Lilycove City Port.
After a long and exhausting voyage, the White Sea Lion finally reached this seaside city, famously known as "where the land ends, and the sea begins."
"From here on, it's all on you." The captain clapped a weathered hand on the old sailor's shoulder, his expression grave.
A month ago, through some private channels, they had managed to gather scraps of information about an organization—the Pokémon Hunters.
According to that intel, one month later the Hunters would be holding a grand auction for rare Pokémon here in Lilycove City.
And perhaps, at this auction, they could finally obtain the information Hayato had been seeking.
"Be careful," the captain urged.
The old sailor grinned broadly. "Relax. I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. A little thing like this? Not worth worrying about."
With that, he slid a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles onto his nose.
Tonight, for the sake of disguise, he had shed his usual seafarer's garb. Instead, he wore a sleek black nobleman's tailcoat, his hair slicked back until it gleamed. With a polished cane in hand and his back held straight, he looked every bit the aristocrat.
After a final adjustment, he disembarked. Step by step, the sailor disappeared into the bustling crowd of Lilycove.
From the deck, the White Sea Lion crew watched him go.
"Mr. Kahn…" a young sailor muttered, worry flickering in his eyes. "Is this really okay? What if something goes wrong?"
Everyone knew the Pokémon Hunters. Unlike Team Magma or Team Aqua, whose ambitions reached toward reshaping or conquering the world, the Hunters were different.
Their goal was simpler, and perhaps more terrifying: capturing rare Pokémon, selling them on the black market, and reaping enormous profits.
And to achieve that goal, they were ruthless. Ordering their Pokémon to directly attack trainers was as common as breathing for them.
If their true purpose was exposed… what would happen to a shipful of unarmed sailors?
The young man dared not imagine.
Could that boy—barely into his teens—really stand against such a monstrous group?
The captain caught the boy's anxious look. His gaze softened as he lifted his head toward the skies.
"That kid," he murmured, "isn't ordinary."
Disguised as nobility, the old sailor entered Lilycove proper. He stared up at the bustling metropolis, muttering under his breath—whether cursing it, or reminiscing, it was hard to tell.
Then he shook his head with a chuckle and, following the directions from their intel, slipped into a towering building. A quick ride on the first-floor elevator delivered him to a lively underground venue.
"Your invitation, please," a receptionist said smoothly, blocking his path with a polite smile.
Prepared, the old sailor produced a carefully forged invitation with the grace of a true aristocrat.
The receptionist glanced at it and read aloud: "The Iwaki Family… Mr. Iwaki Kenta."
Her smile brightened, warm and welcoming. "This way, Mr. Iwaki."
With a courteous nod, the sailor followed. Together they passed through a long, narrow corridor before stepping into an expansive chamber styled after a Roman coliseum—an auction house steeped in grandeur.
A waiting attendant quickly handed him a numbered paddle. "Mr. Iwaki, this is your bidder's card. Please keep it safe."
He accepted it with the manners of a gentleman but made no move to take his seat.
The auction had not yet begun. Guests who arrived early were perusing the Hunters' "special services."
Not that kind of service.
Here, one could commission the capture of a specific rare Pokémon—so long as one had the funds to cover the astronomical fees.
The sailor lingered, listening as staff explained the procedure to nearby aristocrats.
"…Our commissions extend beyond Hoenn. If you wish for a Pokémon from another region, our network will immediately contact the local Hunters. Within a week at most, the Pokémon you desire will be brought before you."
So the Hunters maintained cross-regional ties, trafficking Pokémon globally.
The sailor memorized the detail.
Beside him, a rotund man swathed in expensive clothes raised his voice. "Do you deal in Legendary Pokémon?"
The staffer's smile remained flawless. "Legendaries are exceptionally rare, sir."
"Money is no object." The man smirked knowingly.
At that, the staffer's eyes gleamed. "Then perhaps tonight's auction may interest you. Among the lots will be precious intel on a Legendary Pokémon—information our Hunters obtained through great peril."
The man's eyes narrowed, intrigued. "Oh?"
"A small hint," the staffer added, lips curling. "It is a Pokémon said to command thunder and lightning itself."
When Hayato finally received the message from the White Sea Lion, five full days had already passed since their departure from the frozen north.
After returning to LaRousse City, he hadn't gone straight back to Littleroot Town. Instead, he remained there to assist Dr. Lund in registering Deoxys data into the Pokédex.
He provided recorded battle footage and still images, ensuring that from that day onward, any trainer encountering Deoxys could scan it for instant information.
As thanks, Dr. Lund invited Hayato and Brendan to enjoy LaRousse, a marvel of futuristic technology, for half a month.
