71. Something Important
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Roy watched with confusion as Arbor and Muk fled the scene...
"Trainers are supposed to be like commanders of their Pokémon team," he thought. "Eliminating the commander can demoralize the rest, but the thin man isn't even dead yet. Why would these Pokémon abandon him instead of trying to help? Is their relationship with their Trainer that poor?"
"Don't bother trying to understand... cough..." The thin man wheezed, cradling his dying Banette.
"Banette is my only real Pokémon. The others are just assets distributed by the organization..."
"Distributed assets?" Roy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just another way to control those at the bottom," the thin man replied with a self-deprecating smile. "Not everyone can become a Trainer through official channels like you did. Without money or resources, what happens when you go broke trying to earn a Trainer license? People like us still can't rise up—we remain at the bottom. For street dogs like us, only organizations like Illuminati can offer any hope of advancement."
After listening to words, Roy nodded thoughtfully before issuing commands: "Lucario, carry him and Banette. Squirtle, take care of Callan, that unfortunate boy. Let's head back to Weavile's residence first... Apply this Potion to him—it won't let him die just yet."
The thin man's injuries had pushed him beyond his limits.
But before he died, Roy needed to extract some information from him, so he had to keep him alive a little longer.
In case reinforcements showed up, this wasn't a suitable place for interrogation. Roy had an emergency beacon on him that the examiners could use to track his location if needed.
On their way back, Roy's mind finally cleared from the adrenaline rush of his first life-or-death battle. As the effect wore off, he grimaced at the sight of the blood-covered, dying man. Though it wasn't as dramatic as the nausea portrayed in TV shows and novels, Roy did feel physically sick to his stomach.
Five minutes later, they arrived at Weavile's residence. Roy asked Weavile to look after the unconscious Callan.
Afterward, they took the thin man to a secluded spot where Roy began his interrogation.
"You're from Team Illuminati?" Roy questioned.
"That's right," the man confirmed weakly.
"How did you infiltrate this area?"
"Cough... the defense network of such a high-security zone isn't as impenetrable as you might think. Since the potential gain rarely justifies the risk, poaching gangs normally avoid this place. There hasn't been a single attack in years, so the authorities have grown complacent." The thin man answered truthfully as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The metallic smell of blood made Roy uncomfortable. He asked with surprise:
"Why are you cooperating so willingly?"
"Because... I have something to ask of you."
The thin man's pale face suddenly flushed with emotion as he adopted a pleading expression. "I'll tell you everything I know, but in exchange for my cooperation, please don't kill Banette. The Pokémon League has a special detention center for captured Pokémon, and once they're in, there's no escape and no chance for revenge against you. Please, I beg you..."
He crawled forward desperately, trying to grasp Roy's pants with his trembling hands.
Lucario stepped protectively in front of Roy, blocking the thin man's approach.
Roy remained silent for a moment, recalling how the thin man had used his Poké Ball to recall Banette during their battle...
Such a tactic wasn't allowed in competitive matches, but it was a practical skill in real combat.
If a Trainer's reflexes were quick enough, using a Poké Ball to withdraw a Pokémon at the right moment was essentially a 'dodge' technique.
Unfortunately, after merging with the Aura power, Lucario's explosive strength had exceeded expectations.
Against absolute power, skill became meaningless.
The thin man had known this, yet he still used the Poké Ball to recall Banette, giving away his position just to protect his Pokémon. He could have simply fled after admitting defeat, leaving his Pokémon behind to buy him time.
Emotions revealed in life-or-death situations were always the most genuine.
His concern for Banette was real...
"Very well, I promise," Roy nodded. There was no harm in agreeing—escaping from the Pokémon detention center was impossible anyway.
Hearing this, the thin man's expression became peaceful, and his complexion appeared slightly healthier.
Back to business.
Roy quickly asked, "Tell me everything you know. You seem to have recognized me from somewhere?"
"You were one of our targets here," the thin man explained. "Our branch recently completed a major operation, and the League has been hunting us relentlessly. We've been hiding in nearby cities, posing as local residents to avoid detection..."
"Some of our operatives disguised themselves as airport staff and learned about several flights arriving from Capital City, all carrying young trainers. One of them recognized you and knew you were students from Capital University..."
Roy looked perplexed upon hearing this.
His face had become quite recognizable lately.
As the saying went, "People fear fame as pigs fear fattening." His ancestors' wisdom hadn't failed him—notoriety wasn't always beneficial.
"You planned this operation just for me?" Roy asked, still confused. He couldn't imagine being valuable enough to warrant such attention from Team Illuminati.
"Was your target the Alolan Vulpix? The only legal one? You criminals actually care about what's 'legal'?"
"You're partially right—you weren't our main target..."
The thin man's eyes grew unfocused as his voice weakened. "Our superiors ordered us to capture as many Capital University students as possible. The more we captured alive, the greater our reward... You and Vulpix were considered equivalent to twenty students in value, with the emphasis on Vulpix, which is why killing you wouldn't have mattered much."
"Our real objective was a student named Cade..."
"I don't know why they wanted him arrested..."
He might not have known, but Roy did.
In that moment, all the pieces of information connected in Roy's mind.
This branch of Team Illuminati had recently completed a major operation...
As a result, the League had issued a strict hunt order, dispatching Champion Frances and Psychic Elite Carter, plus two Elites from the Russian Federation...
Facing intense pursuit, Team Illuminati had no choice but to hide in a city near White Mountain, where they accidentally learned about the arrival of students from Capital University...
Why capture Cade? Because his father was one of the main forces responsible for hunting down Team Illuminati, making Cade an extremely valuable bargaining chip.
The same logic applied to capturing Capital University students alive—they were all potential leverage, especially the recommended students.
Roy was different—everyone knew he was a self-made Trainer who had risen from nothing. With no network of connections, killing him would have little consequence. His value lay in his Vulpix...
The closed management of the wilderness survival training had provided Team Illuminati with an excellent opportunity. In the city, authorities would have noticed them the moment they made their move.
The potential benefits were too great and the opportunity too rare for Team Illuminati to hesitate taking the risk.
Seeing that the thin man was fading fast, Roy quickly asked a crucial question:
"What was the major operation your organization carried out?"
"We... invaded the newly arrived Alolan spiritual domain and stole something extremely important. I'm not qualified to know what it was."
Roy cursed internally.
So they were the ones who had burned the Vulpix Pokémon eggs!
Team Illuminati was truly despicable!
With both old and new hatred toward Team Illuminati burning within him, Roy continued his questioning:
"Where are you taking the students after capturing them?"
"Up the mountain, beside Heavenly Lake," the thin man answered, his eyelids drooping and voice becoming barely audible. "We established a temporary base there. Once the operation is complete, we'll withdraw immediately..."
His voice faded completely as his breathing stopped.
He was dead.