Outside the Cerulean Gym complex, inside one Cerulean Police patrol car, parked in a discreet shadow, the silence was broken by only two sounds: the rhythmic, alcohol-fueled snoring of a handcuffed man in the back seat, and the tinny sound of a Pokémon battle coming from a cell phone.
Officer Lilian Jenny wasn't watching the street. She was hunched over the steering wheel, her eyes glued to the small screen of her smartphone, the blue glow illuminating her tense face.
On the screen, through the smoke and sand, a small blue and black blur launched itself against a giant.
"Come on, Enzo..." she whispered, biting the nail of her thumb, something she would never do while in uniform in public. "Don't back down now."
Suddenly, on the video, Deino connected the Headbutt. Machamp flew backward. The referee raised the flag. Enzo's image appeared on the screen, victorious.
Officer Jenny's composure snapped.
"YES!" she shouted, punching the steering wheel and kicking the air inside the cramped footwell. "THAT'S IT! TAKE THAT!"
The shout echoed inside the closed cabin. In the back seat, the man who had been arrested for trying to hug a Gyarados in the plaza fountain woke up with a start, banging his head against the window.
"Huh?! What?!" he stammered, his eyes red and unfocused. "Where am I...? Is this the bar?"
Lilian froze. The radiant smile vanished in a millisecond, replaced by the cold, professional mask of authority. She locked the phone, straightened her police cap, and looked through the rearview mirror with a glare that could freeze an Articuno.
"It is not a bar, sir," she said, her voice dry and cutting. "We are on route to the station to process your stay in the drunk tank. Sit back."
The man grumbled something unintelligible and leaned his head back against the cold glass.
Lilian let out a long sigh, relaxing her shoulders against the seat again. She looked at the black phone on the passenger seat. The screen was off, but she could still see the mental image of Enzo recalling Deino with that annoying calmness of his.
A small, genuine smile returned to her lips. "You actually did it, you crazy lunatic..." she murmured.
But as the adrenaline of his victory faded, another reality settled in. Her smile wavered. The memory of their conversation, the promise she made on the other night rushed back to her.
"Fine! If you actually win... I'll take you to Pallet Town myself."
Lilian swallowed hard, turning the key in the ignition. The dashboard lights flickered to life. She had made a promise. A bet. Now, he had upheld his end of the bargain. Against all odds, against the type disadvantage, he had reached the Grand Final.
She shifted into first gear, hesitating for a second.
Will he forget? she thought, pulling the car out gently. He's a celebrity now. He's going to have the whole city all over him. Maybe, in the middle of all that chaos, our "deal" will slip his mind.
She stopped at the first red light. She looked at the reflection of her own eyes in the mirror.
Lilian sighed, a strange mix of resignation and anxiety tightening her chest.
The light turned green. The patrol car moved forward, carrying a police officer who, for the first time in a long while, was more nervous about a date than a criminal.
Back in the arena, the noise was deafening. The vibrations from the crowd could be felt in the soles of Enzo's boots.
Daisy, radiant in the spotlight, raised her microphone to silence the ocean of fans.
"People of Cerulean!" she shouted, her voice echoing to the rafters. "We have our second finalist! And he is one of our own!"
The crowd erupted again, chanting Enzo's name.
"The stage is set," Daisy continued, pointing to the massive screen where Enzo's face was now displayed next to the silver-haired heir of Devon. "In exactly five days, right here in this stadium, we will witness their clash. The Pride of Kanto versus the Hoenn Prodigy! Who will take the title?"
Enzo waved one time, before turning and disappearing into the tunnel.
As the heavy metal doors closed behind him, the roar of the crowd was instantly cut off.
Standing there, leaning casually against the wall with the elegance of someone who owns the place, was Steven Stone.
"Quite a show, Enzo," Steven said, pushing himself off the wall with a polite smile. "Winning a 4v4 sudden death against the Galar prodigy... and with a Type disadvantage? I must admit, I am impressed."
Enzo walked past him, unbuttoning the collar of his jacket slightly to let off some heat. "Don't be too happy, Steven," Enzo replied with a smirk, not breaking his stride. "I won't be nearly as nice to you in the final."
Steven laughed, a rich, genuine sound. "I would expect nothing less. I look forward to it."
Before Enzo could go further, a familiar, bulky figure stepped forward. It was Brock. The Pewter City trainer, who had been eliminated earlier, grinned and clamped a heavy hand on Enzo's shoulder.
"You actually did it, man," Brock said, his voice filled with relief and pride. "You avenged my loss. Watching you take down that Machamp... it was poetic."
"Someone had to defend Kanto's honor, Brock," Enzo joked, bumping fists with him. "Can't let the tourists think we're pushovers."
