North of Dewford Town, Route 106.
The salty sea breeze brushed across his face, carrying a hint of afternoon warmth.
A crudely styled Speedboat cut through the azure sea surface, leaving a long white wake behind it.
Jiang Han sat at the bow, letting the splashing water hit his face.
He had just changed out of his surfing gear; his light black Trainer attire made him look no different from any young man adventuring out at sea.
The Speedboat's engine emitted a monotonous drone; besides the sound of the waves, there was nothing else around.
This feeling of being far from human habitation slightly relaxed the tension that had gripped Jiang Han's nerves for a week.
He opened his pokédex, the screen's light reflecting on his calm face.
His fingertip scrolled, and Fujiki's contact information lay quietly in the list, next to a sunny and cheerful avatar.
Jiang Han knew that from now on, Fujiki would be one of his connections.
The acquaintance with Fujiki, from surfing to pokémon battles, all seemed so natural.
That enthusiastic, simple Gym Leader probably never would have guessed that the "surfing prodigy" he met had ulterior motives from the very beginning.
Jiang Han skillfully operated a few times in a hidden corner of the pokédex. After a Crimson 'R' icon flashed, an encrypted network interface popped up.
The mission information was clearly displayed on the screen.
[Mission Objective: Collect relevant information on the Dewford Town Gym Leader, Fujiki.]
[Requirement: The more detailed, the better.]
Jiang Han's fingers typed rapidly on the virtual keyboard, organizing the observations from the past week into intelligence.
"Fujiki, approximately 27 years old, passionate personality, extremely fond of surfing. Main pokémon is a Gym-level Hariyama, skilled in fighting techniques, astonishing strength..."
He paused, picturing the other equally powerful pokémon from the Underground Training Ground—Master Itachi.
That Master Itachi's movements were swift as lightning, elegant and lethal; its strength was definitely no less than the Hariyama's.
Jiang Han's fingertips hovered in the air. After a moment, he deleted the description of Master Itachi he was about to input.
This was not due to soft-heartedness.
Jiang Han was very clear about his relationship with Team Rockets.
He worked for Team Rockets, and in return, Team Rockets provided him with resources and status unattainable by ordinary Trainers.
This was just a transaction; he never believed in loyalty.
Fujiki, being enthusiastic, powerful, possessing some prestige within the League, and harboring good feelings toward him, was far more valuable than a perfect piece of intelligence.
No one could predict what the future held.
As for Fujiki, for Jiang Han, his value alive was definitely much higher than dead.
This hidden Master Itachi was a trump card he left for Fujiki, and also a retreat path for himself.
If Fujiki were ever targeted by Team Rockets because of this intelligence in the future, this trump card might become a life-saving talisman for the martial artist.
Jiang Han never engaged in unprofitable deals; he only did what was most beneficial to himself.
Moreover, for a newcomer Trainer like himself to submit complete intelligence on a Gym Leader would truly be strange.
After submitting the redacted intelligence, he closed Team Rockets' network, and the pokédex returned to its normal appearance.
The Speedboat's speed gradually decreased, and ahead, the outline of a small island covered in green vegetation appeared.
"Young man, we're almost there."
The Middle-aged Man steering the boat turned back, a calculating smile plastered on his face as his cloudy eyes sized up Jiang Han.
"One thousand league coins was the fare, we agreed on that. But look, the fuel consumption for this trip wasn't small either, you need to pay an extra three thousand league coins for gas, otherwise, I won't dock."
Price gouging.
The man clearly saw that Jiang Han was young and alone, thinking he was a soft target that could be easily manipulated.
In these remote waters, most Trainers would choose to pay up to avoid trouble.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Han's expression showed no surprise; instead, he smiled, "Sir, when we got on the boat, we never mentioned any fuel charges."
"Heh, you outsiders don't understand the rules! That's how things are done around here!"
Seeing that he didn't immediately pull out money, the man's smile vanished, and his tone became impatient,
"I'm telling you, this is already a friendly price because I like your face! Hurry up and pay, don't waste my time!"
He acted as if he had Jiang Han trapped, even carrying a hint of a threat.
The smile on Jiang Han's face deepened as he slowly reached into his pocket.
The man thought he was pulling out money and a flicker of triumph crossed his eyes.
However, what Jiang Han pulled out was not a wallet.
It was a Dagger flashing with cold light.
"You... what are you trying to do?"
The triumph on the man's face instantly froze, turning into terror. He hadn't expected this seemingly harmless youth to carry such a weapon.
"Rules?" Jiang Han stood up and walked toward him, the Dagger deftly spinning between his fingers. "Now, I'm going to teach you my rules."
"Don't come any closer! I'm telling you, I..."
Before the man could finish speaking, a silver light flashed before his eyes.
He felt a chill on his neck, and the rest of his words were choked in his throat. He stared with wide, disbelieving eyes, reaching up to cover his neck as warm liquid gushed out between his fingers.
"Uh... uh..."
He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound. His body swayed, and he fell stiffly onto the cabin floor, quickly losing all signs of life.
The Speedboat's engine continued to roar, but the sound of breathing was missing one person on the boat.
Jiang Han expressionlessly wiped the blood off the Dagger on the man's clothes, then put the Dagger away.
He bent down, frisked the man, found the one thousand league coins he had just paid, and casually stuffed the remaining few bills in the man's pocket into his own.
After finishing everything, he finally looked up at the Deserted Island that was getting closer and closer.
The sea breeze remained, and the sun shone brightly.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Jiang Han walked to the helm and skillfully steered the Speedboat toward a hidden beach on the small island.
Dealing with a corpse and a boat was not difficult for him.
The Speedboat docked, and Jiang Han took out a Poké Ball from his waist.
With a flash of red light, Sandile appeared on the beach.
"Kao!"
Sandile cried out excitedly, feeling the soft sand beneath its feet.
Jiang Han looked at the corpse in the cabin, then at the Sandile in front of him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Sandile, time to eat."
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