Julian stayed iel for three days, epping out even once. His meals were delivered to his room by the hotel staff. It wasn't that he didn't want to go out—he just wao see if things would py out as he expected.

  "So, that guy hasn't checked out?"

  Julian asked the hotel manager, who firmed that Hector was still in the room door.

  Over the past three days, Lucario had occasionally sensed waves of hostility ing from Hector's room.

  That firmed it—his presence here was no ce.

  The reasoor hadn't made a move yet was likely because they were in a hotel.

  "Young Master, is something wrong with that man?" the hotel manager asked.

  "You go now."

  Julian didn't say much. This matter had nothing to do with the hotel, and telling the manager would only put him in unnecessary danger.

  "Looks like I o find a pce to lure him out."

  Julian stroked his in thought. If Hector didn't dare to make a move iel, then he probably wouldn't iy either. That meant the only option was to go somewhere with fewer people—perhaps even the wilderness.

  With that in mind, Julian pulled out his phone and called Dawn.

  "Hello, Julian!"

  Daas about to head out for training in the wilds of Rockwell City, leasantly surprised but also a little fused by the sudden call.

  "You haven't left for the Earth Ridge yet, have you?" Julian asked.

  The Earth Ridge was located west of Rockwell City. It was home to many wild Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon and covered a vast area. Deep within the ridge, there were even Pokémon at the Elite level. Because of that, it was known as a minor forbidden zone in Rockwell City.

  Yesterday, Dawn had invited Julian to go to the Earth Ridge with her, but he had turned her down.

  "I haven't left yet," Dawn replied.

  "Wait for me. I'm ing over now."

  With that, Julian hung up.

  He recalled all his Pokémon except Dragohen grabbed Celebi—who was still fast asleep—and stuffed it into his backpack.

  This pig-like creature didn't even wake up.

  The weight pressing down on his back was substantial. If someoh a weak stitution tried carrying this bag, they probably wouldn't make it very far.

  Hopping ontonite, Julian took off in the dire of Dawn's home.

  Meanwhile, iher room, the middle-aged man who had been keeping an eye on Julian immediately noticed his departure.

  "He left? Do you think he's onto us?"

  delure: "If you weren't so worried about causing a se, we would have succeeded by now."

  delure couldn't uand why its Trainer refused to aside the hotel. With its strength, eliminating Julian silently would have been effortless.

  The man said lightly, "Do you think the Walker family is that easy to deal with? If you fail, I'll be exposed. Then we won't have a pce to hide anywhere in try."

  "A few days ago, my people informed me that John Walker sent him a Poké Ball."

  "Now that he's heading out, there's a high ce he's trying to lure us into following him."

  "As expected, no one in the Walker family is easy to deal with."

  The middle-aged man sighed softly. He now uood why Julian had stayed iel for three days without leaving—he had been waiting for him to make a move.

  But since he hadn't, Julian was now leaving, using himself as bait to lure him out.

  delure: "So what do we do? Are we just going to give up on the Soul Crystal?"

  The man shook his head. "Fet it. We'll head to East Afristead. There are plenty of humans and Pokémon there. It'll take longer, but it's much safer."

  The East Afri region was home to many small nations, stantly embroiled in flict. War and u had given rise to tless terrorist anizations, and every day, tens of thousands of humans and Pokémon perished.

  delure: "You're such a coward."

  The man's face darkened. "I'm a vilin with a brain."

  With that, he recalled delure into its Poké Ball and walked into the bathroom.

  When he emerged, his fad clothes were pletely different—he looked like airely new person.

  "Let's go."

  Even his voice had ged.

  —

  Meanwhile, Julian was s through the sky, unaware that his pn had already beehrough and that his enemy had decisively chosen to retreat.

  Still, he remained vigint, keeping a close eye on his surroundings.

  Far above him, hidden in the clouds, a Champion-level Metagross—his grandfather's Pokémon—was secretly watg over him, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

  Just as the middle-aged man had guessed, Julian had indeed borrowed the Champion-level Metagross from his grandfather.

  Had his enemy attempted an ambush on the way or in the Earth Ridge, the one who would have died would likely have been him.

  Julian had no idea he was dealing with a vilin who actually had a brain. Everything he was doing now was ultimately pointless.

  —

  At the gates of the Dawn family estate, Dawn stood with eight other Trainers, all around twenty years old—five men and three women.

  inally, they had po head to the Earth Ridge for training, but when Dawn suddenly annouhat Julian would be joining them, they decided to wait.

  Upon hearing the news, none of them pined about the dey. Instead, they were thrilled, each thinking about how they could impress Juliahey set out.

  Of course, some heirs from noble families were reckless, but most of them, even if they cked talent or skill, at least had the on seo know whom they could afford to offend—and whom they absolutely could not.

  Julian was one of those people they couldn't afford to offend. In fact, he was someohey o befriend at all costs.

  "Dawn, check my makeup for me. Did it smudge?"

  Dawn's cousin was holding a small mirror, pouting as she pined, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that Young Master Walker was ing? I would've taken more time to dress up properly!"

  "It's not smudged, but your foundation is g."

  Dawn g her cousin.

  'Even I couldn't catch his eye. You? Unless he has a very... uaste, you have no ce'

  "You—!"

  Her cousin immediately became angry, but she quickly focused on fixing her makeup. There was no time tue—she had to make sure she left a stunning impression on Julian.

  Anirl, meanwhile, discreetly slipped away to ge outfits.

  She sed her thick down jacket for a thinner one, revealing her curves. But in this freeziher, was she really prepared to ehe cold just for this?

  'Bi*ch'

  Dawn thought to herself.

  She casually took out her phone, pretending to py on it. Iy, she was using the s's refle to check if her o was fwless.

  In a family like hers, gaining the family's support required one of two things—talent and strength or a powerful father. If you had her, then you needed ing.

  And if you cked even that, you were nothing more than a sidelined nobody, a useless person no one respected.

  petition among family members was brutal. The family's resources were limited, and if you wanted more, the best way was to push others down.

  It didn't matter how—it only mattered that you didn't get caught.

  *****

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