Further down the hall, the mood was heavier. Nessa was sitting on a bench, speaking softly to Bea. The Fighting-type specialist was sitting with her elbows on her knees, staring at the floor. She looked frustrated, her martial artist's pride stung by the defeat.
Enzo stopped and approached them.
Nessa looked up. She didn't glare protectively. Instead, she fixed him with that signature, heavy-lidded gaze, the one that graced magazine covers across Galar. It was cool, alluring, and calculating.
Despite her friend's sadness, there was a flicker of relief in Nessa's beautiful eyes. If Bea had managed to defeat the man who had crushed Nessa earlier, the public would have whispered that the Water Gym was the weak link of Galar. But now? They had both fallen to the same monster. Her reputation remained intact. She wasn't the weak one.
Enzo ignored the seduction in her eyes, focusing instead on her defeated friend. He extended a hand toward Bea.
"That was a good fight," Enzo said, his voice serious. "Your formation was perfect. If the sandstorm had cleared ten seconds earlier, I would have lost. I'd like the chance to fight you again one day. In Galar."
Bea looked at his hand. Then she looked up at his face. She saw no mockery, only the respect of one warrior to another. Slowly, she stood up. She was still visibly upset—hating the taste of defeat—but she gripped his hand firmly.
"Next time..." Bea said, her voice tight but determined. "Next time, you won't be so lucky. Come to Galar."
She reached into her uniform and pulled out a personal contact card. She handed it to him. "Call me when you're in my region. I want a rematch."
Enzo took the card and slipped it into his pocket. "It's a deal."
Enzo nodded to Nessa and turned to leave. Before he reached the exit, he stopped by Steven one last time.
"Steven," Enzo said, loud enough for everyone to hear, his tone shifting from friendly to sharp. "About our... little research project."
Steven raised an eyebrow, amused. "Yes?"
"I'm putting it on hold," Enzo declared with a cocky grin. "I'm going to need to go dark for the next few days. I need 100% of my focus to figure out how to crush you."
The room went quiet. It was a bold statement.
Steven blinked, then threw his head back and laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh, but it was filled with the effortless confidence of someone who had never truly lost.
"Crush me?" Steven wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. "I'd love to see that happen, Enzo. Truly. It's a shame it's impossible."
"We'll see in five days," Enzo shot back, his eyes narrowing playfully.
"Five days won't be enough to bridge the gap," Steven replied, crossing his arms, his silver eyes gleaming with competitive fire. "But do try. I'd hate for the final to be boring."
Enzo just smiled—a dangerous, knowing smile. "Careful what you wish for."
He pushed the exit doors open.
The moment Enzo pushed open the glass doors of the arena exit, the world exploded. It wasn't just loud; it was physical. A wall of sound hit him instantly.
"ENZO! ENZO!"
Hundreds of fans were pressed against the barricades. Journalists shoved microphones over the heads of security guards, cameras flashing like a stroboscope.
"Enzo! Over here! A comment for the Kanto Times!" "You just defeated the Galar Fighting Prodigy with a massive disadvantage! How do you feel?" "Do you think you have a chance against the Devon Heir? His Metagross is undefeated!"
Enzo stopped on the stairs. He didn't run. He adjusted his collar, put on a calm, confident smile—the perfect picture of a composed leader—and walked down into the madness.
He took a marker from a kid wearing a black vest and signed a Poké Ball. "Thank you for the support," Enzo said, his voice smooth enough to be picked up by the nearby mics.
A reporter thrust a recorder in his face, nearly hitting his nose. "Enzo! The analysts are calling this a suicide mission! Steven Stone hasn't lost a single official match this season. They say his defense is perfect. Do you really have a plan, or are you just walking into a slaughter?"
Enzo stopped. The flashy smile didn't waver, but his eyes sharpened. He looked directly into the camera lens.
"Perfect defense?" Enzo chuckled, shaking his head as if the idea was ridiculous. "There is no such thing as perfect. There are only cracks waiting to be found."
He leaned in closer to the microphone, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper that silenced the journalists nearby.
"They say he's a wall of steel? Fine. I'll just have to melt it."
The crowd cheered wildly at the local pride.
The crush of people was becoming dangerous. Enzo could barely move. Suddenly, sirens wailed. A squad of uniformed officers pushed through the crowd, creating a corridor.
"Back! Step back!"
They weren't Lilian. Just two burly officers who looked like they had seen too many rough nights in Cerulean. They guided Enzo firmly toward a waiting armored van, shielding him from the grabbing hands of fans.
Enzo slid into the back of the police cruiser, the heavy door slammed shut, cutting off the deafening noise of the outside world.
"Safe and sound," the driver said, looking in the rearview mirror. He was an older officer with graying hair. "Where are we heading, Mr. Vance?"
