The essence of humanity is to seek advantages and avoid harm.
Yuki's reaction was a standard biological instinct.
But the true meaning of investment lies in information asymmetry.
Yuki saw an out-of-control Pseudo-Legendary, but Ariel saw a signed gambling agreement.
"I am certain you will not strike."
Ariel spoke. His voice was steady, without any sign of trembling.
"If you kill me today, neither you nor your child will survive."
"The guards outside, the base's defense system, and those guys hiding in the dark. In your current state, you cannot break out."
He raised his hand and pointed to Tyranitar's highly distended abdomen.
"Including the child in your belly, you will all become specimens on an experimental table."
A low growl emanated from Tyranitar's throat.
"But if you don't kill me, the situation will be different."
Ariel lowered his hand and looked directly into its eyes.
"Your child can obtain a chance at freedom through me."
"You proposed that condition not because you were seeking death."
"You are testing me."
"Testing my character, to see if I am worthy of your child."
"To see if I have the courage to accept this heavy entrustment."
These words were spoken flawlessly.
Righteous and unyielding.
Facing death with composure.
Combined with the composure he showed earlier by not flinching in the face of the giant claw, it was simply textbook-level master demeanor.
Yuki, listening from behind, felt her legs go weak; the way she looked at Ariel had changed from shock to fanatical worship.
She had seen countless desperate criminals in the underground world, but no one could maintain such calmness under the claws of a Pseudo-Legendary.
This was no longer a matter of courage; it was a realm that transcended life and death.
Tyranitar was also stunned by these words; the hostility in its eyes faded significantly, replaced by a sense of scrutiny.
It was testing him.
It needed to confirm whether this human was qualified to protect its offspring.
It is worth noting that the intelligence of wild Pokémon is often underestimated by humans.
They do not understand human language, but they understand the exchange of benefits.
Especially those at the Pseudo-Legendary level; their cognitive level is no less than that of an adult human.
Interestingly, humans are always accustomed to using a condescending attitude to tame them, ignoring that an equal transaction is the most stable contract.
But what about the facts?
Ariel was crystal clear about this in his heart.
What character? What courage? What facing death with composure?
It was all hindsight.
Ariel was a realist and never joked about his own life.
A test? He didn't care if Tyranitar was testing him.
The reason he dared to stand here, without even dodging, was not because he had calculated that Tyranitar would stop.
His confidence was named Mewtwo.
That legendary Pokémon standing at the pinnacle of this world.
Mewtwo had promised to help him twice.
This promise was more reliable than any bulletproof vest or defensive skill.
Mewtwo's promise was the hardest currency in this world.
Where would it be most cost-effective to use these two chances?
Using it just to save his life?
Too much of a loss.
With this kind of confidence, he could try many high-risk things.
High risk is accompanied by high returns; ordinarily, Ariel might have deliberated repeatedly, but now, Ariel just dared to gamble!
The importance of the Tyranitar deep in Jade Valley went without saying, and Ariel did not need to worry about the talent of the child in its belly.
Exchanging a small failure rate for such a Pseudo-Legendary cub was very cost-effective for Ariel!
Many people who got such a trump card would treat it like a Buddha statue in a shrine, never using it unless it was a last resort.
But Ariel was different.
If a trump card isn't used, it's just a piece of waste paper.
He wanted to use this trump card to leverage even greater gains.
As long as Ariel encountered fatal danger, it would only take one thought.
Mewtwo could perceive his situation through Psychic.
Teleportation only takes 0.001 seconds.
As long as that claw really dared to strike down, Mewtwo would descend in the blink of an eye.
By then, let alone one pregnant Tyranitar.
Even if it were a group of full-stamina Tyranitars, Mewtwo could crush them into powder with one slap, leaving not even a residue.
Therefore, Ariel was not panicked at all.
With a max-level boss covering him, no matter how fierce the monster was, it was just a decoration.
On the surface, he was playing a psychological game with Tyranitar; in reality, he was getting a free chance to capture a Pseudo-Legendary cub.
If he won, it was a massive profit.
If he lost, Mewtwo would handle the aftermath.
A deal where he wouldn't lose.
And what Ariel was thinking at this moment, Tyranitar did not know; it only knew that the human in front of it had a truly terrifying character.
