Chapter 14: Larvitar, Get!

Soul Connection—unlike the rare ability of telepathy, this was a unique resonance that only Dark-type Pokémon could establish with Sato.

By opening their souls to each other, both sides could glimpse into each other's memories.

Tyranitar's life unfolded before Sato like a vivid projection, playing out in front of him like a series of fragmented images.

A dark green egg lay quietly in a dimly lit cave.

At some point, a tiny crack appeared on its shell, and through it, a soft blue glow shone—the light of hatching.

The newborn Larvitar slowly opened its drowsy eyes, yet it did not cry, nor did it appear lost.

It calmly examined its surroundings, then turned its head and chomped down on the remaining eggshell, swallowing it without hesitation.

After rubbing its still-hungry red belly, it shifted its gaze toward the dark-colored rocks surrounding it.

"Chomp, chomp… chomp, chomp, chomp…"

When hungry, it gnawed on rocks.

When full, it slept.

As a Rock/Ground-type Pokémon, Larvitar needed no water—those dark stones were its perfect nourishment.

Each time it woke up, Larvitar searched the area, looking for the darkest rocks among the ordinary ones, then ate them eagerly.

Sometimes it dug upward, sometimes downward, sometimes left, sometimes right—but no matter what, this tiny body somehow managed to consume stones several times its own size.

Day after day, year after year.

One day, after digging upward for what seemed like an eternity, a sudden ray of light shone onto its face.

For the first time, Larvitar experienced sunlight.

And when it crawled out of the cave, it saw a vast world beyond—blue skies, green grass, mountains, lakes, and, for the first time, other living creatures.

The forest was dense with wild Pokémon, and competition was fierce.

It didn't take long for Larvitar to learn the pain of being tackled, nor did it take long to realize just how terrifying Water Gun could be.

And so, it learned to fight back.

Its innate battle instincts awakened.

Though still young, Larvitar quickly made others understand—a pseudo-legendary was not to be underestimated.

Again and again, it fought—not for tastier berries, not for better territory, but simply to prove its strength.

Then, one day—Larvitar evolved.

Silver-white armor encased its body, granting it impenetrable defense.

Ordinary attacks could no longer harm it easily.

But… it was always tired.

In a daze, it remembered its home—the deep, dark tunnels where it was born.

So, it burrowed underground once more, suppressing its battle instincts, and continued eating dark rocks.

Eat, sleep, wake, repeat.

For the first time in ages, Pupitar felt at peace.

Then, after an unknown amount of time, Pupitar fell into its longest slumber—one that lasted an entire month.

When it finally awoke, it was greeted by the dazzling light of evolution.

A Sandstorm Tyrant—Tyranitar!

It set off on its journey, battling fiercely, never knowing fear.

Its armor became scarred, but each wound only made it stronger.

Then, one fateful moonlit night, Tyranitar finally defeated the strongest Pokémon in its territory, claiming the title of ruler.

It had become king, respected by all Pokémon in its domain.

It basked in its status.

It had to protect its land, its followers, and it had to keep fighting.

Then, suddenly, the memories sped forward like a blur, flashing past until they slowed once more.

For some reason, Tyranitar's gaze softened.

Looking closer, Sato saw its massive hands cradling a dark green egg.

The bond between parent and child was so strong that even Sato, merely an observer, could feel the warmth.

To hatch its child, Tyranitar abandoned its throne, retreating underground once more.

It searched tirelessly for the best black stones, the most nourishing minerals, preparing for the day its child would be born.

But as time passed, Sato noticed something else.

Tyranitar had grown old.

Its reactions were slower, its appetite smaller, and its once-impenetrable armor had dulled.

The ferocity in its eyes had faded, replaced by gentleness and calm.

And then, Sato saw himself appear within Tyranitar's memories.

----------------------

Unlike Sato, who marveled at Tyranitar's thrilling life of battle, Tyranitar itself was in shock.

Because it had just witnessed Sato's greatest secret.

Rebirth.

The Dark Energy connection slowly faded, and both Sato and Tyranitar returned to the present.

Sato's eyes shone with respect, while Tyranitar's gaze remained complicated.

It now knew that it had only two years left to live.

But it also knew that its child's future was already determined.

Not only would Larvitar be captured by a human, but it would willingly entrust its child to one.

Was it because of that mysterious power?

Tyranitar wasn't sure.

But after realizing that its time was short, it felt at peace.

"Lar?"

Tyranitar gently lifted Larvitar off its shoulder, gazing at it with deep reluctance.

Yet, in the end, it slowly placed its child onto the ground.

Larvitar, though still small, displayed remarkable composure.

Upon hearing its father's decision, it only showed a moment of surprise before walking calmly toward Sato, stopping at his side.

"ROAR!"

A deafening bellow echoed through the cave—yet the sound was filled with sorrow.

Without looking back, Tyranitar vanished into the depths of the tunnels.

"Larvitar, from now on, let's work together."

"Lar!"

A faint glimmer of moisture appeared at the corner of Larvitar's eye, but it firmly and solemnly placed its small claw into Sato's open hand.

A bond as unshakable as stone.

"Let's go."

A slight smirk curled at the corner of Sato's lips as he called over Zorua and Haunter, leading his newly acquired Larvitar as they turned and headed toward another path.

"Sir, a recruit, a Red-rank assassin, and a Green-rank assassin from the Cerulean Division have gone missing."

"During the search, we discovered a pile of shattered insignias and broken Poké Ball fragments in an abandoned thicket."

Inside a large tent, a Silver-rank assassin sat motionless, eyes closed, while a Blue-rank commander of the Cerulean Division stood before him, carefully delivering the report.

Beside the commander was a tray, holding several blackened badge fragments and dozens of Poké Ball button discs—the hardest parts of a Poké Ball to destroy.

The Silver-rank assassin finally spoke, his voice cold and indifferent.

"If they're dead, we need bodies. Go investigate."

"Yes, sir!"

The Blue-rank assassin felt a surge of both shock and fear, immediately bowing before hastily leaving the tent.

Outside, another Green-rank vice commander was waiting anxiously.

The moment he saw the Blue-rank commander emerge, he rushed forward in urgency.

"Commander, we have a serious problem!"

"What is it?"

"Our investigation revealed that the three missing individuals had complicated connections.

The recruit, HL20, was the one kidnapped by the Green-rank vice leader.

And the Red-rank assassin who was tracking him?

He had previously clashed with HL20 during the cage trial."

The Blue-rank commander's face darkened.

"A recruit killed two assassins and escaped the perimeter we set up? Impossible."

But then, another more pressing issue dawned on him.

"What do we know about HL20?"

The Green-rank vice leader gritted his teeth before speaking in frustration.

"That's the worst part. Before a recruit officially passes the trial, all their data is uploaded to the system by the Red-rank assassin in charge of the cage trial."

He clenched his fists.

"But that lunatic must have wanted to kill HL20 during the trial. So…"

The Blue-rank commander's expression turned grave.

"Are you telling me we have no way of knowing who HL20 actually is?"

"Exactly…"