Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

Of course, those words weren’t Reiji’s own. He had stolen them from a famous saying in his previous life.

They were meant to pierce Skinny’s defenses—to break down his last psychological barrier, so he could accept what was coming. Every question Reiji had posed before was part of that gradual dismantling.

After all, if he had told Skinny right from the start, ”We’re going to kill people,” the boy might have frozen in terror. One couldn’t forget: the kid was only eleven.

Reiji himself was fifteen, but that no longer counted—he was someone else inside.

If it were just him, there would be no need for such a process. He had never claimed to be a good person. At most, he had said he’d ”try to be one.” And in his definition, that borrowed phrase described it best.

”When justice cannot be served, pure revenge becomes the only justice.”

Skinny repeated the line softly, savoring its weight. Suddenly, the problem from earlier no longer trapped him.

He had seen corpses before—bodies in sacks sunk into the sea, drunkards dead in alleys, blood and limbs left from street fights near that filthy tavern.

If he couldn’t punish those who abandoned or killed their own Pokémon, he could look away. It wasn’t his business. But if it happened to him—if someone murdered his family or partner Pokémon—and the killer walked free…

Then yes, maybe that phrase was the only path left.

Perhaps that was why Reiji had smiled just now. It wasn’t mockery, but a reminder that Skinny’s answers had been too naïve.

Now he understood. Now he knew what Reiji’s real test had been. He looked up with sudden resolve.

”Big Brother, I’m ready. I’ll be the one holding the knife…”

Not the body beneath it. He didn’t need to say the rest aloud. Reiji, who had taught him this, was clearly that kind of man.

”Remember those words, kid.” Reiji patted his shoulder, then placed the folding knife—brought with him across worlds—into the boy’s hand.

At that moment, Spinarak leapt onto Reiji’s shoulder and tapped twice. Butterfree had reached the forest. It was time to move. Spinarak bounded back into the trees.

Reiji recalled Krabby and Rhyhorn to keep them quiet, leaving only Poliwhirl as guide. He signaled Skinny to follow, and they slipped into the black forest.

The only light was faint moonlight, enough for Poliwhirl to lead them through the shadows.

Skinny imitated Reiji, returning his own Poliwhirl and Breloom to their Poké Balls. With Reiji’s team ahead, there was no need to risk noise.

”Big Brother, what are we going to do?” He asked nervously.

”Don’t hesitate, kid. Kill the enemy if you can. No mercy. Otherwise, it’ll be your corpse instead,” Reiji said firmly, then revealed the truth. ”Somebody has kidnapped a child from the orphanage. The kidnappers are after me. We’re going to save them.”

”What? Who would kidnap an orphanage kid? Is it your enemy?” Skinny froze in disbelief.

”Stay sharp!” Reiji barked. ”Remember what you just said. Fight, or die.”

”I understand. I’ll fight. I’ll help save them!” Skinny wiped his sweaty palms on his clothes and forced himself forward again. He finally realized why Reiji had tested him with those questions. It was never philosophy—it was to prepare him for this.

That was also why Reiji had warned him not to tell the other kids their training spot. If the enemy had targeted the orphanage, those children would be defenseless.

Even tonight’s ”extra training” had been different from before. Perhaps Reiji had known all along this was coming.

”But when did Big Brother make such enemies?” Skinny wondered aloud. ”He never leaves the villa…”

Then it hit him. ”It’s me.”

He was the only one moving back and forth between the villa and the orphanage. The enemy must have tracked him. Because of that, they had found Reiji—and taken an orphan hostage.

”Damn it… it’s my fault.” Skinny clenched his fist and punched a tree so hard that Reiji turned to glare at him.

”Keep it down. Butterfree’s already putting them to sleep. Spinarak is moving in to grab the hostage. Don’t ruin this,” Reiji whispered.

If Skinny broke the silence now, the whole ambush would collapse.

”I understand.” He forced himself calm, his breathing steadying. Even if it cost him his life, he would save his younger siblings.

