As night fell, Jack's target remained sound asleep—completely unaware that death was closing in.
In the darkness, dozens of eyes watched silently.
Art knew Jack's style well by now. Based on his past missions, it was obvious: Jack preferred to wait until the target had fallen asleep, then send in his ghost-type Pokémon for a silent kill.
So this time, Art had arranged his mercenaries into three rotating shifts, all watching the target's location closely. If Jack was going to make a move, tonight would be the night.
He was right.
In the early hours of the morning, Haunter emerged from the shadows and slipped into the room.
A quick Hypnosis—the target sank into deeper slumber.
Then: strike.
One clean blow. Kill confirmed.
Without missing a beat, Haunter began to scavenge for valuable items.
From their hidden vantage points, Art and his men silently prepared to tail Haunter, hoping to find Jack's real location once Haunter finished looting.
But just as they were about to move—
"Hope you like the gift I left you," Jack murmured.
The next moment—BOOM.
A fireball lit up the night sky. The deafening roar shattered the town's silence.
Art and every single mercenary were incinerated instantly—no warning, no survivors.
As smoke rose from the wreckage, Jack calmly disappeared into the night with Haunter in tow.
He didn't even glance at the items Art's team had been carrying.
"I never thought I'd net such a big fish."
From a rooftop across the town, Bauer stared at the inferno in awe.
That explosion. That ambush style. That ruthless efficiency.
It could only be the Ghost Fox.
So Awen—Jack's alias—was indeed the one he was hunting.
At that moment, Bauer mentally praised Suna, the Kusaka family tactician, for planning ahead so thoroughly.
Suna had studied the Ghost Fox in depth and concluded that the enemy had an exceptional intelligence network. If someone like Art tried to lure him into a trap, the Ghost Fox would likely figure it out ahead of time. Even powerful mercenaries sent after him would fail or die.
Because no matter how strong the Pokémon, the trainer was still vulnerable.
That's why Suna had issued strict orders:
Keep your distance from any agents suspected of betrayal.
Stay hidden.
Always assume there are bombs nearby.
Mobilize Kusaka family support units for backup.
Thanks to those preparations, Bauer had survived the trap.
The downside? Suna's backup personnel were weak—they could only offer intel, not real muscle.
Even so, it was enough for Bauer to begin pursuit.
In the shadows, Bauer sprinted forward with his Pokémon.
Leading the charge was Houndoom, his strongest Pokémon—Advanced-level, excellent tracker, and unbothered by darkness.
Behind him: Golduck, an Elite-level Pokémon with a special Moisture Aura—which suppressed fire-based explosions, including bomb detonations.
That was the ace up Bauer's sleeve: Golduck's presence made it nearly impossible for Jack to use his bombs.
Armed with this advantage, Bauer charged forward without hesitation.
But just a few minutes into the pursuit—
"Freeze! Return your Pokémon for inspection, or we'll open fire!"
Spotlights snapped on. Police officers surrounded him, weapons drawn.
Even though Bauer recognized them as ordinary officers, he hesitated.
Their captain was probably Elite-level, but that wouldn't be enough to stop his Houndoom.
Still, this interference was exactly the kind of chaos the Ghost Fox thrived in.
"I'm from the Kusaka family!" Bauer roared. "Get out of my way!"
But the officers didn't budge.
Given the explosion that had rocked the town just minutes earlier, Bauer himself now looked like the suspect.
At this point, titles meant nothing. The officers prepared for battle.
"Hold him! Don't let him escape!"
The captain signaled for backup while commanding his Pokémon to attack.
But the power gap was brutal.
Houndoom tore through their lines effortlessly, fire bursting from its maw.
Golduck hurled a condensed ball of water, exploding mid-air and knocking out multiple Pokémon with a single strike.
Despite the officers' bravery, they were no match.
"Hero—Flame thrower! Turn the street into a sea of fire!"
Bauer ordered a retreat, setting the road behind them ablaze to stop any pursuit.
As flames roared behind him, Bauer grimaced.
He now understood just how troublesome the Ghost Fox truly was.
Not catching him wasn't just a failure—it had now escalated to a crime. Bauer had just attacked police officers.
And things were about to get worse.
Almost simultaneously, Suna's observers—who had been trailing the Ghost Fox—went dark.
No signals. No updates. Just silence.
Jack had taken them out too.
At this point, Bauer had only one option: go all-in on the chase.
He followed the last intel point, sprinting toward the outskirts.
And then—luck struck.
Ahead, just barely visible, was a figure cloaked in a black robe.
"Hero! Full speed! Don't let him escape!"
Houndoom roared and surged forward with newfound speed.
The black-robed figure—Jack in disguise—looked over his shoulder.
Sensing pursuit, he panicked and slammed the detonator.
Nothing happened.