Pokémon dungeon

After dividing the money and collecting the personal belongings of his fallen teammates, Kay began his journey to visit their families. 

At each home, Kay handed over the 5,500 Pokedollars, along with any personal items he had collected from their loved ones.

In every house, there were tears, grief, and heavy silence. Kay stayed a little longer in each home, offering whatever comfort he could; soft words, a gentle hand on the shoulder, or simply listening to their sorrow. 

After hours of walking from one family to the next, Kay felt emotionally drained. He had now reached the final stop, the family of his team leader, Aiden Tideswell. 

Before leaving, Kay decided to add an extra 500 Pokedollars to their share. It was because of Aiden's sacrifice that Kay was still alive today. 

But deep down, Kay wondered if he was doing it out of gratitude or to silence the haunting memory of Aiden's final glance before collapsing. 

When Kay arrived at the given address, his eyes widened in shock. 

"This… isn't a house," Kay whispered. "It's a castle!" 

The grand estate was enormous, with tall stone walls, grand towers, and large iron gates guarded by uniformed security personnel along with a Wooper standing near them. 

Kay hesitated for a moment before walking up to the gate. One of the guards stepped forward. 

"What's your business here?" the guard asked in a firm voice. 

Kay cleared his throat. "I… I have an appointment with the Tideswell family. My name is Kay." 

The guard studied him for a moment before nodding. He pressed something into his earpiece, spoke briefly, and then opened the gate. 

"Follow me," the guard said, leading Kay along a stone pathway into the garden. 

Kay couldn't help but stare at the beauty around him. The garden was breathtaking, with well-trimmed bushes, vibrant flowers, and shining fountains. 

The sound of running water filled the air, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh flowers. 

As they walked further, Kay noticed several Water-type Pokemons in the ponds; Lotad, Marill, and even a graceful Milotic gliding through the water. 

The guard led Kay to a small seating area in the middle of the garden. A wooden table and a few chairs were set under a large white umbrella. 

"Please wait here. The master will join you shortly," the guard said before leaving. 

Kay sat down, letting out a deep sigh. His eyes wandered across the peaceful scene, the sun reflecting off the ponds, and the Pokemons playing in the water. 

'This place feels like another world,' Kay thought. 

After waiting a few moments, Kay noticed a man walking towards him. The man had striking blue hair and a neatly trimmed light blue beard. His clothes were elegant, perfectly tailored, and carried an air of authority. 

The man extended his hand as he approached. 

"Hi, welcome to my house. I hope you were enjoying yourself," 

Kay shook his hand nervously. The man's presence was overwhelming. 

"I am Maris Tideswell, the father of Aiden." 

Kay froze for a moment. The weight of Aiden's sacrifice and the view of his last gaze came crashing back into his mind. 

"I... I'm so sorry for your son," Kay said softly. 

Maris's face remained calm as he gestured for Kay to sit. After they both settled down, Maris asked, "What was the rank of the dungeon where the accident happened?" 

Kay hesitated slightly before answering, "It… it was supposed to be an F-rank dungeon." 

The calm expression on Maris's face vanished in an instant. His brows furrowed, and his eyes burned with anger. 

"An F-rank dungeon? My son… my son died in an F-rank dungeon?!" 

Kay immediately raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Please wait! The rank announced was F-rank, but when we entered… the difficulty was much higher, and the Pokemons were stronger than average, I guess it was a misclassification by the league."

Maris's furious expression softened slightly. He leaned back in his chair, exhaled deeply, and rubbed his temples. 

The conversation continued for a while longer. Maris asked more about the dungeon, Aiden's actions, and the events leading up to his death. 

Kay answered honestly, though he avoided describing the final moments in too much detail. 

Eventually, their conversation came to a natural end, and Kay realized it was time to leave. 

He reached into his bag, took out the personal belongings and the money, and hesitated briefly before handing them to Maris. 

The castle, the garden, the luxurious surroundings, after looking at all these things it was clear Maris did not need the money. 

But Kay quickly shook off the doubt and placed the items and the money on the table in front of Maris. 

Maris stared at the money for a moment, looking genuinely surprised. 

"Why… why are you giving me this money?" he asked confused. 

Kay met his gaze and said, "Because I gave the same to every other family. You are not an exception." 

Maris sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought. Then, he spoke: 

"It seems… what you said was true. You didn't kill my son." 

Kay's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean? Kill your son?!" 

Maris shook his head. "You don't recognize me, do you? I am the president of the Hydronix Guild, one of the most powerful Pokemon guilds in this region." 

Kay froze in place. The Hydronix Guild was famous, even among rookie trainers. 

"I accepted to meet you today because… I suspected you might have killed my son." 

Kay felt his heart drop, is not interfering to save him count as killing him. "Why… why would you think that?" 

"Trainer killers are not uncommon in our world. Many trainers kill others in dungeons to steal their items, spoils, or the Power Stones of their Pokemon. When you said the dungeon was F-rank, I was sure you were lying. But then…" 

He glanced at the money and the items on the table. 

"But then you gave me his belongings and his share of the spoils. Trainer killers don't do that. They kill for greed, not for honor. And besides…" 

Maris's eyes locked onto Kay's. 

"You're… weak. Someone like you could never kill my son, especially since you were the only survivor." 

Kay's face turned pale. Those words stung, but he couldn't deny their truth. 

Maris stood up and placed a hand on Kay's shoulder. 

"Thank you, Kay. For bringing back what remained of my son. For honoring him." 

"For the money… you can keep it. Count it as a gift from me. Also, I owe you one. If you ever need something in the future, don't hesitate to ask." 

Kay's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, Mr. Tideswell."

With that, Kay turned and left the grand castle. 

'I just walked out of that castle alive… If I hadn't come here today, Maris might have hunted me down, thinking I was responsible for Aiden's death.' 

The thought sent shivers down his spine. 'I am so weak… A single misunderstanding could've ended my life.' 

Kay's attention then switched to what he was carrying in his hands; Kay held 11,000 Pokedollars, an amount of money he had never dreamed of earning in such a short time. 

Kay made his way to the League facility. His destination was a specialized shop that sold the shields trainers used in dungeons; shields like the one Aiden had worn in the dungeon. 

When Kay entered the shop, he was immediately struck by the elegance and high-tech displays of the shields behind protective glass cases. 

Each shield gleamed under the bright lights, with intricate designs and metallic finishes. 

But when Kay looked at the price tags, his heart sank. 

The cheapest shield he found cost ... 

See you in the next chapter... 

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