Chapter 306
(T/N: I am using Charon the English version name instead of Pluto the Japanese version one.)
Lake Acuity
Lake Acuity was located in northern Sinnoh, where the land was covered in ice and snow year-round.
At this moment, in a valley not far from Lake Acuity, snowflakes drifted from the sky as an airship sat in an open clearing. A group of Pokémon Hunters, clad in uniform, stood behind Hunter J, braving the harsh wind and snow.
Although her subordinates all maintained a solemn appearance, Hunter J could clearly sense their burning gazes fixed on her from beneath their serious expressions.
For the first time, Hunter J felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
I just hope nothing goes wrong when we negotiate with Team Galactic later… she thought.
This was a three-billion contract, after all.
Just as she was worrying, another airship appeared in the distant sky, instantly lifting her spirits.
"They're here!"
As soon as she spoke, the roar of engines grew louder as an airship flew over the valley and slowly descended on the opposite side.
The airship's hatch soon opened.
Two figures, clad in Team Galactic uniforms, stepped out with their subordinates following behind.
Saturn and Charon!
Gary recognized the two immediately and spoke through Mew's telepathic link.
[Pearl: Gary-senpai, you know them?]
[Gary: Of course…]
Having reviewed the intelligence files that Green compiled for Asahi, he was well aware of every key figure in Team Galactic.
Through Mew's telepathy, Gary quickly explained to Platinum, Diamond, and Pearl:
[Team Galactic's higher-ups use celestial bodies as their codenames.]
[The chubby, sleazy-looking one is Charon, a scientist of Team Galactic. His known Pokémon is a Slowking.]
[The pink-haired one beside him is Saturn, one of Team Galactic's Commanders. His main Pokémon are Dusknoir, Gastrodon, and Tangrowth.]
Of course, he added one last comment:
[Not sure if there are any other Commanders lurking around, but if it's just these two, Asahi and I could easily handle them!]
Gary's confidence was palpable.
Diamond and Pearl believed him completely, their faces full of admiration.
[Gary-senpai, you're amazing!]
Gary smirked proudly.
[Haha, well, it's nothing really~]
[GardevoirIsNo.1: ?]
Asahi's silent gaze fell on Gary.
Gary instantly froze.
[Ahem… Maybe I exaggerated a little.]
Meanwhile, Saturn and Charon had already approached, standing alongside Hunter J.
They noticed that J's subordinates, instead of looking demoralized from their recent losses, were practically radiating with intensity.
This was unexpected.
After J's last operation went south, they had assumed her crew's morale would have taken a severe hit. But now, it seemed like they were more determined than ever.
Still, from Saturn and Charon's perspective, this was actually a good thing.
High morale meant stronger combat effectiveness, making them even more valuable as allies.
At that moment, Hunter J stepped forward.
"Where's the money?"
After dealing with her unpredictable subordinates for the past two days, her tone was a little stiff.
Charon and Saturn didn't seem to mind.
Saturn gestured to one of his subordinates, who promptly stepped forward and tossed a case to Hunter J.
"This is the one-billion advance payment. Once we've captured Uxie, you'll get the remaining two billion."
Hunter J opened the case, gave it a quick glance, and then asked, "Are you two the only ones from Team Galactic? That person who raided the International Police branch—why isn't she here?"
Charon adjusted his glasses and smirked.
"Hehe, capturing Uxie is well within our capabilities. She has a more important task elsewhere."
Hearing this, Hunter J didn't press further.
She simply gestured to her team and turned back toward her airship.
Saturn and Charon couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but they couldn't pinpoint what.
Still, the money had been paid, and they figured Pokémon Hunters, being the mercenaries they were, wouldn't cause any trouble. They quickly pushed the thought aside and returned to their own airship, preparing for the operation at Lake Acuity.
...
Lake Acuity – Operation Commences
Both Team Galactic's and Hunter J's airships hovered over Lake Acuity.
The sheer presence of these two vessels sent the Water-type Pokémon in the lake diving to the bottom in fear.
Hunter J stood atop her Salamence, leading her team to land on the lakeshore. She glanced over at Saturn and Charon, who had also arrived with their Team Galactic grunts.
