Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 297 — Look, Getting Flustered Again

The conversation with Looker went smoothly.

After agreeing to meet up in Hearthome City, Asahi glanced at his phone, only to see that Giovanni still hadn't removed him from the blacklist, and couldn't help but sigh.

Giovanni really couldn't take a joke.

All he did was tease him a little, was it really worth holding a grudge for this long?

It had made life a lot less amusing.

Just as Asahi was about to put away his phone, he noticed Cynthia had replied.

[Cynthia]: Asahi, you're in Sinnoh?

[Cynthia]: Where are you? This time, it's my turn to host you! (laugh)

Cynthia was clearly happy to hear Asahi was in Sinnoh.

Back on the Indigo Plateau, she had received a lot of help from Asahi. Now that he was visiting her turf, she naturally wanted to return the favor.

[Gardevoir Best Girl]: I still have some things to deal with. You've probably heard that the Sinnoh International Police Branch was hit by Team Galactic. I'm going to give them some trouble first.

[Let's meet in Hearthome City!]

Since the meeting point with Looker was also in Hearthome, Asahi figured he might as well group everything together.

Cynthia seemed to have the same thought.

[Cynthia]: Alright, see you in Hearthome then!

---

Putting away his phone, Asahi looked up to find Platinum quietly staring at him.

But the moment their eyes met, she quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened as she stared down at her cup of milk.

Was there something strange about him?

Asahi tilted his head and asked Gardevoir telepathically.

Gardevoir gave Asahi a good look and then shook her head.

Relieved, Asahi figured maybe he was just being paranoid. Maybe he'd gotten up too fast and thought there was something on his face. As long as it wasn't a real issue, he could relax.

By now, the Pokémon had finished their breakfast.

Asahi casually grabbed Eevee, who was about to leap into his arms, and wiped the cream off its mouth with a tissue as the little fellow protested with a series of "Vee vee!" cries, before finally putting it into his embrace.

Right then, Mew floated onto his shoulder. The moment it landed, Asahi felt a noticeable weight on his shoulder.

He instinctively turned to look.

Mew's tiny belly was bulging. Who knew how many mini-cakes it had stuffed itself with?

"For a mythical Pokémon, this is kind of embarrassing, you know?" Asahi said. "If you get any fatter, I might not be able to carry you."

"Mew!"

Hearing that, Mew's face flushed as it flailed its little arms, lightly smacking Asahi in protest.

"See? Flustered again. Alright, alright, I'll shut up."

After pacifying the embarrassed Mew, Asahi turned to Platinum. "If you've finished eating, let's head out."

Hearing Asahi's words, Platinum put down her warm milk and nodded gracefully, though there was a hint of excitement in her eyes.

Finally... my journey is about to begin!

Father said Mr. Asahi was really good at battling. I wonder if I can learn something from him... maybe even become as strong a Trainer as he is?

---

Jubilife City

As one of Sinnoh's most populous cities, Jubilife was nothing short of bustling.

Even from the outskirts, Asahi and Platinum could already see the sprawling cityscape ahead.

Platinum, who was setting out on a journey without her butler or family for the first time, was visibly enthusiastic.

Though she tried her best to maintain the composure of a lady, everything around her sparked her curiosity.

She fiddled endlessly with her Pokédex.

[Starly, the Starling Pokémon. They flock together in forests and grasslands.]

The moment she scanned a Starly, the startled Pokémon flapped its wings and flew off, chirping noisily.

Platinum frowned in confusion. "Mr. Asahi, what just happened?"

Asahi glanced at the Starly circling above.

"You just got mistaken for an intruder trying to steal its territory."

"?"

Platinum was stunned, and before she could say anything, a deafening chorus of bird cries came from the distance.

A massive flock of Starly, summoned by their leader Staravia, were now swooping toward them.

The Piplup in Platinum's arms immediately squirmed free and jumped to the ground.

Facing a flock that was easily dozens of times larger than itself, Piplup showed no fear and fired a Bubble Beam straight at the incoming Starly.

Pop!

Several unfortunate Starly were knocked out of the sky, spiraling down with stars in their eyes.

But there were just too many.

Just as Piplup was about to be overwhelmed, Asahi gave a calm command. "Gardevoir, clear the field."

Gardevoir calmly raised an arm after glancing at the swarm.

Vmm—

A wave of psychic energy rippled outward, instantly covering a radius of nearly a hundred meters.

The entire flock, including their leader Staravia, froze midair.

The scene was both surreal and awe-inspiring.

Both Piplup and Platinum stared up at the spectacle, utterly shocked.

The paralysis lasted for over ten seconds. Only when Asahi signaled Gardevoir to release them did the flock snap out of it.

The next second, dozens of Starly fell to the ground like fruit dropping from a tree.

Not one of them dared to stay, quickly flapping their wings and scrambling to escape from this terrifying place.

The only ones left behind were the few Starly Piplup had knocked out earlier.

"Want to catch one?" Asahi asked, glancing at Platinum.

Platinum tilted her head, thought for a moment, then picked the fattest-looking Starly and tossed a Great Ball.

Watching her successfully capture the Starly, Asahi couldn't help but mutter inwardly.

He had known from the original storyline that Platinum had an unusually high "aggro rate," attracting wild Pokémon constantly.

But after traveling with her for just a short while, Asahi realized just how ridiculous it really was.

From Sandgem Town to Jubilife City, she had already been ambushed by wild Pokémon three times, despite never provoking them herself.

She was practically a walking monster magnet.

He even suspected that the reason she got caught up in the Darkrai incident later on was because of this very "talent."

"Mr. Asahi?" Platinum looked at him curiously.

"Ah, it's nothing. Let's go. There are more wild Pokémon out here than usual, but once we're in the city, it should be... fine."

