After last night, Zayn had gotten to know Xavier better, and Xavier had successfully caught Chatot. Now it was time for them to head to their next destination: Ariestal City.
"Finally, morning's here! Time to head to Ariestal City!" Zayn exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement.
Xavier looked over at him curiously. "Oh, by the way, Zayn—what's your reason for going to Ariestal anyway?"
Zayn's eyes lit up even brighter. "You know, there's going to be an art exhibition at the museum! And apparently, there'll be all sorts of ancient inscriptions and interesting artifacts on display. It's going to be amazing!"
He paused, then turned the question back on Xavier. "Actually, now that I think about it, it's kind of weird that you're suddenly heading there too. Is there something specific you're after?"
Xavier's face immediately lit up with equal enthusiasm. "Of course there is! I'm going because there's going to be an exhibition of rare gemstones and artwork!"
Zayn raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing."
Xavier waved his hand dismissively. "Who said I was into the gems themselves? I'm going there to find interesting CASES! You know how it works—anytime there's an exhibition of valuable items, there are ALWAYS thieves or criminals trying to steal them. It's basic detective logic!" He was practically bouncing in place now.
Zayn just stared at him for a moment, then turned away with a mental sigh. *Of course. I should have known it wouldn't be anything normal.*
He glanced at his watch. 6:30 AM. They had things to do.
"Okay, we should probably pack up the tent and get everything ready. The train comes in about an hour."
They quickly dismantled their campsite and gathered their belongings. Fortunately, Xavier's Inventory Box made transporting everything significantly easier—just pack it all in, and suddenly weight and space ceased to be problems.
Soon they were leaving the campsite and heading toward Station One, walking and chatting as they went.
"Hey, Xavier," Zayn began, his voice genuinely curious, "how exactly did you beat that Chatot last night? It had so many abilities! It seemed impossible!"
Xavier shrugged casually, as if it were no big deal. "You could say I used a special technique."
Zayn's eyes widened. *Special technique?* He'd never heard of such a thing! His mind immediately raced with possibilities. "Special technique?! What is it? Is it like Terastal? Or Z-Crystals? Tell me!"
They arrived at Station One just as the train was pulling in—perfect timing. Xavier gestured toward the boarding platform.
"I'll explain once we're on the train. It's... honestly kind of long."
They boarded the train to Ariestal City, found their seats, and settled in for the journey. The moment they were comfortable, Zayn immediately pounced.
"Okay, we're ON the train now! Explain! What did you mean by 'special technique'?!"
Xavier took a deep breath, clearly preparing for a lengthy explanation. "Okay, so... you know how Pokémon moves are usually categorized into attacking moves, status moves, and so on? Well, there are also what we call 'special techniques.' These are different—they can be style-specific, Pokémon-specific, or require access to certain classifications."
Zayn leaned back in his seat, processing this information. He pulled out his Pokédex to take notes, resting his head against the seat cushion. "So... which technique does your Cubble use?"
Xavier puffed up with pride. "My Cubble specializes in techniques that require specific move combinations."
Zayn's note-taking intensified. "How does THAT system work?"
"Cubble needs to use certain moves in combination to access special techniques. For example, last night when Cubble and I were fighting Chatot—to use Bubble Vortex, Cubble would normally need to combine Bubble Beam and Water Pulse. But since my Cubble only knows Bubble right now, it wasn't as powerful as it should have been."
Zayn finally closed his Pokédex, a satisfied smile on his face. "Thanks for explaining! I might look into this more myself. It sounds really useful!"
Just as he was about to say more, Zayn's attention was caught by a passenger sitting a few rows ahead. His eyes narrowed.
"Hey, Xavier." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you see that guy?"
Xavier glanced in the direction Zayn was subtly pointing. "The one with the suitcase?"
"Yeah! Don't you think he looks suspicious?"
Xavier studied the man for a moment, his detective instincts kicking in. He examined the patterns on the suitcase carefully, then relaxed. "He DOES look suspicious, but don't worry—he's just a photographer."
Zayn's eyebrows shot up. "How can you possibly know that from here?!"
"Look at the suitcase. See that logo? That's Xenon Corporation."
