In a dim corner, the Team Aqua member lay limp on the ground, completely silent.
Jiang Han expressionlessly plucked two Poké Balls from the man's waist, his movements practiced and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.
He opened his pokédex and aimed it at one of them.
"Carvanha, the Savage pokémon. Ability: Rough Skin (When hit by an attack, its Rough Skin may damage the opponent making contact). Its teeth are hard and sharp, and its body is relatively small... Aptitude assessment: Novice!"
With such mediocre talent, it could only be sold on the black market for some simple league coins.
The pokédex emitted a cold, electronic voice.
Jiang Han's gaze didn't flicker as he scanned the second one.
"Voltorb, the Sphere pokémon. Ability: Aftermath (When it faints, it causes an explosion upon contact with the opponent). Its Electric-type energy is weak... Aptitude assessment: Novice!"
A Voltorb? With the Aftermath ability?
In an instant, Jiang Han connected all the clues in his mind.
He could almost picture the scene: in the most crowded area of the festival, this Voltorb would suddenly appear.
And then.
"Boom!"
Using the life of a pokémon to create chaos and panic was truly in line with the operating style of those lunatics.
Cheap, but effective.
Jiang Han put away his pokédex and glanced at the unconscious fellow on the ground.
He lightly patted the Sandile that had been lurking in the shadows.
"Clean it up."
As those two cold words fell, a glint of excitement flashed in Sandile's eyes.
It approached noiselessly, opened its large mouth to Bite the man's pant leg, and dragged him like a tattered sack into the deeper, more neglected darkness.
Soon, only the faint sound of dragging remained in the corner before everything returned to silence.
Jiang Han acted as if he had done nothing, simply leaning against the wall as he took out his pokédex and dialed Laic's frequency.
The pokédex screen lit up, reflecting his calm and unruffled face.
The cheers and music coming from the distant beach felt like sounds from another world.
"Beep... Beep..."
"Hello? Jiang Han?" Laic's voice carried a hint of urgency; he had clearly been waiting for news.
Jiang Han was concise, laying out the entire situation.
"I caught one of the Team Aqua members. Their plan is to detonate a Voltorb at the festival to create chaos, while their main force takes the opportunity to infiltrate the Ocean Science Museum. Their target is the Damp Rock inside, specifically a very large piece of Damp Rock, which should be their primary objective."
"Is there any more news?" Laic's voice immediately became excited.
"I have their retreat route."
"The waterfall on Route 103, which leads directly to the sea."
Laic's irrepressible laughter came from the other end of the line, his voice full of greed and excitement.
"Haha! Good! Excellent! Jiang Han, you've performed a great service for the organization this time! Those idiots will work hard to steal it, and we'll just wait halfway to collect the goods!"
Laic could clearly already see the image of returning with a full load.
"I'll take people to set up a defense on Route 103 immediately to ensure they can't even take a single hair away! What about you? What do you plan to do next?"
Jiang Han didn't answer immediately.
He looked up, his gaze passing through the gaps in the buildings toward the brightly lit festival beach in the distance.
At this moment, the atmosphere of the entire Ocean Festival had reached its climax.
Under the night sky, five massive Gyarados churned the sea's surface, kicking up a giant wave over ten meters high.
The waves roared, yet were controlled by an invisible force, not crashing onto the shore but forming a spectacular wall of water on the sea.
A vigorous figure was standing on a surfboard, soaring freely atop that giant wave!
He dived and then would Splash up, his movements elegant and free, drawing mountain-shaking cheers from the tens of thousands of spectators on the beach.
"Fujiki! Fujiki!"
The shouts rose and fell, one after another, deafening to the ears.
The man dancing on the giant waves was none other than the Gym Leader of Dewford Town in the Hoenn region, the Martial Artist Fujiki!
Looking at this heroic scene filled with positive energy and public attention, the corners of Jiang Han's mouth twitched. He spoke into the pokédex in a flat tone, as if merely stating a fact:
"Me? Naturally, as a righteous Core Lineage Trainer of the League, I am going to stop Team Aqua's evil plan."
There was a second of silence on the other end of the line.
Immediately after, Laic burst into earth-shattering wild laughter.
"Hahahaha! Good! Good, good, good!"
He laughed so hard he doubled over, his voice changing pitch.
"A righteous Trainer! Go then! I guarantee that in the entire League, from top to bottom, they won't find a second Core Lineage Trainer with more 'proper' roots than you! Hahahaha!"
Jiang Han silently hung up the communication.
Laic's laughter stopped abruptly, and the pokédex screen went dark.
The sea breeze blew in, carrying a salty, damp scent and the festive clamor.
Jiang Han adjusted his beach shorts, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow.
A righteous Trainer?
In his heart, whether it was righteousness or evil, it didn't matter.
Or rather, the boundary between the two was inherently blurred.
In the eyes of the world, Jiang Han's behavior was simply that of a villain who committed every evil imaginable, a hypocritical fraud.
It was utter evil.
But all the world's viewpoints were based on their own perspectives.
To others, Jiang Han's actions were unpardonable because they damaged their interests.
But for Jiang Han himself, whether it was killing for treasure or deception and plotting...
They were simply necessary paths on the road to becoming stronger.
He would not waver, nor would he doubt himself.
He turned and walked toward the Ocean Science Museum.
Since he was going to Role Play a hero, he had to have some'spoils of war' for a hero.
For example, a piece of gritty rock lying quietly in a display case, ignored by everyone.
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