Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
Liam stared in shock at the real waterfall that had just appeared before him, still not fully understanding what had just happened.
"Hehe, how about it? Pretty impressive, right?" Takeshi said proudly, standing tall. "This is a piece of research equipment I brought from the organization. Apparently, it was developed at some sort of Weather Research Institute. It's a miraculous device said to be able to alter weather conditions in a small localized area. I had two of our teammates take the device up to the frozen river at the top and melt all the ice. This way, even with the current weather, we still have a functioning waterfall to conceal our entrance."
Liam: "...You don't think a perfectly flowing waterfall in this weather is a bit suspicious? You're basically announcing to the world that something shady is going on here. Do you think everyone else is an idiot?"
Liam pressed a hand to his Black Vortex mask, looking thoroughly exasperated.
"Uh... I didn't think that far ahead..."
Takeshi froze at Liam's response and then let out a helpless sigh, looking embarrassed.
After mulling it over for a bit, Takeshi tentatively asked, "So... should I get them to freeze it back?"
"...It's already thawed, so leave it. Without the waterfall, it's just as easy to be discovered anyway. Just tighten up the security around here. Add more defenses in case the Hunters try to ambush us again," Liam replied with a sigh.
"Haha... guess that's all we can do now..." Takeshi replied awkwardly, avoiding Liam's gaze.
The temporary base was progressing smoothly. After a week of construction, the base had essentially taken shape. During that time, the Hunters hadn't attempted another attack, giving Liam some peace and quiet for once.
However, with the calm came boredom. Liam spent some time organizing the TMs he had with him and taught a few new moves to his team. But afterward, he wasn't quite sure what to do next.
After some thought, Liam decided to go out and explore. He knew Mt. Silver housed many rare Pokémon. Since he had free time, it was a good chance to see if there were any worth capturing. So, he found Takeshi and said:
"Takeshi, since there's nothing urgent right now, I'm going to take a walk and see if I can find any promising Pokémon to capture. In the meantime, make sure to stay alert and increase security around the area."
Takeshi nodded, though he frowned and asked, "Won't it be unsafe for you to go alone? Take a couple of people with you."
"No need. We still need manpower here, and there's no point wasting it on me. I won't go far—just sticking close to the area. Heh, I heard there are Ursaring around here. Wonder if they've started hibernating yet."
Liam shook his head and politely declined Takeshi's offer. He returned to his room to check his gear, took off the Black Vortex mask, changed into more casual clothes, and brought along his PokeBalls before setting off.
Just a day earlier, Mt. Silver had been hit with heavy snow. The already snowy landscape was now blanketed even deeper. With the snow still not melted, movement was a bit difficult—perhaps one of the reasons the Hunters hadn't made another move.
At this moment, Liam was standing near a flat section of the mountain, facing off against a small Sneasel hidden among the snow-covered grass.
He had come across the Sneasel while passing by and immediately felt the urge to catch it. While Liam already had his Weavile, he didn't intend to train another Sneasel. However, Takeshi's team lineup was embarrassingly thin—just four Fearow and two Dodrio, one of which had only recently evolved. Though not weak, they certainly weren't strong either.
So, Liam decided to catch this Sneasel and gift it to Takeshi. With proper training, it would greatly enhance Takeshi's strength.
"Weavile! Come out and have a little chat with your junior—bond a bit."
Liam reached to his belt, summoned Weavile, and soon, the Sneasel and Weavile stood face to face, locked in a stare-down.
And then...
"Sneaaasel~!"
After staring at Weavile for a moment, the Sneasel's expression shifted. Its sneaky eyes sparkled with pink heart shapes, and with an infatuated look, it dashed out of the grass and began rubbing against Weavile affectionately.
"Weavile!!"
Weavile looked utterly disgusted. At first, without Liam's command, it tried to endure. But eventually, it couldn't take it anymore.
With a shriek, Weavile's claws glowed white and it sliced down mercilessly on Sneasel's head, producing a sharp, crisp crack.
"Sneaaa...sel~~"
Sneasel, having taken the full brunt of Weavile's close-range attack, looked like it had just gotten drunk, eyes dazed and starry. It wobbled and promptly collapsed to the ground.
Liam: "...Go, PokeBall!"
Expressionless, Liam tossed a PokeBall at the unconscious Sneasel. It absorbed the fainted Pokémon, shook a few times on the ground, and then came to a stop.
Liam walked over to Weavile, picked up the PokeBall, and placed it in his backpack. Then he knelt in front of Weavile, gently patting its crest with a concerned expression.
"Weavile... if you keep this up, you'll never find a girlfriend..."
Weavile: "...Wea-vile. (You're nuts.)"
Putting aside Weavile's eternal singledom, Liam resumed his capture expedition. He and Weavile scoured the area for more wild Pokémon.
Unfortunately, despite spending the whole morning, they hadn't encountered another single Pokémon. It was as if he'd sprayed himself with Max Repel.
Eventually, just after noon, as Liam was preparing to return, he finally spotted another wild Pokémon—a Rapidash with flames roaring across its body.
But something was wrong. The Rapidash was injured—badly. It lay in a roadside patch of grass, unable to stand, licking its wounds with its tongue. When it noticed Liam's approach, its eyes sharpened with both anger and fear.
Liam immediately picked up on that fear. His alertness rose. The state of the Rapidash and its reaction made it clear that its injuries were caused by a human—and recently too.
Over the past week, no one from Team Rocket had strayed far from the base, and the main route into Mt. Silver from Kanto had been tightly guarded by Rocket personnel. No outsiders had entered recently.
That left only one possibility.
The ones who hurt this Rapidash... had to be the Hunters.
"Rapidash, don't worry—I mean you no harm. You're badly hurt, and I have medicine that can help. Let me treat your wounds, okay?"
Liam scanned the surroundings, but saw no sign of any suspicious activity. He then pulled out a bottle of healing spray from his bag, told Weavile to stay on alert, and slowly approached the injured Rapidash.
"Neigh! Hrrrr...!"
As Liam neared, Rapidash's panic intensified. It tried to force itself up, flames flaring wildly. It opened its mouth to launch an attack, but only managed to spew a few weak sparks that fizzled out midair. Then, utterly drained, it collapsed again.
"Rapidash!"
Startled, Liam rushed forward and cradled Rapidash's head, immediately pouring the potion into its mouth.
"Hrr... hrr..."
After drinking the potion, Rapidash's breathing slowly steadied. Its injuries seemed to stabilize. Weakly, it opened its eyes, curiosity replacing its fear as it stared at Liam.
"Heh, now you see I mean no harm, right? But your injuries are still serious. For now, it's best if you rest inside a PokeBall. Once you're fully healed, you can decide whether to stay or go."
Seeing the Rapidash calm down, Liam smiled and took out a PokeBall, speaking gently.
"Neigh!"
But the moment he made the gesture, Rapidash's expression changed. It began struggling again, clearly rejecting the idea.
Just then, the sound of light, crisp footsteps came from not far away. Weavile's expression immediately turned sharp as it looked toward the direction of the sound. Rapidash, too, went completely stiff with terror—the fear in its eyes even more intense than before.