"Aiden, are you sure you didn't see wrong!?"
"We've been searching forever, and we haven't seen a single ghost—let alone a Ghost-type Pokémon!"
Leaning against a tree trunk, Owen spoke with growing impatience.
"I'm serious, bro! I really saw it. Even if it was just a shadow, it proves it was a Ghost-type Pokémon!"
"And I looked it up. I think the Pokémon I saw is likely a Honedge! You know how valuable those are on the black market!"
"Alright, alright. We'll give it another half hour. If we still find nothing, we're heading home."
"You realize we missed several rich targets back in Sevenleaf Town just because you chased after this sword you imagined?"
Owen waved dismissively, frustrated with his younger brother's obsession. The "rich targets" he referred to were people flaunting their wealth around town—typical marks the brothers relied on to scrape together resources.
But this time, because Aiden caught a glimpse of the Pokémon while relieving himself behind some trees, the two had changed their entire game plan.
What neither of them realized was that the road they were walking down would lead them straight to their deaths.
Death was already watching them—calculating how to make the most of their misstep.
Ever since Jack discovered that the system's hidden surveillance devices could be remotely reclaimed within a limited range, he'd made a habit of leaving them like breadcrumbs along the road. That way, he could maintain awareness of anyone trailing behind him.
With this relay system, Jack could monitor up to 200 meters in his wake.
So, when the two brothers unknowingly walked into the trap, Jack noticed right away.
And when he realized that they had seen the newly acquired Honedge, they were immediately marked for death.
Even if they didn't get a clear look—and even if no one would believe them—it didn't matter. Jack couldn't allow any loose ends.
Besides, he could make use of their identities.
"Go, Haunter. I'm counting on you."
Jack slipped a bomb into Haunter's hand.
Aiden and Owen, unaware of their grim fate, drew closer and closer to death.
But this time, Jack wasn't in a rush to kill them. He waited patiently for them to stray far enough from the bomb's epicenter.
Then—boom.
The earth shook with the blast.
Even though Jack had timed the detonation carefully, the bomb's power was too great.
Owen, who had fallen behind, was killed instantly.
Aiden, who was still pushing ahead in search of Honedge, survived—but just barely. He was badly wounded, lying in the grass, stunned and bleeding.
That's when Jack appeared.
Aiden tried to call out for help, but Jack was already upon him, a dagger pressed against his throat.
"Answer my questions truthfully, or you die. Got it?"
Aiden, still trembling from the explosion, could only blink and nod, terrified out of his wits.
Satisfied, Jack began his interrogation—learning everything he needed to know about the two brothers' identities and routines.
Aiden naively believed Jack was trying to impersonate Owen, and so he answered all the questions honestly, hoping to stay alive.
Jack even asked about their savings.
Once he had the information he needed, Jack withdrew the dagger, as promised.
But while Jack may have kept his word, Haunter did not.
The ghostly claws struck fast and clean—Aiden joined his brother in death.
Afterward, Jack started a small fire to burn any remaining traces of the scene.
Then he disappeared.
Though he now had the brothers' identities at his disposal, he didn't immediately assume their roles. For now, he continued to travel under the alias Mike.
Meanwhile, back in the Kusaka Family estate, their leader Richard Kusaka was stewing in rage.
But it wasn't blind fury anymore—it had matured into something colder, more calculating.
The Ghost Fox had made a mockery of the Kusaka Family.
No one—especially not a mere mercenary—should have been able to outmaneuver them.
Richard had decided it was time to take this opponent seriously.
The first step was to pause the current manhunt.
They were getting nowhere. No confirmed sightings. No reliable leads.
It was a waste of manpower and resources.
Instead, Richard would play it smart.
Let the Ghost Fox think the pressure was off. Let him drop his guard. And when he did—they'd strike hard and fast.
Richard had already begun laying the groundwork.
He quietly mobilized his family's resources and took control of several key mercenary contacts—those who could infiltrate Jack's world undetected.
After all, it would take a mercenary to outwit a mercenary.
And as a backup?
Richard had also contacted Team Rocket.
Not under the Kusaka name, of course. No, these dealings were done in the shadows.
Because anyone with real power knew: the world wasn't black and white.
If the Indigo League represented the shining light of law and order, Team Rocket was the deep, impenetrable shadow.
And when it came to rooting out cockroaches like the Ghost Fox—Team Rocket were the experts.
Meanwhile, Richard's eldest son, Vincent Kusaka, was aligning himself more closely with his father's methods, helping to reign in his more volatile younger brother, Takeshi.
Changing a person's nature wasn't easy—it required careful manipulation over time.
But Richard and his father had already discussed a long-term strategy. All they had to do now was wait for the seeds they'd planted to grow.
Speaking of seeds…
Vincent's personal mission had also borne fruit—one of his lovers was now pregnant.
Whether the child would be a boy or girl remained to be seen.
In another part of the region, in an old manor, an elderly woman stepped forward, her expression solemn.
Two maids gently held her arms as she moved.
Once seated, she faced the man across from her—Alise, one of Richard's old contacts.
Her makeup was elegant, clearly applied for this meeting.
But even the finest cosmetics and the best artists couldn't fully conceal the traces of time.
Feeling the tension in the room, Alise silently cursed Richard again—for dragging him into this mess.