Pokemon: Lord of Fear

"An Altaria?" Edward stared at the beautiful Pokémon before him with some surprise. This wasn't a Pokémon that was easy to train—its trainer's skill greatly determined its potential and limits.

Even an average Altaria was usually quite strong. Known for their melodious voices, Altarias were popular bird-like Pokémon.

"Whatever the organization assigned you, it has nothing to do with me," the girl said, sitting atop the Altaria. Without hesitation, she ascended into the sky, seemingly abandoning her companion to flee on her own. Edward watched her with interest. Did she really think she could escape that easily?

As Altaria took flight, the gust of wind lifted the girl's cloak, revealing her short black hair and striking facial features.

"Zygana! The organization won't let you off!" the man roared in fury, his voice sharp and desperate, as if he'd just returned home from a grueling day at work to find his wife with another man.

The warm summer sun of Rustboro City couldn't thaw the man's cold heart. He knew that if Zygana escaped, there was no way he could leave the city himself.

The old butler, Robert, released another Poké Ball, summoning a Raichu. Its gaze locked onto the Altaria in the sky, electricity sparking furiously around its body.

"Wait, Grandpa Robert." Edward's sharp eyes noticed something unusual. He saw the girl named Zygana toss two Poké Balls mid-air.

Under the old butler's watchful gaze, the Raichu paused its Thunderbolt attack and instead curiously observed the falling Poké Balls.

The balls opened mid-air, releasing a fainted Kirlia and Poochyena. Both appeared unconscious as they tumbled downward.

Robert's Gardevoir gently used its psychic powers to catch the two Pokémon. Meanwhile, Raichu unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt, aiming for the Altaria soaring high above. However, the Altaria skillfully evaded the attack and flew off with Zygana.

The old butler turned to the remaining man, his expression dangerous.

Sweat poured down the man's face, dripping onto the ground. Nervously swallowing, he stared at Robert in terror.

Three Poké Balls—Charizard, Gardevoir, and Raichu—all incredibly strong. Who was this old man?

Soon, Officer Jenny and her team arrived on motorcycles and surrounded the small park. Realizing the hopeless situation, the man reluctantly recalled his Pokémon and surrendered.

Edward thought to himself that if the man had waved a French flag, he might have set a new record for the fastest surrender.

"Young Master Edward, how should we handle these two Pokémon?" Robert approached, flanked by the curious Charizard, Raichu, and Gardevoir, who were inspecting the unconscious Pokémon.

Edward pondered for a moment. These Pokémon, stolen by thieves, couldn't just continue as strays. If left alone, they'd likely fall into trouble again. Rustboro City couldn't spare resources to constantly chase after rogue Pokémon thieves either.

As Edward mulled over the situation, an odd thought crossed his mind. A garbled series of expletives echoed in his head, like a frantic telegraph operator sending out a barrage of signals. He twitched slightly at the bizarre thought, causing one of the nearby Officer Jennys to stifle a laugh.

Robert coughed politely, while Charizard turned its back, its shoulders and wings shaking in suppressed amusement. Raichu cautiously glanced at Gardevoir, who remained expressionless but somehow caused the temperature around them to plummet.

Gardevoir silently canceled its psychic field, letting the Kirlia fall to the ground with a light "plop."

"Ouch! What the—!?"

A string of censored words and chaotic thoughts erupted in Edward's mind again, as if a telegraph operator were furiously transmitting nonsense. Just as suddenly, the commotion faded away, replaced by a soothing psychic force.

The Kirlia, who had been energetically expressing its frustration, noticed the change in atmosphere. It cautiously glanced upward and froze, meeting the cold gaze of Gardevoir, whose psychic presence pinned it in place and severed its mental outburst.

The Kirlia obediently lowered its head.

"Mr. Edward, Mr. Robert, thank you both for your help," Officer Jenny said, approaching with a grateful smile.

"This is what a responsible League citizen should do," Edward replied humbly. However, his gaze lingered on the docile Kirlia, and he felt a headache coming on.

"Captain Jenny, may I ask how the League plans to handle these two Pokémon?" He gestured toward the unconscious Poochyena and the subdued Kirlia.

"Well, our original plan was to send them to the Stray Pokémon Center for rehabilitation. Afterward, we'd evaluate whether to release them into the wild or put them up for adoption," Jenny replied, hesitating slightly as her eyes fell on Kirlia. Given its peculiar personality, she reconsidered sending it to the center. The last thing they needed was the other Pokémon picking up its habits.

Meanwhile, the other Officer Jennys secured the captured thief and began investigating the whereabouts of his escaped accomplice.

Edward agreed with Jenny's judgment. This Kirlia was far too eccentric, and sending it to the center might torment the staff unnecessarily. However, there weren't many alternative places in Rustboro City to accommodate the Pokémon.

Fortunately, the Stray Pokémon Center was run by a retired Gym Leader, now known as Headmistress Lillian. Perhaps her expertise could help improve Kirlia's odd behavior.

"I suppose entrusting them to Headmistress Lillian is the best option for now," Edward concluded, stroking his chin. With her care, these two Pokémon would have a better chance at recovery. Once the thief's case cooled down, releasing them into the wild or finding them new trainers would be much easier.

"Alright, we'll leave them in Headmistress Lillian's capable hands," Edward said, glancing at the Kirlia. With Lillian involved, he was confident things would work out.

(End of Chapter)