Pokemon : The Master of Dragon-Types

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In the suburbs of the Capital City, inside that same dilapidated old house, the full moon hung high in the night sky. December weather in the Capital had grown extremely cold, with light snow falling from the heavens. Fortunately, the house had heating, keeping it warm despite the chill outside.

Dante and Alora sat together, facing the middle-aged man across from them.

"It's been three and a half months. We've checked every name on that list and found no useful clues," Dante said to the middle-aged man. "Many people have seen the pot-shaped item you mentioned, but no one knows who ended up with it. Some people on the list have been dead for decades. There's nothing more we can do."

"No!" The middle-aged man's voice turned hysterical, his eyes red and bloodshot. He had been under tremendous pressure for the past three and a half months, knowing better than anyone the terror of the person behind this operation.

Although that person always maintained a perfect image in public, the middle-aged man had witnessed their fierce side firsthand.

"You must help me find where that item is. You've already been paid! If you can't find it, I'll have trouble explaining myself, and so will you." The middle-aged man's breathing quickened with anger as he glared at the two while panting heavily. "After checking everyone on the list, check their families, descendants, and future generations. We must find this pot."

His voice suddenly rose at the end, his tone filled with anger and a hint of arrogance.

Dante's eyes turned cold upon hearing the middle-aged man's tone. He stared at him and said grimly, "Are you ordering me?"

Dante stood up slowly. Despite being nearly fifty years old, he remained tall and powerfully built. "We checked everyone on that list as requested. This has wasted three months of our time. Our mission is complete. We've been delayed in the Capital for three months, and we have our own matters to attend to. Do you realize how long it would take to check all their families? And we haven't received a single Pokédollar of the reward you mentioned."

"You've already checked once. You just need to check their families according to the list. It will be much faster this time. You can finish in less than three months," the middle-aged man said. Though initially shocked by Dante's intensity, he gradually regained his composure, showing no fear. "Besides, it's your Dawn Society's fault that you didn't get the reward. We told you the transportation route of the Gible's Egg as requested. Your Dawn Society has already taken the Gible's Egg. Whether you received the reward or not, we've already paid the Dawn Society."

"You can quit if you want. But you're damaging your Dawn Society's reputation. It depends on what your Dawn Society leadership will think," the middle-aged man said with a threatening tone. "You're on the Pokémon Association's wanted list. The bounty isn't small. If you offend the Dawn Society too, you'll have nowhere to go."

"BOOM!"

Dante attacked without warning. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the middle-aged man, grabbing his collar with one hand and slamming him against the wall with a muffled thud.

"Are you threatening me?" Dante's eyes were filled with undisguised murderous intent. His reputation for viciousness made the middle-aged man's confidence waver.

"Cough, cough." The middle-aged man struggled to breathe, his face flushing as he coughed rapidly. "Dante, I'm not threatening you. I'm just speaking rationally."

Dante glared at the middle-aged man and, after a few moments, released his grip. "If you want us to continue helping you, fine, but you need to provide us with something in return."

"Ahem, what do you want?" The middle-aged man eyed Dante warily, but didn't rush to refuse. "Dante, I know you're talented. Training such a powerful Tyranitar in just three years proves that. But don't push too far. If you offend the person behind me, the efforts to track you down won't be as simple as they are now. By the way, I have news for you. Ryan has become a special investigator for the Alliance. He's responsible for tracking your whereabouts. Be careful."

"Ryan," Dante muttered the name, his thoughts unreadable.

"Ryan is exceptionally strong. Even with just one Pokémon, don't underestimate him. In a one-on-one battle, even the Southwest region's King Sawyer couldn't defeat him despite using his Z-Move," the middle-aged man said. "You're definitely not his match."

"I see." Dante paused, looked at the middle-aged man, and continued slowly, "We can continue helping with your investigation, but we need a favor in return."

"What's the deal?"

"I want the guard list and architectural design drawings of the two Secret Realms near the Capital, along with a one-month rotation schedule," Dante said calmly. "This request should be simple for someone like you. If you agree, we promise to continue searching for your item, but for no more than three months. If we haven't found it by then, there's nothing more we can do."

"You're planning to attack a Secret Realm?" The middle-aged man was shocked upon hearing Dante's conditions. Cold sweat formed on his forehead, but excitement followed quickly. "Is this your idea or the Dawn Society's?"

"What do you think?" Dante replied. "There are four or five King-level Trainers in a Secret Realm, and reinforcements arrive quickly. Do you think Alora and I could manage alone?"

"I can't decide this matter myself. I need to report back," the middle-aged man said, his mind racing. He secretly speculated that if the Dawn Society truly planned an attack, there were only two Secret Realms near the Capital—the Dragon Secret Realm and the Ground Secret Realm. With the Dragon King absent, the Dragon Secret Realm would be the obvious target. Most importantly, it contained numerous Pseudo Legendary Pokémon! If the Dawn Society succeeded, he might claim a share and capture a Pseudo Legendary Pokémon for himself.

"Fine, but we need to move quickly," Dante said. "The Pokémon Association has controlled the Pseudo Legendary Pokémon for too long. If your superiors are interested, they can cooperate with us. We'll only take the Pokémon Eggs and leave. Our chances of success remain high."

"We'll consider it," the middle-aged man replied.

...

After Dante and Alora left, they walked side by side along the snowy path. Snowflakes fell on them and melted away. Alora couldn't help but ask in broken language, "Who do you think is behind him?"

"I can't tell," Dante admitted. He couldn't guess who was behind this middle-aged man, but they clearly had significant influence within the Alliance. Otherwise, they wouldn't have access to check the delivery route of the Gible Egg. "But they're definitely someone in a high position with considerable power."

"Then you dare lie to them about the Dawn Society planning to attack the Secret Realm?" Alora asked.

"Who says it's a lie?" Dante chuckled. "They're simply greedy."

"Besides, if we do attack a Secret Realm, we might target others, but the Dragon Secret Realm is absolutely off-limits. Our target should be the Ground Secret Realm."