Chapter 553 - 553: 553. Difficulties
Jacob turned the matter of the Gold Bottle Cap over in his mind for a moment, then set it aside. There was no need to rush a decision like that. He had far more pressing things to take care of first.
That thought alone was enough to make a grin spread across his face. He pulled up his system space and scanned the list of items inside — and then, quietly, the grin broke into full laughter.
Pokémon Replicator (Zekrom): In use — Incubating. Time remaining: 23 hours, 53 minutes, 48 seconds.
Zekrom
Gender: Genderless
Type: Dragon / Electric
Tera Type: Dragon
Aptitude: Legendary Class (This Pokémon is one of a kind and cannot be replicated perfectly) Combat Power: Heavenly King-Level Ability: Teravolt Moves: Dragon Rage, Thunder Fang, Bind, Ancient Power, Thunderbolt, DragonBreath, Slash, Zen Headbutt, Fusion Bolt, Dragon Claw, Noble Roar, Crunch, Thunder, Outrage, Hyper Voice, Bolt Strike…
Zekrom — the Pokémon embodying Ideals — could not be caught the ordinary way. Jacob had known that going in, so he had come prepared with another method: the Pokémon Replicator.
He had earned the Replicator by winning the High School Cup Championship, and since the day it arrived in his hands, he had never once used it. Not even when he stood before Cresselia in the Dreamland Secret Realm.
He had been waiting. Waiting for a Pokémon that deserved it.
In Jacob's mind, whatever he spent the Replicator on had to be at least a First-Class God Pokémon. Nothing less.
When he first obtained the Dark Stone, he had mapped out two paths forward. One was to earn Zekrom's recognition and capture it the right way. The other was to use the Replicator and claim a copy regardless of the outcome. Standing in front of Zekrom atop Dragon Spiral Tower, the answer became obvious: legendary Pokémon of that calibre simply could not be caught. Cresselia had been the same way in the Dreamland Secret Realm. Zekrom was no different.
So Jacob had used the Replicator without a moment's hesitation.
The copy came out one tier below the original — God-level aptitude had dropped to Legendary Class. But Legendary Class was already at the very top of what most trainers could ever hope to achieve. It was, for all practical purposes, unbeatable.
Meyer. Jacob's eyes narrowed with quiet satisfaction. The next time we meet, I'll have something special waiting for you. And as for God's Coffin — you'll see.
Jacob rolled his neck, feeling the stiffness from hours in the Secret Realm, then reached for his phone. The missed calls had stacked up: Raya, Nina, and Julia had all tried to reach him. With no signal inside the Secret Realm, he hadn't received any of them.
He called each of them back in turn, then packed up and got ready to move.
Two days ago, Edwin had phoned with news that the Paradise Group's absorption into Team Rocket had hit a snag. Jacob had originally intended to deal with Paradise Group after the new year, but he was already in the Southwest region — it made more sense to handle it now than to double back later. He would go to Golden City, find out what exactly had gone wrong, and then head with Edwin to the Northwest to scout for Secret Realm Gaps.
While Jacob quietly slipped out of the region, the Dragon Spiral Tower was making headlines everywhere.
"Secret Realm Discovered at Dragon Spiral Tower in Southwest Region." "Legendary Pokémon Zekrom Appears." "Team Rocket's Giovanni Linked to the Dragon Spiral Tower."
The stories spread rapidly across every major platform, accompanied by grainy photographs of the tower rising inside its Secret Realm. Eyewitnesses had already begun posting their accounts: the Dragon Spiral Tower, they claimed, was structured less like a dungeon and more like a trial tower. Clear each floor, and you walked away with serious rewards — S-rank items, Pokémon Eggs, and more.
People posted footage and photos from the first layer: two guardians, a Claydol and a Bronzong, standing between challengers and whatever lay above. According to those who had cleared it, conquering all floors of the Dragon Spiral Tower would earn Zekrom's approval and grant the challenger the title of the legendary "Black Hero."
The news hit like a thunderbolt. Skilled trainers from across the country — and beyond — immediately began making their way toward the Southwest, drawn by the promise of both the rewards and the legend attached to them.
While every eye in the world seemed fixed on the Dragon Spiral Tower, Jacob had already arrived in Golden City.
Golden City. It lived up to its name in appearance — gleaming facades, opulent streets, a city that looked like it had been built on wealth. In reality, it was one of the most dangerous places a person could walk into alone.
Paradise Hospital — Private Suite, Top Floor.
Jacob pushed open the door and stopped.
The curtains were pulled shut in the middle of the day, leaving the room in a dim, close darkness. Edwin was sprawled across the sofa with a drink in hand, surrounded by a crowd of women. The low table in front of him was cluttered with bottles — imported spirits, cans of beer, the works.
"Boss!" Edwin scrambled upright the moment he saw Jacob, cheeks flushed. He turned to the women beside him and said, "Well? Go on — take care of the boss."
Several of them moved toward Jacob. He lifted one hand and cut them off before they got within arm's reach.
"Have everyone leave."
"Of course." Edwin waved them off without arguing. "Out. All of you, out now."
The women filed out. Once the door clicked shut behind the last of them, Edwin crossed the room and yanked the curtains open, letting daylight flood in.
"Boss."
"Tell me about these difficulties you mentioned." Jacob settled onto the sofa, crossed one leg over the other, and looked at him steadily.
Edwin straightened up and took a slow breath.
"There are two of them," he began. "The first is internal. My uncle is asking to meet you in person before anything moves forward."
"He holds the second-largest share in the group and runs day-to-day operations as general manager. I'm usually the face of Paradise Group — public battles, deterrence, that sort of thing — but the actual business side runs through him. He has a lot of pull with the rest of the board. Without his sign-off, this deal doesn't happen."
"I've already talked him around. He's agreed in principle. But he's insisting on meeting you first."
Jacob's eyes narrowed slightly. "You told him who I am?"
"No. I only said I'd found a powerful backer. Nothing beyond that." Edwin shook his head. "My uncle doesn't trust people he hasn't sat across from. That's just how he operates. I had to push hard to get even this much out of him."
Edwin said nothing more after that. He stood to the side and waited.
"And the second difficulty?" Jacob asked. "Go on."
Edwin's expression became more serious.
"The second one needs you directly, Boss. You know Paradise Group's reputation — it's not exactly clean. The business we run isn't the kind that gets talked about in the open."
"The reason we've been able to hold our ground here in Golden City comes down to two things: my own strength keeps some people in line, and we pay protection to the local powers. Seven-tenths of Paradise Group's income goes straight to them. Half of that goes to the Xie family of Siam, and the other half goes to Som — the Champion of the Southern Region."