"The report ends here."
After finishing his battle in Hakkou City, Jin quickly left the area and returned to the Brave Olivine. Once back on the ship, he immediately checked on Liko's safety. Upon confirming that there were no issues, he felt relieved and gathered all the members to provide a full report on what had happened that day.
"Magneton, huh... Damn! How did I not realize it sooner...?"
Dot, participating in the meeting via her rotom smartphone as usual, was frustrated that the enemy had outmaneuvered her on the technical side of things.
"Well, it couldn't be helped. It's not like anyone could've predicted they'd use Magneton."
Jin had been able to respond to the situation because of Friede's earlier report and his own knowledge from past travels about phenomena caused by Magneton. Without that prior information, the ship's strange occurrences might still remain a mystery.
"We won't lose again. Now that we know Magneton was the cause, we can prepare."
"A countermeasure against Magneton? Is there even such a thing?"
Members like Liko and Roy, who were unfamiliar with how to counter Magneton, questioned Dot.
"Yeah, there's a specific frequency that Magneton dislikes. I'll start emitting it now. At the very least, wild Magneton won't be able to approach us anymore. I'll also set up an alert system like the ones used in cities, to make sure we're fully prepared."
Clearly stung by her earlier failure, Dot was determined not to repeat the same mistake and immediately set about devising solutions. Jin, though not an expert in systems, could tell from Dot's explanation that her plans were solid. She was even more capable than he had initially thought.
"Understood. I'll leave it to you. How long do you think it'll take?"
"The countermeasures should be in place by tonight... After that, I'll reboot the system, so everything should be ready by tomorrow around noon."
"Alright! Once the system is back up tomorrow, we'll set sail. Until then, everyone stay on high alert."
With Friede's final words, the meeting concluded. As it was already late at night, the team members returned to their quarters to prepare for the next day.
"Jin, can I talk to you for a moment?"
As Jin was heading toward the Wing Deck to check on the condition of his Pokémon, Roy stopped him.
"What's up?"
"I wanted to consult you about something..."
It seemed that Roy wanted to talk about Wattrel, the one who had stolen the sandwiches. Apparently, Roy had grown closer to him while Jin was in Hakkou City and had noticed that Wattrel was dealing with a particular issue.
"Not being able to fly well and having a fear of heights..."
For a flying Pokémon, those are critical weaknesses. Unable to fly and afraid of heights — having just one of those would be troublesome, but having both is rare and extremely difficult to handle. Roy wanted to know if there was anything that could be done to help.
"What should we do?"
"I can't say for sure until I see it myself..."
There must be a reason behind both the inability to fly and the fear of heights. Seeing it firsthand might give Jin some ideas, but for now, it was hard to advise. Especially since the fear of heights often stems from psychological reasons, which are much harder to overcome in a short period.
After hearing Jin's words, Roy visibly showed signs of disappointment. Jin, feeling a bit guilty seeing Roy like this, decided to check on Wattrel with Roy the next day after breakfast.
---
After parting ways with Roy, Jin headed to the Wing Deck alone. He pulled out six Poké Balls from his pocket and tossed them into the air. Out of the balls emerged his Pokémon from the Hoenn region: Sceptile, Gardevoir, Aggron, Milotic, Manectric, and Salamence.
Originally, Jin had planned to focus on training his newly caught Scizor and Annihilape, integrating them into his team. However, after today's events, it was clear that the Explorers might launch an attack at any moment. To respond efficiently, he decided it was best to rely on his long-standing partners.
"Salamence, Manectric, you both did great today."
"Salamence!"
"Manectric!"
After expressing his gratitude to Salamence and Manectric for their efforts in battle, Jin quickly checked the status of all his Pokémon. Thankfully, there were no issues. With everyone in top shape, they'd be ready to respond to any attack.
(What concerns me now is when the attack will come...)
During the battle with Magneton and Beheeyem, Liko hadn't been targeted. The situation should have provided a perfect opportunity to attack while Jin wasn't around. While it's possible the presence of Friede and Murdock deterred the attackers, Jin wasn't fully convinced.
(It's hard to believe they'd go through all this preparation only to do nothing.)
Once the ship sets sail, stealing the pendant will be significantly more difficult. If an attack is coming, it has to be now, while the ship is still docked. Jin suspected that the enemy had a bigger plan in motion and that the previous disruptions were all part of their larger strategy.
Moreover, this enemy wasn't Amethio. Since they wouldn't challenge him head-on like Amethio would, simply waiting around wouldn't work.
(I have to anticipate their next move...)
If Jin didn't prepare for the worst, there was a high chance that the pendant would be stolen, and Liko could be put in danger. He couldn't let that happen.
