"Chen Shi gege, where are we going?"
Cradled in Dusknoir's arms like a princess, Phoebe blinked curiously as she asked.
"I'm planning to head toward the volcano," Chen Shi replied casually.
"The volcano? What are we going there for? It's going to be scorching!"
At the mention of a volcano, Phoebe immediately showed resistance. She had visited one before during her travels, and the heat had been unbearable.
After that one trip, she had sworn never to go near a volcano again.
"Oh, come on. Did you forget what I told you earlier?"
"I didn't come here for training—I came to find the orbs. You think I want to go?"
"If it weren't for those two orbs, I'd still be lounging comfortably in a chair at home right now."
Chen Shi sounded helpless.
"…Ah… oh!" The moment she heard it was about the orbs, Phoebe immediately fell silent.
At least she could tell what mattered.
"Chen Shi gege… I've always had a question I wanted to ask you. Can you answer me?"
"Spit it out."
Phoebe: "...…."
She really wanted to complain—but didn't dare.
Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Why are you so concerned about the orbs? Is it because you want to help me?"
She still didn't know about the deal her grandparents had made with Chen Shi.
In her mind, the only reason he cared so much… was because of her.
Thinking about it made her heart feel warm.
Even though Chen Shi gege always teases me… he still cares about me…
But Chen Shi let out a scoff.
"You've got quite the imagination."
"The only reason I care about this is because your grandparents paid well. I'm just fulfilling a commission."
"Don't flatter yourself."
If it weren't for that item from Giratina, he wouldn't bother with this mess at all.
He'd rather leave the headache to the League.
Phoebe: "...…."
Just as she was about to say something else—
Jirachi, nestled in Chen Shi's arms, suddenly pointed downward.
"Chen Shi, look! There are people down there!"
"Hm?"
Chen Shi signaled Metagross to stop and quickly looked in the direction Jirachi indicated.
Below them—
two people dressed in Team Magma uniforms were riding on a Mightyena, speeding toward a certain direction.
"Team Magma…" Chen Shi's expression turned serious.
So they really had gotten in.
But wasn't Drake guarding the outside?
How did they manage to enter?
"Chen Shi gege, those two look strange… they don't seem like the people who came in with us," Phoebe stretched her neck to get a better look.
Chen Shi glanced at her. "Of course they're not. They're the ones who attacked your family."
Phoebe: !!!
"What!? They're the ones who attacked my grandparents!?"
"Who else would it be? Don't tell me you don't even recognize your enemies?"
Chen Shi was speechless. He had no idea what she'd been doing all this time.
Team Magma and Team Aqua had already attacked her home—
and now their members were right in front of her, yet she still couldn't recognize them.
"Gengar! All of you—go! Capture them!"
Phoebe's face turned red—half from embarrassment, half from anger.
She immediately threw out five Poké Balls, releasing almost all of her Pokémon.
"Relax. No need to make it so complicated."
Chen Shi waved his hand, then looked down at Jirachi in his arms.
"Can I trouble you to catch them?"
"Of course!" Jirachi waved cheerfully.
A wave of psychic power surged downward like a tide.
There was no suspense.
Before the two Team Magma members could even react, they were seized instantly and lifted into the air—brought right in front of Chen Shi.
Their faces were filled with shock.
And fear.
Only those who had faced Jirachi's psychic power could understand how terrifying it truly was.
It was like an unstoppable force of heaven itself.
"Now then," Chen Shi said calmly.
"I ask, you answer. If I'm not satisfied…"
"This will be your grave. Understood?"
The two men tried to respond—but the overwhelming psychic pressure prevented even a single word from leaving their mouths.
Chen Shi immediately understood and gently tapped Jirachi.
As soon as the pressure loosened slightly—
both men began shouting frantically.
"Sir! Ask me! I'll tell you everything I know!"
"Don't listen to him! I know more—I'll answer!"
"Bullshit! You don't know anything more than I do!"
"You're the one talking nonsense! My connections are better—I know more!"
Just like that, the two started arguing over who knew more.
It wasn't that they lacked dignity—
it was that Jirachi was simply too terrifying.
And more importantly—
they could clearly sense the killing intent in Chen Shi's eyes.
If he said they'd be buried here…
that might very well be exactly what would happen.
They didn't dare gamble.
Chen Shi frowned, waving his hand impatiently.
"Enough. If you keep arguing, I won't ask anymore—I'll just bury you."
They instantly fell silent.
Not a word.
Seeing them behave, Chen Shi nodded in satisfaction.
"Tell me—how did Team Magma get into this secret realm?"
"And where are you heading now?"
The thinner one hurriedly spoke:
"Sir, we were brought in by Maxie—by that… that despicable guy! We're heading to regroup with the main force!"
Chen Shi wasn't satisfied.
"Explain exactly how you got in. I remember there were two Elite Four members guarding the entrance."
The bulkier man quickly cut in:
"Sir, only Sidney was guarding outside. Drake had already entered the secret realm."
"So Maxie injured Sidney… and then brought us in."
Chen Shi nodded in realization.
No wonder Team Magma managed to get inside.
They had taken advantage of Drake's absence.
That made sense.
If Drake had been there, even someone like Maxie would have had to pay a heavy price to break through—
let alone bring so many subordinates along.
Only when the entrance was guarded solely by Sidney, a relatively new Elite Four member, did Maxie dare to act.
Seeing Chen Shi's reaction, the bulky man grew more eager.
"Sir, there's something else!"
"It's not just us—Team Aqua is here too!"
"After a brief standoff between both sides, their leaders seemed wary of each other. So instead of fighting…"
"…they both entered together."
Chen Shi let out a quiet sigh.
Of course.
If Team Magma was here, how could Team Aqua be absent?
It seemed—
the curtain was about to rise.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon → [email protected]/lucarioTL (replace @ with a)