"What's the plan?" she asked.
With previous experience capturing the Lake Guardians, Hunter J knew Uxie would be hiding at the bottom of the lake, and getting it to surface wouldn't be easy.
"No need to rush… We prepared a Galactic Bomb for this."
Charon grinned.
"As long as we detonate it at any of the three lakes, it will trigger a chain reaction, forcing all three Lake Guardians to reveal themselves!"
Hearing this, Gary and the others instinctively turned to Asahi, momentarily caught off guard.
However, Asahi was already prepared for this outcome.
[GardevoirIsNo.1: I've already informed Cynthia. She's deployed reinforcements to the other two lakes. We'll do our best, but as long as we keep at least one Lake Guardian out of Team Galactic's hands, their plan will fail.]
Hearing this, Gary and the others felt reassured.
At that moment, the lake's surface began to ripple.
A bright light shone, and a small figure floated up from the water.
The Being of Knowledge—Uxie!
Charon's face lit up with excitement and obsession.
"It's finally here! Move in!"
At his command, the Team Galactic grunts launched their attacks on Uxie.
But Uxie was far from defenseless.
A shimmering blue barrier formed around it, absorbing the onslaught of attacks. Though the barrier wavered under the relentless barrage, Uxie itself remained unharmed.
Seeing their attacks failing, Charon immediately called out:
"Plan B!"
The Team Galactic grunts pulled out rocket launcher-like devices, aiming them straight at Uxie.
Sensing danger, Uxie let out a distressed cry and attempted to retreat into the lake—
But…
"We were expecting that."
At Charon's signal, several Team Galactic trainers released Honchkrow, which immediately used Mean Look.
The dark, ghostly eyes materialized around Uxie, locking it in place and preventing its escape.
Charon's excitement grew.
"Perfect! Fire now!"
The Team Galactic grunts pulled the triggers—
But before they could launch their projectiles…
"Cloyster, Spike Cannon!"
"Crobat, Poison Sting!"
Two sudden attacks struck from the side.
Spikes rained from the sky, detonating the rockets mid-air and causing a series of violent explosions that sent Team Galactic grunts and their Pokémon flying.
Meanwhile, those hit by Crobat's Poison Sting turned pale, scrambling to use antidotes.
Charon and Saturn's expressions darkened as they turned toward the source of the interference.
Two familiar figures stood with a squad of League Trainers.
"Koga and Lorelei…"
They had clashed with these Sinnoh League reinforcements multiple times already.
They hadn't expected them to show up this quickly.
Fortunately, Team Galactic had planned for this.
"Hunter J, keep them busy!" Charon ordered.
At that moment, J's subordinates looked outraged.
However, Hunter J herself remained calm.
She had been paid—so she would do the job.
"Salamence, Flamethrower!"
The flames spewed from Salamence's mouth, interrupting Cloyster's Spike Cannon.
Facing the Flamethrower, Cloyster simply shut its shell, effortlessly blocking the attack.
Standing behind Cloyster, Lorelei remained composed as her Jynx exhaled a chilling breath, cooling the air around them.
At this moment, with snow falling from the sky, it was Lorelei's domain.
"Jynx, Blizzard!"
Jynx took a deep breath and then exhaled forcefully.
The originally gentle snowfall intensified into a raging blizzard, sweeping toward Hunter J and her Salamence.
Knowing full well that her Dragon-type Salamence couldn't withstand an Ice-type Blizzard, Hunter J swiftly recalled it.
Then, she sent out another Pokémon.
"Drapion, Protect!"
A protective barrier materialized, shielding Drapion and Hunter J from the storm.
However, the Team Galactic members and Pokémon Hunters around her weren't as fortunate. They were caught in the blizzard, shivering uncontrollably before collapsing, unable to fight.
On the other side, Saturn faced Koga.
Saturn sent out his Dusknoir.
The jewel-like eyes of Dusknoir gleamed with eerie light as a dark shadow stretched out from beneath it.
"Shadow Claw!"
The clawed shadow lunged at Crobat.
However, Crobat skillfully evaded the attack.