(Stay calm... First, organize the information.)
Just the thought of Liko being harmed filled him with anger, but Jin forced himself to stay composed, reviewing the information he had.
From the battle, it was clear the enemy was calm and methodical. Unlike Amethio, they likely wouldn't fall for provocations. They also seemed willing to do whatever it took to achieve their goals. While their Pokémon were strong and their Trainer was skilled, if that was their full strength, Jin knew he had the upper hand.
(If that's the case, they'll likely try to avoid battling me at all costs...)
If his prediction was wrong, so be it. He'd face them head-on when the time came. But for now, he needed to focus on the worst-case scenario—being separated from Liko.
(And I should assume the enemy is already prepared for that situation...)
"…Gardevoir, I need your help."
---
The next day, after finishing breakfast, Jin headed toward Wattrel with Roy and Liko, who was concerned about them.
"Hah, I hope this works out!"
After parting ways with Jin the previous night, Roy had come up with his own plan to help Wattrel overcome his fear. He borrowed Ludlow's fishing rod and attached a lifeline contraption to it, intending to use it for training Wattrel to get used to heights.
"There you are! Wattrel!"
They found Wattrel in the grass near the river, a bit away from the ship. It was an unusual sight—seeing a Flying-type Pokémon nesting in the grass.
(…I see.)
The moment Jin saw Wattrel, he instantly understood why it couldn't fly well and why it had developed a fear of heights.
This Wattrel was noticeably smaller than the average member of its species. Its size was likely a major factor in its inability to fly properly. As a result, its struggles with flying led to a fear of heights, creating a vicious cycle. Jin was confident his guess was correct.
"Wattrel, watch this!"
Roy attached a Wattrel-shaped doll to the lifeline on the fishing rod and dangled it over the river. Wattrel, intrigued by the sight, seemed eager to try it out for himself, signaling that he wanted to be attached to the lifeline.
"Alright! This should work perfectly!"
Roy fastened the lifeline to Wattrel and began the training to help it overcome its fear. He believed that if Wattrel could get used to heights and find courage, it would eventually be able to fly to where its fellow Pokémon were.
(He's put more thought into this than I expected. I was going to give him advice, but it looks like he doesn't need it...)
When Roy had first asked for help, Jin thought he had a long way to go. But seeing that Roy had come up with this training method on his own made Jin realize that Roy was steadily growing as a Trainer. While Jin felt a slight twinge of sadness, he was more proud than anything.
"What do you think of Roy's training, Jin?"
To avoid interrupting Roy's training, Jin and Liko stood a bit farther away. Liko, curious about Jin's opinion, asked him what he thought. From her perspective, Roy had worked hard to come up with this idea, but she wondered how it looked from Jin's expert eyes.
"I think it's pretty good. It might take some time, but this method could eventually pay off."
"Yeah! I think so too!"
Hearing Jin's approval, Liko looked relieved, realizing that the training method wasn't wrong.
(This is probably the best way to handle it. There are other methods, but they'd be too extreme...)
One alternative was to confront Wattrel's fear of heights with an even greater fear. For example, Jin could tie Wattrel to Salamence and have it use Dragon Dance to boost its speed to the max, then fly at full speed through the sky.
If this worked, it might rid Wattrel of its fear of heights. But the cost could be high—there was a real chance it could worsen Wattrel's trauma. It was a risky, high-stakes method.
(So, I'll keep that as a last resort… Only if there's no other choice.)
Jin preferred not to use such a drastic approach. As he watched Roy's training, hoping it would succeed, Liko's Rotom Phone suddenly beeped with a notification.
"A message from the store? Oh, it's the secret Spicy Herb!"
The previous day, when Liko had gone shopping with Murdock and the others, they were unable to find this one item that Murdock wanted. Now, it was being sold in limited quantities. Knowing this, Liko couldn't resist the urge to go buy it.
"I'm going to go get it!"
"If that's the case, I'll come with you. I don't have much to do here anyway."
Roy's training would take time, but it was safe. Unless something unexpected happened, Jin wouldn't need to step in. It made more sense to stay by Liko's side, as she could be a target.
"Alright then, Jin, let's go together. Roy! We're heading out for a bit."
"If anything happens, let me know. We'll be back soon."
"Okay! See you both later!"
---
Leaving Roy to continue training Wattrel to overcome its fear of heights, Jin and Liko headed to Hakkou City.
"Is the store close?"
"Yeah, just a bit further. I hope they still have some left…"
Jin and Liko didn't fully understand how rare the Secret Spicy Herb Murdock wanted was, but considering it was a limited edition, it was clear that it was a highly sought-after item. The two picked up their pace as they made their way to the store marked on the map.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, Jin, who was running ahead of Liko, felt hostility coming from all directions and immediately halted her. Moments later, a group of boys, around the same age as them, appeared and blocked both their path forward and their way back.
