96. Back the pot

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"Chief, we didn't find the Cocoon of Sleep!" 

One of the younger brothers, who had checked several other rooms, reported back.

Chief frowned as he gazed at the empty altar, his eyes scanning the platform they called "Between the Stars." 

According to ancient records, the comet civilization from a thousand years ago safeguarded the sacred object, the "Cocoon of Sleep," on this altar. It was said that when the comet returned, after a thousand years, the legendary Pokémon Jirachi would awaken and grant people's wishes.

The murals, the mechanism at the entrance, the inscriptions on the ruins—everything lined up.

So why wasn't the Cocoon of Sleep here?

Was the ancient text wrong?

Or had Jirachi woken up early and left?

But there was still time before the Millennium Comet was due to arrive.

"Leader, the authorities have noticed our activity. The brothers at the entrance to the Forest of Plenty reported seeing the Gym Leader from Forest City, heading this way!" the younger brother reminded urgently.

"Got it," The Chief nodded. "If the Cocoon of Sleep isn't here, let's retreat."

As he turned to leave, Chief suddenly froze.

His eyes shifted sideways, landing on a set of damp footprints!

They were by the mural—a mix of human and Pokémon footprints.

Chief and his team had entered from the stairs, but these footprints were alongside the mural, leading towards the altar. 

The significance hit him immediately—someone had come to the altar from the side.

More importantly, neither he nor his team had been over there.

Chief quickly moved closer to inspect the prints.

Not only did they lead to the altar, but there were also footprints returning from it. They headed straight for a wall beside the mural.

At first glance, Chief thought the cracks in the wall were just from the ruins' age, which had been common along the way. But now...

"Excadrill, Dig!" Chief commanded, tossing his Poké Ball toward the cracked wall.

Excadrill immediately transformed into a spinning drill, easily breaking through the outer rocks to reveal a pitch-black tunnel behind the wall.

"Someone's definitely been here first!" Chief growled through clenched teeth.

They had gone to great lengths to eliminate the authorities, replace them with their own men, and even led this mission personally—all to secure the Cocoon of Sleep as quickly as possible.

Yet someone had beaten them to it!

Not only that, but the arriving Gym Leader would surely assume that *Asuka* had taken the Cocoon.

It was clear now—their group would soon be surrounded and hunted by the authorities!

And they had gained nothing but trouble in return.

"After them!" Chief barked.

The footprints were still fresh, the water hadn't dried yet. Whoever had been here had likely just left!

Even if they were gone now, they had to track the path and see if any traces remained.

They had to find them!

In the Forest of Plenty, Chris had already embarked on the return journey.

Back at the picnic spot, Chris greeted Mia and then hurried back to Forest City, catching the latest flight to Dragon University.

For one main reason: Chris had unearthed the Enigma Berry tree.

The ruins where Jirachi was discovered had been located by members of the Archaeological Association, and it was only a matter of time before they discovered the passage he used to enter the ruins.

After all, no matter how much Gabite tried to cover up the broken wall, signs of tampering would be evident.

After leaving the ruins, Chris suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to erase his footprints.

Since this was his first time doing such a "first-timer" thing, he didn't have much experience.

The Archaeological Society could easily trace the path to the Enigma Berry tree.

Although the Enigma Berry tree looked like an ordinary tree, it was risky to assume no one would recognize its worth. So Chris had to act quickly.

To ensure the tree's survival, he dug up the roots along with a two-meter radius of soil around it.

This required his secret base to be large enough; otherwise, Chris wouldn't have been able to get it out.

However, keeping it in the secret base indefinitely wasn't feasible, and he couldn't support it on his own. So Chris needed to find a suitable buyer for the Enigma Berry tree before it withered.

The first person Chris thought of was Mia's father, a well-known authority on berries.

Quality items can only command the right price when presented to those who truly appreciate their value.

But since Chris had never worked with him before, he wasn't entirely sure.

So he turned his attention to "Theodore," whom he'd collaborated with previously.

Theodore was a master breeder, and no breeder could ignore a rare berry. Chris was sure he'd be intrigued.

"Professor Theodore! Happy holidays!"

"I'm in the middle of an experiment; just get to the point," Theodore replied. Chris knew him as a man who only left his lab for serious business.

"I'm selling a rare berry tree. Are you interested?"

"What kind of berry?"

"Enigma Berry!"

There was silence on the other end, and Chris could hear the faint sound of glass breaking, likely a fallen beaker. After a long pause, Theodore responded.

"What's your asking price?"

"Depends on your offer," Chris replied, though he wasn't sure of the market value and wanted to gauge Professor Theodore's reaction to set a baseline.

Theodore went quiet again before sighing. "I can't afford what it's worth, but I can introduce you to someone who can."

"Who?"

"Vladimir."

"Who?!" This time, Chris was genuinely shocked. If he remembered correctly, Vladimir was the president of Dragon University!

This was a legend!

His titles were more prestigious than Theodore's, each one surpassing the last.

Coordinator Master, Breeder Pioneer, Berry King, Former Elite Four, President of the China Breeding Association, Honorary President of the China Berry Association, Honorary President of the China Coordinator Association...

Several breeder awards in China were named after him!

Simply put, this was a man at the pinnacle of the breeding world!