With a swift turn mid-air, it flicked its wings, releasing four sharp Air Slashes toward Dusknoir.
Dusknoir's eyes flashed ominously.
It swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the incoming attacks.
The Air Slash struck the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
As Hunter J and Saturn clashed with Lorelei and Koga, the Pokémon Hunters and Team Galactic members at the lakeside also launched attacks on the League trainers who had arrived with Lorelei and Koga, trying to stop them from approaching Lake Valor.
In an instant, chaos erupted across the lakeshore.
Charon did not join the battle.
As a scientist, his expertise lay in technology, not combat.
More importantly, his goal was to capture Uxie!
Charon glanced at Uxie. The first two plans had failed—the first was useless, and the second had been disrupted by Lorelei and Koga. That left only Plan Three!
He picked up a communicator and gave an order.
High above, the belly of Team Galactic's airship suddenly opened, revealing a mechanical arm that extended outward, aiming directly at Uxie.
Bzzzt!
A powerful electric current surged from the mechanical arm, striking toward Uxie.
Uxie flinched in surprise. Though trapped by Mean Look, it quickly gathered its strength to block the attack.
But just as it deflected the electric strike—
Whoosh!
A capture net shot out, ensnaring Uxie, who had already expended a great deal of energy defending itself.
The net swiftly contracted, instantly pulling Uxie into a transparent containment sphere.
Seeing the airship's restraint device successfully securing Uxie, the Team Galactic members were overjoyed.
Especially Charon—he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
Once Uxie was captured, who would even care about Lorelei and Koga?
With that thought, Charon immediately shouted to Hunter J, who was locked in battle with Lorelei, "Hunter J, cover our retreat!"
"The remaining payment will be transferred to your account once we're out!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the Pokémon Hunters—who had been riled up against Team Galactic by Asahi's speech—were visibly enraged.
Those Team Galactic bastards were planning to use them as cannon fodder for their retreat?!
Even Hunter J was irritated. However, given the situation, she decided to have her subordinates endure it for now and get paid first…
But just as she was about to grit her teeth and bear it—
A beam of energy suddenly shot out from among the Pokémon Hunters.
In full view of everyone, the beam sliced through the cable connecting Team Galactic's airship to the restraint device holding Uxie.
The abrupt turn of events left everyone on the battlefield stunned.
Before anyone could react, a Salamence swooped in at lightning speed, seizing the containment sphere that held Uxie with its claws.
Even the League trainers hadn't expected Hunter J to suddenly betray Team Galactic at this moment.
Atop Salamence's back, a familiar figure to Hunter J shouted, "Brothers, I got it! Cover Lady J's retreat!"
"Don't let those Team Galactic scumbags get their way!"
Most of the Pokémon Hunters present had attended Asahi's lectures before. Seeing this familiar face take action first, their blood boiled with excitement.
In a complete reversal, the Pokémon Hunters turned their attacks against Team Galactic, who had been their temporary allies just moments ago.
As they fought, they shouted toward Hunter J:
"Lady J, get out of here!"
"Take the Legendary Pokémon and leave this place!"
"Teach those arrogant Team Galactic bastards a lesson for us!"
Hearing her subordinates' calls, Hunter J felt a chill run down her spine. As she met the stunned gazes of Charon and Saturn, her mind went blank.
She had only been annoyed with Team Galactic—she hadn't actually planned on turning against them!
She was doomed!
She had completely antagonized Team Galactic now.
Hunter J wanted to explain, but Team Galactic wasn't going to give her the chance.
To Charon and Saturn, this was an outright betrayal that had been planned in advance!
Saturn immediately abandoned his fight with Koga and launched an attack on Hunter J instead.
"Tangrowth, Power Whip!"
Vines lashed through the air.
Caught off guard, Hunter J's Drapion was sent flying by the attack.
Hunter J was furious.
She hadn't even ordered this, yet now she was the one taking the blame and the hits…
She completely gave up on explaining to Team Galactic and decisively commanded Salamence to fly toward her airship.
To Team Galactic, it looked like she had stolen Uxie and was now making a run for it.
Charon and Saturn immediately turned back toward their airship, preparing to give chase.
