Pokemon Paldea [137-139] (Patreon)

Chapter 137: The Old Man, the Dog, and the Proof of Kingship

“Then I’ll be direct,” Lucas cleared his throat and asked softly, “May I ask, in recent years, have you had any Pokémon whose lives have reached their limit, or who have died from illness?”

Lucas’s question almost made Anabel and Buddy gasp—it was a sensitive topic, touching right on painful memories. If he ran into someone with a bad temper, it wouldn’t be surprising to get beaten up and thrown out.

Tront was taken aback, seeming to recall something, and his expression turned a bit sad. “You probably know I’m a ranger. After marrying my wife when I was younger, I spent a long time protecting the environment and Pokémon, fighting poachers. Every time I left the house, I’d be gone for ten days or half a month.”

“One time when I came home, I saw my wife’s face as she tried to hide her loneliness. That was when I suddenly realized I hadn’t fulfilled my duties as a husband at all. Later, after a ranger operation, I rescued a Fidough and gave it to my wife to raise.”

“My wife loved it, and she named it ‘Beanie.’ Beanie was rescued from a research lab—it had been experimented on by bad people, so its health was never very good. Three years ago, on a winter night, Beanie couldn’t make it through the season and passed away from illness, leaving my wife behind.”

“Seeing my wife in tears, I decided to cut back on my ranger work and spend more time with her.”

Tront finished telling the story of his and his wife’s past, and for a moment, the room fell silent.

Buddy was already wiping away tears in secret, Anabel was visibly moved, and Lucas now understood a deeper reason why Tront was reluctant to get involved.

Though he felt sympathy for Tront’s wife, Lucas didn’t forget his purpose. With all the information collected, he asked in his mind, “System, is there any problem with my logic?”

[No problem, Host.]

Lucas was always pondering what use the system still had for him. Besides treasure hunting, the most valuable feature was this hint function that reduced unnecessary trial and error, helping him solve small but potentially blocking issues.

All he had to do next was push forward.

He called Tront and Anabel to leave the cabin, leaving Buddy to look after Tront’s wife. Lucas then calmly said to the two, “I already know the cause of Mrs. Tront’s illness.”

Tront intended to refuse Lucas’s invitation to go out together; he figured that’s what Lucas wanted, right?

But Lucas’s words stunned Tront. He subconsciously moved closer, putting his hands on Lucas’s shoulders, and stammered, “You—you really know!?”

Anabel was baffled. How did Lucas figure it out?

Lucas nodded slightly and spoke at a measured pace: “Mr. Tront, before your wife became bedridden, did you notice her smiling more, her mood improving, or her spending more time outdoors?”

Tront paused, thinking carefully about the times he’d leave home to shop downhill or finish ranger work quickly and come back. Every time, he’d be greeted by his wife’s smile.

He’d thought her smile was because he spent more time with her after Beanie’s passing.

“That’s right. You’re spot on,” he said, nodding slowly under Anabel’s wide-eyed gaze.

At this moment, Tront found Lucas a little frightening. He’d never mentioned these details, yet this young man knew so much.

Anabel couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Lucas, are you saying that Beanie turned into a Ghost-type Pokémon?”

Lucas nodded, then shook his head. “It’s possible, but not certain. Look over there.”

He pointed to where he’d first noticed a candle still burning brightly, even in daylight.

The candle showed no sign of burning out and continued to glow.

Anabel followed his finger, frowning. “A Litwick…?”

Lucas didn’t reply. Instead, Tront’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That should be… a Greavard’s candle?”

Anabel wasn’t very familiar with Pokémon from Paldea, but as a ranger in Montenevera Town, Tront knew the names and characteristics of local Pokémon.

Unable to resist, Tront moved closer. As he approached, the Pokémon hidden in the snow seemed to sense them—a strange, ethereal barking echoed, a hollow “woof-woof.”

Suddenly, the Pokémon leaped from the snow, as if trying to scare Tront.