Zayn squinted, and sure enough, there was a small but distinct logo on the case. "Okay, so he has a Xenon suitcase. That still doesn't explain the photographer part."
Xavier smiled knowingly. "I recognize it because my father has a camera exactly like that. Those cases are custom-made for their high-end photography equipment. And speaking from experience—cameras like that are EXPENSIVE. He's probably pretty wealthy."
Zayn nodded slowly, though he looked slightly disappointed. "Oh. I guess that makes sense." He sighed dramatically. "And here I thought we were in some kind of detective game scenario. How boring."
He glanced at his watch again. About 30 minutes until they reached Ariestal. Plenty of time to kill.
His stomach growled.
"Hey... didn't we forget breakfast?" Zayn asked suddenly.
Xavier's eyes widened. They HAD forgotten. He quickly pulled out his Rotomdex and pulled up the train's map. "Okay, the dining car should be in carriage nine. We should probably head over."
Zayn's mood immediately improved. "Finally! Time to EAT!"
They made their way through several carriages until they reached carriage nine. Tables were equipped with tablets for ordering—convenient and modern.
"I'm thinking maybe a sandwich," Zayn mused, scrolling through options. "What about you?"
"Probably just toast for me. Nothing too heavy."
While waiting for their food to arrive, they continued chatting.
"Hey Xavier, don't you think catching Pokémon is ridiculously hard?" Zayn complained, his expression gloomy. "They can just... create abilities or moves on their own! It's nothing like the games where everything is neatly organized with one ability and four moves!"
Xavier nodded in agreement, his expression matching Zayn's. "It's definitely not easy. Especially when you run into something with an Aspect. If you end up in someone's perspective Aspect, it's totally luck-based whether you can solve it or not."
Meanwhile, unnoticed by either of them, Gible had quietly emerged from its Pokéball. It crept under the table and helped itself to some berries from their supplies, then snagged Zayn's handheld game console from the Shadow Realm for good measure. Priorities.
Just then, a man approached their table. He had black hair, blue eyes, and wore a black agent's uniform with a distinctive badge—a Zoroark emblem.
"Sorry to interrupt your meal," he said politely, holding up a photograph. "Have either of you seen a girl who looks like this?"
Zayn examined the photo. It showed a young woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing red-rimmed glasses and a red Qipau.
"Sorry, we haven't seen her," Zayn replied honestly. "But... why are you looking for her?"
The agent sighed. "You know the upcoming gem exhibition in Ariestal? There's usually a group that tries to steal rare items, artifacts, and so on during these events. They're more like a specialized organization, really. This girl is a suspected spy."
Xavier perked up immediately. "Wait—are you a detective?"
"You could say that. I'm part of a special division that handles exactly this kind of situation."
Zayn studied the man's badge curiously. "A Zoroark badge... isn't that usually for the disguise division? But you're not in disguise."
The man smiled thinly. "We have a 30-minute window before reaching Ariestal, and my job is to find her before then. It's just easier to operate openly at this point."
Xavier's detective senses tingled. "Hold on—why are you telling US all this?"
"Because this organization is unpredictable. I'm just warning you—anything could happen. My team and I have already briefed most of the other passengers. I'm still searching for her now."
Xavier leaned forward. "What's the organization called?"
"Honestly? We don't know their real name yet. We just call them Genryumon."
Both Zayn and Xavier immediately understood the implications.
"Genryumon..." Xavier repeated thoughtfully. "That sounds like a troublesome organization."
Zayn leaned back, resting his head again. "Seriously? THAT'S the name you guys chose? You should come up with something cooler!"
The agent—Xian—shrugged. "Genryumon is just their code name. That's what we use for now."
Zayn suddenly recalled something about the Quxian Region. "Wait, Quxian Region... isn't that the region with all the cultivators?"
Xian nodded. "Exactly right. And that's exactly why catching this girl is so difficult."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Difficult how?"
"She's already at the third level of Dao Integration. That gives her a lot of troublesome abilities."
Zayn's interest was thoroughly piqued now. "What kind of abilities?"
"According to our data, she's from the Fire Gate School. Her most annoying ability is creating clones, illusions, and the like. She's incredibly hard to pin down."
