"Wait... is this really the only option?" Xian asked, his voice laced with hesitation.
Alied just smiled—that infuriatingly calm smile he always wore when he knew he'd already won an argument. "Yep. This is the only way."
Xian gestured vaguely at Ren. "But shouldn't we leave the searching to a Mage or an Esper? I mean, Ren is right here. Why does it have to be ME running off to find that crazy guy?"
Alied leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Simple. Out of all of us, you're honestly the safest choice. I'm a Mage—I'm not exactly built for search and rescue. Plus, I don't have a Pokémon that can fly or shift between planes. If I tried to do this with a ritual, it'd take forever and a half."
"That's YOU," Xian shot back, his tone dripping with reluctance. "But Ren's still here. HE could do it."
Ren held up his hands defensively. "I'm... also not the best fit, Senior. Espers CAN detect things, sure. But I don't have a Pokémon that could help me once I get there. And you know how the ocean is. It's VAST. I'd be lost out there."
Xian stared at them both. Then at the ceiling. Then back at them.
"So... it really HAS to be me."
Both of them nodded in unison. "Yep."
Alied glanced at his Pokédex. "It's 14:30 already. Time's ticking. Finding Ariel in the middle of the ocean isn't exactly a walk in the park. You know how he is once he sets sail."
Xian threw his hands up. "That's basically like circumnavigating the ENTIRE WORLD! He could be ANYWHERE! He could have sailed to another region by now!"
Without waiting for a response, Xian spun on his heel and bolted for the stairs, his footsteps echoing as he ran.
"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, taking the stairs two at a time. "If I don't find him fast enough, I might never catch up to that lunatic!"
He burst onto the ground floor, weaving through museum staff who were busy setting up exhibits and arranging artwork for the evening's event. A few gave him confused looks, but he didn't stop to explain.
The moment he was outside, he grabbed Metagross's Pokéball and released it.
"You know what we're about to do, buddy?"
Metagross's eyes flickered with understanding—and a hint of exhaustion. This was going to be a long flight.
Xian climbed onto Metagross's back, and without another word, they shot into the sky, leaving Ariestal City behind as they headed toward the endless ocean.
---
Back in the basement, Ren and Alied were deep in discussion.
"Okay, so... how exactly are we supposed to protect the artifact?" Ren asked, scratching his head.
Alied tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I'll probably call in reinforcements from the police. If that's not enough, I'll request backup from neighboring cities. Maybe even national forces if it comes to that."
Ren nodded slowly. "That's a solid plan. Maybe we should also contact intelligence agencies or... you know, spies or something. The more eyes, the better."
Alied pulled out his Pokédex and dialed a contact.
"Hey, Theo. I need your help tonight."
There was a pause on the other end, then a tired voice. "Help with WHAT, exactly?"
Alied exhaled slowly. "You know the artifact exhibition at the Ariestal Grand Museum tonight? We already caught a few people trying to steal it this morning. I'm hoping you and your team can assist."
Theo groaned audibly. "That sounds like a headache. There were already incidents on the train earlier. Now THIS?" Another sigh. "Fine. We'll help. Just hold things together until we get there."
"Beep. Beep." The call ended.
Ren suddenly perked up, realization dawning on his face. "Wait a minute... why don't WE just guard the artifact ourselves? Like, directly?"
Alied gave him a patient look. "That's the police's job. Besides... why would you even think that? We're Investigation Division, not Action Division."
Ren blinked. "Oh. THAT'S why. No wonder our office is smaller and filled with nothing but file cabinets."
They both headed out of the basement, making their way back to their office.
As they walked, Ren's curiosity got the better of him. "Hey, Senior. Do you ever feel like... there's so much impossible stuff in this world? Like, where do Pokémon even come from? Where did Mages, Espers, Cultivators originate? What ARE Aspects or Artifacts? Why do weird things keep happening all the time?"
Alied was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke, his voice thoughtful. "Yeah... sometimes I do wonder. But this world IS impossible. Anything can happen, even if the probability is zero. Everything is possible, and we'll never fully understand it all."
They reached their office. Devon had already returned from headquarters and was hunched over a computer, reviewing data alongside Aron.