On a snowy night, such behavior might terrify an unsuspecting passerby, but it was daytime, and Tront already knew the Pokémon’s identity.

Greavard, a Ghost-type Pokémon, seemed to enjoy scaring people, but in truth, it was just trying to get human attention.

These Pokémon are gentle, affectionate, and afraid of loneliness—famous as the most suitable Ghost-type companions.

Greavard cocked its head and stuck out its tongue, as if puzzled why Tront wasn’t reacting.

Under the silent gazes of Lucas and Anabel, Tront slowly crouched down, as if afraid of scaring Greavard away, and with a trembling voice, said, “Beanie… is that you, Beanie?”

“Woof! Woof!”

As if hearing a key word, Greavard’s eyes shone and it barked several times in response.

Tront’s eyes reddened instantly.

“No wonder the supplements I prescribed for Mrs. Mela didn’t work. So that’s what it was,” said the doctor, watching the Greavard in Tront’s arms glance back and forth between Tront and the bedridden Mrs. Mela. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Judging by this Greavard’s size, it was clearly a newly born Ghost-type Pokémon, and its birth roughly matched the time Mrs. Mela fell ill.

At this stage, Greavard couldn’t control itself and would unconsciously absorb energy from any human contact.

No wonder Mrs. Mela secretly interacted with Greavard. No matter how strong the medicine, it couldn’t help in this situation!

Looking at Tront, the doctor instructed, “As long as Greavard is kept away from Mrs. Mela for a while, she’ll recover after some rest.”

Tront nodded solemnly, and Greavard, realizing it had made Mrs. Mela sick, lowered its head in shame.

After the doctor left, Tront let out a long sigh, as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from his heart. He bowed to Lucas and Anabel. “Thank you… for helping me find out the cause of Mela’s illness, and even for helping me recover Beanie.”

“There’s no need to thank us. We’re here to ask for your help, after all,” Anabel said, stepping forward to help Tront up.

“You’re right.” Tront’s eyes shone with resolve as his tone turned serious. “Now that Mela’s strange illness is solved, I have no more worries. I’ll help you climb to the peak of Glaseado Mountain. Hunter J’s evil deeds must be stopped as soon as possible.”

Seeing Tront agree to help, both Anabel and Buddy looked delighted.

Lucas, however, was startled when Tront suddenly pressed something into his hand.

It was a crown-shaped object—Lucas recognized it at once. This was the King’s Rock he’d been thinking of finding for Poliwhirl!

Seeing Lucas’s surprised expression, Tront smiled. “You not only found out the cause of Mela’s illness, but even helped us recover Beanie, who was reborn as a Ghost-type Pokémon. That’s a huge favor. Please accept this small token of thanks, so I’ll feel a little better.”

“…I understand,” Lucas hesitated, but finally accepted it.

“Great! I’ll go prepare the gear we’ll need to climb to the peak of Glaseado Mountain,” Tront said with a smile, heading to the inner room.

While Tront was away, Buddy, now tasked with looking after Mrs. Mela, leaned over with curiosity. “Is Greavard really Beanie reincarnated? That’s so romantic!”

Anabel looked over as well, clearly interested.

Lucas only smiled mysteriously and shook his head. “Does it really matter?”

For Tront and Mela, as long as they believe Greavard is Beanie’s reincarnation, that’s all the comfort they need—the hope of reunion, a kind of salvation.

Whether Greavard truly remembers the name “Beanie” or if it’s just because of the affectionate nature of its species and Mrs. Mela’s persistent belief, is the answer really important?

Sometimes, it’s best not to dig too deep.

Chapter 138: Hunter J

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.

Chapter 139: Sheltering in a Cave with Snover

Despite her unease, Hunter J was confident in this operation.

Her client had been reliable for years. They’d done many deals and collected several rare Dragon-types. The client would never leak information—it would land him in jail too.

