her eyebrows knit together in a slight frown. Contact windows were mandatory, and any delay had to be reported beforehand.
She hung up and checked the email logs.
Nothing.
Now it was unusual.
She called up the Pokémon tracking console. All leased Poké Balls were equipped with internal beacons, feeding real-time location data to Dark Star's satellite system.
A large map blinked to life on her monitor.
And froze.
"W…what?"
Every signal linked to Matt's Poké Balls—gone. Not offline. Not weak.
Simply vanished.
Cold sweat climbed the back of her neck.
Those three Pokémon were all high-value assets. The kind of assets that belonged to very dangerous people inside the organization.
If something happened to them…
"Manager! Manager!"
She jumped out of her chair, ignoring the startled looks from her colleagues, and shouted down the hall.
Moments later, her manager, immaculately dressed in a fitted suit, was standing over her desk.
"What happened?"
Kylie explained in a rush, hands shaking.
The manager's expression shifted immediately. Even he knew the owner connections behind a certain leased Flaaffy valuable enough that even department heads paid attention.
"Pull his route!" the manager barked. "Right now! Last known data everything."
Kylie's fingers flew across the keyboard.
One by one, small red markers appeared on the map, connecting into a single trail—
—a trail heading straight into the Clara Mountain Range.
The manager's face went white.
"He… he went in."
Everyone in Dark Star knew the rule:
No missions inside the Clara Mountains.
Not even for special operations. It was forbidden territory.
And Matt had walked right into it.
The manager's hand trembled as he pulled a phone from his pocket.
This was far beyond the scope of an internal logistics issue.
Pokémon assets gone.
Forbidden zone violated.
And a loaned Flaaffy connected to two different executive officers—
This wasn't just a problem.
This was a storm.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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