But just as they were about to board, Lorelei flicked her wrist.
Jynx fired an Ice Beam, striking the airship's engine, causing it to billow black smoke.
Lorelei adjusted her glasses and said coolly, "No one's escaping…"
"You…!"
Charon wanted to curse.
Uxie was in the hands of the Pokémon Hunters—shouldn't she be going after them instead?
But no matter how frustrated he was, there was nothing he could do.
The airship's engine sputtered and died, sending it spiraling downward. He could only watch helplessly as Hunter J's airship disappeared into the distance.
The only small consolation was that Uxie had ended up with Hunter J. Their leader, Cyrus, wouldn't find it too difficult to retrieve it.
With that in mind, Charon forced himself to focus on the battle with Lorelei and Koga.
First, they needed to escape from the League's grasp!
Charon and Saturn regrouped their forces and launched a counterattack.
But without Hunter J's support, they were no match for Lorelei and Koga.
Especially Lorelei, who had the overwhelming advantage of fighting in this snowy environment. At times, she was single-handedly suppressing both Charon and Saturn.
"…Was she holding back earlier?" Saturn couldn't help but wonder.
...
Aboard the Airship
"Lady J!"
A group of Pokémon Hunters looked at Hunter J with admiration.
The scene of her snatching Uxie from Team Galactic had left a deep impression on them. Any previous discontent had completely vanished, replaced by sheer respect.
No hesitation, no second thoughts—Lady J had acted the moment it was needed.
A true role model.
No wonder 'Crow' had so confidently claimed that Lady J had a secret plan against Team Galactic. It turned out 'Crow' had been following her orders all along!
Hunter J looked at the eager faces of her subordinates and felt like coughing up blood.
She had never planned to betray Team Galactic!
Sure, she had Uxie now—but with Team Galactic as an enemy, how was she supposed to operate in Sinnoh anymore?
Would she have to flee to another region?
That would mean abandoning the network of clients she had spent years building.
Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
Feeling a headache coming on, she decided to go check on Uxie. With a cold expression, she strode toward the storage room.
As she opened the door, she saw Asahi and his newly recruited followers gathered around Uxie's confinement sphere.
"This is Uxie? So small… kinda cute."
"Is it even awake? It hasn't opened its eyes once…"
"If I remember correctly, Uxie's gaze can erase memories. Are you sure you want to see its eyes?"
"Uh… never mind, then."
Seeing them chatting so casually, Hunter J's temper flared.
She snapped, "Look at what you've done…!"
At the sound of her voice, everyone turned.
Asahi blinked innocently. "What do you mean, Lady J? Wasn't this all your plan?"
Hunter J was livid. "When did I ever tell you to steal Uxie from Team Galactic?!"
"I thought you had silently agreed," Asahi replied, feigning surprise.
Hunter J's fury only grew. "Shut up! Move aside and hand over Uxie!"
"Lady J, are you planning to return it to Team Galactic?"
"That's none of your business!"
Asahi shook his head. "Sorry, Lady J, but I can't follow your orders this time."
"…Are you betraying me?" Hunter J's expression turned ice-cold.
Asahi chuckled. "Betray you? When did I ever say I was loyal to you?"
Before Hunter J could react, she found herself unable to move.
Asahi smiled.
"Hunter J, you let your anger cloud your judgment."
Then, he wiped his face.
In the corner of the room, a Shiny Gardevoir emerged.
Seeing this, Hunter J gasped.
"You're… Demon Ranger?!"
Darkness overtook her vision.
Ten minutes later—
A stone-faced Hunter J stepped out of the storage room and ordered the airship to return to the Veilstone City base.
Inside the collection room, after putting Hunter J to sleep, Asahi studied the device in front of him for a while before finally unlocking the restraint device that was holding Uxie captive.
Freshly released, Uxie remained highly vigilant.
Even though Asahi was the one who had freed it, Uxie still refused to approach him—until Asahi called out Mew.
The moment it saw Mew, Uxie's wary expression turned into one of curiosity.
As a Legendary Pokémon, Uxie recognized Mew.