With her own tight security, a remote target (the summit of Glaseado Mountain, rarely visited except by the odd climber), and a lucrative commission, Hunter J felt sure of success.

Even if something went wrong, she trusted her elite gear and knew she could abandon her men and escape on Salamence if needed.

With that in mind, Hunter J raised her hand and ordered, “Continue. Once we enter the area, activate the ship’s cloaking device so Paldea’s sensors can’t detect us!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“And keep an eye out for human activity on Glaseado Mountain. There’s a blizzard warning, and climbers are discouraged from going up. If you see any unidentified people, we abort immediately!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

…

Late at night, as they neared the summit, snow began to fall.

Beautiful white snowflakes drifted down—a stunning scene to most, but to Lucas’s group it was deadly. At high altitude, the snow and wind could kill anyone without proper protection.

Without enough cold-weather gear, the body’s temperature would be sapped away, numbness and unconsciousness setting in—a terrifying ordeal.

Luckily, Tront’s experience saved them. Before mounting the Corviknight, he fitted them with anti-slip saddles and made sure they were all bundled up.

It was still cold, but not enough to seriously affect them.

The Corviknight were strong enough to fly the group to the summit, even in this weather. Lucas could have used Dragonite, but it would have tired it out before the coming battle with Hunter J.

Thanks to the Corviknight, they arrived at Glaseado Mountain in top condition.

“Thank you all. Go back to your flock and rest,” Tront said warmly to the Pokémon—his love for them evident.

Waving goodbye, Lucas looked back. In fact, the Corviknight had dropped them some distance from the actual summit. Tront explained that the top was empty, with only a wooden sign—staying there would make it obvious to Hunter J that something was wrong, risking her retreat and ruining their ambush.

So they needed to find a hidden spot below the summit.

Tront tightened his coat. “Let’s go. The snow’s getting heavier. We need shelter—camping out here isn’t an option. We’ll have to find a cave.”

Anabel nodded, about to say something when Lucas interrupted. “Leave searching for a cave to me. Luxray.”

At Lucas’s call, the Poké Ball opened and Luxray appeared in the snow.

Even in the dark storm, Luxray’s keen eyes could see everything.

With a prompt from Lucas, Luxray feigned sniffing the snow, leading the group to a tall pine tree.

“Luxray~!”

Luxray looked at Tront and pointed to some tracks under the tree.

Tront examined them. “Pokémon tracks… looks like Snover’s.”

“If that’s the case, we might be able to use the Capture Styler to borrow their cave and wait out the blizzard.”

They followed the tracks, occasionally driving off wild Pokémon with Luxray’s swift Thunderbolt. Anabel was impressed—she considered herself a capable Trainer as an International Police officer, but even she couldn’t so easily chase away the tough wild Pokémon living near the mountaintop.

Such harsh conditions bred powerful wild Pokémon, not easily handled by non-elite Trainers.

Yet Luxray repelled them with ease—this was the strength of a Champion-level Trainer.

They were lucky. Before the tracks were covered by snow, Luxray and Lucas guided them to their destination—a hidden cave, small but big enough for three people and their gear.

The only surprise was that there was a Snover inside, but no Abomasnow parents.

The Snover looked unwell, clearly malnourished—a sign it had been hungry for a long time.

Snover was scared of the intruders, its bright green eyes full of regret for leaving tracks.

It remembered that after its failed foraging trip, it had forgotten to hide its trail due to hunger.

Still, Lucas’s group didn’t seem too threatening.

The exception was Luxray. Even just sitting there, Luxray’s aura terrified Snover like a top predator.

Lucas noticed Snover’s discomfort and, after confirming there was no Abomasnow nearby, signaled Luxray to retreat, easing Snover’s nerves.

While Tront and Anabel, ready to use the Capture Styler to calm Snover, watched in confusion, Lucas took out a Pokéblock and used his tried-and-true technique—

Food Therapy!