Even as he said it, he wasn't entirely confident.

Still, no matter what, getting to the city was the first priority.

---

Jubilife City was filled with landmarks.

From the Jubilife TV Station in the north, to the Pokétch Company in the northwest, and the Trainers' School in the city center — all were iconic locations.

And right now, Asahi was standing in front of the entrance to the Jubilife TV Station.

Beside him, Platinum was curiously eyeing the towering building.

Platinum didn't know why Mr. Asahi had brought her here.

But she didn't ask.

Asahi walked directly to the front desk. "Please find Miss Harumi for me. Just tell her an old friend from our journey ten years ago is here to see her."

After leaving this message, he found a seat and sat down with Platinum.

The moment they sat, Platinum couldn't help but glance curiously at Asahi.

Sensing her gaze, Asahi chuckled. "Are you wondering why I'm here?"

Platinum was indeed curious. Who was this Harumi person?

Ten years ago... Mr. Asahi should have only been a kid. How could he have traveled with her?

Asahi smiled. "That's just a passcode."

Passcode?

Platinum instantly recalled the spy dramas she had seen on TV and, without realizing it, mimicked a gun-holding gesture with her hands.

Just as she was immersed in her imagination, Asahi's voice snapped her out of it.

"Were you just pretending to be a secret agent?"

"N-No..." Platinum quickly withdrew her hands, regaining her usual elegant demeanor as a noble lady.

"But just now..."

"You must be mistaken, Mr. Asahi." Platinum firmly denied it.

Seeing that only her mouth was still holding firm while the rest of her betrayed her embarrassment, Asahi couldn't help but smile.

He was just about to tease her some more when the elevator opened. A young woman in a fitted suit, wearing glasses and an employee badge, walked out.

Under the front desk clerk's guidance, she glanced toward Asahi.

"Hello? I'm Harumi. May I ask who you are, sir?"

"The night ten years ago... Clefairy and Jigglypuff... the moonlight was beautiful..."

While reciting this cringe-worthy passcode, Asahi was internally cursing whichever agent from the Sinnoh branch had come up with such a corny line.

If this were Kanto, he would've assigned that guy to guard the office water cooler!

As he was ranting internally, he heard a stifled chuckle beside him.

Turning his head, he saw Platinum trying her best to look serious, as if that laugh had nothing to do with her.

"You just now—"

"No!" Platinum interrupted instantly.

"Then—"

"It wasn't me!"

"..."

At this moment, Harumi had already confirmed Asahi's identity.

"There's a café nearby. Shall we talk there?"

Asahi nodded, and the three of them left the Jubilife TV Station together, leaving the receptionist staring blankly at their backs, still trying to figure out the relationship between the three of them.

---

In the café's private room

After confirming Asahi's identity, Harumi stood up and saluted him. "Agent 8128 reporting, sir."

"No need to be so formal. I just have some questions." Asahi kept his tone casual.

Harumi relaxed slightly. "Sir, please ask."

As an informant of the Sinnoh International Police branch stationed in Jubilife City, if there was one thing Harumi knew well, it was the city's intelligence.

"Do you know the location of the Pokémon Hunter Association in Hearthome City?"

Asahi wasn't one to hold grudges, but he always kept his word. Since he'd promised to give Hunter J a hard time, he'd make sure to follow through.

Given that Hunter J was hard to track down, Asahi planned to start with the Hunter Association.

"I know where they are, but... Sir, are you planning to make a move against them?" Harumi asked cautiously.

"What's the problem?"

"The Hunter Association has connections with some local wealthy families. If you take action against them, you'll likely run into resistance..."

This kind of resistance came from all directions.

The reason Pokémon hunters had survived for so long wasn't because the League wasn't trying hard enough.

The real issue was the buyers. The connections behind them ran deep — so deep even the League found them troublesome.

Most of the time, the League only targeted individual hunters and turned a blind eye to the Association itself.

Hearing Harumi's concerns, Asahi simply smiled. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. They won't dare cause us trouble."

The Hunter Association?

He'd wiped out plenty of those back in Kanto.

As for rich backers retaliating?

He'd nearly driven Pokémon hunters to extinction in Kanto, and no one had dared lift a finger against him.

Seeing Asahi's confidence, Harumi thought he might just be going to the Association on business and relaxed. "The Hunter Association is located in the southwest area of the city. The exact address is..."

Asahi memorized the location and then asked another question.

"Has Team Galactic made any moves recently?"

"They've been lingering around the TV station lately, seemingly preparing for some kind of operation, but I haven't been able to gather specifics due to limited manpower," Harumi replied.

After speaking, she couldn't help but ask Asahi, "Sir, is it true that the Sinnoh branch was destroyed by Team Galactic? Completely wiped out?"

There hadn't been any official reports, but Harumi had learned about it through her own network and had been worrying about it ever since.

"Well, not completely," Asahi replied.

Harumi was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Asahi continued, "Looker is still around."

"..."

Harumi's vision went dark, and she nearly fainted.

Was that entire massive Sinnoh branch really down to just Looker?

Seeing her reaction...

"Young people need to have a stronger mindset," Asahi said in a commanding tone. "I'll bring back the captured agents from Team Galactic."

Despite Asahi's reassurance, Harumi still looked troubled.

It was Team Galactic they were talking about — the very organization that it took both the Sinnoh branch and the Sinnoh League combined to barely hold back.

Yet Asahi said he was going to save them?

Only now did Harumi realize that she didn't even know this superior's true identity.

"Sir... may I ask your name?"

Asahi was slightly surprised. "I thought you'd recognized me already."

"Sir, you are...?"

"Kanto Branch Chief, Asahi."

His words were simple and clear.

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