Ring-ring, ring-ring—

Reiji was rummaging through his backpack for electronics when his phone suddenly started ringing. At a time like this, anyone calling was probably connected to the mission. The question was: pick up, or ignore it?

He didn’t have long to decide.

In the end, he answered. He could’ve left it, but those two disappearing would definitely trigger a Team Rocket investigation.

And if Team Rocket sent people back to Rind Island to look into it, they’d end up disrupting his plans to catch Magikarp. Better to clean this up properly now. Even if he only managed to bluff them for a while, that was still worth it.

At the very least, Team Rocket needed to understand exactly who they’d provoked this time.

Beep. He hit accept, and a voice came through the speaker.

“How’s it going? Did you catch the target?”

Reiji didn’t answer.

The silence told the caller everything. The other side immediately sensed something was wrong—this operation had failed.

“I don’t care who you are. If my men are dead, you’ll be buried right alongside them…”

“What a mouth,” Reiji said coolly. “Since when did Team Rocket get this arrogant?”

“Where are my people?”

Now that Reiji finally spoke, the caller’s voice tightened, forcing down anger as he demanded to know whether the team was safe.

“Dead,” Reiji replied flatly. He didn’t recognise the voice—neither Proton nor Viper. It had to be a Team Rocket officer he’d never met.

“Fine. Fine. Who are you? You won’t get away…”

“If you’ve got the nerve, come,” Reiji shot back. “You kidnapped Gym Leader Luana’s son. You worked with poachers to snatch wild Pokémon. Team Rocket’s got some guts. I’m a League ranger—I’ll be reporting this to the League. Lorelei is on Mandarin Island South, and your branch base in Trovitopolis won’t be able to run either…”

“You…?” The moment Trovitopolis came up, the caller hesitated. He was one of the people in the loop for moving supplies and personnel. And with Reiji acting this brazen in Team Rocket’s face, the only group that fit was the League.

If the other side really was a League ranger, then wherever he was standing had to be a powder keg. Just the trainers coming from Kumquat Gym to collect their people would be enough to smash them. Charging into that would be suicide.

No wonder the guy sounded so confident. He’d been waiting for Team Rocket to walk right into the trap.

“Kid, you’ve got bite. I’ll remember you. A ranger, huh? You won’t get away…”

“Are you challenging the League?” Reiji snapped back.

The line answered with a string of beeps. The caller had already hung up.

Reiji let out a quiet breath. He’d finally talked his way through it.

As for the threat at the end, he didn’t take it seriously. At most, they’d have a mole inside the League try to verify his “ranger” identity.

But he wasn’t a League ranger at all—so what were they going to find? He was just a passer-by. The League wouldn’t have anything on him.

Still, that guy had some nerve. Reiji had claimed he was League, and they’d dared to threaten him anyway. Did that mole even want to keep breathing?

If Reiji actually had influence inside the League, he’d use this chance to flush that traitor out.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t League. He’d deal with that once he climbed high enough.

He tossed the phone straight into the fire, then went back to digging through the backpack. Anything even slightly suspicious went into the flames.

The bonfire burned from afternoon into night, chewing through the last of the sunset without dying down. Reiji stayed there the whole time, waiting for it to finish.

He didn’t waste the hours. He treated Poliwhirl and the others’ injuries, then called Naoki again.

“Boss, I’ll come over tomorrow. If you need anything else, I can buy it now…”

“Naoki, plans changed,” Reiji said. He’d bluffed Team Rocket on the phone, but he couldn’t afford to do nothing. The original plan was for Naoki to send Travis back, but that wasn’t happening anymore.

If Team Rocket intercepted them at sea, Naoki alone couldn’t stop it. Reiji wasn’t about to get his own people killed for nothing. This mess had nothing to do with Naoki, and Naoki wouldn’t gain anything from it. They needed a new plan.

“Naoki… I killed Team Rocket people again.”

“Boss? Did Team Rocket come to snatch him?”

Reiji lit a cigarette before answering. “Yeah. Plans changed. Go into town and ask around—who wants to earn Kumquat Gym’s favour. Tell them to send a real expert to escort Travis.”

“But Boss, you’re the one who saved him.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve got my reasons,” Reiji said. “That favour isn’t easy money. Make sure they know Team Rocket will interfere.”

