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Beep... beep...
"Hello, Black Ape? Why are you calling me again? Did something else come up?"
In an office within the Johto League Headquarters, Gyokuryu Shigen sat behind his desk and connected the communicator. On the screen appeared Black Ape's dark, tense face, making him raise an eyebrow in mild confusion.
"Lord Shigen... Champion Liam has just left a short while ago. He said he needs to return to Kanto for a bit — apparently to find some kind of help. He also instructed us to regroup at the Whirl Islands and investigate any suspicious individuals there. I wasn't sure how to proceed on my own, so I came to you for guidance."
Black Ape sounded miserable. He had watched helplessly as Liam took off into the sky — there was simply nothing he could do. After all, the difference in their ranks was too great.
"The Whirl Islands, huh... interesting," Gyokuryu Shigen said with a faint smile after a brief pause. "Just do as Liam said. He must have his reasons. Remember, it was agreed beforehand — the Four Elite members will follow Liam's command during this crisis. So carry out his instructions accordingly."
Black Ape immediately nodded.
"Oh, right — have you informed the other three members of the Elite Four? Where are they now?" Shigen asked with a knowing grin.
"I've already contacted them. Bug-type Elite Ginko has departed from Azalea Town. The new Dark-type Elite, Yasha, is still in Violet City, but he's received the message and will head out soon. The one closest to the Whirl Islands right now is Water-type Elite Harribel — she's in Alto Mare and can arrive at any time."
It was clear that Black Ape had done his homework — the coordination was already well in motion.
"Good. Then I'll leave the matter of Ho-Oh to you all," Gyokuryu Shigen said firmly. "You must rescue it — at all costs, Ho-Oh cannot fall into evil hands."
"Yes, sir! We'll complete the mission!"
"Excellent. I have other League business to attend to, so I'll end the call here."
"Yes! Thank you for your time!"
Beep... beep...
As the communicator went silent, Black Ape let out a long sigh and hung up. He turned to look at the bright blue sky outside the window, his eyes filled with unease and doubt.
...…
That night, beneath a starry sky and a cold, full moon, a lone shadow darted swiftly through the forest surrounding Ecruteak City, finally stopping at its western edge.
"Whew... looks like no one noticed me."
The figure pulled down his scarf, revealing the face of a handsome young man. After glancing behind to confirm no one was following, he exhaled and smiled faintly.
"Come out, Manectric!"
"Mane!"
"Manectric, take me to the Whirl Islands. I heard the villain who hurt my sisters will appear there. We must hurry — we'll make him pay for what he did!"
"Mane!"
"Shh! Keep it down — don't let anyone hear us!"
"...mane..."
"Good. Let's move. I've left Blissey behind to take care of my sisters, so now it's up to you, Feraligatr, and Tyranitar. Everyone, we can't let that scum get away!"
"Maneee!"
"Alright! Let's go!"
With that, the boy leapt onto Manectric's back, and in an instant, the two disappeared into the dense forest, swallowed by the shadows of the night.
...…
Meanwhile, at the Hunter Group Headquarters, violent crashing sounds echoed through the top-floor office.
"Useless fools! Another failure! How many times is this now?!"
The enraged female leader smashed everything within reach — papers, vases, even her desk. Around her, several high-ranking members of the guild stood silently, heads bowed low, too afraid to even breathe.
"Our deals keep collapsing! Do you have any idea how much our reputation has suffered? Our profits are plummeting! You're all worthless!"
Her fury was terrifying.
"Alright, alright, Boss, please calm down."
Finally, one man dared to speak up — a handsome, sharp-eyed individual with violet hair. His refined clothing and confident presence made it clear he held a high position within the guild.
"It really wasn't our fault this time," he said smoothly. "Just bad luck. Besides, compared to what's happening in Ecruteak, our setback is nothing."
The leader glared at him but didn't interrupt.
"As you probably already know," he continued, "that masked man caused absolute chaos in Ecruteak — word is, he even managed to capture Ho-Oh. That's an unbelievable feat! Compared to that, our little operation hardly matters. If anything, his mess works in our favor."
He smirked. "With the League and the police completely focused on him, they'll have no time to deal with us. This is the perfect chance for us to expand."
Hearing that, the woman's anger began to subside. She turned, kicked aside the broken debris, and sat back in her chair with a grin.
"You're right, Iga. You always were the clever one among our Three Pillars. Very well — this is indeed our time to grow stronger. Notify everyone to—"
BANG!
The office door burst open with a loud crash.
"Boss! Big news!!"
A panicked secretary rushed in, trembling under the murderous glares of everyone present.
"Speak!!" the leader snapped, grinding her teeth.
"The... the masked man just contacted us! He has a huge job for us! It sounds serious, so I came to report immediately!"
The woman nearly choked on her own words as she blurted them out.
"What kind of job? Didn't we already deliver the children he wanted? Boss, it's risky to stay involved with him — the League's eyes are all over that guy now," Iga warned.
"I know," the leader said curtly. "But I want to hear what this 'big job' is first. Go on."
The secretary took a deep breath. "He says he needs us to send some of our top combat members to work for him temporarily. Apparently, he's planning something big and needs manpower — that's why he reached out to us."
"Oh?" the leader scoffed. "How generous of him. And the payment?"
The secretary swallowed hard and shouted,
"The masked man said... once it's done, he'll give us Ho-Oh itself as payment!"
The entire room fell into stunned silence.
Then —
"...WHAT?!!"