Hayato, however, only toured for three days before holing himself up in the city's Battle Tower, challenging trainers nonstop.
By the time the message arrived, he had just finished an intense battle alongside Ralts. During his break, he uncapped a bottle of water, sipping as he glanced at his phone.
His brow arched sharply.
An auction… run by Pokémon Hunters?
He recalled what he knew from the anime: in Sinnoh, there had been Hunter J, a ruthless figure who once fired a gun at Ash and sought to capture Regigigas.
And in the movie Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi – Voice of the Forest, a Hunter whose knowledge of Celebi's whereabouts drew the interest of high-ranking Team Rocket.
But neither of those villains were the true issue here.
Hayato's eyes dropped to the final line of the message:
"At the auction, intelligence concerning the Legendary Pokémon Zapdos was sold—purchased by a noble collector."
Hayato fell silent.
Zapdos? Could it be… the very same Zapdos he had entrusted to watch over his home?
Another message soon followed:
"Oh, and by the way, members of both Team Magma and Team Aqua were present. They didn't bid, seemed uninterested in Zapdos, and left disappointed."
"…" Hayato rubbed his forehead.
Of course it was them. Typical.
Still, neither team was directly clashing with him right now. They were elusive, unpredictable. Tracking them was pointless.
The pressing danger lay with the Hunters.
And honestly, Hayato wasn't surprised. Where there's demand, there's always a market.
This world was not a utopia. It had kindness aplenty, yes—but also crime. Always.
He decided to end his Battle Tower run for the day.
Back at Dr. Lund's lab, he used the videophone to call Slowking, warning it of a possible intrusion at the Ecological Park.
The king nodded calmly, unsurprised. "I already expected this."
Hayato blinked. "You had another prophecy?"
"No," Slowking shook its head. "That ability is random, not mine to control. I simply saw the greed burning in those two humans' eyes. When they are released from prison, the story of Relicanth will spread."
Hayato's lips pressed tight.
A heavy silence settled between them.
Finally, he whispered, "Wise… what if we moved? Left Littleroot and found a safer place, far from people."
But Slowking shook its head. "You cannot run. Humans are clever—more than Pokémon. They would find us again."
Hayato exhaled a weary sigh. "Then I'll have to deal with the source."
Slowking's eyes sharpened. "You would break the law?"
"No." Hayato's voice was firm. "I only want to protect everyone. I love our life now. I'm grateful to Squirtle, Slowpoke, Relicanth—all of them—for choosing to trust me. I should give them the same in return."
The king listened in silence. Then, slowly, a gentle smile appeared. "Don't worry. None of us regret meeting you. In truth, we're thankful."
"…Have you been studying law books lately?" Hayato asked suspiciously.
"A little," Slowking admitted. Its eyes lingered on him, half-warning, half-worried. "Hayato, remember—killing is against the law."
Its intellect had far surpassed that of ordinary Pokémon. From the weight of Hayato's sigh, it had sensed the murderous impulse in his heart.
"…" Hayato had no words. His thoughts drifted back to the day they first met.
"Hello."
"I remember you. You touched me forty-six days ago. You may call me Wise. What is your name?"
"H-Hayato… Hello, Hayato."
That same island Slowking had grown so much.
It was not only king of the Slowpoke. It was Wise, the wise one.
A being that knew, and understood.
Hayato had no idea how far it might one day evolve. But he knew this much—Slowking now regarded him, and every Pokémon in the Park, as true family.
"I understand," Hayato said at last. "I'll think of another way."
The king smiled again. "Do not worry too much. We can protect ourselves. While you were away, I trained the others. They are growing as well."
"…Fine." Hayato sighed helplessly.
He hung up and turned to leave, only to freeze.
Standing behind him was Brendan, face torn with hesitation. Clearly, he had overheard everything.
Hayato's heart skipped.
"I—I'm sorry, big brother Hayato!" Brendan bowed hastily. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop!"
Hayato steadied his tone. "…It's fine. Why aren't you playing with Tory?"
"I'm going now!" Brendan's face blossomed into a wide grin. But before leaving, he spun back, voice firm with conviction:
"Don't worry, big brother Hayato! Even if you do something like that… I'll never hate you!"
Then he bolted off.
Hayato stared after him, momentarily stunned. Then, slowly, a smile crept onto his lips.
Everyone carried their own sense of justice.
Slowking's warning wasn't wrong.
But if it ever came down to it… Hayato knew he might not obey like some perfect child.
This was his justice.
In the Shadow World—
Marshadow gazed silently upon the scene.
The black flames flickered over its body, swelling outward like a tide of darkness before slowly receding again.
And everything returned to silence.
That night, Hayato dreamed.
(End of Chapter)