What Reiji wanted was Travis’s favour, not Luana’s.

He had no interest in dealing with a suspicious old woman like her. Gulzar and those boys were easier to steer. Reiji had already bent their values—now all he needed was time for the seed to sprout.

“Got it, Boss…”

“Be careful. Keep your identity hidden. You’ll also need to notify Officer Jenny to come over. Once you see them set off, you come ahead of them.”

“Boss… what about Team Rocket?”

“Don’t panic. I’ve got a plan,” Reiji said. He knew exactly what Naoki was afraid of. Team Rocket had burned him once, and the scar was still there.

“Alright. I’ll go ask around at the city club—see who wants to take this favour. Might be able to trade it for some benefits too…”

Reiji had assumed Naoki was just running errands with no payoff, but Naoki clearly didn’t see it that way. A favour was still a favour, and there was always something to be gained.

“Do what you want. Just be careful,” Reiji said, glancing at the fire as it dwindled toward its end. It was time to head back. He hung up.

Reiji had Pelipper take the lead and ordered every Pokémon who could use Rain Dance to drench the forest that had just seen battle.

Clouds rolled in and swallowed the moon. Reiji returned to the waterfall campsite. It was nearly midnight, and his clothes were damp from the downpour.

His gear kept water out, but he still went into the tent, changed into dry clothes, then ducked under the rain tarp outside. Quincy and the other two were still waiting there, just to see him back.

“Old man, got any late-night food?” Reiji said. “Pour two cups of something. We’ll drink and talk.”

“I’ve been waiting,” Quincy said, setting a grill over the fire. Late-night food meant barbecue again. Who said you couldn’t eat barbecue on a rainy night?

“It’s complicated,” Reiji said, then looked at Travis. “Travis—tomorrow you’re heading to Mandarin Island North. Officer Jenny will meet you and escort you there.”

“Rai-nii… did something happen?” Travis had wanted to stay and play a few more days, but after getting forcibly kidnapped, he couldn’t sit still anymore. He hadn’t realised he was this “popular”—that everyone wanted to grab him.

“Team Rocket’s after you,” Reiji said. “I can save you once or twice, but not three times, not four. I’ve got my own things to handle, and I’m not perfect. You’re better off getting home early.”

He’d made it clear enough. These kidnappers could be dealt with. If the next group came stronger, he might not be able to do anything.

Reiji knew his limits. Against a quasi–Elite Four tier trainer, he could still scrape out a fight. Against an Elite Four tier trainer, he wouldn’t even get the chance to run. If he got caught, that was the end.

“I understand,” Travis said after a moment, then nodded. He could see how serious it was. He’d heard of Team Rocket before. Once they marked you, you didn’t just stroll away.

Right now, the only real answer was getting back to Kumquat Island. That was where he’d have the best protection. At Kumquat Gym, Team Rocket wouldn’t dare make a move in the open.

Reiji had already saved his life—Travis couldn’t expect him to guard him twenty-four hours a day. Reiji wasn’t his bodyguard.

“Gulzar… do you want to come with me?” Travis asked, turning to the boy beside him.

Once Travis left, Gulzar probably wouldn’t be in danger. The threat was aimed at Travis. If Travis was gone, Team Rocket’s focus would shift.

“Gulzar, go with him,” Reiji said. “I killed two Team Rocket members in the forest. If they come looking, I might not be able to watch over you.”

That was the truth, and it was the best option Gulzar had. Reiji didn’t want to give up on him, but he also had to prepare for the worst.

If Gulzar insisted on staying and Team Rocket arrived with overwhelming force, Reiji would have to abandon him. Survival came first.

“I get it,” Gulzar said. He wanted to stay, but after this, his wilderness run was over.

“No rush. The boat picking you up won’t arrive until tomorrow,” Reiji said, waving them down. “Tonight we eat properly. Pack tomorrow.”

He lifted his cup along with Quincy.

“Old Quincy… we should stop keeping in touch,” Reiji said. “If Team Rocket comes looking, your bones won’t handle it.”

It was the third time Reiji had spoken plainly tonight—every time, he’d been trying to cut them loose from him.

Even if Team Rocket sent a mole to investigate him through the League and found nothing, once they realised they’d been played, they’d come here to dig into it.