(What's this? Could they be from the Explorers?)
Jin moved Liko behind him, taking a position where he could shield her. He placed his hand on the Poké Ball in his pocket, ready for battle at any moment.
"It's him! He's Jin!"
One of the boys compared Jin's face to the screen on his Rotom Phone and confirmed his identity. At that moment, all the other boys turned their sharp glares toward Jin.
"Do you need something?"
Jin asked calmly, despite increasing his guard, showing no fear in the face of their hostility. The leader, seemingly the one in charge, stepped forward.
"You're Jin, right? The trainer from Hoenn who accidentally beat Nemona in a battle?"
"…Yeah, I'm Jin."
"I knew it! If Nemona had been serious, there's no way you could've beaten her!"
"Yeah! Nemona is one of the strongest trainers in Paldea!"
"Battle us! We'll prove that you're nowhere near Nemona's level!"
As soon as Jin admitted to battling Nemona, the boys pulled out their Poké Balls and challenged him. What Jin had initially thought might be an attack from the Explorers turned out to be a confrontation with a group of Nemona's fans.
"Accidentally?! What do you even know about Jin?!"
Liko raised her voice in anger at the boys. It wasn't just because her boyfriend Jin was being insulted, but because she had witnessed the battle firsthand. To dismiss it as an accident was unacceptable to her.
"Shut up! Stay out of this if you're not involved!"
"This is about defending Paldea's honor. Don't interfere!"
Unfortunately, Liko's words didn't get through to the boys. In fact, it seemed they hadn't been listening from the start. Jin and Liko likely couldn't reason with them. The only person who could probably stop this reckless behavior was Nemona herself, but that didn't seem like an option here.
"Looks like there's no choice. Liko, could you go ahead without me?"
"…Are you really going to battle these guys?"
"They won't let us go otherwise… Don't look so worried. This kind of thing happens sometimes."
Some Gym Leaders were so beloved by the townspeople that they were treated like idols. There were even cases where challengers arriving for a Gym battle would be stopped by locals who wanted to test them in battle first.
For Jin, who had defeated many trainers and Gym Leaders, this kind of situation wasn't new.
"I'll battle you guys, but she gets to pass, alright?"
Jin asked the boys. After exchanging glances, they moved aside just enough to let Liko through.
"Liko, sorry, but can you handle the shopping?"
"Of course! And don't you dare lose to these guys!"
Liko gave a determined look before hurrying past them, heading toward the store. As soon as she was through, the boys closed ranks again, completely surrounding Jin.
"Let's go! I'll be your first opponent!"
The leader of the group stepped forward to start the battle. It seemed that while they had surrounded Jin, they weren't complete thugs planning to gang up on him all at once.
"Go! Maschiff!"
Out from the leader's Poké Ball came a Maschiff, a small dog-like Pokémon with sharp, jagged teeth and a constantly frowning face. It was a Dark-type native to Paldea.
(A Dark-type from Paldea, huh? Alright, in that case…)
"We've been waiting all morning for you to show up! Maschiff, we're going to take you down!"
(Wait, what?)
"Hold on. Wasn't this a coincidence?"
"Huh? We got a tip from Nemona's fan club that you were battling in this city yesterday. So we… hey! Are you even listening?!"
As the leader of the boys rambled on, Jin tuned him out, piecing things together from yesterday's events.
(When I entered and left the city, I was flying on Salamence. The chances of being spotted then were slim. I also made sure to keep an eye on the surroundings during the battle—there were no people or Pokémon around…)
While there was a chance Jin might have overlooked something, there was only one person he could think of who would have known about the battle and used that information.
(So, that's how it is. Nicely played.)
"Hey! Are we going to battle or what?!"
"Of course. I'll keep my word. But let's change the rules."
Jin pulled out a Poké Ball from his pocket and tossed it into the air. His partner and strongest Pokémon, Sceptile, emerged. Together, Jin and Sceptile glared fiercely at all the boys, and Jin made a bold declaration.
"Everyone, send out your Pokémon! I'll take you all on at once."
"You've got to be kidding! If you think you can handle that, bring it on!"
At that, the boys began sending out their Pokémon one by one, surrounding Sceptile.
"Let's end this quickly! Leaf Storm!"
"Sceptiiiiiiiile!"
---
Meanwhile, after separating from Jin, Liko, along with Sprigatito, was nearing the shop that was their destination. In just a few more minutes, they would reach the store.
"…Such rude boys."
Recalling the attitudes of the boys earlier, anger welled up in her again. She could understand being upset when the Trainer they supported lost, but blaming it on luck and picking a fight was incredibly disrespectful.