It was curious as to why Mew was by Asahi's side, but it still kept its distance from him.
Asahi fully understood Uxie's current mindset.
Having just been harmed by humans, it was only natural to be on guard.
So, Asahi resorted to a method that had never failed him.
He activated the Viridian Aura.
A soothing aura emanated from Asahi's body.
Drawn by this comforting energy and reassured by Mew's presence, Uxie hesitantly moved closer to Asahi.
As Asahi placed his hand gently on Uxie's head, the wounds it had sustained in battle began to heal rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it was completely restored.
Letting out a cheerful cry, Uxie circled around Asahi once before finally perching on his shoulder.
The sensation was completely different from Mew...
With an ultra-light weight of just 0.3kg, Uxie felt like a wisp of cotton resting on his shoulder compared to Mew.
"How are you even solid?"
Asahi stared at Uxie, unable to comprehend how something so weightless could have a physical form...
---
Eterna City Base
A large airship slowly descended from the sky.
The Pokémon Hunters who had just returned to base were still reveling in their successful betrayal of Team Galactic.
Then—
"Hands up! Drop your Poké Balls!"
Completely surrounded, the Pokémon Hunters stared in shock at the sudden appearance of Cynthia and the League Trainers.
How had the League found their base?!
Despite their surprise, the Hunters weren't too worried.
After all, J was still here. As long as J made a move, everything would be fine!
They all turned to look at Hunter J.
However, under the gaze of her subordinates, Hunter J did not immediately retaliate. Instead, a strange expression crossed her face.
"My mission... is complete."
Under everyone's stunned gazes, Hunter J spoke these words—then collapsed to the ground.
Her sudden fall sent the Pokémon Hunters into a state of panic.
"J!"
"What's going on?!"
"What did you do to J?!"
Seeing their leader down, the Hunters felt as if their very foundation had crumbled. Many of them immediately lost their will to fight and surrendered without resistance.
Of course, some still chose to put up a fight.
But against Cynthia, these struggling Pokémon Hunters didn't stand a chance.
With little effort, Cynthia captured the entire group.
---
Inside the airship's cabin, Cynthia finally found Asahi—who was currently holding both Mew and Uxie, seemingly weighing their differences.
A moment later, Asahi sighed, "Mew, you should probably go on a diet… Look at Uxie, it's so light…"
"Mew!"
Annoyed, Mew ruffled Asahi's hair into a complete mess.
This isn't about dieting!
Uxie is just naturally weightless!
And I'm not even heavy!
Mew vented its frustration by tangling Asahi's hair, while Cynthia watched with amusement.
"You and Mew seem really close…" she remarked.
Only then did Asahi notice Cynthia's presence. He grabbed Mew off his head and pressed it against his chest before asking, "How's the situation outside?"
All he had done was hypnotize Hunter J and make her bring all the Pokémon Hunters outside—the rest had been Cynthia's job.
"It's all taken care of… Thanks to you."
Removing Team Galactic's base in Eterna City and capturing the infamous Hunter J—none of this would have been possible without Asahi's help.
The intelligence came from him, and he had personally taken down Hunter J, delivering her to the League on a silver platter.
After saying this, Cynthia's gaze shifted to the Pokémon resting on Asahi's other shoulder.
"This is Uxie?" Cynthia asked.
"That's right. Uxie, the Being of Knowledge. It may always look half-asleep, but it's actually wide awake—keeping its eyes closed to avoid accidentally erasing people's memories," Asahi explained.
"Erase memories?" This was Cynthia's first time hearing about this ability.
Just as she was about to ask more, her communicator suddenly buzzed.
She glanced at the screen, and in an instant, her previously relaxed expression turned serious.
A long silence followed before she let out a deep breath.
"What happened?" Asahi asked.
Cynthia's expression darkened.
"The League just sent word… Team Galactic detonated a Galactic Bomb at Lake Valor, completely draining the lake."
"Those who were guarding the lake, were defeated by Cyrus. Azelf has been captured."
"Uxie's fellow guardian, Mesprit, was also taken by Jupiter with the help of Darkrai…"
By the time she finished speaking, guilt was written all over her face.
