Crimson blood spread across the beach, then was washed away and diluted by the incoming tide, eventually turning into a pale pink and disappearing into the boundless ocean.
Sandile's chewing finally stopped. It let out a satisfied burp, licked the sand and blood from its mouth with its tongue, and contentedly returned to Jiang Han's feet, rubbing its head against his pant leg.
The salty sea breeze ruffled the stray hairs on Jiang Han's forehead.
He looked down at the docile Sandile at his feet, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as if what had just been devoured wasn't a living person, but merely an ordinary pokéblock.
Disposing of a body was far simpler than imagined.
Especially in this world where pokémon and humans coexist, there were countless ways to destroy a body and erase all traces.
After doing all this, he unhurriedly pulled out his pokédex.
Just then, the pokédex screen suddenly lit up. A crimson icon flashed frantically, emitting an urgent calling sound.
Jiang Han glanced at it and casually accepted the call.
A holographic projection of a man in a suit appeared on the screen; it was his superior, Laic.
"Jiang Han, well done."
Laic's voice carried a formulaic praise.
"The information you submitted about Dewford Town Gym Leader Fujiki is very valuable; headquarters is very satisfied."
Jiang Han didn't reply, simply watching him silently, waiting for him to continue.
He knew that this level of praise was nothing more than a meaningless opening remark.
"Tell me, what reward do you want this time?" Laic was quick to get to the point, directly cutting to the chase.
Only then did a hint of a smile appear on Jiang Han's face. The moment he spoke, Laic's expression froze.
"A Tyranitar or Hydreigon Pokémon Egg, either one will do, I'm not picky."
His tone was so calm, as if a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Egg was something commonplace.
The air seemed to solidify.
Laic on the other end of the screen opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time, his face turning a little Green from holding his breath.
Pseudo-legendary Pokémon?
What kind of international joke was this? He himself was still worrying about a starter pokémon with decent potential, and this guy immediately asked for a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon? Since when was the organization so rich?
"Cough... cough cough!"
Laic coughed violently a few times, trying to cover up his gaffe.
"Jiang Han, your request... is a bit too high. You need to know that Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Eggs, even within the organization, are strategic-level resources. My... my authority isn't enough."
By the end, his voice had dropped, carrying a hint of imperceptible embarrassment.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Jiang Han's tone revealed a perfectly timed disappointment, and he sighed softly.
"Then forget it."
Jiang Han looked as if he was about to hang up the call, then as if he suddenly remembered something, he said in a tone of settling for less,
"Since a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Egg isn't possible, let's change it. Get me a Core Lineage Trainer identity from the Alliance. My current identity has too many restrictions; I'm tied down, and many things are difficult to handle."
Hearing this request, Laic visibly let out a huge sigh of relief.
Although a Core Lineage identity wasn't easy to obtain, requiring some connections and complex forgery, it was still far more realistic than getting a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Egg he couldn't even touch.
More importantly, it would save his face.
"That can be done!"
Laic replied almost instantly, afraid that Jiang Han would change his mind and propose some other outrageous request.
"No problem, wait for my news. Soon enough, the identity documents will be sent to your pokédex."
"Then many thanks, Lord Laic."
Jiang Han's objective was achieved, and his tone returned to normal.
"A small matter! Keep up the good work; the organization won't treat you unfairly!"
Laic hastily left a polite remark and then hung up the call in a rush, as if the person on the other side of the screen was a monstrous flood.
Looking at the darkened screen, Jiang Han's eyes were deep.
A Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Egg? Of course he wanted one.
But he also knew that someone of Laic's rank couldn't possibly obtain one.
His outrageous demand earlier was merely a setup for the Core Lineage identity he now sought.
An Alliance-certified Core Lineage Trainer identity, with a background and a record, was far more useful to him now than a Pseudo-legendary Pokémon Egg he could see but not touch.
This would allow him easier access to Alliance high-ranking officials and more resources.
Putting away his pokédex, Jiang Han's attention returned to the deserted island.
He opened the map function and compared it to the location on the Treasure Map he had confiscated from the unlucky pirate.
After confirming the direction, he walked towards the center of the deserted island.
The island was even more desolate than he had imagined. Underfoot were rugged black reefs, eroded by the sea breeze year-round, leaving the stone surfaces pitted with holes.
There were hardly any patches of Green on the island, only some tenacious dark Green moss and thorny bushes growing close to the ground.
The air was filled with a sense of solitude; besides the sound of wind and waves, there was no other noise.
The entire island seemed like a dead land forgotten by the world.
Jiang Han paid no mind to this; his goal was clear.
Sandile followed closely behind him, its strong limbs treading on the sharp reefs as if on flat ground, vigilantly observing its surroundings.
After walking for about half an hour, bypassing a rugged stone forest, Jiang Han stopped.
The scene before him was completely different from the desolate island earlier.
Beneath a huge mountain wall, a small oasis had appeared. Clumps of low shrubs grew, and he could even see a few Zubat circling in the air, and a few Geodude and Diglett dozing by the bushes.
Although they were all common pokémon, their presence itself was anomalous.
The entire island was devoid of life, yet life gathered only here.
Jiang Han's gaze swept around, finally settling on a cave entrance beneath the mountain wall, half-hidden by vines.
A cool stream flowed out from the cave entrance, winding through this small oasis and eventually merging into the distant sea.
"It's here after all."
Jiang Han understood. This anomalous ecosystem undoubtedly proved that this was the final location marked on the Treasure Map.
He didn't rush in, but first had Sandile patrol the surroundings to ensure there were no powerful wild pokémon ambushing them.
Everything was safe.
He walked to the cave entrance, pushed aside the thick vines, and a cool, damp air rushed out.
The cave was pitch black inside, with only the echo of flowing water, as if leading deep into the earth's core.
This unknown, which would be terrifying to ordinary people, meant opportunity and treasure to Jiang Han.
He looked at the Sandile beside him.
"Let's go in and see. I hope there's something good, so I don't make this trip for nothing."
With that, he took the first step, entering the bottomless darkness.
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