As one of the top figures in the poaching world, Hunter J was the embodiment of hitting the peak from day one.
With her immense strength, she had made a name for herself from the very moment she became a Pokémon hunter. In just a few short years, she carved out a place for herself in the underworld.
To her, being a Pokémon hunter was nothing more than a job.
She had no doubt that if she were to compete in the Pokémon League, she would achieve—at the very least—an Elite Four-level career.
However, just as she was preparing to further expand her influence beyond Sinnoh, she encountered an obstacle.
Over the past few years, she had sent her subordinates into the Hoenn region numerous times, hoping to establish a foothold there.
But without exception—
Regardless of their strength or level of caution, every single one of them had gone missing shortly after arriving in Hoenn.
For a time, Hunter J suspected that Hoenn was home to a powerful, highly secretive local criminal organization.
But after extensive investigations, all she found were those two idiotic groups—the Magma and Aqua teams.
Determined to uncover the truth, Hunter J decided to come to Hoenn personally, both to investigate the region and to find out what had happened to her missing subordinates.
However, her search had barely begun when something else completely stole her attention.
—She had discovered a Salamence Trainer who was exactly to her taste.
Not only did this person own a meticulously trained Salamence, but there was something hidden deep within his gaze—an extremity, a darkness—that had not escaped Hunter J's notice.
Her instincts told her that this person was one of her kind.
As someone sorely lacking high-level subordinates, Hunter J couldn't help but want to recruit Elias.
...
Standing before the unfamiliar silver-haired woman, Elias cast a questioning glance at Steven.
Is this your sister?
It wasn't a completely random guess.
The woman standing before him not only had the same silvery-white short hair as Steven, but their facial features were strikingly similar.
And given her overly familiar attitude, it was only natural to assume she was someone Steven knew.
Steven, catching Elias's signal, blinked in confusion before quickly realizing what he meant.
Immediately, a few metaphorical black lines appeared on his forehead.
As if.
He responded with his eyes.
Meanwhile, sensing the awkward silence her arrival had caused, Hunter J coughed lightly.
"Apologies, I haven't introduced myself."
"My name is J. I'm a traveler visiting Alto Mare. I was drawn here by your battle earlier, so I may have acted a bit presumptuously. I hope you don't mind."
With J's self-introduction, Steven—ever the gentleman—was the first to respond with a polite smile.
"No need to worry. I'm Steven, and this is Elias. Pleased to meet you."
As the heir to Devon Corporation, Steven was highly skilled in social interactions.
He was confident that his response was flawless—humble, courteous, and sure to leave a favorable impression.
And yet…
He soon realized—after all that effort—
The woman before him hadn't even spared him a glance.
Instead, her gaze burned with intense interest as she stared at Elias, who had remained silent with a cold expression the entire time.
For a moment, Steven felt as though a Metagross's claw had pierced through his heart.
He stood there, utterly petrified.
But contrary to Steven's assumptions, Hunter J wasn't actually staring at Elias himself—
She was looking at the Salamence behind him.
As an avid Salamence enthusiast, she was immediately drawn to the sight of this powerful, well-groomed specimen—its sturdy frame, its unblemished white underbelly.
However, she hadn't forgotten her main objective: recruiting Elias.
Lacking much social experience, Hunter J decided to use Pokémon as a way to bridge the gap between them.
"Excuse me," she asked, rare politeness in her tone, "may I pet your Salamence?"
"…Hm?"
Hearing her request directed at him, Elias snapped out of his thoughts.
From the moment he heard her introduce herself as "J," his mind had instantly connected her name to the infamous Pokémon hunter—Hunter J.
But considering that Hunter J was based in Sinnoh, and this woman looked much too young, he felt the two were probably unrelated.
Unfortunately, Hunter J had never had her photo taken by the League, so there was no way for him to verify his suspicions.
"Apologies, but my Salamence doesn't like being touched by strangers. I'll have to refuse."
After regaining his composure, Elias shook his head and rejected her request outright.
He was never fond of unnecessary interaction with strangers to begin with—
And asking to pet someone else's Pokémon was already a rather presumptuous request.
Sensing his friend's growing impatience, Steven stepped in at the right moment.
"My apologies, miss. If there's nothing else, my friend and I will be taking our leave."
Seeing that her first-ever attempt at a friendly approach was about to end in failure, Hunter J grew anxious.
Her gaze flickered between Elias and Steven, as if searching for a topic—anything—that could keep him from leaving.
But after a quick scan, all she found on Steven was… rocks.
Just as Hunter J was starting to feel discouraged, a familiar scent suddenly drifted into her nose.
It was the scent of berries.
Coming from Elias.
Realizing this, her eyes lit up instantly.
As a powerful trainer herself, she was no stranger to Pokémon breeding and care.
If Elias was passionate about berry research and Pokéblock-making, then she was confident she could capture his interest.
With that in mind, she spoke slowly:
"Figy Berry, Iapapa Berry, Oran Berry… You chose the right ingredients for Pokéblocks, but…"
"Elias, have you ever considered that the issue with your medicine's effectiveness might actually be due to inadequate processing equipment?"
The moment she finished speaking, Elias—who had been about to walk away—paused.
He turned to look at the silver-haired woman who now wore a confident, almost smug expression.
She had correctly identified the berries he had been working with—just from scent alone—
And she had even deduced his struggle with insufficient healing potency.
That was enough to prove that this "J" was no amateur—she was an expert in Pokémon breeding and care.
Thinking about Latios's worsening condition, Elias felt he couldn't afford to dismiss this opportunity.
Perhaps—just perhaps—he might be able to get some useful insights from her.
Seeing that her words had successfully caught Elias's attention, Hunter J couldn't hide her satisfaction.
As long as she could keep him here, she was confident she could eventually persuade him to join her.
---
[Considering that this woman might be a skilled breeder, you decide to engage in a brief discussion about berries.]
[But that doesn't mean you let your guard down.]
[You deliberately choose a café in the opposite direction of your home and seat her in the farthest booth—ensuring she has no chance of seeing Latias.]
[However, what you don't know is… at this very moment, Latias has also gone out to look for you.]
---
T/N: AHHHHHHHHHH NONIOONONON
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
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Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