Devon looked up as they entered. "Is the artifact secure?" he asked, rising from his chair.
Alied nodded. "For now, yes. Eon's setting up a ritual for extra protection."
Aron stopped typing and stood, grabbing a document from his desk. "Here's Darian's interrogation data. This is important."
Alied and Ren scanned the document. Their expressions shifted as they read.
The New World Association wasn't just one organization—it was a coalition. Multiple factions operating under one banner.
Alied shook his head slowly. "No wonder... when I was in Alola, even after dismantling one branch, they still persisted. They have multiple factions. Cutting off one head just makes another grow back."
Devon glanced around the room, then frowned. "Wait. Wasn't Xian with you guys? Where IS he?"
Ren shrugged. "He's out looking for Ariel."
Aron's eyes widened. "Hold on. Doesn't Ariel usually sail through the Shadow Realm? Does Xian even HAVE a Pokémon that can access that? Can he perform rituals?"
Ren waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. Xian's not an amateur. He'll figure something out. He always does."
---
**English Translation (Revised with Expressions):**
"Wait... is this seriously our only option?" Xian asked, his voice heavy with reluctance.
Alied just smiled—that infuriatingly calm, knowing smile that suggested he'd already won this argument before it even started. "Yep. This is the only way."
Xian gestured vaguely toward Ren, who was leaning against the wall looking mildly uncomfortable. "But shouldn't we leave the searching to a Mage or an Esper? I mean, Ren is RIGHT THERE. Why does it have to be ME running off to find that lunatic?"
Alied crossed his arms, completely unfazed. "Simple. Out of all of us, you're honestly the safest choice. I'm a Mage—I'm not exactly built for search and rescue operations. Plus, I don't have a Pokémon that can fly or shift between planes. If I tried to do this with a ritual, it'd take forever and a half. Too much prep work."
"That's YOU," Xian shot back, his tone dripping with exasperation. "But Ren's still here. HE could do it."
Ren immediately held up both hands in surrender. "I'm... also not the best fit, Senior. Espers CAN detect things, sure. That's not the problem. But I don't have a Pokémon that could help me once I actually GET there. And you know how the ocean is." He shuddered dramatically. "It's VAST. I'd be lost out there in five minutes. Probably less."
Xian looked at Alied. Then at Ren. Then back at Alied. Then at the ceiling.
"So... it really HAS to be me."
Both of them nodded in perfect unison. "Yep."
Alied glanced at his Pokédex. "It's 14:30 already. Clock's ticking. Finding Ariel in the middle of the ocean isn't exactly a walk in the park. You know how he is once he sets sail—the guy doesn't exactly follow predictable routes."
Xian threw his hands up in exasperation. "That's basically like circumnavigating the ENTIRE WORLD! He could be ANYWHERE! He could have sailed to another region by now! He could be in a completely different ocean!"
Without waiting for a response—because honestly, what was there to say?—Xian spun on his heel and bolted for the stairs, his footsteps echoing urgently as he took them two at a time.
"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, practically flying up the stairs. "If I don't find him fast enough, I might never catch up to that crazy bastard!"
He burst onto the ground floor, weaving through museum staff who were busy setting up exhibits and carefully arranging artwork for the evening's event. A few gave him confused looks as he dodged around them, but he didn't stop to explain. No time.
The moment he was outside, he grabbed Metagross's Pokéball and released it.
"You know what we're about to do, buddy?"
Metagross's mechanical eyes flickered with understanding—and just a hint of resigned exhaustion. It knew exactly what this meant. Long flight. Endless ocean. Lunatic Gym Leader. The usual.
Xian climbed onto Metagross's back, and without another word, they shot into the sky like a bullet, leaving Ariestal City behind as they headed toward the endless blue horizon.
---
Back in the basement, Ren and Alied were deep in discussion.
"Okay, so... how exactly ARE we supposed to protect the artifact?" Ren asked, scratching his head in genuine confusion. "Like, practically speaking."
Alied tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I'll probably call in reinforcements from the police. If that's not enough, I'll request backup from neighboring cities. Maybe even national forces if it comes to that." He paused. "This thing is too important to risk."
