[Bonus Chapter]

With a Pokémon at the Elite Four level in his hands, the hunter could use it as a foundation to slowly raise a team of his own and eventually become an Elite Four-tier Trainer.

An Elite Four-tier Trainer—though still beneath the Champion and the official Four—was elite in their own right. No matter where they went, they’d be welcomed as a valued guest.

The League would never drive someone with that kind of strength into the enemy’s arms for no reason.

If they could win them over, they’d do it. And if they couldn’t, they’d still offer favorable treatment. Even if they couldn’t bring him into their camp, they’d make sure he knew their side offered the best deal.

At the very least, he’d be a top-tier enforcer, maybe even given his own Gym. Certainly better than just being a captain on the other side.

People think being Elite means no more rat race? There are only four spots in the League’s Four. Tons of Trainers want them.

The villains have four executive slots too. Just as many eyes locked on those. And even if you’re strong, it’s survival of the fittest.

This deserted island was no different—it followed the law of the jungle.

The Pokémon Hunter had been running all day, from morning to dusk, then from dusk to midnight. He never stopped, constantly circling the island.

He didn’t dare stop. The Totem Pidgeot would immediately unleash a Hurricane warning if he did—it had been chasing him all day.

Now, he could only rest in short bursts, grabbing moments when the Totem Pidgeot hadn’t noticed he’d stopped. Those fleeting breaks were precious, and he didn’t want to waste them.

Once Electrode regained its strength and energy, the traps would be reset, and he’d try to ambush the Pidgeot again.

Aside from the Totem, three more Pidgeot remained. Almost there. Victory was close.

But for now, he needed to nap—just for a bit—to regain some focus and stamina to keep outrunning the Pidgeot. “Electabuzz, I’m going to sleep a bit. Wake me if we’re attacked…”

“Eilu, eilu,” Electabuzz was exhausted too, but forced itself to stay alert, guarding its Trainer faithfully.

Aerial threats would be left to Golbat. If Pidgeot swooped in, it would use Protect to shield its Trainer.

But even Golbat in the trees was worn out—barely able to stay aloft.

The hunter wasn’t the only one who was tired. The Totem Pidgeot, along with the Pidgey, Pidgeotto and other Pidgeot, were also exhausted. After an entire day of pursuit, everyone was completely drained.

And so, no one attacked. But no one slept either. The latest Hurricane warning was dragging on unusually long.

So long, in fact, that orange-yellow powder began drifting in silently from the edges of the sky. Carried by the wind, not a single Pokémon sensed anything unusual.

Until they unconsciously inhaled the powder—and felt their minds go fuzzy. Pokémon swayed and toppled from the trees, slipping into deep slumber.

Only the Totem Pidgeot noticed the ambush of Sleep Powder and Stun Spore—but it was already too late. It, too, had inhaled a large dose and collapsed from a tree, paralyzed and asleep.

If it were at full strength—unwounded and rested—this much powder wouldn’t have brought it down.

But that wasn’t the case. And the one who’d acted knew it. Everyone was exhausted. That was the plan.

The attacker had been watching the day-long chase unfold and had nearly dozed off themselves.

In Pidgeot’s fading vision, all it saw was a pair of bare legs slowly walking toward it—then darkness.

The one approaching was none other than the masked Reiji, with his Pokémon close behind.

“Yo-bo.” Poliwhirl started forward to check on the fallen Totem Pidgeot, but Reiji reached out and stopped it.

“Don’t disturb it. Let’s finish our own task first.” Reiji was still more than a hundred meters from the hunter. He’d first put the hunter to sleep—then the Pidgeot flock.

If all went well, the Pokémon Hunter should also be fully paralyzed and asleep.

And the Totem Pidgeot?

Reiji glanced at the unconscious giant bird on the ground. He had no intention of harming it. Even if defeating the Totem caused chaos in the flock, their hostility toward humans would turn that chaos back on him.

So long as the Totem was around to keep order, its focus would remain on its young. He only needed to rescue the fledgling. No need to create more trouble.

“Mu-ii…”

At that moment, Butterfree returned.

“Butterfree—did the Hunter get put to sleep? What about his Pokémon?” Reiji asked immediately.

“Mu-ii.” Butterfree nodded softly and whispered her answer.

She’d already approached from the hunter’s side, confirmed his status, and checked on his Pokémon.

Final result: the guy was out cold, snoring like thunder.

His two guards—Golbat and Electabuzz—were also asleep. Golbat was dozing up in a tree; Electabuzz had collapsed at the hunter’s feet.

“We’re moving now. Butterfree, Poliwhirl, Spinarak.” Reiji had only brought those three this time—the rest remained in the treehouse.

This plan had been carefully considered. Butterfree could incapacitate the weakened hunter and his guards. Spinarak would protect Reiji himself in case anything went wrong. Poliwhirl, as the strongest among them, was the last line of defense.

