Chapter 307 – Cyrus, Spear Pillar
(T/N: I want to smash my head. Why Saturn turn into Mars! He was there not Mars! Author why! Yes, I am still continuing with Saturn being there.
I want to cry. One second Saturn is fighting another second it's saying he is hidden waiting to take action!WHYYYY! Why is there's two Saturn, again!)
Mt. Coronet
A large number of Team Galactic members had gathered, sealing off all paths leading to Spear Pillar.
When Asahi, disguised as Hunter J, arrived with the Kanto branch employees similarly dressed as Pokémon hunters, the first thing they saw was this imposing and heavily fortified scene.
"Team Galactic… definitely up to no good," Asahi muttered, rubbing his chin.
Beside him, Gary Oak whispered, "Aren't you the one up to no good here?"
"…"
So much for friendly company.
"Cyrus? Hmph, he's not leaving this place alive!"
Asahi waved his hand, and the group advanced up the mountain in an imposing formation!
As they ascended, they soon ran into Team Galactic. Both sides halted, eyeing each other warily.
Standing at the front were the familiar three Commanders: Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
Their distinctive red, pink, and blue hair stood out among the sea of teal bowl cuts.
Asahi stepped forward, raising his chin. "Where's Cyrus?"
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn: "?"
Why was Hunter J acting so brazen today?
Did catching Uxie give her that much confidence?
Saturn, still bitter over J's betrayal in their previous encounter, scowled. "Traitor…"
If not for Hunter J's backstabbing, the mission wouldn't have failed, and Uxie wouldn't have been captured by the League!
Asahi remained silent, simply giving Zinnia a glance.
Zinnia stepped forward, puffing out her chest arrogantly. "You think you deserve to talk to our Lady J?! If J hadn't captured Uxie, your entire team would've been wiped out by the League!"
"Woman, you should learn gratitude!"
Saturn, already seething over her past betrayal, instantly flared up at Zinnia's words. "Damn you—!"
"Enough!" Jupiter cut in sharply, stopping him from acting on impulse and jeopardizing Cyrus's plan.
Saturn took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, but shot Zinnia and "Hunter J" a cold glare before stepping back to stand beside Jupiter and Saturn.
Jupiter, more composed than Saturn, eyed "Hunter J" carefully. "Did you bring Uxie?"
"Of course."
Asahi gestured, and Ethan jogged forward, hauling up Uxie, which was bound tightly with rope like a ball.
There were still traces of Pokéblock crumbs on Uxie's mouth.
Jupiter: "?"
She frowned at the simple rope bindings. Could this really hold Uxie, the Being of Knowledge?
And what was with the food crumbs…?
Had Uxie just been eating?
Since when were Pokémon Hunters this nice to their captives?
Jupiter had many questions.
But none of that mattered. What mattered was that this Pokémon was, without a doubt, Uxie.
That was enough!
She cast "Hunter J" a deep look before stepping aside. "Go on. Boss Cyrus is waiting for you."
Asahi kept a straight face and strode forward.
However, when his companions tried to follow, they were blocked by Team Galactic members.
"Only one person may proceed!" Jupiter declared.
"Lady J!" Sabrina called out, clearly overacting.
"…"
That was the fakest acting ever…
Asahi's mouth twitched, but without turning back, he waved a hand dismissively. "Stay here. I can handle this alone!"
With that, he strode toward Spear Pillar.
As Asahi's figure disappeared down the corridor, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn turned their attention to "Hunter J's" underlings.
Now that they took a closer look… why did these "Pokémon Hunters" seem so young?
Was J forced to recruit a bunch of inexperienced rookies due to a manpower shortage?
No wonder she had the audacity to demand a ten-billion-dollar fee.
Too bad for her… they never intended to pay.
Jupiter's lips curled into a cold smirk as she surveyed the "hunters." The moment Cyrus secured Uxie, Team Galactic would eliminate these pests!
...
Atop Spear Pillar
According to legend, Arceus created Sinnoh here, along with Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.
When Asahi arrived, all he saw were crumbling ruins, a device restraining Azelf and Mesprit, and a lone figure standing with his back turned.
