"Beedrill? Was it a wild Beedrill, or was someone controlling it?" Lt. Surge frowned deeply.
Though he had a cold and ruthless nature, Bai had been his direct disciple. Surge had always admired the boy, training him as a trusted confidant.
He never expected his life to end so abruptly. It was truly a pity.
Officer Jenny nodded. "Although we didn't find signs of human involvement at the scene, we can't rule out the possibility that the Beedrill was ordered to kill."
She paused, then continued, "Gym Leader Surge, please return for now. If we find anything new, we'll notify you immediately."
Surge gave a curt nod and left.
He knew well enough that finding a clear answer in such cases was close to impossible.
Murder for robbery—well, that meant someone killed for loot.
But Bai's belongings remained untouched, intact.
That could only mean one thing: the attack was simply a wild Beedrill gone berserk.
Inside the forest, Yozora walked toward the Land of Battle Spirits.
He didn't notice the strange Pokémon stalking him from the shadows—its body shaped like a gleaming sword, draped in a tattered crimson cloak that fluttered like blood-stained silk.
Though worn and torn, the cloak carried an odd beauty, an unmistakable aura that screamed it was no ordinary garment.
The Land of Battle Spirits was a barren wasteland where no grass grew, as desolate as a graveyard.
Surrounded by thick forest, even sunlight struggled to penetrate the gloom, leaving the entire place shrouded in oppressive shadows.
Adventurers were scattered throughout, though most moved in groups.
It was only natural—few dared to face this eerie land alone.
Many of them clutched shovels, digging frantically. Though uncovering the fabled Battle Spirit Cloak was close to impossible, there was always a sliver of hope.
Yozora, however, didn't dig. Instead, he searched for Ghost-type Pokémon.
But after circling the area, he hadn't seen a single one.
"Hey, Yozora!"
A familiar voice called out suddenly.
Turning, Yozora spotted A.J., shovel in hand, clearly in the middle of digging.
Seeing Yozora, A.J. stopped his work and waved enthusiastically.
"A.J.! It's been a while. Didn't think I'd run into you in a place like this," Yozora greeted warmly, walking over with a smile.
Truth be told, he held A.J. in high regard.
Hardworking, diligent, talented as a Trainer, and a skilled Breeder to boot—A.J. had the makings of someone truly exceptional.
"So, you're after the Battle Spirit Cloak too?" Yozora asked.
A.J. nodded with a grin. "Of course! An item like the Battle Spirit Cloak—rare enough that even money can't buy it—who wouldn't want one?"
Yozora nodded slightly.
The cloak's market value hovered around five million, but money wasn't the real issue.
Its rarity was.
Even with wealth, sometimes the shelves simply had no stock. One word: unavailable.
"By the way, A.J., I heard this place is crawling with Ghost-types. But I just searched the whole area and didn't see a single one." Yozora eyed his friend's dirtied clothes, guessing A.J. had been here for quite a while, and voiced his doubts.
A.J. chuckled. "That's because the Ghost-types here are night-dwellers. During the day, they're still fast asleep. Be patient until nightfall—then you'll see plenty of them."
"I see… You've been here for some time then. Have you seen any Pokémon carrying the cloak?" Yozora pressed.
A.J. nodded firmly. "Yeah. Just last night, in fact. A Gengar appeared. But it wasn't interested in fighting. After teasing everyone for a bit, it vanished."
Yozora nodded in understanding.
Indeed, Gengar's ability to vanish into shadows made it a troublesome foe. If it wasn't seeking battle, just toying with humans, it was even harder to pin down.
"Yozora, it gets boring during the day. How about a battle? It's been ages since we fought. Around here, I've practically gone undefeated!" A.J. suddenly suggested with a grin.
Yozora smiled back. "Of course. One-on-one, or…?"
"Let's make it a three-on-three. That way I can show you my newest partners."
"Sounds good."
With that, their battle began.
The bored adventurers nearby, noticing a match about to start, quickly gathered around in excitement.
For the first round, Yozora sent out Machop, while A.J. released a Scyther.
"Not bad—you've got a Scyther." Yozora praised with a smile.
But after sensing its potential, his brows furrowed slightly.
Only Senior-tier potential…
A.J.'s luck was simply too poor. To capture a rare Pokémon, only for its potential to be so ordinary—what a waste.
Pokémon with Senior-tier potential weren't uncommon in the wild. With A.J.'s skill, he should've been able to find much stronger ones.
Maybe even a Lord-tier capture if fortune favored him.
But alas, while A.J. had talent, his luck was abysmal.
Yozora remembered his Sandslash—it, too, had only Senior-tier potential.
After evolving from Sandshrew, it had reached the Senior peak, shining for a time, but exhausting its growth ceiling in the process.
Without some extraordinary stroke of fate…
Or without rare treasures like the coveted Earth Gem, Sandslash's journey would end there.
"Ah, I just got lucky, that's all," A.J. laughed sheepishly, cracking his whip against the ground.
Yozora sweatdropped.
It seemed A.J. really was satisfied with his Scyther.
Considering his previous captures—Rattata, Beedrill, Butterfree—all mediocre, most barely Junior-tier at best…
Compared to them, Scyther was practically a jackpot.
Still, it was a tragic sight. Truly enough to make one's eyes sting.
If only Yozora's system allowed outside use, he wouldn't have minded giving A.J. a secret boost.
Crack!
The sharp crack of A.J.'s whip snapped Yozora out of his thoughts.
That whip was his unique command style.
At the sound, Scyther's wings buzzed, launching it toward Machop in a blur, scythes flashing as it slashed rapidly.
"Machop, use Bulk Up!" Yozora commanded swiftly.
(End of Chapter)