When they got within ten meters, Reiji motioned again. “Butterfree—make sure. Double it up.”

Butterfree nodded, flew forward, and sprayed another close-range burst of Sleep Powder and Stun Spore directly onto the already-unconscious hunter and his guards.

After waiting over ten minutes and ensuring the trio had fully inhaled the mix, Reiji stepped forward, folding knife in hand. Under the moonlight, the blade gleamed cold and sharp.

He walked up to the hunter, who was slumped against a tree, snoring heavily. Reiji’s shadow fell over him, enveloping his entire body in darkness.

Then Reiji crouched silently, gripped the knife tighter, and pressed it to the hunter’s throat—before smoothly driving the blade in.

Squelch—

As soon as the blade pierced the neck, he gave a sharp slash. Blood gushed out in a crimson spray, and Reiji quickly withdrew, putting distance between himself and the target.

“Y-You—It’s you…” The hunter jerked awake from the pain, clutching his throat with both hands.

He tried to speak—but couldn’t. His eyes, dimming by the second, remained locked on Reiji standing under the moonlight just ten meters away.

Hot blood surged from his throat like a fountain. No matter how hard he tried to staunch it, the flow didn’t stop.

When the blood reached Electabuzz’s nose, it woke too.

Seeing its Trainer dying, Electabuzz tried to rise and protect him—

But it couldn’t move. It could only crawl weakly toward him, tears in its eyes, and cry out, “Eilu… Eilu…”

“Poliwhirl. Use Waterfall—knock it out.” Reiji gave the order the moment he saw Electabuzz stirring.

Now wasn’t the time for pity. Bonds? Worthless right now.

The truth was, flying-type Pokémon killed by Electabuzz’s Thunder were many. Wild Pokémon burned by this duo? Countless.

Everyone’s hands were soaked in blood. “I’m not gonna lecture you with some grand moral speech. The difference between us? I still have a sliver of a bottom line. You—you’re just pure evil.”

“Yo-bo!” Poliwhirl crouched, then suddenly burst forward with incredible force, cracking the earth beneath its feet. It shot straight at Electabuzz.

With one heavy punch to the head, Electabuzz was knocked out cold. The blow even made the ground dent and shook Golbat from its tree.

“Butterfree—use Electroweb. Trap Golbat!” Reiji ordered immediately.

A fatigued, paralyzed Golbat? Easy pickings.

Zzzzt—

As soon as Golbat hit the ground, Butterfree followed up with Electroweb—one, two, three times—until it was fully knocked out.

Reiji had taught her well: finish the job. If the target isn’t out, hit again until it is.

Once both Pokémon were unconscious, Reiji stepped in front of the dead-eyed hunter, whose gaze remained fixed on him, full of resentment even in death.

Reiji reached for the man’s Poké Balls.

He locked all of them, sealing the three that held Magneton, Electrode, and Gyarados.

He’d seen how terrifying Gyarados was in battle. If it went berserk, even the Totem Pidgeot might not be able to handle it. Better to be safe.

After locking the three Balls, he picked up the other two—Electabuzz and Golbat—and returned them as well. He disabled the release buttons on all five.

That should be the full team. He’d watched the hunter all day—no other Pokémon had been used.

Then he took the man’s space backpack—not to check it right away, but to store all five Poké Balls inside.

Next, he laid the corpse flat and closed the hunter’s hateful eyes.

He searched the body thoroughly—head to toe, front and back, every layer of clothing, even the soles and insoles of his shoes.

Everything he found was tossed into the backpack. Once he confirmed nothing had been missed, Reiji led Poliwhirl, Butterfree, and Spinarak back to the treehouse.

As for the corpse?

He left it there.

The guy had committed unforgivable crimes on the island. Everyone hated him.

Not just humans—wild Pokémon here hated him even more. They’d flay him alive if they could.

No need to carry the body away. Let the Pokémon handle it—vent, rage, take revenge…

…

Back at the treehouse, Reiji let the Pokémon in and shut the wooden door.

He pulled out the hunter’s flashlight to light the place and began going through the contents of the space backpack.

It looked small on the outside, but inside was huge—100 cubic meters. That’s a 5m x 5m x 4m space—about the size of a large living room or two bedrooms.

Not massive, but more than enough for travel essentials.

He rummaged through it, pulling out all sorts of things—mostly clothes, food, and water.

That wasn’t what he was after. He needed Poké Balls.

Ten minutes later, after pulling out a bunch of items, he finally found the Poké Ball that held the Pidgey.

He enlarged it and released the nearly-starved Pidgey inside.

“Pidgey, pi…” The poor thing hadn’t eaten in two days and was skin and bones. Though it wouldn’t die of starvation inside a Poké Ball, the feeling was still horrible.

The anime had shown similar cases. Pokémon trapped for years inside Balls didn’t die—just got weak.

