It was only after Aaron pressed him for an answer that Major Grant finally explained what was going on.
A new secret zone had recently been discovered along the border between Sealine City and Rivergate City. No exploration team had entered it yet. The temperature inside was brutally low, comparable to polar conditions, making even the initial investigation difficult.
After several rounds of approval, responsibility for the first expedition had been assigned jointly to the bases stationed in Sealine City and Rivergate City. The exploration was scheduled to begin the following day.
That was why Grant had said Aaron's timing was perfect.
He had already heard about what happened in Crown City.
Aaron had swept through one young prodigy after another, taken first place on the Hidden Dragon Rankings, and even cleared the ninth floor of the tower, breaking a record that had stood for thousands of years.
When Grant first heard the news, he had nearly dropped his phone while sitting on the toilet.
How fast is this kid growing?
At this point, even he was starting to wonder whether Aaron had found some kind of cheat code.
...
Aaron's interest immediately rose when he heard about the unexplored secret zone.
His Eight Gates Skill Card had already gone to Zeraora, while the Sharingan Skill Card was still sitting unused in his inventory. That one had extremely demanding requirements and could only be used by a Legendary-tier Pokémon.
Aaron had already reserved it for Darkrai.
Darkrai, of course, had no idea that Aaron was planning upgrades for him before the two had even met. Somewhere in the future, the Nightmare Pokémon was apparently destined to receive a very special pair of eyes whether he wanted them or not.
There was also another unused card in Aaron's possession:
Demon's Extract.
He had already been considering adding an Ice-type Pokémon to his team, and a secret zone cold enough to resemble a frozen wasteland sounded like the perfect place to look.
More importantly, the area had never been properly explored.
There could be rare Pokémon inside.
There could also be valuable resources or treasures no one had discovered yet.
Aaron smiled.
"Yeah, I'm interested. Take me with you."
Grant did not hesitate.
"Gladly."
He had every reason to want Aaron along.
The first expedition into an unexplored secret zone was always dangerous. No one knew what kind of terrain, wild Pokémon, or environmental hazards might be waiting inside, and previous expeditions had not always ended without casualties.
Having Aaron there could only improve their chances.
Besides, strange as it sounded, problems had an annoying habit of solving themselves whenever this kid got involved.
Grant was beginning to think the "cheat code" theory might not be entirely a joke.
"Then let's go," Aaron said.
The two headed back toward the terminal with the personnel who had accompanied Grant to the airport following behind them.
People in the waiting hall immediately began watching.
Aaron was obviously young, yet he was walking beside Major Grant as though they were equals. After what everyone had just witnessed outside, it did not take long for curious looks to follow him across the terminal.
Was that really the Trainer whose Pokémon had just dragged a passenger jet through the sky?
Before anyone could approach, an angry voice cut through the crowd.
"You little bastard! Don't you dare leave!"
Aaron stopped.
"My son will be here any minute! You think you can just run away after what you did?"
The elderly couple from economy class came hurrying out from the medical area.
They had fainted early in the crisis and missed almost everything that followed.
They had not seen Aaron leave the aircraft.
They had not seen the Shadow Fearow attack.
And they certainly had no idea that the same young man they were chasing through the terminal had been responsible for getting their plane safely back to Sealine City.
The first thing they had done after waking up was ask where Aaron had gone.
Not because they wanted to thank him.
They still wanted revenge.
The old woman marched straight toward him, breathing heavily from the effort. Only when she reached the group did she seem to notice Major Grant and the people around him.
Instead of backing down, she brightened.
"Officer! Good, you're here!"
She immediately pointed at Aaron.
"Arrest him! He insulted me and tried to attack my husband!"
Her voice rose with every word.
"You need to deal with this animal properly. My son is an official too, you know. He'll be here soon. For all I know, he might even outrank you."
Major Grant's expression darkened.
"Enough."
The woman froze.
Grant stared at her.
"Do you even know who you're talking about?"
His tone was enough to make her recoil.
Then, almost instantly, her fear turned into performance.
She dropped onto the floor.
"Help! Look at this! He's threatening an old woman!"
Her voice echoed through the terminal.
"Everyone come see! An officer is bullying an elderly woman! I can't live like this!"
The commotion drew plenty of attention, but unfortunately for her, too many people had already been watching.
A few nearby passengers exchanged incredulous looks.
"He never touched her."
"She threw herself down."
"I saw it too."
"So now she's trying to frame him because yelling didn't work?"
The old woman's crying faltered.
More people had seen what happened than she expected, and instead of rallying to her side, the crowd was looking at her with growing disgust.
She pushed herself back to her feet, furious.
"What are you all staring at?"
Her finger swept across the gathered passengers.
"Do you know who my son is?"
No one answered.
"My son is the deputy mayor of Sealine City!"
She lifted her chin as though the title settled everything.
"And you people still dare talk to me like this?"
Her face twisted with anger.
"You're finished. Every last one of you!"
The terminal went quiet for a moment.
Aaron looked at the woman.
Major Grant looked at Aaron.
And judging by the expression slowly forming on Grant's face, the situation had just become much more interesting.