"There are more than thirty million Pokédollars on this card. Use it first, and if it's not enough, contact me. The red dots on this map are the places you need to visit."
"The truth is, I don't know exactly what you'll find in these locations. But there are bound to be valuable things hidden there. Pay close attention to the details on these cards."
After Jessie, James, and Meowth agreed, Ash pulled a map out of his space ring. The reason he had asked them to handle this task was simple: his recent rise to fame had made him far too noticeable.
Almost every time he made a move, the major families caught wind of it. He had considered relying on the strength of the Oak and Dragon Clans, but those families were far too well-known, making them easy targets. That was why Ash hadn't acted until now.
As for the cards, they contained images of Mega Evolution Stones, digitally rendered by a young trainer with a knack for computers. Ash had only learned of their existence through research—rumors said these stones were unique to other regions.
Once he finished explaining the map, James and the others left. With Ash's instructions, the tribes of the Latin American Alliance wouldn't dare interfere with them.
"Master, they're willing to talk," Mr. Laramie whispered into Ash's ear.
"Take me to them." Ash's eyes narrowed. He finally had a chance to learn who was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
Led by Mr. Laramie, Ash entered a dark cave. From within, two agonized screams echoed out. Inside, Dario and Lara had been captured and savagely beaten under Mr. Laramie's orders.
The torture quickly broke Dario. He spilled everything he knew, while Lara remained unconscious, having fainted from the pain.
"Speak. Don't try to toy with me. My patience has limits." Sitting on a stool that Mr. Laramie had dragged in, Ash's cold tone carried an aura so heavy that even Mr. Laramie shivered, awed by the young man's commanding presence.
Dario's limbs were nearly broken, his body drenched in blood. Lara had long since collapsed.
"It was the Ito family that ordered me to do this! If I succeeded, they promised I could take Professor Oak's place!" Dario shouted hoarsely.
"The Ito family? From the Sinnoh region?" Ash frowned. "Why would they target the Oak family? The distance between Kanto and Sinnoh isn't exactly small..."
"I don't know who exactly contacted me!" Dario stammered, trembling under Ash's glare. "They just said that Young Master Ito was behind it!"
"Ito's young master?" Suzie muttered, narrowing her eyes. Pulling out her Pokégear, she quickly searched the Oak family database for information.
"Hmph. So that's how it is." Ash's voice was like ice after a few moments of silence. "Ito Makoto... He really doesn't know fear, daring to provoke me. As the saying goes, arrogance blinds the foolish."
Ito Makoto belonged to one of the top families in Sinnoh. Though he hailed from a relatively minor branch, he carried himself with an inflated sense of superiority, the kind that could only come from being a pampered heir. He had left a trail of broken hearts in his wake, his reputation as a prodigal son well known.
But everything changed when he met Cynthia. From then on, he relentlessly pursued her, following her wherever she went.
Ito was about Ash's age—seventeen—but his scandalous past was no secret. Ash had ignored him until now. But after learning of Ash and Cynthia's engagement, jealousy consumed Ito Makoto.
That explained everything: Ito's jealousy had led him to strike at Ash. Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to directly challenge the Oak family's influence in Kanto. The Ito family's resources were rooted in Sinnoh; they had no ability to elevate someone like Dario to replace Professor Oak.
No—this was never about strategy. Ito Makoto's true goal was simply to make life difficult for the Oak family. His envy of Cynthia's bond with Ash had driven him to misuse his family's name, lashing out in petty revenge.
"Things are getting more and more interesting. You're truly an idiot—did you really believe he could help you replace the Oak family?" Ash smirked after piecing together the situation. Pathetic clowns like this... he didn't mind killing a few more.
"I already know enough. As for those two—bury them." Ash stood, gave a cold order to Mr. Laramie, and left without looking back.
After leaving the cave, Ash ran into Sabrina, who had been following him. Seeing her, he couldn't help but smile. Sometimes, he really wondered if Sabrina had been an assassin in a past life.
"Are you feeling better now?" Sabrina asked softly, her expression easing as she caught his smile.
"I'm fine," Ash replied. "But inside... I'm still a little unsettled. Life doesn't always go the way we want. Sometimes people just don't understand you—just like how I never truly accepted your apology."
Hearing this, Sabrina lowered her gaze for a moment, then said gently, "Sister Cynthia didn't mean to hurt you. Girls can sometimes do thoughtless things."
Floating at Ash's side with her psychic power, Sabrina's voice was calm, almost defending Cynthia, which left Ash slightly surprised.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked quickly, her tone sharp as if she'd been caught off guard. A blush rose to her cheeks, making her appear unexpectedly cute.
Ash raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to have a tsundere side. Are you actually a hidden 'pseudo-sanwu' (shy tsundere) type?"
...
TN:
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