One of the expedition members stood frozen in place, staring at the empty patch of snow where Sandslash had vanished.
His energy rifle slipped from his hand and landed beside his boots.
He did not even notice.
After several seconds, he finally swallowed.
"That was... way too strong."
His voice came out dry.
"He just one-shot a mid-stage Class Champion."
The man slowly looked toward Aaron.
"Could Aaron already be Champion-level?"
That seemed to snap everyone else out of their daze.
"Holy shit..."
One of the soldiers rubbed a hand over his face.
"I know I'm supposed to have more discipline than this, but 'holy shit' is all I've got right now."
"No kidding. That was insane."
"And that was Greninja. It wasn't even Charizard."
Someone glanced toward Aaron in disbelief.
"After what we saw Charizard do earlier, I don't even want to know what happens when that monster goes all out."
Another man shook his head.
"Aaron's eighteen. Eighteen. Are kids just built differently now?"
"At eighteen, I was still hiding Gardevoir pinups under my mattress."
Several people turned toward him.
He looked genuinely offended by the comparison.
"You know what? I'm throwing them out when I get home. Clearly I wasted my youth."
That finally got a few laughs.
Another soldier snorted.
"When I get back, I'm having a serious talk with my useless son. Aaron's eighteen and killing Class Champions. Mine complains when I ask him to get out of bed before noon."
"Maybe start with the talking part."
"No promises."
The tension that had nearly crushed them minutes earlier was finally breaking.
Someone looked back toward Aaron.
"Age doesn't even matter anymore. After today, he's got my respect."
"Same here."
Another man folded his arms.
"Champion-level or not, he's already fighting like someone who belongs at the top."
A more excitable voice came from the back.
"At this rate, he won't just become a Champion. He'll be the kind other Champions get compared to."
"Give him a few years and people will start calling this the Aaron Era."
That drew a mixture of laughter and agreement.
The idea was exaggerated.
Probably.
But after what they had just witnessed, no one was eager to dismiss it outright.
Their gazes followed Aaron as he approached with Greninja at his side. At that moment, his age no longer mattered much to any of them. Whatever doubts they had once held about his honorary rank had disappeared.
To the expedition members, Aaron had gone from an unusually talented teenager to someone who might genuinely become one of the defining Trainers of his generation.
Maybe even more than that.
...
Aaron stopped beside Grant and Ryan.
"Everyone okay?"
His gaze moved over the group.
"Sorry. I should've gotten back sooner."
Then he saw the bodies.
Six expedition members lay beneath the falling snow, their insulated suits stained dark where Sandslash's claws had torn through them.
The relief on Aaron's face disappeared.
Grant noticed immediately.
"Hey."
He put a hand on Aaron's shoulder.
"This isn't on you."
Aaron said nothing.
Grant's voice softened.
"We knew what kind of mission this was when we came in. So did they."
He looked toward the fallen members of the expedition.
"They did their jobs. They protected the people beside them."
His eyes were slightly red now, but his voice remained steady.
"They'll be laid to rest in the Martyrs' Cemetery. Their families will be taken care of, and their children will have every opportunity we can give them."
Ryan lowered his head.
Several others did the same.
Grant straightened.
"Everyone."
The group turned toward him.
"Salute."
Every person in the clearing raised a hand.
For ten quiet seconds, there was nothing but falling snow and the sound of the wind moving through the trees.
Aaron saluted with them.
When he finally lowered his hand, his eyes lingered on the six bodies for another moment.
His expression had changed.
No one asked what he was thinking.
Ryan eventually broke the silence.
"We take them with us."
He looked toward the rest of the expedition.
"No one gets left behind."
A few people immediately moved to recover the bodies.
"The Frostfruits are secured, and we've recorded the location of the grove," Ryan continued. "Once we're ready, we keep moving."
Everyone nodded.
There was no celebration now.
Only work to do.
...
Snow continued falling as the expedition pushed deeper into the secret zone.
The terrain grew harder with every kilometer. Deep snow slowed their steps, while the constant wind and cold steadily drained their stamina even through the insulated suits.
Nearly two hours passed.
By then, daylight was beginning to fade.
Grant stopped for a moment and looked across the white mountains surrounding them. Even he was breathing more heavily than usual.
Everyone was tired.
Many were hungry.
A few of the less experienced members were clearly approaching their limit.
Then Grant spotted something ahead.
A dark opening in the side of the mountain.
"There."
He pointed.
"There's a cave up ahead. We're stopping for the night."
No one argued.
The expedition changed course and made its way toward the entrance.
The cave turned out to be enormous.
Its main chamber was roughly the size of a football field, with more than enough room for the entire group and their equipment.
Portable solar-charged lamps were set up around the chamber, gradually pushing back the darkness. Some people began pitching tents while others unpacked food and cooking equipment.
Their supplies were mostly prepared meals that only needed hot water and a little heating before they were ready to eat.
Soon, steam was rising through the cave.
The smell alone improved everyone's mood.
After hours of marching through freezing wind and snow, sitting down with a bowl of piping-hot soup felt almost indecently good.
One exhausted soldier took his first sip and groaned.
"God... this might actually be better than getting laid."
Someone beside him laughed.
"You're just saying that because nobody wants to sleep with you."
"Let me have this."
The cave finally filled with something resembling normal conversation again.
Aaron, meanwhile, had other business to handle.
He sat off to one side with Greninja nearby and turned his attention inward.
System.
There was no response.
Aaron waited.
You didn't forget my reward again, did you?
The System answered immediately.
"Of course not!"
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"Do I look like the kind of System that would forget something that important?"
There was just a little too much indignation in her voice.
Aaron knew exactly what that meant.
She had forgotten.
Again.
Absolutely.
He wisely kept that answer to himself.
Instead, he smiled.
Of course you're not. You'd never conveniently 'misplace' one of my quest rewards, right?
The System went quiet for half a second.
"Hmph. Obviously not."
Aaron's smile widened.
"Here! Take it already."
A familiar notification sounded in his mind.
"Ding~"
[Quest Complete: Kill the Alpha—Alolan Sandslash]
Another chime followed.
"Ding~"
[Rewards Obtained: Spirit Form Conversion Stone ×1, Lightning Release: Kirin Skill Card ×1]
Aaron's eyes lit up slightly.
There it was.
Finally.
...