As Asahi reached out to help Uxie, who instinctively tried to rescue its fellow lake guardians, the figure finally spoke.
"Do you know the origin of the world?"
"It is said that this very mountain is the birthplace of Sinnoh…"
"In the world's earliest days, there was no conflict. But now, because of humanity's flawed hearts, endless strife has made this world worse and worse. Truly…"
Asahi raised a hand. "Hey, sorry to interrupt!"
"?"
Cyrus turned, his gaze locking onto "Hunter J"—he hadn't expected someone to interrupt him.
Completely unfazed, Asahi lifted the tightly bound Uxie like a vendor selling produce. "I don't have time for your monologue. Do you want Uxie or not?"
"…"
For a moment, Cyrus felt like a customer at a fruit stall being pressured by a pushy vendor.
Shaking off that ridiculous thought, he forced himself to focus.
Typical filthy, foolish Pokémon Hunters.
Cyrus had nothing more to say to this lowly being. "Hand it over. Consider it your contribution to the new world."
"Contribution?" Asahi rubbed his chin. "So let me get this straight—you want the goods, but you're not planning to pay?"
Cyrus stared at Asahi expressionlessly.
Seeing his silence, Asahi suddenly put on a look of realization. Then, in an instant, he pulled a complete 180, his expression twisting into one of contempt.
"A broke fool trying to buy Pokémon? What a joke!"
Cyrus clenched his fists. That was the last straw.
"Eliminate her!"
With a wave of his hand, a Probopass and a Magnezone, hidden on either side of the ruins, burst forth and launched an immediate attack.
Probopass's "hat" tilted slightly, releasing rippling energy waves that spread outward.
Probopass – Gravity!
Electric sparks crackled around Magnezone as it gathered energy at its antennae before unleashing a powerful electric beam straight at Asahi.
Magnezone – Charge Beam!
Using Gravity for control, then Charge Beam for the finishing blow—an expert combination!
Even Asahi had to admit, he wanted to applaud the coordination.
The Charge Beam struck… but instead of celebrating, Cyrus frowned.
At the last second, Uxie had broken free from its bonds and raised a Light Screen, shielding "Hunter J" from Magnezone's attack.
Even Cyrus, as cold and logical as he was, couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity.
A captured Pokémon breaking free, not to escape, but to protect a Pokémon Hunter?
He narrowed his eyes at Uxie.
…Was this really the Being of Knowledge?
Meanwhile, Asahi, now shielded, smirked. "So, you try to rob me when threats don't work? Good thing I have great luck with Pokémon!"
Cyrus: "…"
A Pokémon Hunter… claiming to have good relationships with Pokémon?
That was like a Haunter being a Gengar's bridesmaid—completely ridiculous!
But the undeniable truth stood before him—Uxie was protecting "Hunter J."
Cyrus's gaze hardened. Whatever trickery was at play, none of it mattered.
"Magnet Bomb!"
Probopass and Magnezone charged their attacks once more, unleashing a barrage of magnetic projectiles.
The ground trembled.
Asahi had no intention of standing still.
If he was going to cosplay Hunter J, he was going all the way.
Tossing a Poké Ball, he released Hunter J's signature Pokémon—Salamence!
Leaping onto Salamence's back, Asahi soared into the air just as the Magnet Bomb detonated below.
BOOM!
The ground exploded as countless metallic fragments surged upward, drawn by magnetic forces toward Asahi and Salamence.
This was Magnet Bomb.
Salamence weaved between the ruins, dodging left and right. Occasionally, a stray metal chunk struck the ancient pillars of Spear Pillar, causing violent explosions.
The already dilapidated ruins suffered further destruction.
This was outright vandalism!
Asahi mentally noted another crime for Cyrus—destruction of cultural heritage—before commanding Salamence to fly toward the device imprisoning Azelf and Mesprit.
Behind him, the Magnet Bomb projectiles momentarily hesitated…
At this moment, in the corridor outside the Spear Pillar…
The atmosphere between Team Galactic and the so-called "Pokémon Hunters" was tense.