"Take me to the Cerulean Plaza Hotel." Enzo replied, leaning back into the seat.
The younger officer in the passenger seat whistled low. "The Plaza? Fancy."
"Only the best for our city's prodigy, right?" the older driver chuckled, turning the wheel smoothly.
Enzo gave a small, polite smile. "Just need a quiet place to rest."
The car pulled away, parting the sea of fans. For a moment, there was silence in the car. Then, the officer in the passenger seat turned around. He looked younger, eager, unable to hold back his excitement anymore.
"Hey, I know I shouldn't bug you, sir," the young officer started, looking a bit shy. "But that battle... damn."
Enzo raised an eyebrow. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Enjoy it? You changed my mind," the officer admitted. "Standard protocol for Kanto Police is Arcanines or Growlithes. We're taught they are the most loyal, the strongest."
The officer shook his head, looking impressed. "But watching your Houndoom take that beating and still protect the team... watching him lock onto the target through the smoke? I'm thinking of putting in a request for a Houndour as my partner. Seems just as viable to me."
Enzo smiled. It was a small thing, but it was proof. His influence was spreading. The stigma against "Dark" types was cracking, one battle at a time.
"They are loyal," Enzo said softly. "If you treat them with respect, they'll walk through fire for you. Good luck with the request."
The older driver glanced in the rearview mirror, chuckling as he turned a corner. "Dark types get a bad rap. It's about time we modernized. Heck, at this rate, maybe the Fire Department will finally trade in their Blastoises and start asking for Greninjas to put out fires!"
Enzo blinked. A mental image of his own Froakie flashed in his mind—the little ninja frog constantly lurking in the shadows, eyes narrowed, scheming nefarious plans to humiliate his sparring partners. Putting a Pokémon with that kind of chaotic energy in charge of public safety?
"No... better not," Enzo said, a nervous chuckle escaping him as he imagined the disaster. "Greninjas can be... complicated. Especially during their growth phase."
The cruiser pulled up to the curb of the Cerulean Plaza Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in the city, with its fountains of crystal-clear water and golden pillars.
"Here we are," the driver announced, putting the car in park.
Enzo opened the door, stepping out onto the red carpet. Before closing it, he leaned back in to look at the young officer in the passenger seat one last time.
"Thanks for the ride, officers," Enzo said with a charismatic smile. He pointed a finger at the rookie. "And I hope that request of yours gets approved."
The young officer beamed, looking like he had just won the lottery. "Thank you, sir! I'll do my best!"
Enzo nodded, closed the door, and turned toward the hotel. He waved briefly to the valet, who rushed to open the double glass doors, and walked into the lobby. It was magnificent—high ceilings, chandeliers that looked like waterfalls, and the smell of expensive perfume.
But Enzo wasn't there for the luxury. He just needed a place to teleport back to the warehouse.
He walked past the reception desk with a polite nod, heading straight for the restrooms. He checked the lavishly decorated room and closed the main door behind him. He checked under the stalls. Empty.
Enzo walked into the furthest cubicle and latched it shut. He reached for his TR device.
"Porygon2," Enzo commanded telepathically. "Take us to the warehouse. Teleport."
The artificial Pokémon beeped in affirmation. Its smooth, rounded body began to glow with a strange, pixelated energy. The reality of the hotel bathroom warped, turning into a stream of data and light, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone.
Enzo appeared with a faint digital hum, inside his tent. He didn't waste time. He straightened his jacket, unzipped the flap, and stepped out into the open warehouse.
Ronnie and Professor Leni were already sitting at the metal table. When they saw him coming, they stopped talking.
"Boss! That win was incredible!" Ronnie said, grinning wide.
"Very smart strategy," Leni agreed, adjusting his glasses.
Enzo walked up to the table and pulled out a chair. He sat down with them, ignoring the excitement.
"Thanks, guys," he said, his voice calm and serious. "But that's over. We have work to do."
He looked at the objects laid out on the table. "Is everything ready?"
Leni pushed a strange metallic gun and a box filled with glowing green vials toward him.
"The device you requested was standard—pretty easy to build. But the substance..."
He gestured to a small case. Inside the case were several flasks filled with a glowing green liquid.
"It was difficult to replicate the exact composition from memory, so..." Leni admitted, picking up one of the flasks. "It's not as effective as the ancient version, but for your specific purpose? It will serve."
Enzo inspected the device, turning the cold metal over in his hand. "Good." He looked at Ronnie. "And the assets?"
"The wild Pokémon you ordered me to capture?" Ronnie held up a mesh bag filled with Blue Poké Balls. "All secured. Just like you asked."
"Perfect."
Enzo pushed the strange device to Ronnie. "Take this. You know how to use it, right?"
