"Mr. Elias, have you… set your sights on a Pokémon?"
"Would you like me to catch it for you?"
Upon hearing Elias's request, Lysandre froze momentarily, then asked tentatively.
He'd always felt deeply indebted to Mr. Elias for helping him establish Team Flare.
Now, it seemed the opportunity to repay that debt had finally come.
If Elias nodded, Lysandre would personally catch any Pokémon, no matter which, and deliver it himself.
With that thought, Lysandre rubbed his hands together, excitement blooming across his face.
However…
"I only wanted to see the standard Pokémon hunter gear and how it compares to Team Flare's equipment. Nothing else."
Elias waved dismissively at the starry-eyed Lysandre.
He didn't even need to guess what this lion-headed man was thinking.
If Lysandre had the capability to capture Yveltal and deliver it, Elias would gladly accept.
Unfortunately, Team Flare wasn't yet at that level.
Ultimately, as a newly established criminal organization, Team Flare still had a long way to go before fully maturing.
Given a few more years, Elias was confident he could nurture a few Elite Four–level officers within Team Flare.
Instead of their current situation, where so many tasks still required personal involvement from himself and Lysandre.
On the other side, Lysandre froze at Elias's words—then a wave of emotion surged within him.
Mr. Elias truly cared about Team Flare, even paying attention to minor details like member equipment.
With a partner like that, Lysandre felt it would be shameful not to work harder.
Beyond creating a new world, another ideal took root in Lysandre's heart:
Transforming Team Flare into a world-class organization as well.
Even if he personally had little interest in such matters, he would still strive for it—if only for Mr. Elias.
Watching Lysandre's burning eyes and flushed face through the video call, Elias grew silently wary.
He had reason to suspect that Lysandre, whom he hadn't seen for a while, might have developed some strange new hobby.
Because…
The expression on Lysandre's face was one Elias had only seen on Diancie and the others.
...
[The next day, after the call ended, Lysandre punctually delivered a set of standard Pokémon hunter gear.]
...
Clang—
Elias lightly tapped the gear in the case. Hearing the clear ring, a satisfied look crossed his face.
Poachers weren't like ordinary Trainers.
Since they often battled wild Pokémon directly, self-protection was critical.
Thick metal armor provided excellent defense.
Most Pokémon attacks couldn't penetrate armor of such quality.
And for Elias, the armor was even more practical.
After all, he was in Ghost Form—his body wasn't as fragile as a human's to begin with.
Additionally, he could use psychokinesis to fill the space between his body and the armor, further enhancing his defenses.
Unfortunately…
His ultimate opponent was Yveltal, a Legendary Pokémon.
Against such an opponent, this armor was practically paper—hardly protection at all.
Just as Elias was examining the armor—
A figure quietly emerged from the inner room without him noticing.
Only when Elias caught the faint fragrance drifting from her did he return to his senses.
"What's this?"
Glancing at the equipment in the case, Cogita asked coldly.
When a Carbink had delivered the case earlier, it had already caught her attention.
She'd assumed it was something Elias bought at Diancie's urging—a trivial little trinket.
Or perhaps everyday items unavailable underground, like bulbs or desk lamps.
She hadn't anticipated that once opened, the case would reveal a pile of smooth steel.
The pure black design and meticulous craftsmanship allowed Cogita to instantly recognize it as gear commonly used by poachers.
Yet…
She couldn't understand Elias's enthusiasm about this.
He wasn't a poacher, nor did he collect armor as a hobby.
The sudden arrival of poacher gear, combined with Elias's unusual reaction, sent a sudden, inexplicable panic through Cogita's heart.
On the other side…
Elias was equally startled by Cogita's sudden appearance.
Normally, she'd either be napping or enjoying afternoon tea at this hour.
He hadn't expected her to step into the courtyard today.
Worse yet—she'd seen the freshly delivered poacher gear.
Unlike Diancie, Cogita couldn't be brushed off easily.
Although she merely posed a question, Elias was certain Cogita had already sensed something off—that was why she was interrogating him.
With that thought, he lifted the armor from the case using psychokinesis and smiled.
"Multi-purpose protective gear. It effectively reduces damage from Pokémon attacks."
"Well? Looks good, doesn't it?"
He spoke casually, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Had Cogita not already recognized the armor, she might genuinely have believed he was introducing ordinary clothing.
Cogita's lips curved into a cool, shallow smile, accompanied by two soft chuckles.
The sound made Elias's spine tingle.
"Not going to tell me what this armor is really for?"
She narrowed her eyes, sweeping another glance over the case.
From this distance, she could already tell—the armor's measurements matched Elias perfectly.
He wouldn't have custom-made a set of poacher gear without reason. There had to be another motive.
Under the subtle threat in Cogita's gaze, Elias felt a rare surge of danger.
He let his smile fade, standing quietly as if considering how to answer.
For a moment, neither spoke.
In the expansive courtyard, the atmosphere seemed frozen, usual sounds disappearing.
Seeing Elias had no intention to answer, Cogita's expression darkened.
The vague unease within her sharpened rapidly.
"You intend to capture a Pokémon—and deliberately avoid alerting Delphox and Diancie?"
Cogita was perceptive. She quickly deduced that Elias planned to use the poacher gear to confront a specific Pokémon.
For some particular reason, he had to prevent his other Pokémon from knowing.
Otherwise, even Delphox alone—being Champion-level—could handle most Pokémon.
At the very least… she certainly wouldn't slow him down.
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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