Chapter 305
Inside the airship, Asahi led Gary and the others to a cabin, opening the door.
"Newbies! From now on, you're my subordinates!"
[Asahi, there's no one else around. You don't have to stay in character…] Gary grumbled telepathically.
Asahi narrowed his eyes. "What's that? Newbie, do you have a problem with your senior?"
Gary: "…"
For a brief moment, he was overwhelmed by the urge to retort.
But he knew Asahi too well—he couldn't give him the slightest excuse to escalate things.
So, despite his frustration, he obediently replied, "No, sir. Please continue…"
Satisfied, Asahi nodded. "According to Pokémon hunter traditions, every new member must choose a codename!"
"Codename?" The others were puzzled.
"That's right! A codename!" Asahi pointed at himself. "For example, mine is 'Crow.'"
"Of course, I know you guys probably struggle with naming things, so I took the liberty of picking codenames for you in advance."
We do not have naming issues!
Gay's internal alarm bells rang. Based on experience, Asahi's names were never good news.
He turned to Platinum, Pearl, and Diamond, hoping they'd sense the danger. But they simply nodded absentmindedly, trusting Asahi's suggestion.
Too naive. They have no idea what they're getting into…
As Asahi turned to him, Gary braced himself for disaster.
But then—
"Your codename is Blue!" Asahi declared.
Gary blinked.
That… was surprisingly normal?
Not Asahi's usual style at all.
As he was still processing this, Asahi continued—
"Platinum, your codename is Dawn!"
"Diamond, your codename is Bright!"
"And Pearl, your codename is Lucas!"
Everyone mulled over their new codenames, sensing something off but unable to pinpoint why.
Especially Gary.
Muttering "Blue, Blue…" under his breath, he couldn't shake the feeling that… somehow, he had just gotten stronger.
Everyone seemed quite satisfied with their new codenames.
Asahi continued, "Now then, let's go over our next mission."
The moment he spoke, everyone's attention shifted to him.
"Our objective is simple: to clear up all misunderstandings J's subordinates have about her, help them understand the painstaking efforts she's made, and make them realize her true intent—betraying Team Galactic!"
...
Inside the Repair Factory, Rest Area Corridor
A passing Pokémon Hunter was making his way through the corridor when suddenly, a hand grabbed him.
"Brother, would you like to learn about Lady J's noble intentions?"
The hunter flinched in surprise, then blinked in confusion at the spiky-haired boy before him.
"Lady J's noble intentions?"
"That's right!"
The spiky-haired boy nodded repeatedly and shoved a flyer into his hands.
The Pokémon Hunter glanced at the flyer. A bold red headline stood out:
"Team Galactic Has Gone Too Far! Lady J's Hidden Struggles—A Full Analysis in an Open Lecture!"
Below, in smaller text: Guest Speaker: Lady J's Loyal Follower, 'Crow'!
'Crow? When did that guy become the speaker?'
But since Lady J had specifically sent him to check if this so-called lecture was harmful to her reputation, he had no choice but to investigate. He just hadn't expected to run into it so easily.
Grabbing the spiky-haired kid by the collar, he asked, "Hey, where's this lecture being held?"
"I'm not 'hey'—my name's Blue," the boy corrected. Then, pointing down the corridor, he said, "Go straight, then turn right. Second room! Get there quick, or you won't find a seat!"
The Pokémon Hunter, codenamed 'Sanma' (Pacific Saury), hurried off in the indicated direction.
Blue simply shook his head, pulled out another flyer, and went off to find his next target.
---
Elsewhere…
Following Blue's directions, Sanma soon arrived at the lecture venue.
Even before stepping inside, he could hear an impassioned voice resonating from within.
"I'm sure many of you have wondered—would a Pokémon Hunter as renowned as Lady J really just sit back and take it after being used by Team Galactic?"
Hearing this, curiosity flared in Sanma's heart. He immediately pushed open the door.
The room was packed.
Not only were all the seats occupied, but people had even brought in extra stools to sit against the walls, listening intently to the speaker on stage.
Sanma's entrance was a bit too abrupt, momentarily interrupting the speech and drawing annoyed glares from the audience.
Just as he started to feel uneasy, the speaker—'Crow'—smiled warmly from the stage.
"A new brother has joined us! No need to blame him—find a seat quickly."
Only then did the hunters turn away.
Feeling as if he'd been granted a pardon, Sanma hurried to a corner seat, a newfound sense of goodwill toward 'Crow' stirring in his heart.
On stage, Asahi resumed speaking.
"As I was saying, Lady J was never willing to accept Team Galactic's actions. But given their overwhelming strength, she had no choice but to endure and wait for the right moment."
A hand shot up from the audience.
"Yes, brother, do you have a question?"
The hunter hesitated before asking, "You say Lady J is enduring for now… but if Team Galactic is so powerful, doesn't that mean we'll never get our revenge?"
"No!" Asahi shook his head. "You've misunderstood. It's precisely because there's still a chance for revenge that Lady J has chosen to endure!"
"You've all heard about how Lady J recently took another job from Team Galactic, right?"
Everyone nodded.
This incident had caused quite a stir among the hunters. But given Lady J's reputation and the hefty reward involved, they had begrudgingly accepted it.
Now, however, Crow was bringing it up. Did this mean there was more to the story?
As if sensing their thoughts, Asahi nodded with a knowing smile.
"That's right. Just as you suspect, I've thought long and hard about it and finally understood—Lady J took this job as part of her plan for revenge!"
