Ariel waved his hand dismissively, his movements casual; he didn't even bother to change his posture as he leaned against the tree trunk.
"Thanks, but no thanks."
His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, as if he were rejecting a flyer handed out on the street.
The professional smile on Alex's face stiffened. Before he could utter any polite pleasantries, the female team member beside him, who had been silent until now, blew up first.
"Hey! Don't you know what's good for you?"
The woman's voice was shrill, carrying the sharp annoyance of someone who felt offended.
"We are the Black Fire Exploration Team! Countless people try to join us but can't find a way in! You, a guy who doesn't even have a Pokémon, are turning down an opportunity when it's handed to you? Do you really think Mt. Pyre is a place for a picnic? You won't even know how you died when the time comes!"
Her mean-spirited words were like a gust of wind carrying grit, making one's ears sting.
Ariel's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He had simply rejected a proposal he didn't need; was there a problem with that?
The people in this team seemed to possess an inexplicable sense of superiority.
"That's enough, Layla."
The captain, Alex, raised a hand with a forced smile, stopping the female team member from continuing.
He looked back at Ariel, the scrutiny in his eyes deepening. While it was evaluative before, it now held a trace of coldness.
"This young brother has quite the personality. There's no need for us to be so aggressive; it's all a matter of personal choice."
He spoke politely, but the hypocrisy in his tone was evident to anyone listening.
Alex led his people to turn and leave. After a few steps, he seemed to remember something and looked back at Ariel one last time.
This time, he didn't even bother to maintain that layer of hypocritical smiling.
"Young brother, Mt. Pyre is not a peaceful place. If you really run into danger inside, don't blame our Black Fire Exploration Team for not lifting a finger to help."
This was no longer an implication; it was a naked threat.
The underlying meaning was: since you didn't give us face today, you'd better hope you don't fall into our hands once we're in the mountains.
The air seemed to stagnate slightly because of this.
Ariel finally had a different reaction; he was no longer that picture of indifferent detachment.
It had been a long time since someone had threatened him so bluntly, and it undoubtedly piqued his interest.
He straightened up, leaving the tree he had been leaning against. Meeting Alex's cold gaze, a playful curve instead hooked at the corner of his mouth.
"Is that so?"
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone in the Black Fire Exploration Team clearly.
"Then you'd better pray that you don't run into me inside."
As soon as these words were spoken, Alex was completely stunned.
He had seen arrogant people before, but never someone this arrogant.
A youth who looked like an ordinary student and hadn't even shown a Poké Ball dared to say such things to him, to the Black Fire Exploration Team?
One had to know that in the exploration circles around Lilycove City, while Black Fire's reputation wasn't top-tier, they were definitely a presence people feared.
They had always acted overbearingly. Which of those weak teams or lone Trainers didn't lower their eyes and steer clear when they saw them?
What was happening today? Had they kicked a steel plate?
But this 'steel plate' looked a bit too ordinary.
Alex's expression shifted between dark and light. The small spark of anger from being offended was instantly replaced by a stronger sense of suspicion and alarm.
He even began to wonder if this kid had some sort of background he hadn't noticed.
In the midst of this tense atmosphere, a clear and familiar voice came from not far away, breaking the deadlock.
"Ariel! I'm over here!"
Alex looked toward the source of the sound and saw a silver-haired young man waving in this direction with a bright smile on his face.
What made his pupils shrink even more was that the young man was accompanied by a man and a woman.
Those two were wearing brand-new professional exploration suits emblazoned with the Devon Corporation logo. They were well-equipped and looked highly capable—clearly people from a major formal corporation.
People from Devon Corporation?
Alex's head buzzed.
Why were they here? And they knew this kid?!
Could this kid have a connection with Devon Corporation?
Steven had already walked over, with the two people behind him following closely.
At the moment, Steven was dressed in ordinary sportswear and wore black professional goggles that covered his face completely. One couldn't tell he was the young master of Devon Corporation from his appearance alone.
However, the two Devon Corporation employees beside him were enough to make this team wary.
Compared to such a large corporation, the Black Fire Exploration Team was like a group of illegitimate rogue practitioners; naturally, they didn't dare provoke them.
"Let's go."
Alex practically squeezed those two words through his teeth.
He led his team members and quickly merged into the crowd, moving away from Ariel.
Only at the very last moment of turning away did Alex unable to resist looking back, casting a deep, extremely complex look at Ariel's back.
Ariel noticed that complex gaze, but he just shrugged, finding it somewhat baffling.
He hadn't taken such a minor character to heart.
"Who were those people? Were they looking for trouble?"
Steven had reached Ariel's side and curiously patted his shoulder, glancing in the direction Alex and the others had left.
"No idea."
Ariel replied casually.
"Probably wanted to recruit me for manual labor."
"Manual labor?"
Steven paused for a second before reacting and laughing out loud.
"If they knew your strength, they'd probably faint on the spot."
Ariel gave a non-committal smile.
Steven then stepped aside to introduce the two people with him to Ariel.
"Right, let me introduce you. These two are interns the company recently hired, Masaki and Tome."
He pointed to the man who looked steady and reliable, then to the quiet and capable woman.
"They are both professional talents specializing in geographical surveying and ecological research. They have a deep understanding of Mt. Pyre's terrain and Pokémon distribution. Having them as our guides for this trip into the mountains will save us a lot of trouble."
"Hello."
Ariel nodded toward the two.
"Hello, Mr. Ariel!"
"Hello!"
Masaki and Tome responded quickly, their attitudes respectful and even carrying a hint of restraint.
Although they were Superior interns from Devon Corporation, they knew clearly that the youth before them, who looked about their age, was someone their young boss Steven treated as an equal—someone he even seemed to rely on slightly.
Such a person was not someone they could afford to slight.
Ariel could feel their restraint, but he didn't say much.
His gaze passed over them, looking toward Mt. Pyre, which was shrouded in a thin mist.
The mountain breeze blew past, carrying the freshness of vegetation and a faint, lingering sense of mystery.
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