"Of course, Hunter Z."
A woman with short, dark green hair and glasses pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Because of your answer, we were also able to identify the other party," she said.
"And… the danger it poses to our plan."
Hunter Z looked coldly at the short-haired woman. At the very least, she was far easier to deal with than Argus.
"Argus, you lack your daughter's insight," Hunter Z said.
Steven's Shiny Metagross had never truly made a public appearance. At most, it had only been spotted briefly while traveling through the streets.
"Dad, I think we should reach out to Lylat and Maryling this time," Milis said, leaning against the sofa as she plucked the chocolate from Argus's hand.
"Useless people, no matter how many you gather, are still useless," Hunter Z said coldly.
Unfortunately, he himself fell into that same category — at least in this situation.
He had run into Steven twice in the span of a single month. First in Johto, and now here in Kalos? The news had just reported that Steven had dealt with a Raticate swarm problem over in the Alola Region not long ago. How had he made it to Kalos so quickly?
Hunter Z let his head fall back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling with tired eyes.
Maybe I should consider a change of career.
"But right now, there's no one left who can cooperate with us," Milis said, spreading her hands helplessly.
"Do whatever you like. I'm not showing my face either way," Hunter Z said, waving a hand in dismissal.
When he had first heard Argus mention a Pokémon capable of creating pink diamonds, he had been genuinely interested. But in the end, it had led him right to the one person he least wanted to encounter.
Still, the money had already been collected, so Hunter Z would see the job through. That was simply how he operated.
As for the incident with the Iron-Masked Marauder — that had been purely out of curiosity. He had wanted to witness Celebi, the Mythical Pokémon, with his own eyes. There had been no transaction involved, which was why he had slipped away without much thought. They were not close, so the warning he had given the Iron-Masked Marauder had already been more than enough.
"Of course, we respect your wishes, Mr. Z," Milis said with a slight smile. "However, we do still need you to step forward and personally invite Lylat and Maryling."
The four of them had a shared history, and if Milis approached them on her own, there was a good chance Lylat and Maryling would not come.
Hunter Z stood up slowly, resting his hands on his knees, and looked at her with a flat expression.
"Location."
"So… we should be heading out to find Diancie's companions, shouldn't we?"
Steven stood inside a clothing store, looking at Cynthia and Diancie — both dressed in princess gowns — and managed a wry smile.
"Steven~ Do I look good?"
Cynthia, a small crown perched on her head, lifted the hem of her princess dress and twirled in front of him. Her clear, bright eyes looked up at Steven, waiting for his answer.
"Steven~ Do I look good?"
Diancie stood nearby and mimicked her, asking the same question in her soft voice.
The two of them — one human and one Pokémon — were both looking up at him with large, expectant eyes. It was almost too much.
"You both look wonderful," Steven said, nodding honestly. "Cynthia and Diancie suit the look especially well."
Cynthia's face lit up at the words, and she gave Steven a quick kiss on the cheek.
"That's your reward," she declared.
Diancie watched the exchange and quietly decided not to imitate that part.
Cynthia took Diancie to the changing room so they could change back into their regular clothes, while Steven wandered over to a full-length mirror near the entrance. He adjusted the Gengar hat sitting on his head, then picked up a pair of sunglasses from a nearby display and tried them on, grinning at his reflection.
No one's going to recognize me like this.
He set the sunglasses back on the counter and put on his own pair instead. It was amusing to think that Steven Stone, known throughout the region for his mastery of Steel-type Pokémon, was walking around in a Ghost-type Pokémon hat.
When they stepped out of the changing room, Steven was waiting near the front of the store. He saw that they had both changed back into their regular outfits and handed the princess dresses back to the shop owner.
"Shall we head out?"
"Mm! But I still want to take Diancie to a few more places first!" Cynthia grabbed Steven's hand and gave it a small shake.
"More places — I allow it!" Diancie clapped her small hands together in agreement.
"Allow?" Steven smiled at that.
"Then let's go."
The shop owner stared down at the clothes now back in his hands, at a complete loss.
Wait — you're not buying them?
He gritted his teeth and began hanging the dresses back up — then stopped. A small roll of folded banknotes tumbled out from inside the princess dress and onto the floor.
He picked it up. The moment he registered the amount, his eyes began to water.
It wasn't a large sum, and the clothes hadn't actually sold, but it was something. There were still kind people in this world.
He turned toward the counter and spotted two more banknotes tucked neatly beneath the pair of sunglasses.
The tears that had barely stopped started flowing again.
"You two — I sincerely wish you a long and happy life together!"
Steven, of course, had no idea the shop owner was sending blessings after them.
Neither he nor Cynthia were short on money, and they were both aware that trying on clothes without purchasing them had taken up the owner's time. So, without a word between them, they had each quietly left a tip before walking out.
Diancie loved to explore. She had grown up underground, where there was little variety to experience, and now everything around her seemed to catch her attention. Steven watched her and Cynthia moving happily from one thing to the next, and decided there was no reason to rush.
Let things unfold at their own pace.
Eventually, he led the two of them to a haunted house. Cynthia — fearless as ever — latched onto his arm the moment they stepped inside.
That's… actually quite comfortable.
Diancie, experiencing one for the first time, grabbed the edge of Steven's pants with nervous little hands.
"If something surprises you, just shout," Steven said, glancing down at her with a smile. "That's what a haunted house is for — letting it all out."
"Let it out?" Diancie repeated blankly, nodding.
A moment later, a figure in a white sheet drifted out in front of her, a pair of scarlet eyes gleaming from beneath it.
Diancie froze.
Then, after a beat, she let out all of the tension she had been holding onto for the past several days.
"Ah—!"
The scream was so sudden and so loud that even the small Ghost Pokémon playing the part flinched backward in surprise.
...Sis?
Your reaction time is that long?