Chapter 15: Pandora's Box
Renjiro's home was small—a modest apartment with just one bedroom and a living room. When his grandfather was alive, the two had always shared a bed, finding warmth and comfort in each other's company. But now, that arrangement was impossible. Renjiro certainly couldn't share a bed with Liu Shuyun.
So, with no other option, Renjiro made up the sofa for himself, settling in for the night.
Meanwhile, Liu Shuyun sat by the bedroom window, gazing at the silver moonlight spilling into the room. Despite the room's shabbiness and its cramped space, there was a warmth here—one she hadn't felt in years. It wasn't luxury or grandeur that gave her this peace; it was something else entirely.
"Maybe… maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay like this a little longer."
With that thought, Liu Shuyun let her eyes close, and sleep finally took her.
---
The next morning, outside the Dailong Takeaway Station in Shuangyang City…
"Bang!"
A loud thud echoed as Zhang Xuewei was thrown out of the station's door, hitting the ground hard. The marsupial-like Dragon Pokémon, Kommo-o, loomed over him with a snarl, having done the dirty work for its master.
Around them, dozens of delivery men stood silently, watching the scene unfold with cold indifference. Only one among them—a man slightly older than Xuewei, named Arnold—stepped forward to help him up.
"Xuewei, you okay?"
"I'm fine." Xuewei wiped a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth and forced a smile. But his heart was heavy.
He hadn't slept a wink the night before. His mind had been consumed by the decision that weighed on him: should he accept Team Rocket's invitation? But no matter how many times he went over it, no clear answer came.
This morning, despite everything, he had still shown up at work, hoping to collect his final wages before figuring out his next move.
But that, too, had ended in humiliation.
"Take your money and get lost!" the boss, a large, rotund man with a sneer permanently etched on his face, shouted as he stepped out of his office.
He tossed a handful of crumpled bills onto the dirty pavement, letting them scatter in the breeze. It was deliberate—meant to shame him further.
Xuewei didn't argue. He knelt down and silently picked up the scattered money, his pride in tatters but his resolve hardening. When he had gathered it all, he mounted his tired Dodrio and took one last look at the boss, his eyes smoldering with quiet rage.
The boss wasn't done.
"Since everyone's here, I've got an announcement!" he bellowed, holding up a cheap megaphone. The gathered workers, already on edge, tensed.
"From today on, all commissions will be cut by 50 cents. Doesn't matter how big or small the order is!"
A wave of shock rippled through the crowd.
"What? The commission was already low enough!"
"We can't live on that!"
"How are we supposed to feed our families?"
The complaints came thick and fast, but the boss cut through them with a smug grin.
"Business is bad everywhere! If you don't like it, quit. There's plenty of people begging for a job! I've already fired a few of you yesterday, haven't I? Think I won't do it again?"
The crowd fell silent. They all knew the truth. Jobs were scarce, and even this meager, backbreaking work was better than nothing. So they swallowed their pride, just as Xuewei had, and stayed quiet.
The boss smirked, knowing he had won this battle.
---
Meanwhile, Xuewei rode his Dodrio through the streets, his heart a storm of bitterness and despair. The humiliation he had suffered stung more than the physical pain. He had worked at that station for years, given them everything he had—and this was his reward?
He drifted aimlessly through the city, watching young trainers battle in the parks, their Pokémon fierce and proud. He felt the old dream stir within him—the dream of standing on a professional league stage, cheered by thousands, his name known across the land.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, staring at the contact information from that crumpled Team Rocket letter.
His thumb hovered over the "Add Friend" button.
Should I?
He put the phone away.
No…
But after a moment, he took it out again.
Again, his thumb hesitated. Again, he pocketed it.
It felt as if that number, that contact, was a cursed Pandora's Box—tempting, irresistible, dangerous.
Finally, trembling with frustration, he shouted to the heavens: "To hell with it!"
And he hit "Add Friend."
A strange sense of relief washed over him. The die was cast.
---
Back at Renjiro's apartment…
"Ahhh~!" Liu Shuyun yawned, stretching luxuriously as sunlight streamed through the window. She blinked in disbelief at the clock.
"Eleven already? I slept that long?"
It had been ages since she'd slept so soundly. The small, cozy apartment had offered her more peace than the most luxurious hotel suite.
She glanced around, wondering where Renjiro was.
"I wonder what that little pervert's up to now," she muttered, smirking to herself.
She decided to put on the clothes and black stockings Renjiro had bought her. It was only fair, she thought, to give him a little surprise as thanks for the peaceful night.
But when she stepped out, there was no Renjiro in sight.
On the table, she found a small note in his neat handwriting:
"I've gone out for training. Won't be back for lunch. There's food in the pot. If you're bored, watch TV or read a book. Don't wander off."
A warmth spread through her chest. She folded the note carefully and slipped it into her pocket, a soft smile on her lips.
"You really are a caring little brat."
With that, she headed to the kitchen in search of food.
---
And somewhere across the city, on the rooftop of an abandoned building, Renjiro stood beneath the glaring sun, his fists clenched, eyes focused.
"I need to get stronger. Strong enough to protect what matters. Strong enough that no one can look down on me again."
Beside him, his Beedrill buzzed fiercely, its stingers gleaming.
Renjiro knew the road ahead would be hard. But as long as he kept moving forward, he wouldn't lose.
And in the shadows, Team Rocket began to weave its web around unsuspecting souls like Zhang Xuewei, offering salvation at a terrible price.
The pieces of fate were falling into place. The box had been opened.
And what lay inside would change their world forever.
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