Quiet Wisdom & A Fool's Fire
The discussion in the Runcandel mansion didn't last long.
Evelyn tapped the table lightly, instantly pulling everyone's attention.
"To the outside world," she said calmly,
"we will announce only 100 million dollars' worth of evolution stones."
Everyone froze for half a second.
Then—
Victor nodded.
"Smart."
Darius crossed his arms.
"That avoids unnecessary enemies."
Selene smiled.
"Less attention, more control."
Ningguang's eyes sparkled slightly.
"A conservative lie. I approve."
Gamma added flatly,
"Reduces assassination probability by 73%."
Alex let out a breath.
"Good. I didn't want every greedy family staring at us."
Logistics, Solved Effortlessly
Alex then turned to his mother.
"Mom, I'll need raw materials—herbs, minerals, fruits—for potions and cosmetics."
Evelyn smiled as if she had been waiting for the question.
"The Runcandel Group already controls farms, mines, and herb valleys."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Everything will be delivered to Avalon Group regularly."
Alex nodded sincerely.
"Thanks, Mom."
Bayonetta leaned in and whispered,
"Having a terrifyingly competent mother must be nice."
Alex replied quietly,
"It's exhausting."
Night Falls at Runcandel Mansion
After everything was settled, Alex returned to his room.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Company launched.
Dungeon secured.
Enemies minimized.
"Good enough for today," he muttered.
Sleep claimed him quickly.
Meanwhile… Leon Ashford
At the Ashford residence, things were not peaceful.
Leon stood in the backyard, sweat dripping down his face.
"Again!" he shouted.
Torchic panted heavily, its small body trembling.
"Use Ember! Again!"
Torchic tried.
The flame sputtered… then fizzled out.
It collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
Leon frowned.
"Get up! You're supposed to be special!"
Torchic let out a weak chirp.
Leon clenched his fists.
"Everyone says I'm lucky! I'm the protagonist! You should keep up!"
He grabbed training manuals, throwing them aside.
"Again! We don't stop until you reach elite level!"
Torchic's eyes filled with fear.
This wasn't training.
This was abuse disguised as ambition.
The Fatal Mistake
Late at night, Leon finally went inside, slamming the door.
Torchic lay alone in the backyard.
Hungry.
Tired.
Afraid.
It looked toward the fence.
Beyond it—freedom.
With the last of its strength, Torchic stood up.
One step.
Then another.
It squeezed through a broken gap in the fence and ran.
Far away from shouting.
Far away from greed.
Far away from Leon Ashford.
Elsewhere…
A small system notification flashed quietly in the void.
System Notice:
Protagonist has severely damaged bond with beginner Pokémon.
Future instability detected.
Leon slept peacefully, unaware.
Alex slept peacefully, protected.
And somewhere in the dark city—
A tiny fire-type Pokémon ran,
searching for someone who would treat it not as a tool…
…but as family.