Austin returned with Arcanine. By the time they arrived, the busy loading and unloading work had already been completed.
Leon happened to pass by and glanced over.
"Oh, Arcanine looks pretty happy."
"Arca."
Arcanine wagged its large tail, tongue slightly out, its usual stern presence softened into something almost relaxed.
Compared to Austin's Arcanine, the former police Arcanine carried a far more imposing, battle-hardened presence. Years of frontline service had given it an air of quiet authority.
But today was different.
For the first time, Leon noticed that the constant tension in the Pokémon's eyes had eased. The wariness that once kept it from meeting anyone's gaze was slowly disappearing, replaced by a calm confidence.
Leon couldn't help giving a thumbs-up.
"Looking good, my boy."
Austin smiled and rubbed the Arcanine's broad head.
"It wasn't me. Chief deserves the credit."
"Chief?" Leon blinked. "Since when did he get a nickname?"
Austin chuckled.
"Calling him 'Arcanine' sometimes confuses Agni into thinking I'm talking to him. So I started calling him Chief instead."
He paused before adding,
"There's another reason, too. Before he retired, everyone in his police unit expected him to become the next chief Arcanine once the current leader stepped down. He was the unanimous choice because of his outstanding service record."
Leon looked genuinely surprised.
"I never knew that."
A second later, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
"Hold on... do you think someone leaked his patrol route? Maybe his competitors arranged the ambush to eliminate him from the succession race."
Austin froze.
Chief slowly turned to look at Austin.
One man and one Pokémon simultaneously raised a paw and a hand to their foreheads.
Austin sighed.
"Dad... you've been watching way too many Pokéwood crime movies."
"Hey!" Leon protested with a grin. "Every good mystery starts with a conspiracy. I can smell a plot twist from a mile away."
Austin couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Please don't ever change, Dad."
"That's the plan."
Chief let out a low, amused huff before giving Leon a playful nudge with his nose.
Watching the exchange, Austin smiled to himself.
Chief had not fully recovered yet. The system quest remained incomplete.
But every day, the old police Arcanine smiled a little more, trusted a little more, and looked a little less like a warrior carrying the weight of the past alone.
Austin knew it was only a matter of time before Chief was whole again.
The side quest reward tied to Chief was unusual, a fragment of memory. According to the system prompt, it was linked to Dialga and Palkia.
"Go on, take a break."
Austin no longer needed to worry much about Chief. Its strength alone was more than enough for self-preservation.
If anything, it was powerful enough to be a problem for others.
As an elite police Arcanine from a top unit, Chief's combat level was Ruby, roughly Initial-tier.
That was even above Austin's strongest Pokémon, Ryu, who has only recently reached the Emerald (Initial) stage.
Training background, resource access, and years of field experience all gave Chief a clear advantage.
It was also older, more experienced, and far more refined in battle instinct. A Pokémon of that level guarding the entrance was more than enough.
Chief did not go to rest.
Instead, it walked directly toward the main entrance of the Breeding House, beginning its new duty without hesitation.
The automatic glass doors slid open.
Chief stepped into the front desk service area.
Inside, Daniella froze.
"Agni? No, wait, this isn't Austin's Arcanine. It's not as lean… so you are…"
"Nine. Arcanine!"
Arcanine barked once, steady and clear.
Gardevoir relayed the information using Psychic from nearby.
(It says his name is Chief and will protect us.)
Daniella exhaled in relief, then smiled.
"Thank you, Chief."
Yesterday's incident was still fresh in her mind. If Dai Yui, Ryu, and the others had not arrived in time…
"Arca."
(No need.)
. . .
Austin's phone kept vibrating.
It started with Red forwarding two videos: the Sinnoh NOW clip and the joint arrest operation footage.
Red: "Everyone, take a look."
Lt. Surge: "That headline is way too dramatic."
Brendan: "That's how they get views. I clicked it without thinking."
May: "Same here."
Yellow: "So many wild Pokémon showed up."
Blue: "@Austin, What actually happened at the Breeding House?"
Ethan: "Austin, you've got Viridian Power, too?"
