"Father, how are you feeling?"
At the bedside, Takashi Mizutani looked deeply worried.
Lying in bed, Junichiro Mizutani looked like a dying old man. The vitality and power he once had were completely gone.
Looking at his kneeling son, Junichiro felt only sorrow.
All these years, in order to ensure Takashi could become the next head of the family, he had forced him to endure many hardships.
He had planned to hand over the family's power smoothly, then retire peacefully, but fate had not given him that chance.
An illness had left him frail and bedridden.
Now, he could only hope that Takashi would still manage to lead the family well without his guidance.
After so many years of teaching, he believed Takashi would manage.
"I know my own condition well. It won't get better, so it's fine like this."
"Take these Poké Balls. They'll obey you, but you must still spend time training together to build trust."
"When you raise an Elite Rank Pokémon and pass it down, only then will our Mizutani family truly have a foundation."
"And these, they record the secret forces I've cultivated over the years. I leave them to you now."
"Remember this, the way to lead people lies in reward and punishment, in balancing grace and power. Never forget that."
"Yes, Father, I understand."
Takashi took the Poké Balls and notebook, his eyes filling with tears.
"Don't cry. I'm not dead yet."
"Go now. You need to stabilize the situation outside. With those Elite Rank Pokémon, there shouldn't be any major issues. I want to rest a bit longer."
Waving his hand, Junichiro closed his eyes.
"Yes, Father."
Takashi slowly rose. The sadness had vanished from his face, replaced by cold indifference.
As he looked at Junichiro lying in bed, a chilling glint flashed in his eyes. Then he tightened his grip around his father's neck.
The sudden move startled Junichiro awake, but his weakened body couldn't resist. He struggled desperately, eyes full of confusion and pain, but no hatred.
"I'm sorry, Father. You weren't sick; I poisoned you. When you didn't die, I had the doctor claim it was a terminal illness."
"Now that you've handed all authority to me, please help me one last time, by dying."
Pressing down on him, Takashi spoke in a trembling voice.
Hearing this, Junichiro, who had taken over the family in his youth and led it to greatness, shed tears for the first time.
He stopped struggling and looked at his son with gentler eyes.
Thinking back, he realized he had spent too little time with Takashi, teaching him too little, and later demanded too much from him. Maybe life had been too hard for the boy too.
With one last glance at Takashi, Junichiro fell silent forever.
Takashi's tears dropped onto his father's face.
"Father, rest assured, I will make the Mizutani family stronger than ever. I'll honor your spirit in heaven."
He knelt before the bed, more sincerely than ever before.
When he rose again, his eyes burned with ambition.
Now, all the Mizutani family's power and influence belonged to him alone. Takashi was eager to make his own mark, to show the world that the head of the Mizutani family had changed.
"Junichiro Mizutani, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, but—"
"Huh?"
"Dead already?"
"Well then, Takashi Mizutani, you're under arrest. Come with us."
An elderly voice echoed suddenly.
Turning around, Takashi saw Agatha, the Elite Four member, slowly walking toward him.
Beside her stood a hooded man and a Kadabra.
Takashi's mind raced. What evidence had Agatha found that gave her the confidence to come here openly?
He began calculating his options. Surrender, however, was not one of them.
He knew Agatha well enough to understand that if he gave up now, he would be finished.
His only option was to flee the Mizutani estate and seek help from other families and corporations. For the sake of profit, they would never ignore this.
Having made up his mind, Takashi didn't hesitate.
"Electabuzz, use Thunder!"
He released the Poké Ball Junichiro had given him, launching a preemptive strike to teach Agatha a lesson.
"Attempting to assassinate a member of the Elite Four is a grave crime. Since you show no remorse, I have the right to execute you here!"
At Agatha's words, several shadows rushed forward.
The air temperature plummeted. Electabuzz's expertly trained Thunder was crushed in an instant.
The next moment, sharp claws pierced Takashi's chest before he could even release his second Pokémon.
"Rest easy. Your plan to send an Ace Rank Trainer for assassination has been exposed. No one will dare to defend you."
"Before I came, others had already begun seizing your family's assets."
Agatha's cold words silenced him forever. His eyes went wide, then dimmed as life left him.
"Go. Capture everyone capable of resistance, both people and Pokémon. Keep it quiet."
Agatha waved her hand, and her Gengar spread out to act.
Against such overwhelming power, numbers meant nothing.
She had prepared perfectly, and the Mizutani family fell before anyone could react. By the time other families and companies understood what had happened, the Mizutani clan had no one left in command.
And since they had dared to send an Ace Rank assassin against a child, no one dared intervene.
Some were tempted by the profits left behind, but Agatha's name alone kept them at bay.
That, in fact, disappointed her a little.
As for Gu Yuan, he soon received news of the Mizutani family's fall.
"This is what true strength looks like, to destroy an entire family alone without giving them a chance to fight back."
Hearing about Agatha's victory, Gu Yuan couldn't help feeling awed, and even more motivated.
"Let's go, Charizard. Let's see how strong the ruler of this forest really is!"
Staring into the forest depths, Gu Yuan was eager for battle.