"Impossible… was that a Elite Four–tier Beedrill? How can that be… he's just a brat!"
Boqi's eyes bulged wide, staring at Yozora with horror.
The anger from earlier had completely vanished. Now, only fear remained.
Elite Four–level…
Fifteen, maybe sixteen years old—yet able to command a Pokémon of that caliber?
What did that even mean?
Boqi had always prided himself on his talent, but deep down he knew there was still an unbridgeable gulf between himself and an Elite Four. That kind of gap was so vast that he might never cross it even in a lifetime.
And yet this boy, barely in his mid-teens, had already reached it?
Absurd. Impossible. Like something out of a fairy tale.
Even the so-called prodigies—Lance, Lorelei—back when they were fifteen, they weren't anywhere close to this level!
Boqi trembled.
In the face of such power, his fighting spirit collapsed. He panicked, fumbling out a Weezing.
It was only Senior-level—clearly a Pokémon Boqi had never invested serious effort in.
"Weezing, Smokescreen!"
The command came quickly. Boqi wanted only one thing now—cover, and a chance to escape.
"Weeez…" The Weezing drifted forward, blank-eyed, fearless, belching thick clouds of smoke as it advanced toward Yozora and the looming Beedrill.
Soon, the cavern was drowning in darkness.
But then—
"Ahhhhhh!"
A shrill scream pierced the fog.
When the haze finally thinned, the scene emerged—Beedrill's spear-like stinger had run straight through Boqi's abdomen. Blood pooled as the insect pinned him mercilessly, leaving no chance of escape.
"So ruthless… you brat, you're more vicious than Team Rocket itself… with methods like this, why not join us?"
Boqi clutched his bleeding gut, his face pale and drained, but twisted into a sickly smile. "With strength like yours, Boss Giovanni[1] would surely notice you. You'd rise higher than me in no time! We could get rich together. What do you say?"
Yozora shook his head. "To men like you I may seem cruel. But in truth, every strike I make spares countless innocents and Pokémon from your torment. My hands may be stained with blood, but my heart is a thousand times cleaner than yours."
"Ha! Righteousness?"
Boqi snarled, voice cracking into a bitter laugh. "Don't act so high and mighty! I only wanted to climb higher, make a name for myself! Do you think I enjoy killing and burning?"
"Everyone wants to climb higher. But not everyone resorts to murder and arson."
Yozora snapped his fingers. A shadow burst forth—Gengar emerged.
It had grown bulkier.
In fact, it had just devoured the life force of Houndoom. The surge of energy had pushed it straight into Lord-tier, early stage.
Houndoom's vitality had been immense—high Gym Leader–tier. For Gengar, it was a feast.
Unfortunately, its own level had been too low to absorb it all. Only a fraction remained within it. The rest… had dissipated into the world as Houndoom perished.
But if Gengar had swallowed all of that essence—forget Lord-tier. Even Gym Leader–tier would not have been impossible.
"Gyaaah-hah-hah…"
Gengar loomed, grinning wickedly, and raised its palm. A wave of drowsy power washed over Boqi—Hypnosis.
"What? Hypnosis?"
Boqi stiffened, clenching his jaw, straining to resist.
Ordinarily, with his mental fortitude, a Gengar of this level couldn't possibly subdue him.
But now—he was bleeding out, half a step from death. Fear gnawed at his mind. His will cracked.
Gengar strained for a full minute, sweat dripping from its ghostly form, but finally Boqi's head sagged. He was under.
Meanwhile, the last of his grunts scrambled for the surface—only to be cut down one after another by Beedrill's merciless pursuit.
"Tell me," Yozora's voice was cold, "how much money do you have saved?"
"…Around one hundred and twenty million…"
The words spilled from Boqi's lips, his expression vacant, his mind fogged.
Yozora's eyes widened. "That much?"
Boqi's pale face twitched into a proud grin. "Of course. With that much, I could buy three… maybe four Flame Gems. Enough to push my Houndoom's potential… all the way to Champion-tier!"
Potential.
Even just potential was enough to drive a man to madness.
Without it, there was no direction, no dream. Then what meaning did struggle have?
Yozora hesitated.
Through Aura, he saw the truth: Boqi was a butcher, a devil. But his bond with Houndoom had been genuine.
Too bad… the weight of his crimes far eclipsed that sliver of good.
"Transfer the funds to me. I'll put them to greater use."
"No… no!"
Boqi's body convulsed, his voice breaking. "Who are you? That's my fortune, scraped together piece by piece—I'll never hand it over!"
Yozora's tone hardened. "Proton. I am your boss, Proton."
"Proton… Boss Proton…? No! No, that's impossible!"
Boqi thrashed against the hypnotic chains. "Boss Proton treats me like a brother. He'd never ask me for money!"
Sweat poured down Gengar's face. Maintaining control against a will like this was torture.
Already its body seemed thinner, the energy spent to keep Boqi under thrall draining its strength.
Yozora knew—it couldn't last.
"No, I'm not asking for it. I'm borrowing it. I need it urgently. What? Don't you trust in my integrity as Proton?" Yozora barked.
Boqi writhed, his features twisted in agony. "Boss Proton… then tell me… what's the Pokémon you cherish most? If you answer me, I'll believe you!"
Yozora froze.
What the hell—was this reality, or some kind of quiz game?
And if it's a game, where the hell are the multiple-choice options?!
His mind spun. The pressure on Gengar was mounting—soon the Hypnosis would fail, and there would be no second chance.
Boqi's defenses were up now.
"Arbok, Weezing, Crobat, Gengar, Golem, Houndoom, Fearow… plus a Tyranitar. Those are the Pokémon favored by Rocket executives…"
A thought clicked.
Boqi was close to Proton. Then—
Yozora spoke firmly:
"Isn't it obvious? Houndoom, of course."
[1] I think the member don't know the Boss identity, but because he is under Proton i leave it.