"Last time, Team Galactic tried to capture the Lake Guardians but was thwarted by the Pokémon League. This time, they're obviously coming back for another attempt!"
"And this is the moment Lady J has been waiting for!"
"She has endured humiliation for so long, all for this perfect chance to stab Team Galactic in the back!"
"When Team Galactic and the League are locked in battle, we, as a third party, will suddenly turn on them—seizing the Lake Guardians and claiming them for ourselves!"
"Not only will we avenge the past, but we'll also capture an incredibly rare Legendary Pokémon! And to top it all off, we'll walk away with Team Galactic's reward money!"
"We'll make Team Galactic suffer a crushing defeat—three birds with one stone!"
"Now, if you understand—applaud!"
Clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the room.
Even Sanma, who had originally come to investigate, was swept up in the excitement, clapping along enthusiastically—completely forgetting his original mission.
---
Naturally, in Lady J's own territory, such a large-scale movement couldn't escape her notice.
She had sent multiple subordinates to listen in, trying to figure out why this guy's speech was stirring up so many of her men.
But after four of them came back completely brainwashed, she finally got a detailed report from the fifth one.
After hearing it, Lady J's anger flared.
"When did I ever say I was going to screw over Team Galactic? When did I say I was going to steal the Lake Guardians? When did I say three birds with one stone?!"
She was furious. She wanted nothing more than to unleash her Salamence and blast that lunatic with Dragon Pulse.
But reason held her back.
For one, 'Crow' was far too persuasive. By the time she caught wind of it, over half her subordinates had already been swayed, fully buying into his rhetoric.
Even her most loyal veterans were among them.
If she acted rashly against him now, morale would plummet.
And with their collaboration with Team Galactic just around the corner, she couldn't afford such a loss.
More than that…
A tiny part of her reluctantly admitted—she kind of agreed with Crow.
Team Galactic had used her as cannon fodder before. Sure, they'd made amends with money, but deep down, she still felt a little resentful.
[Letting this guy rile them up a bit might not be bad… It'll remind Team Galactic that I'm not someone they can just push around.]
Lady J reasoned to herself.
As for whether this would spiral out of control into an all-out war with Team Galactic?
She wasn't worried.
She had built her fearsome reputation over many years. No matter how much 'Crow' stirred things up, she could always rein in her men.
After all, no matter what, 'Crow' was still loyal to her.
Having convinced herself, she set aside her last bit of doubt.
---
Inside the Hunter Base
Asahi had just finished another lecture.
After sending off the lingering Pokémon Hunters, he sat down and took a sip of water.
"How many groups have we gone through now?"
Platinum checked her notes. "This was the seventh."
Asahi did a quick calculation. "So we've covered over seventy percent of the people?"
Platinum nodded but still had doubts. "Will this really work?"
She had listened to Asahi's speeches. While they stirred up hostility toward Team Galactic, Lady J's authority should be enough to keep things under control… right?
Asahi shook his head. "You don't get it."
"If enough people are swayed, it won't be something Lady J can suppress with authority alone. Even if she can keep most in check, what if just one or two extremists act on their own? If Team Galactic retaliates, the situation will spiral out of control."
Gary sighed. "And that extremist won't be you, will it?"
Asahi feigned innocence. "Blue, how could you say that? Am I that kind of person?"
"…Heh."
Though it was just a nickname, Gary couldn't shake the feeling that Asahi's tone carried a hint of amusement.
"Of course…" Asahi suddenly changed his tone. "If Lady J really does manage to keep everyone in check, we could help things along."
Gary gave him a knew-it look.
"When do we move?" Pearl asked.
He glanced at Diamond, who was devouring a rice ball beside him.
"Should be soon…" Asahi replied.
Just as he spoke, an announcement echoed through the base.
"All personnel, prepare your Pokémon and return to your stations. The airship departs in ten minutes."
"Perfect timing!" Asahi stood up. "Blue, Dawn, Lucas, Bright… let's move!"
The group: "…"
---
Near Celestic Town, a Large Factory
The rooftop slowly opened, and a massive airship began its ascent.
Inside Celestic Town, Cynthia, accompanied by her Garchomp and a squad of League Trainers, received a message on her communicator.
[GardevoirIsNo.1]: Hunter J has departed. Time to move.
Closing her communicator, Cynthia looked at the League Trainers around her and raised a hand.
"Move out! Eliminate Team Galactic's presence in Celestic Town!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The trainers swiftly advanced toward the Galactic Celestic Building.
---
Meanwhile, Koga also received a message.
[GardevoirIsNo.1]: Target confirmed—Lake Valor.
Koga smirked.
Putting away his communicator, he turned to Lorelei. "Team Galactic and Hunter J are making their move. Target: Lake Valor."
Lorelei nodded. "Let's go."
As the two mounted their Flying Pokémon and took off, Koga's communicator buzzed again.
Thinking it was an urgent update from Asahi, he checked the message.
[GardevoirIsNo.1]: Be careful when the fighting starts. If my airship gets damaged, we're going to have a problem.
"…Asahi's airship?"
Asahi has an airship?
Koga's mind momentarily froze.
It took him a moment to realize that Asahi was referring to Hunter J's airship.
His mouth twitched involuntarily.
[Koga: Are you sure that's yours?]
[GardevoirIsNo.1: What, do you have a problem with that?]
[Koga: …No, as long as you're happy.]