"Nyaa~"
"Oh, sorry, Sprigatito."
As Sprigatito, who was cradled in her arms, let out a small cry, Liko regained a bit of her composure.
(It's okay… There's no way Jin would lose to people like that.)
Once they battled, those boys would lose and realize just how strong Jin was. There was nothing Liko needed to do.
Since Jin had promised to catch up soon, he probably wouldn't play around during the battle or try out any new moves. He'd finish them off quickly with a powerful technique. And when that happens…
(I'm more worried about their Pokémon getting hurt from losing the battle than anything else…)
Thinking this, her anger toward the boys subsided. She might even feel some sympathy for them after the battle.
"According to the map… it should be just ahead!"
Lost in thought, Liko had arrived near the shop they were looking for. Following the map, she turned into an alley and slowly advanced. However, what awaited her was a dead-end, and the shop they were expecting was nowhere to be found.
"A dead end? But the map shows the shop should be right here..."
Thinking she must have made a mistake, she turned back to retrace her steps, but just then, she bumped into someone behind her and dropped her Rotom Phone.
"Oh no..."
"My apologies! Are you alright?"
"No, I'm sorry! I'm okay."
Liko quickly apologized to the man she had bumped into—a tall figure wearing glasses, with an Umbreon at his side—and bent down to retrieve her Rotom Phone.
(Thank goodness, it's not broken.)
After confirming her phone was not damaged, she looked up only to see a Pokémon that hadn't been there moments ago: a Beheeyem was floating with both arms raised toward her.
"...Huh?"
Startled by the sudden turn of events, both Liko and Sprigatito froze in place. Beheeyem's fingers began to blink with three different colors.
Beheeyem was a Pokémon known for its terrifying ability to use its psychic powers to control minds and erase memories. Right now, Beheeyem was about to erase Liko's memories, wiping away everything from her time at the academy to her journey in Paldea… or at least, it should have.
"Beheeyem!?"
"What!?"
A black energy sphere shot out from the left, hitting Beheeyem before it could complete its attack. Beheeyem, unable to react in time, was blown back into the depths of the alley by the surprise attack.
"...Ah."
With Beheeyem's retreat, Liko and Sprigatito snapped back to their senses. They quickly turned to see where the attack had come from, and standing there, wearing a furious expression, was a Pokémon they knew well.
"Ga-Gardevoir!?"
Gardevoir activated Teleport and moved next to Liko and Sprigatito, grabbing them before using Teleport again to take them further away from the man.
"Impossible!? Why are you here!? That boy should still be—"
"Voir!"
Before the tall man, Spinel, could finish his words, Gardevoir interrupted him. It gathered a dark orb, preparing another Shadow Ball. Umbreon stepped forward, trying to shield Spinel, but it was futile.
Instead of aiming the Shadow Ball at Spinel, Gardevoir fired it into the sky, where it exploded like fireworks.
"This is… a problem. Umbreon, use Dark Pulse."
Liko, Sprigatito, and Umbreon didn't understand the meaning behind Gardevoir's actions, but Spinel grasped it. Gardevoir's Shadow Ball had exposed their location. They needed to defeat Gardevoir and claim the pendant quickly, before things escalated further.
"Umbree!"
Umbreon's body began to emit a malicious aura as it launched its attack, but Gardevoir quickly responded with Protect, neutralizing the Dark Pulse.
"Again! Use Dark Pulse!"
Protect was difficult to use consecutively, so attacking right after was the logical choice. However, Gardevoir, who had undergone years of training with Jin, wasn't the type to only defend itself. It could think and act on its own, without waiting for Jin's commands.
"Garde!"
Gardevoir countered the Dark Pulse with Moonblast, neutralizing it and pushing the attack further, landing a hit on Umbreon and dealing damage.
"Umbreon!? At this rate…"
Spinel's growing frustration became apparent. Given his situation, it was understandable. The explosion from Gardevoir's move had already alerted others to their location, and several minutes had passed since the battle began. The longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for Spinel.
And the worst-case scenario happened all too suddenly.
"At this rate… what do you think will happen?"
"…!?"
Spinel's gaze shot upward at the voice. There, above him, was the person he dreaded most—Jin—riding his Salamence, glaring coldly down at him. Jin and Salamence descended slowly, finally landing near Liko and Gardevoir.
"Finally caught up to you… Now, are you ready to face the consequences?"
// END
At first, I was planning to follow the original storyline where Liko would lose her memory, but then regain it after seeing Jin. However, I didn't want to write a passive Jin who doesn't take action despite so many hints leading up to the event, so this is how it turned out.
No regrets!
---
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