"Eevee!" (The honey steak is as amazing as expected!)
"Mama!" (Ash makes the best food!)
"Mmm. Top-quality fresh beef paired with your signature sauce. Ash, it seems your cooking skills have improved once again." Popping a piece of beef into his mouth, Mr. Sasaki thoroughly enjoyed the rich, non-greasy meat. Mrs. Sasaki took a bite, took a sip of red wine, and added, "What an exquisite pairing. If possible, I'd really love to buy the recipe for this sauce."
"Sorry, my family's sauce recipe isn't for sale. But are you guys sure it's okay for James to be treated like that?" Ash gestured to the side. A woman who looked nearly identical to Jessie was currently lashing a whip at James, treating him like she was taming a wild beast.
"Don't worry, Jessiebelle knows her limits. Honestly, James is the one who surprises us. I never expected that frail, sickly boy to be healthy enough to run around like that," Mr. Sasaki said, watching James frantically dodge for his life with a pleased expression.
Ash gave him a deadpan look. I think I'm starting to understand why James ran away from home.
Though Ash felt sorry for James, he wasn't going to casually intervene in the Sasaki family's internal affairs. Mr. Sasaki was quite pleased with Ash's tact. It wasn't about malice; nobody likes outsiders sticking their noses into their family business.
"While it might not be the best time to bring this up, I wonder, Ash... could you help us resolve a certain issue?"
"Hm? What kind of issue requires my help?"
Ash was slightly surprised. A prestigious aristocratic family like the Sasakis had vast networks and resources. They shouldn't need him for a favor, unless...
"Truthfully, for some unknown reason, a lot of Pokémon Hunters have been targeting our family lately. As you know, while our family has extensive connections, we still need to tread carefully around organizations like the Pokémon Hunters. According to recent intelligence from the Pokémon League, there seems to be a very powerful figure backing them."
"So you're holding off on taking action until you figure out who this person is?"
"Hahaha... you flatter us. We are merely an aristocratic family." Despite Mr. Sasaki's humble words, Ash, having worked with him many times, immediately understood the subtext. Exactly. We can't strike directly until we know who we're dealing with.
Ash took a bite of his steak and thought for a moment before asking, "What exactly is the Pokémon Hunter organization trying to steal from you?"
"It's hard to say. It's a mirror. According to the older generation, this mirror allows people to enter other worlds. But, you know, that's just a legend."
"That magical, huh? The legends of the older generation might sound mystical, but there's usually truth to them. Uncle Sasaki, you should definitely be careful."
"Don't worry, I'm no fool. If the elders warned us about it, I'm not going to play with fire. But Ash, are you willing to help us with this? I won't ask you to do it for free. Once we uncover the identity of the mastermind, the Sasaki family will mobilize all of our resources to assist you in dealing with them."
Mr. Sasaki's tone was dead serious. Ash thought about it briefly and replied, "Alright. I already have bad blood with the mastermind behind the Pokémon Hunters anyway. Having your family's assistance would be a huge help to me. I'll take the job."
"Then, to a pleasant cooperation."
"To a pleasant cooperation."
The Pokémon Hunter organization was a notorious syndicate operating across multiple regions, though their primary base of operations was in Sinnoh. The Pokémon League had planned numerous joint operations to completely eradicate the organization, but due to suspected moles on the inside, every operation ended in failure.
Previously, Ash had apprehended the leaders of Team Galactic—the troublemaking organization in Sinnoh. If the League had handled it properly, it would have been a massive morale boost. However, due to the suicidal stupidity of certain Pokémon League officials, Ash turned a blind eye to Cyrus literally hiding a Pokéball in his pants, and even returned the Pokémon to them. This led to Cyrus escaping, resulting in yet another humiliating stain on the Sinnoh League's record.
But this Hunter organization, which constantly made fools of the Sinnoh League, had finally met its match in the Kanto region: Ash.
Not only had Ash successively captured two letter-class Hunters, but he had also completely wiped Hunter A off the map. This severe blow forced the mastermind behind the Hunter organization to scramble for a replacement for Hunter A.
Because even for the mastermind, the loss of an asset as vital as Hunter A was a devastating blow they could barely endure. Hunter A was practically the mastermind's right-hand man—requiring not only immense strength but absolute, unquestioning loyalty. Grooming a new Hunter A was incredibly taxing for the boss. Setting aside the artificially matured Champion-tier Pokémon, the near brainwashing-level training required a significant amount of time.
Even though the artificial maturation of Champion-tier Pokémon had become much easier thanks to their partnership with Vicious, if they handed that power to someone untrustworthy... they would be setting themselves up for a disastrous betrayal.
Furthermore, this training was designed to ensure that he would eliminate anyone who threatened the mastermind without a second's hesitation, much like how Ash ordered Arbok and the others to protect Delia.
*
Inside a mysterious room, a figure sat in a chair, reading over the reports in his hands.
"Hmm... How did the operatives sent to kidnap those associated with him fare?"
"We only found their mutilated corpses..."
"All of them?"
"No... Some were just left with their lower halves... but we confirmed it was them... Some just... vanished completely..."
Hearing his subordinate's report, the figure in the chair fell silent. After a moment, he lit a cigarette and said, "Forget it... Let it go for now. Don't provoke them anymore. It seems we don't have the strength to deal with him yet."
"Yes, but My Lord..."
"What now?"
"Some of the men below are terrified. They received anonymous letters... containing photos of their families..."
"...I always thought I was ruthless enough. I didn't expect there to be someone even more vicious out there. Fine... I suddenly understand why my father didn't want me messing with that Ash kid."
"So, what do we do?"
"Leave it be for now. From this moment on, stop provoking that guy. I don't want my subordinates chopped into pieces and mailed to the base."
"Yes, sir!"
"Also, keep up the cooperation with Vicious. His Dark Balls are quite useful. And you can go ahead and initiate the joint project with Team Flare. It's time those idiots who don't know anything about Fairy-types learned a thing or two."
"Yes, My Lord!"
"One last thing. The Sasaki family's mirror. Get it if you can. If you can't, drop it. That old man Sasaki isn't a pushover either."
A bizarre silence fell over the room.
"If I had the power of a Legendary Pokémon, this 'Ash' guy wouldn't be a problem... Just you wait!"
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You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
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