Pokemon: As Cynthia's Fiance

Interested in reading ahead. You know where.

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Lapras lay motionless on the shore.

The sand around it was stained dark, soaked in foul-smelling black blood that had already begun to crust under the sun.

Sam stood a few steps away, eyes narrowing.

Lapras was injured. Badly.

It didn't take much to guess what had happened—poisoned, attacked, possibly even tortured.

The fact that it had fled from the sea and stranded itself on land said everything.

No Lapras would willingly beach itself unless it had no other choice.

Quietly, Sam approached.

He knelt beside the large aquatic Pokémon, his expression calm, gentle.

One hand reached out and lightly stroked Lapras' slender neck.

"Shh… it's okay now," he said softly.

"I'm here to help you."

A faint sound escaped Lapras' throat.

"Woo~"

It didn't resist. Didn't even flinch.

Its head remained bowed, body limp with exhaustion and pain. It was completely drained.

As Sam's fingers made contact with its skin, he let his Aura extend outward.

He wasn't just petting Lapras. He was reading it.

And what he sensed made his chest tighten.

"Severely injured," he muttered under his breath.

"That explains why it didn't even fight back when it was attacked."

Lapras were peaceful by nature, yes.

But they weren't defenseless.

A healthy one could have driven off a pack of wild Mightyena with a single Ice Beam.

The thugs from earlier—three punkish youths he'd already taken care of—would've been frozen solid if Lapras had the strength to retaliate.

But it hadn't.

And now it lay here, broken and bleeding.

Sam quickly pulled a few berries from his backpack.

He always kept basic supplies on him when traveling—just in case.

"I've got some Pecha Berries. Here," he said, holding one near Lapras' mouth.

"They'll help with the poison."

Lapras tilted its head slightly. Its nostrils flared, catching the sweet scent of the berry.

It hesitated—only for a moment—then opened its mouth and slowly took the fruit, chewing weakly.

Good. It still had the will to survive.

As Lapras swallowed, Sam placed his palm lightly on its body again, this time channeling the gentle, restorative pulse of Viridian energy into it.

It wasn't Healing Wish, or even a proper move.

But the power within him—his connection to the world, to Pokémon—allowed him to transfer a small amount of stability and calm.

Enough to ease the worst of the pain.

Then he set to work.

Bandages. Clean water.

He disinfected the visible wounds and wrapped them carefully, binding tight but not constricting.

Every motion was practiced, precise.

Gradually, Lapras' breathing steadied.

The bleeding had stopped.

The poison, at least most of it, was being pushed out.

It wasn't safe yet—but it would make it through.

They weren't far from Canalave City.

Sam had already sent a message through the emergency line, and sure enough—sirens echoed in the distance a few minutes later.

A Zipp patrol vehicle came into view, kicking up a trail of dust as it rolled down the path toward the beach.

Officer Jenny stepped out, her expression already tight with concern.

Her eyes swept the scene quickly—the black-stained sand, the bruised and unconscious Lapras, and the three youths still collapsed nearby.

Then her gaze landed on Sam.

She straightened and gave him a formal salute.

"Professor Sam. You made the call?"

He gave a nod. "Yes. I was passing by and found those three—" he gestured toward the boys on the ground, "—attacking an endangered Lapras."

Jenny's jaw clenched.

"Understood."

She turned and signaled to her team.

"Check them. Get cuffs on all three."

As her subordinates moved in, the thugs began to stir.

"Ugh—what the hell—?!"

"Aaaah! No—stay away!"

"Don't let it touch me! Don't—!"

All three suddenly erupted into wild screaming, thrashing like maniacs.

Their faces were twisted in terror, as though they were seeing something far more frightening than handcuffs.

"Monsters! Stay back!"

"Don't eat me! I didn't mean it—!"

It wasn't just panic. Their eyes were blank, unfocused.

Their minds shattered.

Jenny raised a brow, glancing back at Sam.

"What happened to them?"

"They saw something," he said quietly.

"Something they couldn't handle."

He didn't elaborate. She didn't ask.

With some effort, the officers restrained the three and dragged them into the back of the Zipp car.

Once they were dealt with, Officer Jenny walked over to Lapras, who was still lying on its side.

"Condition?"

"I've already expelled most of the toxins," Sam said.

"The bleeding's stopped, and I stabilized it for now. But it needs proper care. Nurse Joy can handle the rest."