And Quincy would be their only lead. Quincy didn’t know Reiji’s real identity, but he could still give away plenty just by accident.

Follow the thread long enough, and sooner or later, they’d find Reiji. Reiji didn’t want Quincy dragged into it, and he definitely didn’t want to show up on Team Rocket’s radar this early.

“Rai, I know Team Rocket,” Quincy said. “They were active in the underworld back when I was young. I’m an old man halfway into the dirt—they won’t do anything to me. Worst case, I tell the truth. You won’t mind, right?”

Quincy wasn’t scared. Like he said, if Team Rocket killed him, so what? He was already at the end of the road.

All he really knew was the name “Rai” and Rai’s Pokémon. As for Rai’s unusual abilities—there was no point bringing that up. Nobody would believe it. It wouldn’t matter either way.

“Do what you want,” Reiji said. Everything he’d shown was safe to talk about. Anything that couldn’t be spoken, he hadn’t revealed.

Even the campsite details didn’t matter. Poliwhirl and the others were common Pokémon. If anything, hearing that might make people underestimate him.

“Then I’m at ease,” Quincy said with a grin. “Don’t worry about me. I know how to handle strangers.”

It was a shame about the Magikarp research. If someone carried it off and published it, Quincy would be satisfied. He didn’t care who got the credit.

He was old. Fame and profit meant nothing now. Whoever wanted it could take it.

“No idea when the rain will stop,” Reiji said, raising his cup. “Drink a little and warm up. Later I’ll have Pelipper take you back.”

It might be the last time they drank like this.

“Hahaha—now that’s my kind of kid,” Quincy laughed, clinking his cup against Reiji’s.

They kept drinking, cup after cup, until Gulzar and Koji started eyeing the alcohol with curiosity. What did it taste like? Why were the two of them getting more and more energetic?

The result was simple: both boys got kicked out. Kids didn’t drink. They were sent back into the tent to sleep.

That night, Quincy got properly drunk again, and Pelipper hauled him back. Reiji stumbled back to the tent too, head light, and when he saw all his Pokémon waiting inside, he suddenly felt a little awkward.

“Poliwhirl… anywhere still hurting? Tell me.”

“Poli,” Poliwhirl supported him down, helping him sit and tugging at his clothes. Against that Victreebel, it hadn’t been hurt.

“Free,” Butterfree chirped, bringing him a cup of hot water like a little caretaker.

“Thanks,” Reiji said, ruffling Butterfree’s head before taking the water. He sipped once, then set the cup down on Kingler’s hard shell.

“Kingler… your shell’s getting tougher and tougher.”

“King!” Kingler clicked happily, lifting its claws, then dropping back down to blow bubbles.

“Far!” Farfetch’d called out too. It had been the one boiling the water.

“Alright, alright—you worked hard too,” Reiji said with a laugh, patting the duck’s head.

“Rhy…” Hanhan stretched out its long tongue and slobbered all over him.

Reiji’s smile collapsed instantly. Hanhan’s spit was way too sticky. He shoved the Rhyhorn off in a hurry.

“Croa…” Croagunk, poisonous by nature, watched the others messing around and couldn’t figure out how to join in. It looked genuinely troubled.

“Scy,” Scyther stayed cool and aloof. With everyone crowding in, it didn’t bother pushing forward. It was born for battle—but it still liked seeing a trainer and Pokémon sharing a moment like this.

“Gengar, gengar,” Gengar floated near the tent ceiling, watching Reiji wobble around with pure amusement, like it had just eaten a pile of poison sacs.

“Mud…” Mudkip stared wide-eyed. It was the first time it had seen so many companions at once—every one of them a senior, and every one of them treating it well.

“Ditto,” Ditto called twice. It couldn’t be left out. It hadn’t fought, but it had still put in work.

“Spi…” Spinarak hung upside down from the tent roof, looking down at everyone. That alone made it happy.

Darkrai didn’t say anything. It stayed in the shadows as always, watching them, watching Reiji. This trainer was good. These Pokémon had it good. Having so many companions… that was a good thing.

“Having you all is the best,” Reiji said, lying back with a grin. “Go to sleep. And stop piling on my chest—I can’t breathe if you do.”

He hugged the fluffy Slowpoke close and fell asleep, the smile still on his lips.

[End of chapter]

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