"How's the water temperature?"
Lucas held a stack of freshly dried and neatly folded Naranja Academy uniforms as he called out toward the bathroom, where the sound of water droplets was coming from.
Nemona, enjoying the comfort of hot water on her skin, finally felt her tense heart unwind a little and replied loudly, "It's perfect!"
Lucas nodded, set the uniform in the laundry basket outside the bathroom, and reminded her, "Serperior and the others have already washed and dried your clothes. They're right outside the door!"
"Okay~"
Hearing Nemona's energetic reply, Lucas smiled and shook his head, then quickly collected himself. If you looked closely, you'd see a hint of seriousness on his face.
The stream wasn't far from the villa, only about a ten-minute walk. Less than half an hour had passed since he'd rescued Nemona from the water.
Though anxious inside, Lucas could only wait patiently for Nemona to finish, so she could show him the way.
He stepped outside the villa, looking at his five assembled Pokémon and the always low-profile Mimikyu who was by his side but almost invisible in presence. Lucas spoke seriously, "The top priority for this rescue operation is to ensure the safety of the kidnapped children. Got it?"
"Meowr!" "Bwooo~" "Ssska!" "Swoo!" "Swamp!" "Mimikyu~"
Led by Luxray, all six Pokémon showed absolute confidence—trust in their strength, and a response to Lucas' request.
Lucas nodded and recalled them all into their Poké Balls—except for Dragonite, which he left out.
He glanced at the six Poké Balls at his waist. This was the first time since finishing the Paldea League challenge that he'd carried his full team.
Patting Dragonite's soft belly, Lucas remembered what Nemona had told him earlier on the way back.
She'd run away from home after a childish argument with her family.
The reason? She didn't want to be a Trainer. She wanted, like her older sister, to help with the family business.
Never mind why the future battle-maniac Nemona didn't want to be a Trainer.
After running away, she hadn't expected to be kidnapped after only a short time on the beach.
When she woke up, she was in a dark warehouse, with a few other kids, some her age and some younger, looking listless.
During her captivity, Nemona heard the kidnappers laughing carelessly outside, discussing what to do with her and the other kids.
The other children would be smuggled out of Paldea and sold at high prices to Team Rocket in Kanto. As for Nemona, they planned to ransom her to her family for money to enjoy on the road.
They'd been watching Nemona, the rich girl, for a while, but only acted because she left her well-guarded home on her own.
Then, a Shroodle chewed through Nemona's ropes from a hole in the wall, and she managed to escape.
Lucas wanted a peaceful life, but these kidnappers had come to ruin that peace—no wonder Professor Sada had been so on edge earlier.
And since Nemona knew where their hideout was, and the kidnappers would return there to move the kids if their search failed, Dragonite's flying speed would let them get there before the kidnappers could react.
A few minutes later, Nemona, her hair still wet and not tied up, ran out of the bathroom in clean clothes, urging, "Big brother, let's hurry and save them!"
Lucas nodded, picked her up, and set her on Dragonite, who was ready for takeoff, then climbed up himself. With a smile, he said, "We'll be going pretty fast, so hold on tight!"
Nemona nervously clutched his collar, nodding carefully.
Sensing the two were seated, Dragonite's gentle expression turned sharp, its presence suddenly commanding.
With a rapid beat of its wings, a whirlwind swept the ground, flattening the tall grass.
In the next instant, Dragonite shot into the sky. Nemona watched the landscape below, the buildings like ants, and asked curiously, "Why don't I feel any wind when we're flying so fast?"
Without turning, Lucas replied, "Dragonite's using Flying-type energy to create a shield against the wind. Otherwise, at this speed, we'd never be able to stay on its back."
Nemona nodded, half-understanding.
…
East of Flatplate Town, in an abandoned warehouse.
Three figures arrived, cursing. This was their base and the temporary holding spot for the kidnapped children.
The bearded leader spat thick phlegm on the ground and cursed the short guy on the left, "Letting a ten-year-old girl escape—are you getting dumber with age?"
The short guy said nothing, letting the leader berate him.
The tall, thin one tried to smooth things over, "Boss—"
But the leader wasn't having it, gritting his teeth and snarling, "Since we can't find that girl, she's either been rescued or drowned. Either way, we need to move base. Sell these goods to Team Rocket, then head to Levincia to kidnap more in the big city!"
The tall one quickly agreed, "You're right, boss."
The short guy took out three Poké Balls and released three Ninjask. He said quietly, "I'll keep watch."
The leader grunted, "Don't mess up this time!"
As the leader and tall guy entered the warehouse to move the kids, they didn't notice the short guy's clenched, nail-marked fists and cold glare.
When they were gone, the short guy gritted his teeth and muttered, "One day, you'll beg me for mercy."
A calm male voice came from above, "I don't think you'll get the chance."
The short guy's pupils contracted. He looked up to see a man riding a Dragonite—with the escaped rich girl!
He was about to shout a warning, but Lucas and Dragonite didn't give him the chance.
With five flashes of red light, Lucas' Pokémon charged into the warehouse, each with a clear assignment.
At the same time, a mighty dragon's aura descended from the sky, pinning the short guy to the ground, unable to move.
What about his Ninjask?
Their answer was three consecutive thuds—his prized Ninjask was instantly knocked out by a single blue air blade from Dragonite's wings.
The short guy's lips trembled as he forced out, "Monster…"
He'd never understood what true strength was, but under this gulf as great as heaven and earth, he finally got it.
To his limited knowledge, only the world's top figures had such an overwhelming presence.
In this world, the pinnacle of personal power—the word for the strong—was: Champion.