Even after receiving Asahi's warning and sending people to stop Team Galactic, they had still failed to prevent Mesprit and Azelf's capture.
In the end, their only gain was also thanks to Asahi.
"This wasn't your fault… Cyrus is powerful, at least Champion-level. Expecting some Elite levels to defeat him was unrealistic."
"As for Jupiter and Darkrai… Don't worry, she won't get away for long."
Asahi's words offered Cynthia some comfort.
"Will capturing Mesprit and Azelf cause any problems?" she asked, worried.
Now, Team Galactic had captured two of the three Lake Guardians. The only one left was Uxie, currently in Asahi's possession.
"It'll be fine as long as we still have Uxie."
Asahi glanced at Uxie, who had frozen in shock upon hearing about its captured companions. He patted its head reassuringly.
Cynthia was stunned. "You know why Team Galactic is after the Lake Guardians?"
"If my guess is correct, their goal is this—"
Asahi pulled out an item from his bag.
The Red Chain.
"A legendary artifact said to have the power to bind Time and Space… created using the energy of the Lake Guardians."
"As long as we have Uxie, they won't be able to forge the Red Chain."
Hearing this, Uxie nodded in agreement but tilted its head in confusion at the sight of the chain.
It didn't recall ever contributing to its creation—so where had Asahi gotten this one?
Asahi didn't notice Uxie's thoughts. He continued, "Cyrus's goal is likely to summon Dialga and Palkia, using their power to destroy Sinnoh and create his ideal new world."
"Dialga and Palkia… Destroy Sinnoh and create a new world…?"
Cynthia couldn't comprehend Cyrus's twisted logic.
What was wrong with Sinnoh that made him so determined to destroy it?
But one thing was clear—he had to be stopped.
"Asahi, do you have a plan?"
Given how much he already knew, and the fact that he possessed the Red Chain, he must have a strategy in mind.
"My plan is simple… Fishing."
"Fishing?" Cynthia repeated, puzzled.
Asahi grinned. "Cyrus needs Uxie to complete the Red Chain, so he'll be desperate to capture it."
"So we use Uxie as bait—to lure Cyrus out."
"Will he take the bait?" Cynthia was skeptical.
From her experience, Cyrus was extremely cautious. He might not fall for it so easily.
"He will. Because right now, Uxie isn't in the League's hands, nor in mine—it's in Hunter J's hands." Asahi smirked.
Cynthia suddenly understood.
To Cyrus, Hunter J was insignificant. He wouldn't see her as a threat.
If Asahi disguised himself as J to bait Cyrus…
It just might work.
So Asahi had orchestrated J's betrayal of Team Galactic and taken Uxie just for this moment?
Genius!
Cynthia was impressed.
"Alright, let's do it—Uxie will be our bait."
Uxie: "???"
Excuse me?! Can I get a say in this?!
...
Galactic Veilstone Building
Cyrus stood by the window, having just received some bad news.
The mission to capture Uxie had failed.
Not only had Saturn and Charon failed to obtain Uxie, but they had also lost an airship, and even Uxie was in their hands…
"Useless."
Cyrus's voice was cold, his face devoid of emotion.
"My deepest apologies, Leader Cyrus!"
On the video call, Jupiter knelt on one knee, looking utterly disheveled.
"Return and report to me in detail."
With that, Cyrus ended the call.
Behind him, Mars appeared silently. "Leader, Uxie falling into Hunter J's hands does not significantly impact our plans…"
"I know. That's why I'm giving her one last chance."
Cyrus remained expressionless.
"What are your orders?" Charon asked.
"Find Hunter J, eliminate her, and bring Uxie back."
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed coldly.
Charon's phone suddenly vibrated.
He opened it to find a message from Hunter J.
[Want Uxie? Prepare 10 billion in cash. See you at Spear Pillar in three days! —Hunter J]
Seeing this, Charon exclaimed, "Ten billion? Why doesn't she just rob a bank?"
He then reported the message to Cyrus.
"Leader, what should we do?"
"Agree to it." Cyrus gazed out the window.
"But ten billion…" Charon looked troubled.
