Lying on the hotel bed, Jack had no idea he was already being targeted by several mid-tier families and smaller organizations.
If he had known, Jack would've just shrugged and said: They're out of luck—I didn't even get that much.
Yes, the bounty on Kusaka Hideki was sky-high. But that reward only applied if someone had the guts to claim it.
Having worked as a mercenary for years, Jack knew all too well—some bounties offered by the powerful were nothing but bait. A trap. The moment someone tried to collect, they'd walk straight into an ambush and end up as another pawn sacrificed for political gain.
That's why, even after taking down Hideki Kusaka, Jack only claimed a modest 70 million Alliance coins. Still a hefty sum—but nowhere close to what was supposedly up for grabs.
He didn't dare sell Hideki's Pokémon either—too risky. Too traceable.
Then came the system rewards.
Despite Kusaka Hideki's elite background, his combat strength barely reached the Elite tier. So the system only counted his mission as D-rank.
Adding him in with Asen, Rand, and the rest, Jack had completed three D-rank missions and twelve E-rank missions, netting him a healthy pool of experience points and mercenary credits.
Of course, dealing with Kusaka Hideki hadn't come cheap—Jack had burned through more than a dozen bombs and several stealth drones in the process. Now, he was down to eight bombs and nine stealth monitors.
Jack planned to hold off on spending any more credits for now. Once Haunter reached Elite rank, the system would start offering upgraded items—he needed to stockpile points in preparation.
If anything urgent came up, he could redeem items on the fly anyway.
And as far as the Kusaka family tracking him down?
Unlikely.
Jack had never revealed his real face. Even the surveillance footage from Green Town only showed a humanoid robot—a decoy swapped in via the system.
When Jack operated in his true form, he looked like an ordinary traveler. Totally unremarkable.
That's why, after fleeing Green Town, Jack had chosen a quiet little town far from any major port.
His plan? Wait for the Kusaka family's manhunt to cool off.
Then he'd strike again—test their response.
If they reacted with the same frenzy as before, he'd vanish. The Ghost Fox would disappear. Jack would lay low until the Kusakas dropped their guard—then exit the Kanto region entirely and begin anew elsewhere.
But that was only the backup plan.
Even after reaching Elite rank, Jack would still be a speck compared to the behemoths ruling over this world.
And for someone like Jack—who hated being helpless, who demanded control over every variable—that was a hard pill to swallow.
Still, for now, it was time to consolidate his gains.
Pokémon: Haunter
Gender: Male
Ability: Levitate
Level: 29 (Excellent Tier)
Base Skills:
Confuse Ray (Lv. 3)
Lick (Lv. 3)
Hypnosis (Lv. 3)
Mean Look (Lv. 3)
Payback (Lv. 3)
Grudge (Lv. 3)
Curse (Lv. 3)
Hex (Lv. 4)
Shadow Punch (Lv. 3)
Taught Skills:
Taunt (Lv. 3)
Inherited Skills:
Disable (Lv. 3)
Haze (Lv. 3)
Scary Face (Lv. 3)
Jack upgraded Haunter to Level 29, just one step away from breaking into the Elite tier. He also kept some experience points in reserve—ready to push Haunter through instantly if needed.
Skill-wise, he focused on Hex—a powerful combo with Haze that could wipe out enemies faster. His future investment plan included Confuse Ray, Haze, and whatever advanced special attacks Haunter learned later.
Unlike some other Trainers—like that reckless kid Ash—Jack wasn't about to ignore Haunter's special attack potential just to force a physical build. That would be idiotic.
Once Haunter's upgrade was complete, Jack finally allowed himself to doze off.
Meanwhile, all across the Kanto region, chaos continued to simmer.
But there was a problem—despite all the panic, no one knew what the Ghost Fox actually looked like.
Authorities tried digging up information from his agent, Old Hard, only to find that the bastard had already vanished.
Now, Old Hard had become their only lead.
And since Old Hard had shown his face a few times—unlike Jack—all the heat that should've landed on Ghost Fox had shifted to him.
This reversal was driving Old Hard insane.
He used to curse Jack under his breath maybe once or twice a day. Now, it was dozens—maybe hundreds.
Still, credit where credit's due—Old Hard had been in the business long enough to know how to stay hidden.
Even under this massive manhunt, he hadn't been caught yet.
Jack, of course, had been following the news. He knew Old Hard was still on the run.
At first, Jack thought the man was just hiding to save his own skin. But the more he observed, the more he realized—this former agent might be sitting on deeper secrets than expected.
Still, that was none of Jack's concern.
Right now, he was just another wandering traveler. His name?
Mike.
That was the alias he used while journeying through the Kanto region.
If he happened to run into a suitable Pokémon along the way, he wouldn't mind expanding his team.
He already had his specialty—Ghost-types. Their stealth and utility perfectly matched his skill set.
But to complement Haunter, Jack wanted his next Pokémon to be a physical attacker.
With how good he was at hiding, most opponents wouldn't even realize they were being hunted—until it was too late.
When the time came to strike, Jack needed to eliminate the target instantly, minimizing risk and exposure.
A strong physical Ghost-type would be ideal.
But the options were limited—Ghost-types were rare. Unless he wanted to visit a major black market, he wasn't likely to find what he was looking for anytime soon.
Still, with the current situation so volatile, it was safer to stay away from such high-profile places.
Jack wasn't in a rush. He could wait.
Back in the shadows, huddled under an electric pole in filthy rags, Old Hard—now disguised as a beggar—cursed bitterly under his breath:
"You goddamn Ghost Fox… just wait until I find you!"