Tyranitar was silent for a moment. It retracted the claw that was capable of tearing through steel.
It realized that violence could not destroy this human's will.
Through Ariel's undefended Psychic perception, it projected its thoughts directly into Ariel's mind.
The voice was heavy and exhausted.
"Human, if you can agree to my last request, I will hand the child over to you."
Ariel frowned slightly.
This Pokémon's lingering made him feel a trace of impatience.
He did not like this rhythm of negotiation, but he needed this Tyranitar's cub.
"Speak."
Ariel's voice echoed.
"One day, when you have achieved success and fame and no longer need my child, please give my child its freedom."
Tyranitar's voice lowered.
This was the first time it had set aside its dignity in front of a human.
For a proud Ground-type Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, this kind of subservience was almost a humiliation.
Ariel fell silent.
He looked at the behemoth in front of him, his gaze penetrating its hideous exterior to see the sorrow behind it.
There is a fundamental difference between wild Pokémon and Pokémon in the hands of Trainers.
The growth path of wild Pokémon is full of thorns; every step requires struggling on the edge of life and death, but they possess a vast world.
While Pokémon in the hands of Trainers grow rapidly, have sufficient resources, and high safety factors, the cost is freedom.
The moment they are captured by a Poké Ball, it means the beginning of a lifelong contract.
Regardless of whether the Trainer lives or dies, the Pokémon will be imprisoned in the ball, or treated as inherited assets by the family behind them, passed down from generation to generation.
That life of being treated as a tool, as a bargaining chip, as a family asset, is a long imprisonment for Pokémon that pursue power.
Some Pokémon, in their entire lives, have never seen the true blue sky.
It seems this Tyranitar is the same.
The subsequent mental exchange confirmed Ariel's conjecture.
Tyranitar did not hide its past.
It had extremely high potential; it was captured by greedy hunters in its infancy, and to protect it, its parents died at the hands of the hunters.
Subsequently, it was treated as an expensive commodity and transferred to Jade Valley.
Here, it was treated as an endless breeding machine.
Those greedy humans only cared about its potential; as long as it could mate with other high-potential individuals, it could continuously produce more high-value Pokémon cubs.
It was bound in this narrow space, watching its children being taken away one by one and sent to those human families.
It had accepted its fate, but it did not want its child to repeat this tragedy.
It wanted a promise.
A promise regarding freedom.
After hearing this, Ariel's expression did not fluctuate.
He looked at Tyranitar, his tone so calm it was almost cold.
"Some people treat Pokémon as partners, but inadvertently bind their entire lives, but I am different."
Ariel paused, his gaze sweeping over Tyranitar's hopeful eyes, and continued.
"In my eyes, Pokémon are tools."
Tyranitar's breath hitched.
Its body trembled slightly, and a trace of anger and disappointment flashed in its eyes.
Had it misjudged the person?
This was just another greedy human, wearing a cloak of hypocrisy, saying even uglier words.
Ariel did not care about Tyranitar's emotional change; he continued.
"They are important tools, and they are tools with dignity. Even in a sense, I can be a tool for my Pokémon to become stronger."
These words stunned Tyranitar.
"Do you think that me treating your child as a tool is an insult to it?"
Ariel took a step forward, looking directly into Tyranitar's eyes, his tone plain.
Ariel pointed to his heart, which was the source of his Psychic, and the bond connecting him to his Pokémon.
"What I pursue is a sharp blade that can fight alongside me and tear a bloody path through this cruel world."
"I will not lock them in balls to retire, nor will I pass them down to future generations as family assets."
"They are my comrades-in-arms, my extension. In return, I will give them top-tier resources, the most scientific training, and the vastest battlefield."
"After I achieve my ideals, whether they stay or go, I will never force them."
"This is what I mean by tools; this is indeed how I view them."
Ariel's voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in Tyranitar's mind.
Tyranitar's breathing gradually steadied.
It looked at Ariel.
From this human's eyes, it did not see greed, nor desire for power, but only a pure, almost paranoid pursuit of strength.
This pursuit was fundamentally different from those humans who bred Pokémon for profit.
It understood.
This human, perhaps, could really give its child a different future!
"If you can really do it, then, I believe you."
***************************
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to drop a review, leave a comment, and smash that like button! Every Power Stone helps push the story further—thanks for reading and supporting! 🚀