Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

Day 7 back in the Orange Archipelago. Clear.

When Reiji came downstairs that morning, Mewtwo was sitting cross-legged on the sofa with its eyes closed.

It had come back last night after spending the whole afternoon in town, watching classes at the local school.

The moment Reiji stepped onto the stairs, Mewtwo opened its eyes and looked at him. Reiji yawned, still half-asleep.

”Morning. How did yesterday go? All right?”

He raised a hand in greeting and headed to the sink to wash up.

”It went well,” Mewtwo said, floating into the air. ”I went to the human school. The children were interesting, and what the teachers taught them was useful.”

It had really sat through several classes. Human early education had given it a lot to think about.

No one had noticed it. Even injured, hypnotizing a group of children and ordinary adults was easy for Mewtwo.

”Good. You can choose a few kids to observe more closely. Watch how they act at school, how they live at home, and how they get along with their parents. If there’s something you don’t understand, you can ask me.”

”Why?” Mewtwo floated beside him, watching him brush his teeth. It seemed to be wondering whether it should do the same. Lately, it had started copying human children. ”Is school not enough?”

”Of course not.”

Reiji rinsed his mouth and spat out the foam before answering.

”When you were born, you were thrown into chaos because you never had a proper environment to grow up in. Parents, friends, classmates—all of those are part of a healthy life.”

”Parents... friends, classmates...”

Mewtwo repeated the words through telepathy, turning them over in its mind. It thought of Amber and the three starters.

Its only real friend was not here.

”You don’t have parents. That part is a shame. Those mad scientists don’t count,” Reiji said after washing his face. ”But you do have friends.”

He raised a fist and held it out in front of Mewtwo.

”What does that mean?”

Mewtwo looked at his fist, then copied him and held out its own.

”This is what friends do.”

Reiji bumped his fist lightly against Mewtwo’s, then pulled back and opened his hand.

”A fist bump. It’s one way friends greet each other. Handshakes and hugs are the same kind of thing. Watch humans long enough, and you’ll see it.”

”This is... friendship?”

Mewtwo stared at its fist.

It was the first time a human had touched it like that. The feeling was strange enough to leave it still for a moment.

”Come eat breakfast. You have a lot to learn, but there’s no rush.”

Reiji gestured for Mewtwo to join him at the dining table. With Team Rocket still looking for it, Mewtwo couldn’t exactly sit outside in the open. Even when it went out, it wore a black cloak and hood.

That looked strange, sure, but being mistaken for a weirdo was better than being seen clearly. If Team Rocket caught even a hint of it, they would come crawling over like a bad smell.

”Breakfast?”

Mewtwo came to the table and looked at the plate waiting for it. There was MooMoo Milk and Pokéblocks.

Reiji’s Pokémon were gathered around the table too. Those with hands and feet ate at the table. Larger ones ate outside. Smaller ones gathered near the edge. Everyone ate together, relaxed and friendly.

”I saved you a seat,” Reiji said.

Mewtwo was shaped more like a person than most Pokémon, so he had left a place for it.

”I have one too?” Mewtwo looked at the empty seat in surprise.

No human had ever treated it like this before. Since coming here, everything felt new.

More than that, it felt respected.

It was the first time Mewtwo had truly felt respected, even though it was a Pokémon.

”Of course. We’re friends, and you’re a guest. A guest gets a seat.”

Reiji smiled as he explained. Mewtwo had found itself, but in many ways, it was still blank paper. It knew almost nothing about the human world.

He wasn’t pretending to be some saint in front of it either. Mewtwo had seen Team Rocket at its worst. No matter how much Reiji messed around, he wasn’t anywhere near as insane as those people. That was enough.

”Eat first. Everyone’s here, so after breakfast, I’ll introduce both groups properly. Better to handle that now before anyone starts fighting.”

Mewtwo nodded and picked up the Pokéblocks and MooMoo Milk with psychic power.

After breakfast, Mewtwo stayed inside.

Reiji brought his Pokémon outside to meet the twenty-five clones. The cloned Pokémon kept glancing toward the cabin. Mewtwo was still the one they trusted most.

”Don’t be nervous. We’ll start with the Water types.”

Reiji looked toward Blastoise and the others, then called over the three strongest Water-type clones.

”Blastoise, Gyarados, Golduck, come here. I’ll introduce you to some new friends.”

”Blast?”

As one of the three leaders among the clones, Blastoise looked toward Mewtwo under the eaves. It wasn’t sure whether it should listen to Reiji.

”Listen to him,” Mewtwo said.

”Blast.”

With Mewtwo’s approval, Blastoise led Gyarados and Golduck over.

”Poliwhirl, Kingler, Gyarados, you three come here too.”

Reiji called over his own three strongest Water types, then stood between the two groups.

”Poliwhirl, Kingler, Gyarados, shake hands with them.”

”Poli?”

Poliwhirl stood in the middle. After seeing Reiji nod, it reached out to Blastoise.

”Blast.”

Blastoise took its hand. It still had no idea what these two little ones were trying to do.

”There. Once you’ve shaken hands, you’ve met. That makes you friends.”

Reiji waved the other Water types over: Pelipper, Marshtomp, Slowpoke, Staryu, Tentacool, and Barboach.

On the clone side were Squirtle, Psyduck, Seadra, Tentacruel, Vaporeon, and Dewgong.

They shook hands one by one.

Once the introductions were done, Reiji had everyone spread out. Only Poliwhirl, Blastoise, Gyarados, and Golduck stayed in the clearing.

”Poliwhirl, your injuries are mostly healed. Have a friendly match with them. Keep it clean.”

Reiji knew whose Pokémon Mewtwo had cloned. He had seen the movie. The Trainers invited to New Island had all competed in the Indigo Plateau Conference, but Reiji’s team had won the whole thing.

Their strongest Pokémon should only be Advanced tier. Poliwhirl could handle three at once as long as no one went too far.

”Blast?”

Blastoise watched everyone else back away, leaving only Poliwhirl on the opposite side.

Was this human serious? He wanted Poliwhirl to fight all three of them alone?

”Poli!”

Poliwhirl raised its fists and flexed.

They were champions.

If Reiji thought it could take three at once, then it could.

It trusted him.

”Blast.”

Blastoise nodded quietly. The clones had just arrived, and Mewtwo had not objected. It exchanged a look with Gyarados and Golduck, and the three Pokémon quickly surrounded Poliwhirl.

”Poli.”

Poliwhirl clenched its fists and rolled its shoulders.

The other three looked relaxed.

Good.

Poliwhirl had no intention of holding back. Reiji had given it a chance to show the newcomers what it could do. There was no way it would waste that.

[End of chapter]

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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