Ariel's pupils constricted as his body reacted faster than his brain. In an instant, he dodged behind a massive rock, perfectly blending himself into the shadows.
Why were they here?
Coming from the waterfall, the main path didn't pass through this hidden cave at all.
Could it be... like him, their target was also this nest?
Sen's kind, smiling face flashed through Ariel's mind, along with that line: "Taking my daughter out to see the world."
A high-ranking League official, two advanced Trainers, and one Superior Trainer, heading straight for the hidden area deep within Meteor Falls... This was no way to catch Pokémon or "see the world."
This was clearly a secret operation with a clear objective!
A powerful beam from a flashlight suddenly cut through the darkness, shining exactly where he had been standing just moments ago. The beam wavered as it probed toward the crack in the rock wall.
Ariel's heart sank.
This was trouble.
He thought he was treasure hunting, but he hadn't expected a regular army to show up halfway.
Ariel pressed his back firmly against the cold rock, shrinking his entire body into the blind spot of the shadows, his breathing nearly coming to a halt.
The bone-chilling cold from the rock wall instantly cooled his overheating brain.
He couldn't afford to be exposed now.
If they were on the outskirts of Meteor Falls, he was Roxanne's acquaintance and Misato's friend; Sen would have no reason to move against him.
But here, in front of this hidden nest of what was likely a starter pokémon colony, he had only one identity—a potential enemy, or a potential whistleblower who had seen something he shouldn't have.
Putting himself in their shoes, if he were Sen, the best way to ensure absolute secrecy for the operation would be to silence him.
Ariel might not even be able to handle one advanced Trainer, let alone two plus a Superior Trainer.
With a lineup like this, let alone him, even if two more Trainers of the same level showed up, they would only be crushed.
"Damn it..." Ariel cursed inwardly.
The duck that was already in his mouth had just flown away.
Snatched away by a pack of hawks wearing official skins.
A strong sense of resentment welled up in his heart.
Wild starter pokémon, and a whole colony at that!
If he could report this to Team Rockets, the discovery reward alone would be enough to make him instantly wealthy.
If he could secretly catch a few with good potential, it would be a massive profit.
Now, he could forget about all that.
This group came with aggressive momentum and a clear goal; they were obviously going to wipe out this Froakie colony completely, not leaving even a single hair for him.
Ariel's gaze subconsciously drifted toward the deep pool behind him.
He wasn't pained for the whole colony; he was pained for the Froakie he had set his eyes on, the one with the hidden ability!
That was the true priceless treasure!
"Don't come out, don't be stupid..." Ariel stared fixedly at the water's surface, chanting in his mind.
Just a moment ago, he was hoping the little guy would swim out on its own; now, he only hoped it would stay at the bottom of the water with that Whiscash until the end of time.
Just then, the conversation from Sen's group became clear again.
Misato's crisp voice carried a hint of Charm:
"Dad, didn't you say you'd take me to catch a super-powerful pokémon? What is it? We've been walking for so long."
Sen's gentle laughter rang out, full of doting: "Misato, what do you think of Froakie?"
"Froakie!"
Misato's voice instantly jumped an octave, filled with surprise.
"I love Froakie so much! Its evolution is Greninja, it's so cool!"
"Hehe, as long as you like it." Sen doted on her, rubbing his daughter's head. "In a moment, Dad will catch the most powerful Froakie for you, okay?"
"Yay! Dad is the best!" Misato hopped excitedly in place.
Hiding behind the rock, Ariel felt his stomach churn at this display of fatherly love and filial piety.
Powerful? In what way?
Is it powerful potential, or a powerful ability?
His heart sank suddenly.
A person of Sen's level had such high standards; ordinary specimens wouldn't even catch his eye.
He had specifically organized a secret operation for this; could his goal also be that Froakie with the Protean ability?
After comforting his daughter, Sen looked back at the three Trainers beside him. His gentle expression vanished instantly, replaced by an unquestionable authority.
He had been preparing for this operation for a long time.
He had bought the intelligence at a high price from a pair of desperadoes who specialized in hunting Trainers and selling stolen goods. That man and woman told him there were traces of a Froakie colony deep within Meteor Falls.
To this end, he had used many connections to find these three powerful and absolutely trustworthy Trainers to serve as bodyguards and venture deep into the heart of the area.
He had originally wanted to find that pair to extract more information, but unexpectedly, the two had died mysteriously.
But none of that mattered now; today, he was definitely going to take this Froakie colony for himself!
Sen naturally wouldn't have thought that the person who killed that pair and who also knew this intelligence was none other than Ariel, who was currently being ignored and hiding in the shadows dozens of meters away!
"Go in and investigate, stay alert," Sen ordered in a low voice.
Two Trainers immediately stepped forward. One took a sturdy Luxray out of his backpack, while the other released a sharp-eyed Noctowl.
A faint light flickered in the Luxray's golden eyes as it warily scanned the surroundings. Its gaze lingered for a brief moment on the rock where Ariel was hiding, but it quickly moved on.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat. He suppressed his presence to the limit, making himself seem as if he were one with the rock.
Fortunately, the energy in the cave was chaotic, and with the interference from the waterfall, the Luxray's observation abilities were greatly restricted.
The Noctowl took flight silently, circling the top of the cave. Its sharp eyes were like radar, monitoring every corner.
After preparing, one Trainer was the first to squeeze sideways into that narrow crack in the rock wall.
The flashlight's beam wavered in the pitch-black crack. Soon, his voice came from inside with a slight echo: "Safe. There's a hidden world inside; the space is very large."
Sen nodded and said to the other Trainer, "Stay outside and guard. Notify me immediately of any situation."
"Yes."
Then, Sen led Misato and, under the protection of that Superior Trainer, walked into the crack.
The Trainer left outside and his Luxray stood guard at the entrance of the crack like statues, their eyes sharp as they stared intently at every shadow in the cave.
Ariel didn't dare to move a muscle.
He was blocked in.
The only exit was blocked; he was now a turtle in a jar!
Just then, a large bubble suddenly rose from the pool behind him with a "gurgle."
The bubble burst, making a soft sound.
The sound wasn't loud, but in such a highly tense environment, it was exceptionally piercing.
The Trainer guarding the crack's entrance suddenly turned his head. His sharp gaze and the Luxray's vision simultaneously Locked-On to the direction of the pool!
Ariel's pupils constricted.
Oh no!
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