Afternoon.
[At the Pokémon House]
A new sign hung on the door:
Our store solemnly declares: This is a pet store! If you are not intending to make a purchase, please only visit between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM every Monday.
The store will be closed to the public during this time for non-buying visitors. Please do not disturb normal operations on other days. If you insist on interfering, you will be held responsible for the consequences.
Trevor Scott and Rachel Long read the sign with wide eyes before bursting into laughter.
"Hah! Looks like the manager's finally had enough of those 'tourists,'" Trevor chuckled.
"The Pokémon House is practically more famous than most celebrities right now," Rachel rolled her eyes with a grin. "It's totally understandable."
Jingle~
"Welcome."
"Afternoon, Fei," Trevor greeted the staff warmly. "Busy right now?"
"Not at the moment," Fei Rao replied, sighing in relief. "But the morning rush was insane."
"Totally makes sense, right after a major tournament," Trevor nodded.
[Inside the Rest Area]
"Boss!" Trevor and Rachel approached Gu Wilson, who was sipping tea calmly.
"You want to see Zygarde, don't you?" Gu asked with a small smile.
"Ah, you know us so well!" Rachel giggled. "Come on, let us see Zygarde! We wanna witness the legend firsthand!"
"Who wants to see me?!"
Suddenly, a small green creature jumped out of Gu's arms, its head held high with dramatic flair.
"Wait, what?" Rachel blinked at the tiny, proud Pokémon.
"Boss, what is this little guy? It looks like a... flatworm?" Trevor asked, confused.
"Disrespectful humans! Look directly at me!" the little creature snapped telepathically.
"I am Zygarde! Guardian of Order! Watcher of Ecological Balance! Not a flatworm!"
Trevor stared in shock. Did that thing just... talk?
Rachel pulled out her phone, flipping to the picture she had saved of Zygarde's massive, Gundam-like form. "You're saying this is Zygarde?"
"Of course! Who would dare impersonate me?!"
Gu smiled and handed the little Zygarde core an energy cube, effectively plugging its mouth.
"Technically, this is the Zygarde Core," Gu explained. "Zygarde's power is distributed across multiple cores, each acting like a part of its brain."
"Ahh, no wonder my Pokédex couldn't scan it," Rachel said, trying again with no success. The device simply displayed 'No Data'.
Even though she was curious about the "important mission" Gu mentioned, she didn't press further. After all, this was the Pokémon responsible for the strange visions in Magic City last night…
She looked at the tiny core, nibbling on the cube, amazed at how something so unassuming could be that powerful.
[Later That Afternoon – East China Sea Picnic]
"Boss, we're going to the East China Sea for a picnic—wanna join us?" Trevor asked.
Gu shook his head. "Not this time. I can't leave the store right now. Maybe next time."
[Meanwhile on the Ocean]
"Ooooooo~!!!"
"Hurry up! Speed up! What are you doing?!" Edward hollered as he clung to the speeding boat, Lin Shawn laughing maniacally behind him.
"SHARPEDO!!!"
"Oh crap! Sharpedo incoming! Turn! TURN!!"
"Don't yell, I see it!!" Lin shouted back, struggling with the controls.
On a nearby cliff overlooking the sea, Christina Chu watched with an exasperated expression.
"Idiots," she muttered.
"But it looks fun," Yuna Lin giggled softly.
"Oooh, can we catch those sharks?" McKenna's eyes sparkled as she watched the Sharpedo pack.
"Possible, but they're powerful, and fighting in the sea isn't easy," Rachel said thoughtfully.
"Man, it's been so long since I relaxed like this. The weather's perfect," Cindy Ruan said, sprawling out under the sun.
The once-deserted island was now lush and beautiful—flowers, greenery, and a salty sea breeze.
"I heard Pokémon will soon appear nationwide," Christina said, practically bouncing with excitement. "I can't wait for that adventure!"
"Zhangjiajie, Shennongjia, Mount Putuo, Changbai Mountain... imagine the Pokémon there!" Yuna's eyes gleamed.
"It'll still take months to fully spread across the country," Jessica Chang added.
"No big deal—it's coming," Bianca Quinn smiled.
"Okay! Grill's ready—ladies, come help cook!" Charles Yun called out.
"We're doing all the work while Edward and Shawn are messing around with jet skis!" Max scowled, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Let them play for now. We'll pull them back when it's time to eat," Trevor said calmly.
"Agreed," Simon nodded.
"Xiu, go help them out, will you? Before the Sharpedo wreck the boat," Charles said.
"Got it," Xiu Ruan replied.
[After the Picnic]
Lying back on the grass, everyone was full, satisfied, and watching their Pokémon frolic nearby.
[Back at Sea – Elsewhere]
"Faster, you idiot!"
A large steel ship raced across the ocean, two other ships trailing behind. In the command room, a pale-faced man barked at the sailor.
"Y-yes, sir!" the sailor stammered, pushing the throttle.
From a reef not far away, a green-and-white, dog-like Pokémon stood motionless. Its long green ribbon-like appendage fluttered in the wind.
Zygarde – 10% Form.
As per Gu's orders, if large-scale illegal Pokémon capture was detected, Zygarde was to handle it directly.
It had just been about to strike when...
The sea below the poacher ships darkened. A massive shadow stirred beneath the surface.
Then—boom! A colossal brown tentacle burst out of the ocean and wrapped around one of the seven-meter-long boats.
"IT'S HERE AGAIN! GO FASTER!!" the pale man shrieked.
More tentacles emerged, smashing down and binding the ship completely. Screams echoed as the vessel was torn apart, its stolen Tentacools set free.
The monstrous creature dove back beneath the waves, chasing after the other fleeing ships.
Zygarde watched silently from the reef.
"A mutated Pokémon...? Interesting. That saves me the trouble... but I should still follow and monitor."
Glowing with green energy, Zygarde leapt forward, racing across the waves in pursuit..
Advance chapter in PATREON
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