Pokemon: Skybound

----

After Kai's threat, the Team Rocket member seemed to let go of his psychological burden, completely giving up resistance and becoming very cooperative.

He answered all of Lorelei's questions, and she managed to gather a lot of useful information.

It turned out that after they failed in the Kanto region, Team Rocket had no choice but to turn their attention to remote areas like the Sevii Islands, intending to regroup and make a comeback. Capturing Pokémon to rapidly improve their combat strength had become their top priority.

What surprised Lorelei was that Team Rocket had not established a secret base here. Instead, they had only built a hidden warehouse in the forest of Five Island. To avoid drawing attention, they sent only a small group of members just over a dozen.

Hearing this, Lorelei sighed in relief. Fortunately, Team Rocket had not been operating on the island for long.

She had feared they might have infiltrated the Sevii Islands' communities deeply. Now it seemed they could be stopped before they gained a foothold.

"Who is the top person in charge here?" she demanded.

The grunt hesitated before reluctantly replying, "It's... Petrel, one of the four executives."

"Petrel?" Lorelei's eyes narrowed, and Kai's expression hardened.

Kai was stunned but not entirely surprised. He had faced Petrel several times before and knew him and his Pokémon well. Despite their past encounters, Kai never underestimated any opponent.

It was a principle he always followed: never let familiarity lead to complacency.

With all the useful information obtained, Sabrina waved her hand and restored the rest of the grunts to their original state.

Kai used the ropes brought by Team Rocket to tie the grunts' hands together, linking them in a line to escort them back to the surface.

Just as they were about to leave, Kai noticed something unusual beneath a nearby icicle. A strange piece of ice shimmered with an almost otherworldly light.

Curious, he walked over and picked it up.

The object was cold to the touch, shaped like an ordinary ice cube, and crystal clear. Yet it felt as hard as stone and showed no signs of melting, even after prolonged contact with his warm hand.

"What is this?" Kai wondered aloud.

Hearing his question, Lorelei approached. When she saw the item clearly, her eyes lit up with excitement. "Huh? That's Never-Melt Ice!"

"Never-Melt Ice?" Kai echoed, puzzled.

Lorelei nodded. "It's a rare material said to have absorbed strange energy, causing it to mutate. It never melts, no matter the temperature. What's more, when a Pokémon carries it, it boosts the power of Ice-type moves!"

"Oh... so it's that," Kai murmured. Though he had played several Pokémon games before, he had never paid much attention to held items.

He was the type who focused on the story and rarely used anything other than healing items.

Seeing Lorelei's hopeful expression, Kai stuffed the Never-Melt Ice into his backpack without hesitation.

Lorelei: ...

Kai stared back, his face blank and indifferent.

"You think I'll give it to you? Even if you're the Ice-type Elite Four, why would I? I have an Ice Pokémon too."

Suppressing her annoyance, Lorelei decided not to argue.

---

The group returned the way they came, escorting the Team Rocket grunts out of the Frozen Waterfall Cave. Having received crucial information, they decided there was no need to visit Six or Seven Islands.

Lorelei contacted a local police officer she knew, requesting reinforcements and support near Five Island to apprehend the remaining Rocket members.

After a quick meal, the trio boarded a speedboat and set out for Five Island, also known as the "Island of Time." Despite its peculiar name, even Lorelei didn't know its connection to time.

As the most scenic of the Sevii Islands, Five Island was a major tourist destination. A wealthy entrepreneur had even built a luxury resort in the northern part of the island.

Upon arrival, the group moved past the bustling crowds of tourists and followed Lorelei into the dense forest at the island's centre.

The area was lush with towering trees that would take two people to fully embrace. Hidden within this forest was Team Rocket's warehouse.

Crouching behind a large tree, Kai peered through the foliage at the building, which blended seamlessly with the surrounding environment. Rockets moved boxes of goods in and out, oblivious to their observers.

"Tsk, these guys are clever," Lorelei muttered. "Camouflaging their base like this it'd be nearly impossible to find without prior intel."

After observing for a while, Kai turned to Lorelei. "Do you have a plan?"

Lorelei studied the area but refrained from acting hastily. "What do you suggest?" she asked.

Sabrina remained silent, her expression unreadable. Knowing he couldn't rely on her input, Kai thought for a moment.

"Although there aren't many of them, we should start from the perimeter to prevent anyone from escaping," he suggested.

Lorelei nodded. Confident in their abilities, she prepared to move but decided to notify the local authorities as a backup measure.

Just as they were about to act, Kai pulled out a strange mask from his backpack and put it on.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Lorelei asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kai's voice, altered by the Gengar-shaped mask, sounded completely different. "This is a good habit of mine. For someone like me, who does good deeds without asking for recognition, there's no need for these grunts to see my face!"

Lorelei: ...

Sabrina: ...

----

Don't forget to drop some Power Stones!

For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon.

P@treon/iamxeno

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!