Chapter 304
Cycling Road – Platinum's Training Arc
The group of four—Asahi, Gary, Pearl, and Diamond—stood in a circle, watching Platinum struggle with the bike.
She was still insisting, "I can ride!"
The group: Yeah, sure.
By now, Asahi had a solid understanding of Platinum's stubborn nature.
"I'll teach you," he said, grabbing the bike and motioning for her to get on.
Platinum hesitated. "You… you won't let go, right?"
Asahi nodded.
Only then did Platinum take a deep breath and sit on the bike.
Just as she was about to ask what to do next…
"You holding on tight?"
Platinum didn't know why he was asking, but she answered, "Yes."
"Gripping the handlebars properly?"
"Yes!"
"Alright, brace yourself. This is gonna be a bit thrilling." Asahi casually placed Mew on her head.
"...Thrilling?"
Feeling the extra weight on her head and hearing that word, Platinum suddenly had a bad feeling.
And in the next second—
"Off you go!"
With a powerful shove, Asahi sent Platinum flying down the road like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"AAAHHHHHH!"
Her speed was insane—on par with professional cyclists!
Pearl and Diamond stared at Asahi, concerned.
"Uh… is this really okay?"
"That seems a little too rough."
Before Asahi could answer, Gary scoffed. "This is nothing. You guys have no idea what I went through under Asahi's training—"
Mid-sentence, Gary felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
He immediately shut his mouth.
Crap. Almost forgot that Asahi holds grudges.
Thankfully, he hadn't finished that sentence.
"Ahem. Anyway, let's check on Platinum before she rides off a cliff!" Gary said stiffly, desperate to change the subject.
Pearl and Diamond turned back to the road—Platinum was already out of sight.
"Relax. Mew's with her," Asahi said as he casually mounted his bike.
By the time they caught up, they found Platinum cycling in circles, grinning excitedly.
Above her, Mew was waving its tiny paws, guiding her movements.
"She… actually learned?"
Pearl and Diamond gawked.
Gary was also stunned.
Could it be? Was this what Asahi always said—"Sheer force creates miracles"?
---
Hearthome City – A Tense Atmosphere
Hearthome City felt unusually tense.
The frequent presence of Team Galactic and their recent attacks had drained the city of its usual liveliness. The once-bustling streets were now eerily quiet, with pedestrians walking hurriedly, eager to avoid trouble.
Leaving the others at the hotel, Asahi, now in disguise, entered a closed café.
Inside, the dim lighting added to the air of secrecy.
A lone figure sat at a table, their back to Asahi, seemingly deep in thought.
The scene was like something out of a spy movie.
Asahi approached, expecting some kind of dramatic meeting…
And instead found Cynthia, staring intently at two cups of ice cream, visibly struggling to decide which one to eat first.
"…."
The tense, clandestine atmosphere instantly crumbled.
Still, Asahi raised a hand in greeting. "Long time no see, Cynthia."
Snapped out of her dilemma, Cynthia looked up. "Oh, Asahi, you're here?"
"...Would you have noticed me at all if I hadn't spoken?"
He was beginning to doubt her ability to stay focused.
At that moment, the café door opened again.
A tall man in a brown trench coat, looking every bit the classic detective, stepped inside.
Looker had arrived.
After exchanging greetings, the small-scale strategy meeting finally began.
---
"I've been investigating the International Police members captured by Team Galactic in Veilstone City. I've confirmed they're being held at their headquarters," Looker said. "But their security is incredibly tight. Breaking in won't be easy."
"Meanwhile, the League has been struggling to fend off Team Galactic's advances," Cynthia added. "Ever since they got Darkrai, they've been able to disrupt our operations repeatedly. Even with Lorelei and Koga assisting, we can no longer maintain defenses around Lake Valor, Lake Verity, and Lake Acuity."
From their prior skirmishes, the Sinnoh League had determined Team Galactic's goal was the Lake Guardians.
Before, the League had managed to hold their ground with outside help.
But now, with Darkrai on Team Galactic's side, the tide was turning against them.
Then it was Asahi's turn.
Looker and Cynthia looked at him expectantly, hoping for some good news.
Asahi shrugged.
"Hunter J has been actively recruiting to replenish her forces. I infiltrated her group and confirmed that Team Galactic is planning a major operation soon."
After sharing their intel, the three fell silent.
Every single piece of news was bad.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Sensing the mood, Asahi coughed and said, "Well, it's not all bad."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… I'm here, aren't I?" He grinned.
Under normal circumstances, that would just be a lighthearted joke.
But coming from Asahi, those words held weight.
Cynthia and Looker exchanged glances—then nodded in agreement.
And just like that, the mood lifted.
Asahi said, "Let's discuss our battle plan…"
"If we're talking about a battle plan, then we need a goal…"
Speaking of goals…
Looker: "Rescue our colleagues from the Sinnoh branch who were captured…"
Cynthia: "Figure out Team Galactic's true objective and put an end to their conspiracy!"
Asahi shook his head after hearing them.
Seeing their puzzled expressions, he placed Eevee on the table, rested his chin on his hands, and said, "Let's set a small goal first… How about we destroy Team Galactic?"
Even Cynthia was stunned by Asahi's words.
Destroy Team Galactic outright? That goal was a bit… too ambitious.
But they had to admit—this was the same Asahi who had crippled Team Rocket and dismantled both Team Magma and Team Aqua. If anyone had the right to say such things, it was him.
Silence meant agreement.
Since both of them accepted his objective, the next step was to formulate a plan.
As the most experienced in dealing with criminal organizations among them, Asahi naturally took the lead in crafting the strategy.