Ren nodded slowly, processing. "That's a solid plan. Maybe we should also contact intelligence agencies or... you know, informants. Spies. The more eyes we have watching, the better."
Alied pulled out his Pokédex and dialed a contact.
"Hey, Theo. I need your help tonight."
There was a long pause on the other end, then a tired, slightly annoyed voice. "Help with WHAT, exactly? Please tell me this isn't another disaster."
Alied exhaled slowly. "You know the artifact exhibition at the Ariestal Grand Museum tonight? The one that's been all over the news?" Another pause. "We already caught a few people trying to steal it this morning. I'm hoping you and your team can assist. We need all hands on deck."
Theo groaned audibly—the kind of groan that suggested this was the last thing he wanted to hear. "That sounds like a massive headache. There were already incidents on the train earlier today. Now THIS?" Another sigh, heavier this time. "Fine. We'll help. Just... hold things together until we get there, alright? Don't let anything explode."
"Beep. Beep." The call ended.
Ren suddenly perked up, realization dawning on his face like a lightbulb switching on. "Wait a minute... why don't WE just guard the artifact ourselves? Like, directly? We're here. We're capable. Why bring in outside help?"
Alied gave him a patient, almost pitying look. "That's the police's job. We're investigators, not security guards." He paused. "Besides... why would you even think that? We're Investigation Division, not Action Division. There's a difference."
Ren blinked. Then blinked again. "Oh. THAT'S why." He looked around the small, cluttered office space. "No wonder our office is smaller than the others and filled with nothing but file cabinets. We're basically glorified researchers."
Alied just chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome to the team, kid."
They both headed out of the basement, making their way back to their office through the museum's winding corridors.
As they walked, Ren's curiosity got the better of him—as it often did.
"Hey, Senior. Do you ever feel like... there's so much impossible stuff in this world?" He stared at the floor as they walked, lost in thought. "Like, where do Pokémon even COME from? Where did Mages, Espers, Cultivators originate? What ARE Aspects or Artifacts, really? Why do weird things keep happening all the time? It's like the universe is just... messing with us."
Alied was quiet for a long moment. Then he spoke, his voice thoughtful and distant.
"Yeah... sometimes I do wonder. But this world IS impossible. That's just the nature of it. Anything can happen, even if the probability is literally zero. Everything is possible, and we'll never fully understand it all." He glanced at Ren. "Best not to think about it too much. You'll drive yourself crazy."
They reached their office. Devon had already returned from headquarters and was hunched over a computer, reviewing data alongside Aron, who was typing furiously at his own terminal.
Devon looked up as they entered, his expression sharp. "Is the artifact secure?" he asked, rising from his chair immediately.
Alied nodded. "For now, yes. Eon's setting up a ritual for extra protection. Should buy us some time."
Aron stopped typing and stood, grabbing a document from his perpetually messy desk. "Here's Darian's complete interrogation data." He handed it over. "This is important. You're going to want to read it."
Alied and Ren scanned the document. Their expressions shifted as they read, growing more serious with each line.
The New World Association wasn't just one organization—it was a coalition. A web of interconnected factions operating under one banner, spread across regions.
Alied shook his head slowly, a grim understanding settling in. "No wonder... when I was in Alola, even after dismantling one branch, they still persisted. They have multiple factions. Multiple heads." He set the document down. "Cutting off one just makes another grow back."
Devon glanced around the room, then frowned. "Wait. Wasn't Xian with you guys earlier?" His eyes narrowed. "Where is he?"
Ren shrugged, completely casual about it. "He's out looking for Ariel."
Aron's eyes went wide—the kind of wide that suggested he'd just connected several very concerning dots. "Hold on. Hold ON." He stood up abruptly. "Doesn't Ariel usually sail through the Shadow Realm? Like, that's his whole thing?" He looked at Ren, then at Alied. "Does Xian even HAVE a Pokémon that can access that plane? Can he perform rituals? Because last I checked—"
Ren waved a hand dismissively, cutting him off. "Relax. Xian's not an amateur. He'll figure something out." He leaned back in his chair. "He always does."
Aron didn't look convinced. But then again, Aron rarely looked convinced about anything.