Zayn nodded sagely. "Oh, clones ARE annoying. And from the games and stories I've read, cultivators can usually reform their souls too. Sounds like your mission is going to be pretty tough."
He suddenly realized they'd never gotten the man's name. "Oh, by the way—can we know your name?"
The agent smiled. "Sure. It's Qu Xian."
Zayn froze for a moment. Then he leaned toward Xavier and whispered urgently, "Hey, Xavier... did you notice something?"
Xavier looked confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What is it?"
Zayn leaned closer, voice dropping even lower. "You know... that guy's name is Qu Xian. And the region he comes from is also called Quxian. I think whoever named him wasn't very creative."
Xavier paused for a moment—then his eyes widened slightly in realization.
"You're right… that's seriously uncreative."
Xian, being a cultivator and perfectly capable of reading their thoughts, cleared his throat pointedly.
"Hey, hey. I KNOW you're talking about me."
Zayn and Xavier showed absolutely no sign of intimidation.
"Honestly, your name IS uncreative. Have you ever thought about changing it?" Zayn asked bluntly.
Xavier added helpfully, "Or maybe it's just a pseudonym. That would make more sense."
Xian suddenly felt intensely pressured. Even CHILDREN could tell it was a fake name? Was he that obvious?
Before he could respond, a sudden bad feeling washed over him—the kind of instinct that had saved his life more times than he could count.
"I need to get back to my mission," he said abruptly.
Zayn and Xavier both felt it too—that prickling sensation at the back of their necks that said something terrible was about to happen.
Under the table, Gible had noticed something alarming. A bomb. Right there, tucked beneath one of the seats. Without hesitation, the little dragon used its abilities to shift the bomb into the Shadow Realm. Then it looked around—and spotted several MORE bombs throughout the dining car. One by one, it teleported them away before they could detonate.
Gible sighed internally. *There. All done.*
**"BOOM!"**
An explosion rocked the train—but it came from the NEXT carriage, not theirs.
**"Click!"**
Xian's Pokéball opened, and Metagross materialized instantly.
"Metagross!" The Steel-type immediately erected a Psyshield around their area, protecting them from the blast wave.
Zayn and Xavier stumbled to their feet, disoriented.
"How is there a BOMB on this train?!" Xavier demanded, his detective mind reeling. "Didn't security check everything?!"
Zayn was more confused about something else. "Why isn't the train damaged?! That explosion should have—"
Xian's voice cut through their confusion, sharp and focused. "We've been trapped. That was Astral Dynamite—a bomb that can't be detected normally. And if they're using THAT..." His eyes narrowed. "It means Genryumon isn't the only organization here. We've walked into something bigger."
In the neighboring carriage, the one that had actually exploded, passengers were shaken but miraculously alive—thanks to several quick-thinking trainers whose Pokémon had shielded them from the worst of it.
Xian moved toward one particular passenger who was already helping the wounded—a man with tired eyes and an irritated expression, using a Comfey to heal injuries.
"Finished your vacation in Alola, Alied?" Xian asked dryly.
Alied shot him a glare while continuing his work. "Tch. Of all the times for a terrorist attack—I JUST got back from vacation! I wasn't even supposed to be on this train!" He pressed a Comfey gently against a burn. "Some people have no consideration."
Before anyone could respond, another figure emerged from Phantom Force using a Dragapult. He had black hair streaked with purple, intense purple eyes, and wore the same agent uniform as Xian—but with a Tyranitar badge gleaming on his chest.
"Listen up!" His voice carried authority. "Every carriage on this train is now completely separated from the others. If you don't have a Pokémon or ability that can manipulate or ignore spatial barriers, you're stuck where you are. That's the ONLY way to move between carriages now."
Alied looked up, unsurprised. "Should have known you'd be here, Theo."
Xian's mind raced. *Spatial manipulation... wait. That means every carriage has been transformed into infinite space? That's... that's advanced.*
One passenger tried to open the train window—and found it completely sealed.
"We're trapped again," someone muttered nervously.
Outside the windows, there was nothing but swirling, chaotic colors. No track. No landscape. No sky. Just... unreality.