Ronnie nodded, inspecting the weapon with a grin.
Enzo turned away, pulling out his TR Device to check on the final piece of the puzzle. He typed a secure message to Proton.
> Status?
The reply came three seconds later, accompanied by two encrypted files.
> All set. No complications.
Enzo tapped the screen, decrypting the files instantly. His eyes scanned the scrolling data.
He nodded, satisfied. The intel was solid.
"Good," Enzo murmured, closing the file. "Everything is in position."
He stood up, gripping the phone tightly, and looked at Ronnie and Leni.
"Now, I just need to make a call to get the date."
Enzo stood up from the metal table, leaving Ronnie and Leni. He needed a moment of focus.
He walked over to the worn leather sofa. He sat down, leaning back and resting his feet on a wooden crate, getting comfortable.
He took a breath, switched his demeanor back to "charm mode," and dialed the number.
It rang three times. He was about to hang up when the line clicked open.
"Well, if it isn't the celebrity," Lilian's voice came through, sounding amused. "Congratulations on the victory, Enzo."
"Oh, it was nothing special," Enzo replied, his voice smooth and modest.
"Nothing special?" Lilian laughed. "The whole city is buzzing. I even heard you checked into the Cerulean Plaza Hotel. Moving up in the world, huh?"
Enzo seized the opening. He lowered his voice to a playful whisper. "Officer Jenny, please... let's not rush things. We haven't even had our first date yet, and you're already stalking me?"
There was a sputter on the other end of the line. "I—I wasn't stalking!" Lilian stammered, clearly flustered. "My colleagues on patrol just mentioned where they dropped you off! Don't get ahead of yourself!"
Enzo chuckled, enjoying how easy she was to rattle. "Relax, Lilian. I was just teasing. But since you brought it up... about that first date. Don't you have something to say to me?"
Lilian went quiet for a second. When she spoke again, her voice had that feigned innocence he knew well. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't remember anything."
"Ah, come on, Officer," Enzo said, shifting on the sofa, his tone turning persuasive. "You have to be a woman of your word. Look, seriously now... we don't have to go all the way to Pallet Town if it's too much trouble. Just give me a chance to get to know you better. Anywhere is fine."
On the other side of the phone, Lilian bit her lip. She felt her face heat up. His voice was disarmingly sincere.
"No," Lilian said softly, her resolve crumbling. "A promise is a promise. I'll take you. I'll give you a guided tour of Pallet Town myself."
She checked her roster on the desk. "But I can't do it immediately. Can it be... in three days?"
Enzo's eyes narrowed. It was the exact timeframe he needed for the operation. Perfect. A dark, calculating smile spread across his face, hidden from her.
"Sure," Enzo said, his tone warm and inviting. "That's a date."
Usually, this was the part where she would panic and say, "We are just friends!" or "It's not a date!" But this time, she ignored the teasing.
"Okay," Lilian whispered. "See you in three days."
The call ended. Enzo lowered the phone, his dark smile remaining fixed on his face for a second before vanishing completely. The charm was gone. The mission was on.
He tossed his personal phone onto the sofa cushion and immediately reached for his TR Device. He dialed a secure frequency.
"Executive Nero," Enzo said, his voice dropping to a respectful, lower register. "Apologies for the delay. I have the date."
On the other end, Nero let out a sigh of relief, followed by a dry chuckle.
"About time," Nero said, his tone amused but sharp. "You know, Enzo, usually it's the Executive who tells the Squad Leader when to jump. I can't remember the last time I sat by the phone waiting for a subordinate to give me the green light."
"It was necessary to clear the path, sir," Enzo replied calmly, not taking the bait. "The window is open. We attack the Island in three days."
"Three days," Nero repeated, the humor leaving his voice. "Good. We will be ready."
"One more thing, sir," Enzo added, his expression tightening as he looked across the warehouse at his team. "Keep a close watch on that Squad Leader—the one who suggested the 'Beedrill Swarm' plan. He's a liability."
"I've noted that myself," Nero murmured. "He has been acting... strangely lately. Erratic. I'll keep him on a short leash."
There was a pause on the line. Then, Nero's voice became as cold as ice.
"Listen to me carefully, Enzo. I trust your judgment, but the Boss is watching this one personally. If this plan fails... if you screw this up... you and your entire team are dead men. Do I make myself clear?"
Enzo didn't flinch. "Crystal clear, Sir."
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Hey guys! Sorry for the delay 😅
First of all, thank you so much for reading my story — it genuinely means a lot to me.
Also, I wanted to leave you a quick recommendation: a really cool Pokémon fanfic called Pokémon: The New Order.
Go check it out — I honestly think it has a lot of potential!
Thanks again for all the support! 💙