Once, Team Galactic had been wealthy, but their funds were now stretched thin due to the production of the Galactic Bomb. They simply couldn't afford ten billion.
"Uxie was originally stolen from us. Why should we pay?" Mars scoffed from the side.
Charon suddenly understood—so that was the Leader's plan all along.
No problem then. A mere Hunter J was nothing. With Team Galactic's manpower, dealing with her would be a piece of cake.
The tense atmosphere in the office eased instantly.
Only Jupiter, who had been silent in the corner, had a strange expression.
She felt something was off, but kept her thoughts to herself.
...
Two Days Before the 'Deal' with Team Galactic
Inside Hunter J's—no, Asahi's base.
Asahi had just returned from the airport, bringing Green, Sabrina, Courtney, Zinnia, Silver, and Ethan to the base.
To ensure that Team Galactic was completely neutralized, Asahi had called in the entire Kanto Division—except for Professor Blaine, who was still busy with his research and Gym Leader duties. And Yellow, of course. Asahi was not going to force someone who clearly didn't like fighting.
As for the researcher, he is a researcher for a reason. And not a combat force.
Upon entering the base, Ethan, holding Togebo, immediately sprinted toward the high-tech airship parked in the center of the factory. He ran around it excitedly, examining every detail with wide eyes.
Zinnia, though clearly interested, maintained her composure and merely observed it closely instead of rushing forward like Ethan.
"This airship… don't tell me you got someone to 'sponsor' it again?" Sabrina asked suspiciously.
Back in Hoenn, Asahi had convinced Team Rocket to sponsor a base for him.
Now, after just a few days in Sinnoh, he had an airship…
There was no way he bought this himself.
"How did you know Hunter J sponsored an airship for me?" Asahi asked in 'surprise.'
Sabrina: "….."
She had just made a random guess, but it turned out to be true?
Green had mentioned Hunter J before, saying that one of her subordinates had offended Asahi.
Sabrina shook her head.
Of all the people to cross, why did she have to cross Asahi? Didn't she know how petty he was…?
"I feel like you're badmouthing me in your head," Asahi squinted at Sabrina.
"What? Did you say something?" Sabrina feigned innocence.
Asahi: "….."
Green giggled behind her hand.
The group made their way to the airship's conference room.
Seated at the large, circular table were all the active field agents of the International Police Kanto Division.
The recently arrived Green and the others sized up Platinum, Pearl, and Diamond—while Platinum and her companions also observed their 'seniors.'
Since they had already greeted each other in the group chat, after a brief moment of sizing each other up, they quickly became acquainted.
Green, Sabrina, and Courtney pulled Platinum into a discussion about fashion and jewelry.
Ethan, upon learning that Pearl and Diamond were comedians, insisted that they tell him a joke.
Pearl and Diamond were initially nervous, but after seeing Ethan burst into laughter at their performance, they relaxed.
If even their senior found them funny, then surely, they had finally become proper comedians…
The conference room became lively.
Asahi watched the energetic scene and nodded in satisfaction.
This was exactly the Kanto Division he envisioned.
Just as he was feeling pleased, he suddenly felt something clinging to his arm.
Turning his head, he saw that Zinnia had somehow slithered up next to him.
"…What do you want?"
Asahi pulled his arm away and looked at her warily.
"I was thinking…"
Before she could finish, Asahi interrupted, "Let me be clear—anything else is fine, but Rayquaza is off-limits. I still need it for the upcoming battle."
At that, Zinnia wasn't discouraged. Instead, her eyes lit up.
"If it's for battle, Asahi, you have Mewtwo, Mew, Celebi, and Gardevoir… You won't be able to command them all at once, right?"
"How about I help you command Lord Dragon in battle? Don't worry—I've had professional training! I know exactly how to bring out Lord Dragon's full power! I won't let you down!"
"I could hear your calculations all the way from Spear Pillar…" Asahi sneered. "No."
Zinnia froze, then muttered, "Stingy."
She didn't wait for his response and ran off to join Green and Sabrina in their fashion discussion.
At that moment, Silver approached with Sneasel.
"What is it?" Asahi asked.