Jenny nodded. "Good work. We'll arrange transport."

She gave another signal, and her team quickly moved to bring in a specialized lift truck—a vehicle used for relocating large Pokémon.

It would take Lapras safely to the Pokémon Center without jostling its wounds.

Sam stepped back as the medics gently loaded the injured Pokémon into the carrier.

Lapras gave him a quiet look as it was lifted—eyes tired, but no longer afraid.

A soft, grateful sound escaped it.

"Woo~"

Sam nodded in return.

"You'll be okay."

And this time, he believed it.

Sam stood beside the recovering Lapras, watching the officers work, then turned to Officer Jenny with a furrowed brow.

"I checked Lapras' injuries closely," he said, his voice low and steady.

"They weren't random. This wasn't just some accidental encounter with wild predators. Someone did this—on purpose."

Officer Jenny paused, her eyes narrowing.

Sam continued, "Judging by its size, this Lapras isn't fully grown yet. It's still a juvenile."

He looked back toward the ocean, expression tightening.

"Under normal circumstances, a young Lapras would still be with its pod—protected by its parents, moving together across the sea. But this one… was alone. Injured. Poisoned. Driven ashore."

He turned back to Jenny. "Which means one thing: someone's hunting them."

Jenny's face darkened immediately, fury simmering behind her usually composed expression.

"You think this Lapras was left behind during a chase?" she asked.

Sam nodded grimly.

"It was probably wounded during the attack. Couldn't keep up. And when the rest of the pod fled, it was abandoned—left to drift until it ended up here, near Canalave."

Jenny's jaw clenched. Her hands balled into fists.

"Damn it… a Pokémon hunter."

She looked toward the unconscious thugs being loaded into the patrol car and spat, "And I'd bet my badge those scumbags were working for the Gold Poaching Group!"

Sam's eyes narrowed slightly at the name.

"Gold Poaching Group..."

That sounded familiar.

He searched his memory—then it clicked.

Cynthia had mentioned them once. A notorious ring operating across Sinnoh.

Ruthless. Organized. Dangerous.

Jenny confirmed it with a sharp nod. "That's right. The leader goes by the name J."

"Hunter J?" Sam muttered, recalling the infamous figure from the anime—a silver-haired woman in a sleek armor-like uniform, known for her cruelty and cold efficiency.

She didn't just capture Pokémon—she hunted them. Like trophies.

"She's wanted across multiple regions," Jenny said.

"Specializes in high-value targets. Lapras, Dragonair, even rare starters. She's got the firepower and manpower to go after entire species."

Sam's fists clenched by his sides.

If J was involved, then this wasn't just a random act of cruelty. This was a calculated raid.

"They've hit Lapras pods before," Jenny went on.

"We've tried to shut them down—raids, sting operations, tracking drones—but they're slippery. Always one step ahead."

She kicked at the sand in frustration.

"And now they're going after Lapras here, in Sinnoh. It's outrageous. Our waters don't have many Lapras left. If this keeps up…"

Her voice trailed off, but the implication was clear.

Lapras could disappear entirely from Sinnoh's coasts.

Sam's expression turned solemn.

He glanced toward the truck where the wounded Pokémon now rested, covered in a soft tarp, its breathing slow but steady.

On the black market, an adult Lapras in good condition could fetch over three million Alliance coins.

That kind of profit drew the worst kind of people.

And someone like J? She wasn't doing it for survival.

She was doing it for business.

Jenny took a deep breath, trying to steady her anger.

"I'm sorry, Professor Sam. But I need to report this to the Alliance—immediately."

She turned, already tapping into her communicator.

"We'll need aerial patrols near the western coast. Naval units, too. If they're hunting pods, they'll be using ships or submarines. We need to catch them before they leave Sinnoh waters."

Sam gave a small nod.

"Go."

Jenny glanced back at him.

"Thank you—for helping Lapras. If you hadn't come along…"

She didn't finish the sentence., 

She didn't have to.

Without Sam, Lapras wouldn't have made it.

Sam simply watched the patrol vehicle speed off down the road, kicking up dust as the sirens began to wail once more.

Then he turned back toward the sea.

Far out on the horizon, the water glittered beneath the late afternoon sun.

Somewhere out there, a pod of Lapras was still on the run—hunted.

And someone had to stop it.