Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

Reiji woke up on the sofa, stretched out the limbs he’d had tucked in all night, and decided that next time he was throwing a blanket on the floor instead. Too many nights on a narrow couch wasn’t it.

After getting up, he’d just finished prepping breakfast for the Pokémon when Skinny came in from outside with a takeaway bag.

”Reiji, I brought you breakfast!”

”You’re early, Skinny.” Reiji stepped into the courtyard as Skinny set the food on the table. Reiji sat by the pool to see what was on the menu—same trio as yesterday: milk, rice balls, eggs, plus a few odds and ends he didn’t recognize.

While they ate, Skinny took out a new Poké Ball. ”Reiji, what do you think of this Electric-type? Grandpa gave me an Elekid.”

”Elekid?” Reiji picked up the ball and opened the proficiency panel.

[Elekid]

[Type: Electric]

[Gender: Male]

[Potential: 58%]

[Level: 3.65%]

[Ability: Static / 1.68%][Hidden Ability: Vital Spirit / 0.33]

[Known Moves: (Fire Punch / 0.57%) (Ice Punch / 0.26%) (Thunder Punch / 0.81%) (Focus Punch …)]

”Well now.” A quick scan made Reiji’s heart jolt. This Elekid’s talent was crazy good. Had the old tavern fox robbed a breeder’s main shop? Neither the department-store breeders nor the Electric stall in the underground market had shown anything this high. If they had, he would’ve bought it already.

Fifty-eight potential—borderline Elite four tier—with two abilities, and inherited ”the three elemental punches” plus Focus Punch. Of course an Electric breeder could produce something like this—but not for public sale. This was the kind that got ”handled internally.”

Unless Grandpa had connections—or… guts. Maybe he’d stolen it. Reiji hoped the old man had cleaned up every loose end; otherwise trouble would come knocking.

”How is it?” Skinny asked, nervous now that Reiji had gone quiet. He half-suspected the answer would be ”not even shop-mascot tier.” A million-credit baby didn’t just fall into your lap three times in a row, right?

And yet… it had.

”It’s good. Raise it well,” Reiji said, tossing the ball back without elaborating.

That only made Skinny more antsy. ”Reiji, what’s its talent like—Elite tier possible?”

”Possible. Don’t sweat it—and don’t tell anyone.” Reiji really didn’t want him blabbing Elekid’s stats; one loose word could be bad news. Still, curiosity nagged him. If there were more like this, he wanted one. ”Where’d your grandpa get it?”

”He said he bought it on the black market. Is that… a problem?” Skinny couldn’t place what was off, but Reiji had been acting odd ever since he saw Elekid.

”The black market, huh.” Reiji smiled thinly. That line might fool Skinny. If he hadn’t toured the market himself—including the Electric breeder—maybe it would’ve fooled him too. A specimen like this wouldn’t be sitting in a stall—and even if it were, it’d run for a ridiculous price. No way the old fox bled that much. He never traded at a loss.

If Skinny didn’t know, Reiji would just ask Grandpa directly. And if the old man hadn’t erased his tracks, Reiji would leave Kinnow Island without hesitation—refund the million tuition if he had to. Money this hot could burn through your life.

”Where is your grandpa now?”

”He moved to another tavern—told me to find him at the Sailors’ Bar near the Pokémon Center, two streets over.”

”Sailors’ Bar…” Reiji remembered last night’s Team Rocket corpse and understood why the move. The old man’s nose was sharp. ”Did you ask him about the ’R’?”

”I did,” Skinny nodded.

”Then keep last night to yourself. And don’t wander around at night.” Reiji didn’t say ”Team Rocket,” but Skinny’s second nod said he’d already learned.

”Got it. Grandpa told me the same.” So his hunch was right—Reiji knew.

”Also, no afternoon training today. I’m going to see your grandpa. Want to come?”

”Yeah.” Skinny clutched Elekid’s ball, suddenly realizing this visit probably was about Elekid. If both the people he trusted most were tight-lipped, it wasn’t ordinary. He chose to trust them and not pry. If anyone asked, he’d repeat Grandpa’s version—nothing more.

After breakfast they kicked off morning drills. Chubbs arrived right on the dot, released his Krabby and Wooper, and had them practice Water Gun accuracy alongside Skinny’s Poliwhirl.

Their routine was thirty minutes running, short rest, repeat—same for the Pokémon. No overseer; everyone worked on their own. If anyone slacked, the looks alone would fix it.