Austin replied first to Blue.
"Some troublemakers showed up. They've been handled. The reason behind it is still unclear."
Austin then replied to Ethan with a voice message.
"No, the footage was edited. It was Ryu who told Zenith and Dragapult to gather the nearby Pokémon."
Ethan: "Sinnoh NOW actually edits videos like that? That's one of the biggest television networks in the region."
Ethan: "Wait... what has Lance been doing in Sinnoh all this time?"
Lorelei: "Managing everything."
No one challenged Lorelei's answer.
Everyone in the group knew Lance's personality. If something threatened public safety, he would never ignore it.
Blue: "Where's Lance?"
Austin: "Probably still busy. He spent the entire night conducting interrogations before leading the arrest operation. Now that they've made the arrests, he's most likely questioning everyone again."
Austin knew because Cynthia had sent him another message earlier.
Ethan: "Seriously? That's dedication. How much does the League Alliance even pay him?"
At that moment, Lance suddenly appeared in the chat.
Lance: "Not that much. Want to be an investigator? I'll pay you double."
He wasn't joking.
Lance genuinely wanted to expand the League Alliance's investigator division. That was one of the reasons he had tried recruiting Austin.
Ethan: "Hard pass."
The reply was exactly what Lance had expected.
Lance: "@Austin, it's a long story. Can you take a call?"
Austin: "Sure."
Ethan: "Don't take it private! I want to hear it too!"
Red: "+1"
Blue: "+1"
The others silently agreed as well.
Lance: "I'll explain everything later."
The call came through almost immediately.
Austin answered.
"Did something happen?"
Lance got straight to the point.
"Goldsmile confessed. The person who hired him was Barry Smith, the owner of the Jubilife branch of Crown Coronet Breeding House. Do you know him?"
Austin shook his head.
"We knew the Breeding House was trying to undercut our prices, but we never paid much attention to them. I've never even met this Barry."
He hadn't expected the attack to be connected to the price war.
"I see."
Lance immediately pieced everything together.
"That explains it."
He paused before continuing.
"Barry probably realized he couldn't beat the Black Crest through normal business competition. When the price war failed, he resorted to criminal methods."
Austin's expression darkened.
Lance continued calmly.
"Barry Smith is being arrested on suspicion of hiring others to carry out a violent assault. We've also uncovered several illegal activities tied to his business operations. Even though the attack wasn't successful, the combined charges should keep him in prison for several years."
He added,
"A lawyer will contact you soon."
Austin blinked.
"So... it really was him."
"Not entirely."
Lance's tone became more serious.
" Evergrow Company is involved as well."
"Evergrow Company?"
Austin frowned.
Lance explained,
"The Breeding House in Jubilife is only a franchise. However, because of the company's reputation, Evergrow will almost certainly approach you."
"They'll probably offer you compensation and try to settle the matter quietly."
Austin understood immediately.
"So Barry pays for the damages, and Evergrow tries to smooth everything over?"
"Exactly."
Lance nodded.
"Barry will be responsible for fully compensating your losses. The company will likely negotiate an additional settlement."
Austin wasn't particularly familiar with League law.
"So... what do I need to do?"
Lance answered without hesitation.
"Nothing complicated."
"Just keep operating the Black Crest as usual. Gather every receipt related to the damage, document your losses, and wait for their lawyer to contact you."
"You are the victim in this case. They'll come to negotiate politely. If your compensation request is a little on the high side, that's perfectly reasonable."
A faint smile appeared on Lance's face.
"Trust me. Evergrow has more than enough money. They won't lose sleep over a larger settlement if it keeps the matter from becoming an even bigger scandal."
Austin nodded.
"Understood."
"That's all you need to worry about."
Austin let out a relieved breath.
"Thanks, Lance. I really appreciate it."
Lance laughed.
"No need to thank me. Yesterday's sandwich was delectable."
His tone became noticeably lighter.
"Next time I'm in town, treat me to another meal."
Austin smiled.
"Deal."
The call ended.
Less than a minute later, Austin's phone vibrated again with another incoming call.
. . .
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