Kudo Shiba's gaze swept quickly across the noisy crowd.
Countless fragments of futures rose and fell in his mind—a torrent woven from halos of fate that only he could see.
White, blue, with an occasional streak of purple.
These were the fortunes of the ordinary, the elite, even the gifted—now rendered as lights of varying intensity rising from above every head present, interlacing into a gorgeous yet disorderly sea of radiance.
These lights were this world's greatest gift to him—and the greatest secret of his life.
Suddenly, his pupils snapped down to a dangerous pinprick!
At the edge of his vision, a pillar of light erupted without warning—blood-red and surging like a tidal wave!
A blinding crimson!
The red shot skyward, imperious and absolute; its brilliance instantly swallowed and crushed every other color, becoming the sole, retina-searing sovereign of his view!
For a moment, the world seemed to lose its sound.
Kudo Shiba's mind even blanked out; he felt his breath seized by that light.
His gaze bored through the moving heads, past faces lit with shock or excitement, and nailed itself to the source of that crimson glow.
It was his fresh archrival—Sunada Kaoru!
The instant Kudo Shiba locked onto him, a perfectly clear prophetic scene detonated in his mind, giving him no time to brace!
In the vision, the surrounding clamor and bustle faded away.
Bored out of his skull, Sunada Kaoru was leading his lackeys by the fake-rock outcrop of Breeding Zone 3. He ignored the Pokémon trying to approach him, his face wearing undisguised disdain.
He kicked aside a stone by his foot, muttering curses under his breath.
The next second, the accident happened.
His next step landed squarely on slick moss—and found no purchase.
"Ah!"
Sunada Kaoru gave a short cry; his balance vanished, and he toppled uncontrollably toward the pond beside him.
In panic, his hand plunged down and shoved hard against the pond's murky water!
Icy water and slimy silt closed over his palm.
He steadied himself, cursing as he yanked his hand back out of the water.
At the instant his hand broke the surface, the gears of fate turned with an audible click.
A Poké Ball, caked with black sludge and battered by time—as if forgotten for ages—came up from the muck stuck to his palm!
The ball fell with a soft "clack" at his feet.
Sunada Kaoru, in the image, froze.
Curious, he crouched and picked up the sphere that looked no different from trash.
He wiped it perfunctorily on his clothes, then pressed the center button.
A beam of light flashed.
A Pokémon the color of clear sky, with a long, elegant body and regal bearing, appeared before him—
Dratini!
Those violet eyes held an innate majesty and power as it regarded the dumbstruck human with cool scrutiny.
The final frame zoomed in, larger and larger, until it froze—
On Sunada Kaoru's face, twisted utterly by extreme ecstasy!
His grin split to his ears, his eyes bulged, muscles twitching—his whole being plunged into mania by this windfall from heaven!
Beside him, a powered-on scanner displayed a line in scarlet that could drive any Trainer mad—
[Potential: Champion-tier]
Beneath the image, a line of cold golden microtext slowly emerged—like a god's final verdict:
[This is the Poké Ball accidentally lost in Magic City during the youth-training journey of the Dragon-type master Lance; inside is a Dratini he personally raised with Champion potential!]
A Dratini with Champion potential—
And it belonged to Lance, the Dragon-type master who stands atop the world!
Kudo Shiba's heart gave a vicious throb; a scalding surge of blood rushed to his head.
This wasn't just a lucky chance.
It was a heaven-defying boon that could change a person's—an entire family's—destiny!
If trash like Sunada Kaoru—narrow-minded and base—were to obtain it, it would be the most laughable waste under heaven!
By what right?
Because he slipped?
Kudo Shiba's chest heaved; an uncontrollable flame surged up from the depths of his heart—raw desire mingled with jealousy, greed, and refusal to yield.
No.
Since I've seen this chance, it no longer belongs to Sunada Kaoru.
It's mine.
A flash of imperious resolve cut through Kudo Shiba's eyes—like a lone wolf locking onto prey.
Just then, a lackey at Sunada Kaoru's side caught his eye.
Above that one's head floated a fairly conspicuous blue prophecy.
Far less shocking than Kaoru's crimson pillar—but in this sea of mostly white, it stood out like a crane among chickens.
Kudo Shiba's thoughts sparked; a plan streaked across his mind.
He split off a thread of focus and peered into that man's fate fragment.
[In the deepest part of the rock pile in Breeding Zone 2, a timidly hidden Machop will be found; it possesses Gym-tier potential.]
A Machop with Gym-tier potential.
Worlds apart from a Champion Dratini, but for a rookie Trainer, still a dream opening hand.
A perfect plan formed in Kudo Shiba's heart in an instant.
He masked every edge in his eyes and strode quickly to Takai Yuko, who was looking around with bright expectation.
"Yuko."
He lowered his voice and leaned to her ear.
The warm breath tinged Takai Yuko's ear with pink. She turned, puzzled, and met Kudo Shiba's deep, intent eyes.
"Listen—don't waste time here."
His voice was clear and steady, carrying a persuasion that brooked no refusal.
"Go now to the rocky section of Breeding Zone 2. At the very back, under the innermost rocks."
"There's a hiding Machop there. It'll look sturdier than the others, and its eyes will be sharper."
"Find it. Catch it immediately. Don't hesitate."
"Trust me."
A flicker of confusion passed through Takai Yuko's limpid eyes.
She didn't understand how Kudo Shiba could know this, but facing that unquestionable gaze, all her doubts evaporated.
From the unconditional trust etched into her bones since childhood, she asked nothing more.
She simply nodded hard and answered obediently:
"Okay. I'll do as you say."
Watching Takai Yuko turn without hesitation and jog toward Breeding Zone 2, Kudo Shiba's lips curved in a faint smile.
Then he turned.
The warmth and smile vanished from his face without a trace, replaced by a cold, emotionless calm.
His gaze flashed like lightning as it locked onto the core locale from the prophetic scene fixed in memory—Breeding Zone 3, the faux-rock pond!
Sunada Kaoru.
Thanks for playing the "treasure mouse" and bringing me yet another monumental gift.
Your crimson future—I'll be taking it, without the slightest courtesy.
(End of Chapter)
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