Like that 200-year-old Ninetales that seduced Brock. Or the Sandslash left behind at school for years.

He’d pulled out Pidgey’s Poké Ball not to keep it—but to earn its trust. This would determine whether they could safely leave the island.

If he handed it straight back to the Totem Pidgeot, that bird might swat them all to death.

Don’t doubt it—that’s the simplest outcome.

So if he wanted to earn favor, he had to feed it. He found a jar of honey among the supplies.

Using the hunter’s feeding bowl, he poured some honey for Pidgey.

“Pidgey, we’re the ones who saved you. Do you remember being taken? We’ll send you home tomorrow,” Reiji said gently as he pushed the bowl over.

“Pidgey…” The bird looked around at the unfamiliar Pokémon: Poliwhirl, Butterfree, Spinarak, Krabby, Wingull. None of them looked threatening.

“Yo-bo. We beat the bad guys and saved you!” Poliwhirl translated.

“Mu-ii! We’ll take you home tomorrow!” Butterfree added.

“Pi…” Pidgey seemed to trust them, but its weak body still felt scared around strangers.

“Pidgey—look who’s here.” Reiji pulled out Rhyhorn’s Poké Ball. These two should know each other.

“Pidgey?! What are you doing here?” The bird froze in shock. It thought Rhyhorn had been captured too.

“Humph. What about you?” Rhyhorn was a bit confused at Pidgey’s expression. There was honey here—of course it stayed. Why the surprise?

“Were you caught too?” Pidgey asked softly.

“Uh…” Rhyhorn looked away awkwardly. It couldn’t admit it had stayed just to eat honey.

“Yo-bo. He refused to leave, no matter how many times we tried,” Poliwhirl quickly explained so Pidgey wouldn’t misunderstand.

“Really?” Pidgey was even more surprised. “Why didn’t you want to leave?”

“There’s honey,” Rhyhorn muttered, then turned away to sleep.

Now that its embarrassing secret had been exposed, how could it show its face again—especially to someone it knew?

“Honey?” Pidgey sniffed the air and caught the floral aroma, eyes drawn to the bowl.

It had eaten honey before—given by the Totem Pidgeot. That sweet flavor lingered in its memory.

Now it dove in, ravenous.

It hadn’t eaten in two days. It was starving.

And seeing its buddy Rhyhorn here made it feel safer. If Rhyhorn was fine, it figured it would be too.

Watching Pidgey eat without fear, Reiji exhaled deeply in relief. He’d worried it might cry out and attract the Totem. That would be a nightmare.

As long as Pidgey was eating, he’d give it whatever it wanted.

Poliwhirl and the others were drooling—two days without honey for them too.

So Reiji gave the rest of the jar to the Pokémon.

He didn’t release Rhyhorn, Magikarp, or Wishiwashi. The treehouse wasn’t big enough, and there was no water.

While the Pokémon ate, he repacked everything he’d pulled out earlier.

It was already late. He decided to go through the rest of the hunter’s belongings tomorrow.

“Pidgey, when you finish, let’s go back into the Ball. We’ll take you home in the morning, okay? It’s already dark out.” Reiji gestured toward the window, holding the Poké Ball.

If Pidgey resisted, he’d recall it by force. If not, all the better.

“Pi…” Pidgey glanced out—sure enough, it was night.

It still wasn’t sure if this human could be trusted. Seeing Rhyhorn just made it feel less alone—but at this point, what choice did it have?

At least this wasn’t the same human who had captured it. These Pokémon were kind.

With Pidgey’s consent, Reiji returned it and opened its stats panel:

[Pidgey]

Type: Normal + Flying

Gender: Female

Potential: 57%

Level: 14.63%

Ability: Keen Eye – 11.13%

Known Moves:

Foresight – 5.21%

Steel Wing – 9.31%

Air Cutter – 7.71%

Brave Bird – 5.22%

Defog – 2.14%

Tackle – 6.53%

Sand Attack – 6.91%

Gust – 4.83%

Quick Attack – 10.21%

Roost – 8.48%

“Fifty-seven percent potential. No doubt—it’s the Totem’s child.”

Rhyhorn and Pidgey both had terrifying parents. He didn’t dare catch either.

Tomorrow morning, after one good breakfast, he’d release Pidgey.

He’d done all this—killed a man with his own hands—just for peace.

And killing…? What did it feel like? Why was his first time so smooth?

Honestly? He felt nothing.

He’d already prepared for it. No mental burden. No hesitation. The scum deserved it. Simple as that.

He’d rehearsed the kill a hundred times in his head—so that when the moment came, he could do it instantly, with no chance of retaliation.

No dramatic speeches. No villain monologues. Just one clean strike.

After finishing up, Reiji lay down to sleep.

So did the Pokémon.

It had been one hell of a day.

He sincerely hoped there wouldn’t be a next time.

His small frame couldn’t handle this much adrenaline again…

(End of Chapter)

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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