After getting everything ready, Tront explained what equipment they'd need to spend the night atop Paldea's highest mountain.
Lucas and Anabel didn't have to prepare anything themselves; the tasks were delegated, and soon enough, two backpacks with all the essential gear were delivered.
Only then did Lucas fully realize how different his current position was—now, resources moved for his needs.
He had to admit, having people handle the details while he focused on capturing Hunter J was a pretty good feeling.
Before setting off, Tront took out a red, black, and yellow device and strapped it to his right wrist.
"So this is a Capture Styler?" Lucas asked, leaning in curiously. He remembered this device helped rangers communicate with wild Pokémon and enlist their help.
Most rangers didn't capture Pokémon, and even the elite ones usually had just a partner Pokémon.
Coincidentally, Tront's partner was a Delibird. Seeing it, Lucas thought of his own Delibird and wondered how it was doing out there.
Once their climbing gear was on and supplies checked, the trio set out from Montenevera Town into the snowy world, with Delibird leading the way. They planned to climb Glaseado Mountain's summit under the cover of night.
With scarves wrapped around their faces to guard against the wind, Lucas muffled a question: "Mr. Tront, are we climbing on foot or getting help from wild Flying-type Pokémon?"
Tront smiled and answered as always, "We're heading to a spot where there's a group of Pokémon that can take us quickly to the summit. They have jet-black, steel-like bodies. Even in icy weather, it's no problem for them."
After about half an hour, night had fully fallen. At the edge of a dangerous cliff, Lucas saw Tront's target—a flock of Rookidee, Corvisquire, and several Corviknight.
Rookidee and Corvisquire's bodies weren't all black, but Corviknight's armor was so dark it blended into the night. If not for their red eyes, you could easily miss them.
There were six fully evolved Corviknight. When Lucas's group arrived, three male Corviknight stepped forward, shielding the younger Pokémon. The other three—likely females—kept watch in other directions, aware that threats could come from both ground and sky.
Lucas and Anabel readied their Poké Balls for self-defense in case of attack, but Tront raised a hand, showing the Capture Styler on his wrist. They realized Tront had a plan.
"Leave this to me. Step back so I can communicate with the Corviknight," Tront said.
He was clearly a seasoned ranger, likely on par with the chief rangers.
Sure enough, to the surprise of Lucas and Anabel, Tront and Delibird coordinated perfectly, using the Capture Styler to convey their intentions to the Corviknight. Soon, they had three Corviknight willing to help.
Riding on the broad backs of the Corviknight, the group soared toward the summit. Anabel, stroking the bird's steel feathers, finally broke her silence. "So this is the power of the Capture Styler. Incredible."
Tront grinned. "Even if Delibird and I aren't that strong, with the help of Pokémon wanting to protect their environment, we can show power no less than a Trainer's."
Lucas nodded in agreement. In his experience, rangers in the games could even call on legendary Pokémon—something ordinary Trainers could only dream of.
…
Meanwhile, high above Paldea, a massive airship was approaching Glaseado Mountain.
Its owner was Hunter J, a notorious Pokémon hunter. Many wealthy clients secretly paid her to capture rare Pokémon.
This time, her client was a longtime customer who had already collected several rare Dragon-types and wanted more—specifically, the rare Dragon/Ice-type Baxcalibur family found in Paldea.
In the airship's control room, her crew worked diligently, but Hunter J was in a bad mood.
For some reason, ever since departure, she'd felt uneasy, as if some sixth sense was warning her not to enter Paldea—something that had never happened before.
She'd researched Paldea for this job and found it a well-developed region, where people lived in an illusion of peace. Even the police were unremarkable.
Poachers came here from time to time, attracted by Paldea's natural resources, but usually got caught by the authorities—meaning they were incompetent and poorly equipped.
Failure was usually due to leaks, poor gear, or running into local experts.
Take that blonde champion from Sinnoh—even someone as arrogant as Hunter J would avoid her, knowing that a powerful single Trainer was too agile, and most equipment was useless against her.