Zayn and Xavier couldn't resist looking for themselves. They joined others at the windows and stared out at the impossible void.
Zayn's face fell. "Great. Just great. We are absolutely, completely, one hundred percent screwed today."
Xavier nodded silently, for once having nothing to add.
Alied straightened up, his expression hardening from tired irritation to focused determination. "They're definitely on this train somewhere. Come on, Xian—let's go catch some terrorists." He released his Gengar. "Gengar, do your thing."
"Gengarrr!" The Ghost-type grinned wickedly, already sensing the hunt ahead.
"Theo!" Alied called back. "Handle things here for now!"
Then both agents vanished into the next carriage, leaving the passengers to deal with the situation.
A murmur rippled through the crowd as people processed what had happened—and what was still happening.
"I bet this is that organization again," one passenger said bitterly. "They never give up, do they? Always after some artifact or another."
The person beside him nodded, then pointed subtly at someone across the carriage. "And I bet the culprit is right here among us. Look at that guy."
All eyes gradually turned toward a blond man holding a suitcase tightly. He had light blue eyes, wore a white t-shirt under a black jacket, and black trousers. And he was starting to look very, very nervous under all the attention.
Another passenger groaned loudly. "Oh, come ON! Yesterday I survived a plane crash because of those lunatics! Now I'm trapped on a TRAIN because of them?! Do they just follow me around?!"
His neighbor patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Tell me about it. Last month, I was on a cruise ship when they blew up part of it with Dynamite. I almost drowned in the middle of the ocean. And I can't even SWIM."
The passengers exchanged glances. Then someone spoke up.
"Okay. You all know what we have to do. It's probably the fastest way out of this."
The blond man with the suitcase shifted uncomfortably. Zayn recognized him now—the "photographer" they'd seen earlier. So much for that theory.
He looked ready to bolt, but the passengers were already rising from their seats, forming a loose circle around him.
"You're still an amateur, aren't you?" one passenger said coolly. "We know you're the one."
The blond man forced a casual smile, though sweat was beading on his forehead. "What evidence do you have? You can't just accuse people randomly."
Another passenger stepped forward. "You should have put your belongings in an Inventory Box. Everyone does. But you didn't. Which means either you just got it, OR..." He paused for effect. "Your belongings have an artifact aspect."
A third passenger nodded. "That camera of yours? I'd bet anything it has an artifact aspect that can manipulate data and information. With a sub-ability for spatial manipulation."
The blond man's smile tightened. "Can you PROVE my camera caused this?"
Theo stepped forward calmly and reached for the suitcase. The man tried to stop him, but Theo was faster—he opened it and pulled out the camera inside.
"I recognize this model. Xenon Corporation," Theo said, examining it professionally. "This was part of their experimental project to create hyper-realistic photographs. The idea was to create images so detailed they could actually contain space within them. But this..." He turned it over. "This is a failed prototype. Instead of containing space, it TRAPS things INSIDE its photos."
The blond man's face went pale. *How does he know that?! They said no one would recognize it without access to the company's data!*
His hand twitched toward the camera, ready to press a button and reverse whatever had been done—
But Theo saw it coming. He stepped back just as the man lunged.
Too late—another passenger had already released their Venusaur.
"VENUSAUR—SOLAR BEAM!"
A brilliant green beam of light shot across the carriage, striking the blond man directly.
But when the light faded, he was gone.
Theo cursed under his breath, examining the camera in his hands. His eyes narrowed. "Damn it. He added a security feature—biometric lock. Only the owner can use it now." He looked up at the others. "We'll have to chase him. This camera is useless to us."
Passengers immediately began releasing their Pokémon—whatever could traverse infinite space.
"Let's move!"
Zayn and Xavier exchanged glances, then grinned at each other.
"I TOLD you that guy was suspicious!" Zayn said triumphantly.
Xavier shook his head in amazement. "I can't believe it actually turned out like this. A real case!"
Zayn grabbed his Pokéball. "Gible! Time to join the chase!"
"Gible!" The little dragon appeared, already grinning.
In a flash of shadow, Gible pulled both Zayn and Xavier into the Shadow Realm, following the trail of the fleeing culprit.
The hunt was on.