Before, he might have hesitated to order his Pokémon to kill. But now, with the orphanage children involved, there was no hesitation left. The kidnappers deserved nothing but death.

He gripped the cold folding knife tight, eyes fixed on the shadowy figure ahead of him—Reiji, both teacher and friend. From this night forward, he would follow him completely.

…

In the forest clearing, three figures waited.

One was the burly man from yesterday. Another was even bigger—his brother. The third was a small girl, bound and gagged, trembling under a tree.

It was Nana, the one who had taken Caterpie. How could Reiji ever forget that tear-streaked face? Skinny, who played with her daily, recognized her instantly.

”Big Bro, it’s nearly eight. That kid should’ve come by now. Yesterday he was already here.”

”You followed him. You tell me. How would I know?”

”Do you think it’s a trap?”

”Just wait. If he’s not here by nine, we storm the villa.”

The older brute, Dan, was impatient. They had even snatched a girl from the orphanage to bait him. Everything was set. They only needed Reiji to walk into their net.

”Achoo! Achoo!”

The younger one sneezed suddenly. Dan clamped a hand over his mouth. ”Quiet! Why are you sneezing now?”

”I don’t know, boss. My nose just itches—” Another sneeze burst out.

The sound made Nana shiver harder, tears spilling. She had been grabbed right in the orphanage yard while playing with Caterpie.

”Mmm… I want Big Brother… I want Grandpa… I want everyone…” she whimpered into her gag.

”Something’s wrong,” the younger man muttered, wiping his nose and shining a flashlight. Powder was drifting down from above. His eyes widened—he clamped his mouth and nose shut, stumbling back.

Dan looked up too. Clouds of glittering dust rained down. He swore, holding his breath and pulling back his Pokémon. Then his eyes darted back to the hostage—only to find her gone. The powder had vanished too.

”Damn it, that’s Butterfree’s Sleep Powder! We’ve been discovered—”

”Poliwhirl, Mega Punch!”

A voice roared from the darkness.

Dan spun, flashlight beam sweeping—and caught sight of a Poliwhirl’s fist glowing white as it drove straight at him.

”Primeape, Thunder Punch, block it!”

”Chaa!” Primeape leapt forward, electricity crackling around its fist as it collided head-on.

Boom!

The two fists slammed together, exploding with force. Dust and leaves whipped outward. Both Pokémon staggered back to their trainers’ sides.

Reiji frowned. Even under surprise attack, the enemy’s Primeape had responded instantly. That meant, in a straight fight, his Poliwhirl was at a disadvantage. He immediately shifted tactics.

”Rhyhorn, Rock Polish and tackle that Primeape! Krabby, Harden and charge at Machoke! Poliwhirl, use Ice Punch on Breloom!”

”Primeape, dodge and hit Rhyhorn with Ice Punch! Machoke, Thunder Punch that Krabby! Breloom, Poison Jab yourself, then use Leech Seed to tank Poliwhirl!”

The ambush had worked—but the hostage was already gone, robbing the enemy of leverage. The sudden shift left them reeling, but Dan adjusted quickly, barking counters.

Still, he underestimated. He thought Poliwhirl wasn’t a threat—after all, his Primeape hadn’t even gone all-out yet.

But Reiji wasn’t aiming at Primeape. He was targeting the weakest link—Breloom.

This was his Competing Horses strategy: pit his strongest against their weakest, breaking the balance first. Ice Punch against a Grass/Fighting type meant double weakness. Breloom wouldn’t last long.

Meanwhile, Skinny unleashed his own Pokémon, forming the second battlefield against the younger brute. His Poliwhirl squared off with Primeape, and his Breloom against the enemy Breloom.

On paper, Skinny was at a disadvantage. His Pokémon were weaker, and he had never fought a kill-or-be-killed match before.

But the enemy wasn’t much better. Both sides were raw and unpolished. The deciding factor would be Reiji’s duel with Dan. Whoever won there would decide the battle.

(End of Chapter)

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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