Or rather, it was just the "Pokémon Hunters" provoking them one-sidedly. Team Galactic, strictly following Leader Cyrus's orders, endured the provocation silently without reacting.
The stalemate seemed like it would continue indefinitely.
Suddenly, a loud explosion from the top of Spear Pillar grabbed everyone's attention.
Pearl nudged Diamond beside him.
Diamond, suddenly jolted awake, followed the script Asahi had given him, putting on a dumbfounded expression as he looked toward the Spear Pillar. "What just happened up there?"
What happened?
The Team Galactic trainers exchanged glances. They knew their leader had made a move. Instantly, they tore off their disguises and reached for their Poké Balls.
They had long been fed up with these Pokémon Hunters!
Bang!
Saturn was the first to make a move. "Toxicroak, go! Take these guys down!"
Following his lead, the Team Galactic members behind him also sent out their Pokémon…
Watching the expressions of those arrogant Pokémon Hunters shift from shock, surprise, confusion, and fear… Saturn felt extremely satisfied.
Wait… excitement?
Something felt off. Saturn turned his gaze toward one particular Pokémon Hunter who had an excited expression on their face.
Noticing Saturn looking at her, Zinnia internally cursed. She had gotten too excited and forgotten to control her facial expressions.
She quickly put on a panicked look.
However, this sudden and clumsy change seemed entirely unnatural to Saturn.
That reaction was way too fake!
Why would she need to pretend at a time like this?
A sense of unease crept into Saturn's heart.
"Wait a sec—"
Realizing that something was off, he tried to stop his teammates. But having held back for so long, the Team Galactic members no longer cared to listen. They all commanded their Pokémon to attack the Pokémon Hunters.
And then Saturn witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
The Pokémon Hunters—who he had thought were pathetic and not even worth a glance—suddenly lost all signs of panic and fear.
It was as if they had been waiting for this moment all along. They released their Pokémon, forming battle formations in groups of two or three, confronting Team Galactic head-on.
"Aggron, Rock Tomb!"
"Blastoise, Aqua Break!"
"Feraligatr, Superpower!"
"Goodra, Dragon Pulse!"
"Blaziken, Flamethrower!"
"Alakazam, Psychic!"
The Team Galactic members, who had thought they could easily wipe out these Pokémon Hunters, were instantly overwhelmed…
Except for the commanders, the average Team Galactic member's Pokémon couldn't even last a single round against these so-called Pokémon Hunters!
These were Pokémon Hunters?!
Even Saturn—who had already sensed something fishy—was stunned when he saw the Pokémon they were using.
Starters, pseudo-legendaries…
What kind of Pokémon Hunters were these?!
But Gary and the others weren't about to pause their offensive just because Team Galactic was shocked.
They continued commanding their Pokémon to attack Team Galactic.
After just a few rounds of combat…
Kanto's branch, which had a combined strength far beyond the three commanders of Team Galactic, completely overwhelmed them.
Asahi's subordinates had already found their own opponents, each engaging in intense battles.
Standing next to her Garchomp and Jynx, Cynthia glanced around alongside Lorelei.
"Where's Sird?"
That question lingered in both Cynthia and Lorelei's minds—and in Team Galactic's minds as well.
As a precaution, Leader Cyrus had arranged for Sird to stay hidden, intervening only when necessary to ensure that no one interfered with his plans at the Spear Pillar.
Now, they were being utterly crushed by these mysterious "Pokémon Hunters." If there was ever a time for Sird to step in, it was now!
Help us out here!
After having his Bronzong take a direct Hydro Pump from Green's Blastoise, Mars still saw no sign of Sird.
"Jupiter, Mars, cover me!"
Saturn swiftly retreated, using his Alakazam's Teleport to move back, then pulled out his phone to call Sird.
[The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.]
"..."
Saturn froze for a second before realization dawned on him. The image of Sird's smug and infuriating face popped into his mind.
He smashed his phone onto the ground in rage.
He knew that damn former spy couldn't be trusted!