Chapter 4: The Shadow of the Massball

Section 4: The Shadow of the Massball

The wind had picked up slightly, lifting a thin veil of dust around the entrance to the cave. Just beside it, a Pokémon Center offered a reassuring light to trainers exhausted from their journey. The place was bustling, a sign that the crossing wouldn't be a mere formality. The scattered rocks, the rugged terrain—all of it formed a perfect setting: a final warning before stepping into what looked like a stone tomb.

This wouldn't be an ordinary path.

With measured steps, I entered the cave.

The humidity was the first thing that struck me. It seeped into everything, making the air heavy and sticky. Each breath carried a faint scent of damp earth and raw stone. The natural light almost immediately vanished, replaced by a few torches affixed to the walls. They cast a flickering glow, projecting shifting shadows that seemed to breathe along with me.

My footsteps echoed in the darkness—but not just mine.

The cave's acoustics amplified every sound: the scratching of unseen Pokémon nestled in the crevices, the occasional droplets of water hitting the stone, and most of all… footsteps further down the tunnel.

I clenched my fists.

I wasn't alone.

But in a cave as frequented as this one, it was hard to tell whether what I heard belonged to the past or the present. Other trainers were surely exploring these tunnels, searching for a path or a battle. Yet, a deep instinct told me that among all these sounds, one of them was different.

Then, a sudden movement on the ceiling.

I looked up just in time to see a swarm of Zubat diving at full speed in my direction.

But they weren't attacking me.

They were fleeing.

I pressed myself against the rocky wall, letting the rush of wings pass just inches from me. Their sharp cries echoed through the cavern, fading into the depths.

Something had disturbed them.

Zubat are creatures perfectly adapted to underground life. They use their ultrasonic waves to navigate without ever crashing, even in total darkness. But their true peculiarity is their extreme sensitivity to unusual sounds.

They don't flee without a reason.

A foreign noise, an unexpected movement—something that didn't belong here had forced them to scatter.

I had read that in an old book about cave-dwelling Pokémon.

And their reaction perfectly matched the timing and direction taken by the man I was pursuing.

It was him.

I tightened my grip on my Pokéball and continued forward, doubling my caution.

Every step brought back Leaf's words.

"They don't like it when you poke around in their business."

At this point, I couldn't lie to myself anymore. If the man I was tracking wasn't a member of Team Rocket, then he was working for them in some way.

Minutes passed. The cave seemed endless. The environment weighed more and more on my mind. The humidity, the dim light, the omnipresent echo—everything was designed to disorient.

Then, I heard them.

Voices.

Faint at first, they grew clearer as I approached a branching path to my right.

I instinctively slowed down.

To the right, a narrower passage opened into the darkness. I crouched behind a large rock, holding my breath.

Four silhouettes stood under the flickering glow of a torch.

Three of them wore black clothing, an R embroidered in red on their jackets. Team Rocket.

The fourth was different.

It was him.

The man I had followed.

— "So, did you find the Massball?" one of the Rocket members asked in a deep voice.

The Massball?

I narrowed my eyes.

The man nodded and pulled a metallic object from his pocket.

A Pokéball… silver.

Even in the dim light, it gleamed faintly, its smooth surface reflecting the torch flames.

— "Yes. It's here."

But it wasn't the Pokéball that shocked me the most.

It was his face.

Impossible…

It was him.

The man I had manipulated and checkmated in Viridian Forest. The one who wanted the shiny Pikachu. The one who had "died by suicide."

He was here. Alive.

A chilling shiver ran down my spine.

Memories overlapped with reality. I saw again that battle in Viridian Forest, his words, his despair… the fall into the ravine.

All of that… for what? A setup? A trick?

What is really going on?

This was no longer just about rare Pokémon.

This was no longer just a chess game against a mere criminal.

There was something bigger. Something I still didn't understand.

The two other Rocket members remained in the background, their faces hidden in the shadows. But their posture, their tone… they weren't just low-ranking grunts.

It was too risky.

I slowly backed away, keeping low, making sure my steps produced no sound against the stone floor.

Every movement was a calculated decision.

At this precise moment, a direct confrontation wasn't an option.

I had already learned too much.

And for the first time in a long while…

I had more questions than answers.

One thing was certain.

This time, the second round of chess had begun.