He took a sip of coffee, only to see Eevee grimacing and spitting furiously after taking a lick.
"I have a plan…"
---
After thoroughly discussing the operation and refining the details, Looker was the first to leave, setting off for Veilstone City to carry out an infiltration mission.
Cynthia, after making arrangements over the phone, didn't leave immediately.
The two walked side by side down the street, and Cynthia couldn't help but praise Asahi's thinking. "How did you come up with the idea of starting with Hunter J…?"
Asahi replied, "Team Galactic's movements are hard to track, and their internal security is extremely tight. Unless it's someone as skilled as Looker, any random infiltration attempt would be easily exposed and alert them."
"In comparison, Hunter J's subordinates are all Pokémon hunters with varying levels of skill. Yet, she collaborates with Team Galactic, which makes her the perfect entry point for us. By getting involved in her operations, I can eventually deliver the fatal blow to Team Galactic!"
Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that he still remembered how Hunter J once sent people to mess with his territory…
Cynthia wasn't aware of Asahi's personal grudge, but she nodded in agreement.
Before they knew it, they had wandered in front of a statue.
Looking at the statue, Cynthia explained, "This place used to be where Jubilife City held its festivals, but after the city flourished, people stopped coming here as often…"
The statue resembled both Dialga and Palkia—almost as if the two had been fused together.
If Dialga and Palkia saw this merged statue, would they set aside their differences… or would they both unleash Roar of Time and Spacial Rend to obliterate Jubilife City first?
"As for me, I'll be infiltrating Hunter J's team tomorrow. So, the task of attacking Team Galactic's base in Jubilife City and putting pressure on them… I'll leave that to you." Asahi turned to Cynthia.
Cynthia nodded solemnly.
...
Lately, Hunter J was incredibly frustrated.
Ever since she had foolishly taken Team Galactic's money and agreed to help them capture the lake guardians, her luck had been downright terrible.
First, her subordinates in Kanto were wiped out by a certain relentless ranger.
Then, she ended up on the Sinnoh League's most-wanted list.
And just recently, during the lake guardians' capture operation, she suffered heavy losses.
She was at rock bottom.
"I just hope there won't be any problems with this round of recruitment. Team Galactic is offering a huge sum this time…" Hunter J muttered in the control room of her airship.
Just then, a subordinate's voice crackled through her earpiece.
"Boss J, the Crow is back from Jubilife City with new recruits!"
...
Asahi stood before the factory where Hunter J's airship was docked, observing the crew bustling around to maintain the ship.
His expression remained neutral, but inside, he was astonished.
So, Hunter J actually had a factory supporting her operations? No wonder she could afford to maintain such an advanced airship…
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
Asahi made a decision right then and there—starting today, this factory and airship belonged to him.
A heartfelt thank you to Hunter J for her generous donation.
He had envied Giovanni's airship for a long time. Now, it was finally his turn to own one.
With that in mind, Asahi used telepathy to relay a message to his companions: [When the battle starts, avoid attacking the airship as much as possible!]
Platinum and the others were confused.
But Gary, who knew Asahi too well, immediately saw through his intentions.
He silently mourned for Hunter J for three seconds. Then, he started eyeing the airship himself—maybe he could claim a personal cabin in the name of being a key participant in the mission.
Meanwhile, Hunter J, unaware that her beloved airship was already as good as stolen, walked out of it.
She glanced at Asahi and the four "Pokémon hunters" behind him.
"From now on, you all work for me," she declared.
Asahi immediately responded, "Rest assured, Boss J! We will carry the Hunter J name with honor and never bring you shame!"
"Even if we have to face Team Galactic, we will fight without hesitation—"
"Stop!" Hunter J cut him off.
What the hell was he saying?
When did she ever say she was planning to go against Team Galactic?!
Seeing her reaction, Asahi put on a confused expression. "Boss J, aren't you recruiting new people because Team Galactic screwed you over, and you're preparing to take revenge?"
The moment he said this, the surrounding Pokémon hunters—who had been pretending to work but were actually eavesdropping—immediately turned to look at Hunter J, their eyes filled with realization and curiosity.
It made sense now! They had been wondering—given Boss J's personality, how could she possibly let Team Galactic get away with betraying her?
Turns out, she had been biding her time!
Hunter J felt the weight of their gazes, and her face darkened. "Nonsense! We're allies with Team Galactic!"
But Asahi's eyes lit up in understanding. His expression shifted to one of knowing realization.
"Ohhh, I get it now, Boss J! You're pretending to cooperate to earn their trust, take their money, and then—"
Mid-sentence, Asahi suddenly "caught himself," clamping a hand over his mouth as if he had said too much.
The surrounding Pokémon hunters were no fools.
Even though Asahi had stopped halfway, they instantly grasped the meaning.
Their faces lit up with excitement and admiration.
No wonder Boss J took Team Galactic's deal—not only was she taking their money, but she was also planning her revenge!
This was next-level thinking! Ruthless and brilliant!
Hunter J clenched her fists, resisting the urge to throttle Asahi. But considering her current manpower shortage, and the fact that Crow had been a reliable subordinate until now, she forced herself to endure it.
"…Stop talking nonsense," she growled.
She waved them off, signaling Asahi to take the new recruits and get lost.
But to the other Pokémon hunters watching, her silence only confirmed everything.
They exchanged knowing glances, their admiration for Hunter J soaring to new heights.
They had been wrong to doubt her.
She wasn't caving in to Team Galactic—she was enduring humiliation for the sake of revenge!
Hunter J looked around at her subordinates, all of whom were now staring at her with shining eyes of admiration.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, she stayed silent.
She felt… exhausted.
She really, really just wanted to make money.