After three rounds of half-hour runs, Skinny’s Poliwhirl suddenly barreled into the courtyard from the street, calling urgently to Reiji.

”What is it?” Reiji could see the panic. Poliwhirl pointed toward the gate, and Reiji sprinted outside. Skinny and Chubbs hurried after, curious.

They’d barely reached the street when Reiji doubled back into the living room, grabbed his spatial backpack, and rummaged hard. He found a water-blue gem and tore back outside, shoving it into Krabby’s mouth—Krabby, who was now glowing with a faint, flickering white.

The instant the gem slid in, the flicker steadied; Krabby stopped suppressing the evolution light. It burst forth all at once—like a tiny sun touchdown. The glare forced all three to shield their eyes.

When they lowered their arms, Krabby was gone. In its place stood something bigger, heavier—Kingler.

”Ka-ka—krk!” Kingler lifted its claws, thrilled, sizing up its new body. It hadn’t expected to evolve right now. It had almost let go earlier, but Reiji had rushed out and told it to hold the light back, to wait. Only when Reiji popped the Water Gem into its mouth and said ”go” did it release the glow and complete the change.

Post-evo, everything felt stronger. Limbs thicker, claws massive, body taller.

”Krab—no, Kingler now. Congratulations!” Reiji rapped his knuckles against the newly hardened shell—solid as a rock. Pair that with Harden and those giant crusher claws, and you got a terrifying unit. High attack, high defense, high speed—a heavy assault build wasn’t a dream anymore; it was standing right here.

”Krk, krk.” Kingler squinted contentedly under Reiji’s pats. It could feel the power. It would never disappoint Poliwhirl-big-bro or Reiji again. It would protect him—protect the family that kept them warm.

”Yo—look at you, little bro—taller than me now.” Skinny’s Poliwhirl came to clap Kingler on the shell. Poliwhirl stood about 1.15m; Kingler’s average height was 1.3m—and this one was clearly over Poliwhirl.

”Krk.” Kingler scratched its head with the small claw, bashful at the praise.

”Fwee-ee—your shell’s really tough. Congrats on evolving—here, honey water.” Butterfree tottered over with a tiny cup. It guzzled the stuff three times a day and had nearly drained their stores. This was the last cup—and the little glutton was actually sharing. Miracles happen. (Which meant Reiji would be on honey duty soon. Who could refuse a cute Butterfree, anyway…)

”Peliii.” Pelipper flapped down and perched on Kingler’s broad carapace; Kingler didn’t mind—everyone was celebrating.

”Huff huff, congrats, crab bro—let’s go catch a shark later.” Rhyhorn rumbled over, mangling the seniority chart. It’d joined later than Kingler, but Kingler was an easygoing crab and didn’t fuss.

”Yi-to, yi-to—congrats!” Spinarak dangled from a wall, bobbing.

”Yaa-dong… con-gra-tuh-la-tions…” Even Slowpoke chimed in for once. As for Magikarp and Wishiwashi stuck in the pool…

Plap-plap… glup, glup…

Magikarp actually flopped out of the pool to bump the shell—now that was a surprise.

Farfetch’d said nothing until Slowpoke tugged its sleeve. ”Gah-gah.” It hugged its leek and gave two polite quacks.

Kingler snagged Farfetch’d with a big claw and pulled it into a hug. ”Krk krk! I’m so happy—shark feast later, my treat!”

Farfetch’d blinked, dragged along and helpless against the giant claw. Still, it didn’t hate the roughhousing. Being swept up with the gang… wasn’t bad.

”Krab krab!” Chubbs’s Krabby scuttled over to clack claws with its senior, eyes full of awe at the huge pincers. It longed to evolve soon too.

”Come with us, little bro—shark on me.”

Skinny’s partners crowded in as well:

”Yo-bo!” — Poliwhirl

”Wuu-oh!” — Wingull

”Nosa-nosa!” — Breloom

”Eli eli!” — Elekid

”Elekid, go have fun with them,” Skinny said, encouraging the newcomer to mingle with Reiji’s eight and the others.

Elekid was still small and shy around the place. After checking with Reiji, Skinny had decided not to train it yet—first let it acclimate to the dojo vibe, drink plenty of Moomoo Milk, then start from the simplest: running.

Poliwhirl reached out to take Elekid by the hand—zap!—and yanked back, staring. The kid was still charged; no wonder he hadn’t noticed last night. Breloom stepped in and gently led Elekid along.

(End of chapter)

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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