Roy thought about Lucario — the same Lucario that had knocked out his elder brother with a single Aura Sphere.
If the higher-ups of their own organization were to deal with this troublesome man, then the Pokémon traveling with him would practically become trophies ripe for the taking. And no matter how badly things went, the leadership would likely overlook any mistakes in light of such a valuable result. There was even the possibility of obtaining Lucario's Aura Core.
If they could get their hands on that, a power capable of dropping a second-tier master in one blow might become his to wield someday. The thought sent a quiet thrill through him. Whether things went smoothly or not, all he had to do was bring this man to the leader — and the rewards would follow either way.
It was a deal he didn't need to think twice about.
What he didn't know was that Roy had seen through every bit of it. The bait had been taken. Now Roy simply had to wait for the big fish to surface.
"Of course, of course!" the man said quickly, wearing a wide, eager smile. "My lord, please come with me. Let me contact the leader first to find out where he is — and if you already know, I'll take you straight there."
Sima Er, for all his obvious scheming, was also keenly aware of his own limitations. Whatever share of the spoils he was imagining, a man of his standing couldn't claim them through strength alone. The only way to profit was to play both sides carefully — either through a reward from his own superiors, or by currying enough favor with this powerful stranger to earn something in return.
He stepped aside and pulled out his phone.
Each member of their group had the leader's contact information, but reaching out wasn't something they did freely. It was reserved for moments when a mission objective had been achieved, or when something of exceptional value had been secured. After all, making the leader happy was the surest way to earn a little something extra for themselves.
Roy watched from where he stood. He made no move, said nothing — only listened as the call connected and a Doduo's cry rang faintly from the other end before someone picked up.
"Yes, it's Sima's second son. Please pass this along to our lord — the mission here has been completed. We've successfully obtained the core from the special Pokémon. I'm not sure where the lord currently is, but I'll bring everything back as soon as possible..."
A voice came through from the other end: "Good work. You've done well. I'm still here at the Silph facility — bring your findings back as quickly as you can. Your reward is waiting for you. You've handled this efficiently, and faster than expected."
The praise came first, followed by the order to return at once. The organization had long since learned to harness the power of Pokémon like Ultra Beasts for their own ends — and this core was exactly what they needed.
Roy stood quietly, but he had heard every word. The man on the other end of the line sounded certain and composed — the kind of person who had studied this field extensively and knew exactly what he was working with.
Sima Er lowered the phone and ended the call.
Then, visibly trembling, he made his way back to Roy's side.
"My lord... you heard what the leader said. So, however you'd like to proceed — I leave it entirely to you..."
He was flattering, and the flattery was transparent — a thin shield held up by a frightened man hoping to walk away from this with his life.
"Enough," Roy said, cutting him off. "You can drop that act. I've already told you I won't lay a hand on you. What I need from you now is simple — take me to that base. I don't intend to harm anyone there, including you. I only want to speak with your leader and get some answers. Don't make this into something it doesn't need to be."
Roy's expression was calm, almost indifferent. His two Pokémon stood just behind him. He had, in fact, released more than six by now — but the others had quietly dispersed into the surrounding trees and tall grass, out of sight, waiting.
When the small figure had first appeared, Roy had used his Aura to relay a quiet message to the rest of his team.
Follow us — but stay hidden. Lucario, Ninetales, stay close. Everyone else, keep to the woods. I don't want us drawing attention when we arrive. If a battle becomes necessary, I'll need every one of you ready.
After the instruction went out, the rustling in the nearby undergrowth gradually stilled. Even the veteran Sima Er noticed the sudden quiet — but he didn't read too much into it. In a world full of Pokémon, a bit of movement in the grass was nothing unusual. Young wild Pokémon passed through all the time. It wasn't worth a second thought.
Sima Er cleared his throat. "I should mention — I don't move slowly. Once I've changed form, my endurance and physical strength increase considerably. I can cover ground fast. I'd like to reach the base as soon as possible."
He glanced sideways, expecting some acknowledgment — and found instead that the snow-white Ninetales had quietly padded up to Roy's side and pressed its head gently against him. Roy looked down, understanding immediately what it was offering.
He rested a hand softly on Ninetales' head.
"Thank you. I'll make it up to you after this."
Ninetales was large — easily the size of two or three adults standing together — and as a fully evolved Pokémon, its physical stamina was remarkable. Carrying one lean trainer was effortless. Ninetales let out a soft, low cry and Roy climbed carefully onto its back.
Ahead of them, Sima Er shifted into his Weavile form, rising to roughly a person's height. Ninetales, with Roy on its back, moved up beside him — and then ahead, its long legs carrying them at an easy pace that Weavile nonetheless had to work to match.
Weavile followed behind, uncertain of what awaited them at their destination, but with no real choice left but to keep up.