Silver and Ethan had been traveling around Johto recently and had even run into Ash. Ash immediately saw Silver as a rival—only for Gary to mock him about it.
Silver looked concerned. "Team Rocket seems to be up to something big. I'm worried…"
While traveling through Johto, he had been monitoring Team Rocket's activities, and it was clear that they were becoming more active.
From his experience, that meant they were plotting something.
"No need to worry."
Asahi waved his hand dismissively.
He knew exactly what Giovanni was up to.
Deoxys was powerful, but still manageable. As long as they didn't start throwing meteors at the planet, it wasn't nearly as threatening as Cyrus.
Seeing Asahi's confidence, Silver relaxed.
At that moment, Cynthia finally arrived with Lorelei and Koga.
Upon entering and seeing so many people, Cynthia was briefly stunned.
"These people are…?"
"They're all members of my Kanto Division," Asahi replied with a small smile, gesturing for them to take their seats.
Once everyone was present, Asahi tapped the table.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down. The strategy meeting for our operation against Team Galactic officially begins now!"
The room instantly fell silent.
Cynthia watched, a gleam in her eyes.
She hadn't expected Asahi to have this side to him.
...
Team Galactic Operation Meeting
Calling it a 'strategy meeting' was a bit misleading. It was more like a pre-battle rally.
After all, taking down Team Galactic was incredibly simple.
"As per our deal with Team Galactic, we will meet them at Spear Pillar in two days for the trade…"
"According to intel from our agent Looker, who has infiltrated Team Galactic, they have no intention of actually paying."
"So, it's obvious—they will be fully prepared to take Uxie from 'Hunter J' by force. What they don't know is… our Hunter J is also fake."
"That's our advantage."
"I've sent everyone Team Galactic's profiles. When the battle starts, stick to your assigned opponents."
"Gary, Ethan, Silver—you'll handle Charon."
"Sabrina, Green—you take Mars."
"Courtney and Zinnia—you're on Jupiter."
"Platinum, Pearl, Diamond—your job is to handle Team Galactic's mid-tier officers."
"Cynthia and Lorelei—you'll take care of Saturn."
"Koga—your mission is to infiltrate Veilstone City's Team Galactic HQ, assist Looker in clearing out their remnants, and rescue the captured Sinnoh Division agents."
"As for Cyrus—he's mine."
"We're going to overwhelm them with sheer power and wipe Team Galactic out completely. No chance for a comeback!"
Asahi had assigned opponents based on strength.
Even the 'weakest' members, Platinum's team, had been trained to the point where defeating regular Galactic trainers would be no problem.
A solid plan. The team nodded in agreement.
"Use the next two days to prepare."
"Meeting adjourned!"
As Asahi finished, the room instantly became chaotic again.
Leaning back in his chair, he smirked.
Even Team Rocket hadn't faced a force this overwhelming.
"With this advantage, how could we lose?"
...
One Day Before the Deal
Asahi received a message from Team Galactic.
They wanted to change the meeting location to the Spear Pillar.
Reading the message, Asahi raised an eyebrow.
Was Team Galactic onto something? Or were they planning to forge the Red Chain on-site immediately after the trade and capture Dialga and Palkia right away?
Most likely the latter.
"Tch… Cyrus is really that dissatisfied with the world? He's so desperate to destroy it," Asahi clicked his tongue.
Originally, he had planned to throw this kind of anti-human lunatic into the Distortion World.
But now, thinking about it, that would be too good for him.
No, the best punishment would be to lock Cyrus in their Kanto Division's underground facility.
Let him remain trapped in the world he was so eager to erase—suffering every second of it.
As for Team Galactic's request to change the meeting location, Asahi pretended to think for a while before responding with his agreement.
A flawless performance as Hunter J.
At Team Galactic's base, Cyrus sneered coldly upon seeing the message from "Hunter J."
"Enjoy your moment of happiness… it won't last long."
Tomorrow would be the day he restarted the world!
"Finally… I can rid myself of this wretched world…"
Gazing out the window, a manic gleam flashed in Cyrus's eyes.
....
To read an advance 200 chapters before public release
And
Support me at p@treon.com/NahinS77