"Shit, I forgot about those damn hyenas!"
Hearing Shiro's words, Marvin jumped off the couch and exclaimed, "We need to find them fast! If something happened, this whole mission's gonna be stained."
"No need to go looking," Allister said calmly.
He turned his head, the hollow eyes of his white mask facing toward Stow-on-Side. From his shoulder, the cloth-covered Mimikyu popped up. He had already released Mimikyu right after they left the ruins, sending it ahead to scout the area.
Just then, a noisy commotion erupted outside the tent.
"Who are those people?"
"They look like scavengers from the wild. What the hell are they doing at our camp? Do they have a death wish?"
"Maybe they're here to beg for food."
"Should we call the ones inside? Since the captain's gone, they're in charge now."
"Tch… if they hadn't come down and saved us, I'd be a damn ghost already..."
As the voices rose outside, Shiro pulled back the curtain of the tent. A skinny man stood right in front of him. After a brief nod, the man stepped aside, letting Shiro pass.
Clusters of B5 members in gray uniforms had gathered near the crumbling wall, talking among themselves. Off in the distance, a group of more than a dozen figures wrapped in brown and yellow cloaks were slowly making their way toward the camp.
A breeze swept across the desert, lifting fine grains of yellow sand that danced in front of them like a veil before a desert dancer.
Shiro led his team to the front, his sharp eyes easily making out the faces of the approaching group—and the researchers in white coats they dragged along, bound tightly and dangling at their sides.
"Looks like they're here to demand ransom," Shiro guessed their motive.
These guys had guts, showing up like this. They must've sent scouts before the sandstorm passed, realized most of the camp was empty, and seized the chance to capture the researchers. The fact that they hadn't killed anyone—and had left the heavy, useless equipment behind—made their intent obvious. They planned to use hostages in exchange for resources.
"Damn bastards," Marvin muttered, fuming. The mission had been almost complete. They were ready to head back to the Rose Tower and rest. Now, thanks to those filthy hyenas, they had a new mess to clean up.
Shiro glanced back at the disorganized team behind him. Then, in a commanding voice, he shouted.
"All personnel! Form up and get ready for battle! They might charge the camp!"
His voice rang loud and clear. The once-relaxed B5 members snapped to attention, and silence fell over the group.
Even though it wasn't Captain Gareth giving the order, most of them recognized Shiro. He was the lucky guy who somehow captured an Elite-level Drakloak out in the Wild Area.
He'd caught a powerful Pokémon, earned Chairman Rose's attention, and now just saved their lives. Some were jealous, sure, but no one doubted his strength or refused his command.
No matter how much they looked down on those desert hyenas, the enemy was closing in.
Shiro had purposely exaggerated the enemy's intentions to boost morale. When he saw his command had some effect, he led the squad forward in full force, marching through the soft sand to confront the incoming group.
The gap between both sides shrank rapidly. At less than fifty meters, the tension hit its peak. Every trainer gripped their Poké Ball tightly.
All it would take was one wrong move. In an instant, dozens, maybe hundreds, of Pokémon could burst out, setting off a massive battle.
"We came to negotiate!" the man in the lead shouted. He wore a yellow cloak and held up one of the researchers in a white coat like a waving flag of surrender. His voice rode the wind, reaching Shiro and his team.
As more and more researchers were hoisted up like trophies, the tension between both sides gradually faded.
Realizing that a battle likely wouldn't break out, the B5 members fell silent, all turning to glare at the disgraced captives.
Roughly a minute later, Shiro stood face to face with the opposing leader, just two meters between them.
"Heh… you," the man began, squinting at Shiro. "You and the three behind you—you're the reinforcements that showed up not long ago, right? The ones who took down Eldon?"
Shiro didn't answer the question. Instead, he asked, "You're Dalton?"
At the name, the towering figure—easily over two meters tall—pulled back his hood, revealing a bald, gleaming head. He grinned.
"So you've heard of me? Looks like I'm not just some nobody in the eyes of your little group."
"Dalton!" a B5 member from the back stepped forward, seeming to recognize the bald giant. Then, as if remembering something, he leaned in and whispered to Shiro, "He's a Gym-level trainer who specializes in Bug-types. We actually tried to recruit him once—"
"The offer was pathetic!" Dalton interrupted loudly, having overheard. "I'd rather take what I want myself!"
"Bug-type, huh..." Shiro furrowed his brow, recalling the intel he'd received before. Dalton owned three Bug-type Pokémon at Gym-level.
Bug-types were generally known for their low potential, ease of training, and rapid growth. Their low ceiling meant they evolved into their final forms fast and gained decent early strength, but reach their limit just as quickly.
Most Pokémon evolved into their final forms eventually. Before that, their growing bodies allowed their power to scale alongside them. But once fully evolved, most hit a natural limit: one dictated by their potential. After that, growth became slow, if not impossible.
That was why so many trainers cared about base species; Dragon-types, for example, had a much higher growth ceiling. A Pokémon like Drakloak—even at Elite level—wasn't done evolving yet.
As such, raising a Pokémon whose potential was supposedly "used up," especially a Bug-type, required something special. Whether it was a unique training method or an uncanny eye for talent, making those kinds of Pokémon strong was no accident. Clearly, Dalton wasn't just another desert scavenger.
"I didn't want to raise Bug-types either," Dalton said darkly, bitterness creeping into his voice. "They grow fast… and die just as fast. My first team was gone in just a few years."
He gave the researcher in his grip a rough shake, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"I want Pokémon. Good ones, strong bloodlines, high potential. Two Dragon-types, at least capable of reaching Elite-level. That's the price for these researchers."
"Keep dreaming!"
Before Shiro could respond, someone behind him shouted angrily.
He shot the man a glance, then turned back to Dalton and replied calmly, "They're not worth that much."
At those words, the researcher in the Dalton's grip began thrashing wildly, muffled cries leaking from behind the gag stuffed in his mouth.
With a grin, Dalton yanked the cloth from the man's mouth and said, "You tell them if you're worth it or not."
"Hah… hah…!" The man, the same tall, brown-haired researcher from earlier, gasped for air before shouting, "We have key data on the ruins! Chairman Rose gave strict orders! It must be delivered to—"
Before he could finish, Shiro cut him off flatly. "The data's in the equipment. You or no you, it makes no difference."
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!