Day 36 since returning to the Orange Archipelago. Cloudy.
Heavy clouds hung over Pummelo Island that morning as the competitors' village emptied out. After weeks of battles, Trainers who had eaten, trained, and fought alongside one another were finally packing their bags and heading in different directions.
Reiji was leaving too. Mikan Gym was waiting for him, along with all the preparation he still needed to do for the upcoming Elite Four selection competition.
For now, though, there were goodbyes.
"Rai-nii, we're heading out."
Travis and Gulzar approached together. Neither seemed particularly eager to leave, especially Gulzar, though Travis was already talking about how much harder he intended to train before next year's tournament.
Gulzar agreed. After everything they had seen here, neither of them wanted to spend another year standing still.
Travis's attention, however, kept drifting toward Sabrina.
His mother was talking with Sabrina's father nearby, and the two adults seemed to be getting along suspiciously well. Travis lasted another minute beside Reiji before giving up entirely and hurrying over to say goodbye to Sabrina himself.
Sabrina did not brush him off.
She was here on a Team Rocket assignment, and maintaining a good relationship with Travis was useful. Around him, the normally distant Psychic even managed to look a little shy and awkward, giving the lovestruck boy exactly enough encouragement to keep him interested.
With everyone else, she remained as cool as ever.
Reiji waited until Travis was out of earshot before handing Gulzar a notebook and pen.
"Take a look."
The objects themselves meant nothing. What mattered was the sentence Reiji had written inside.
Sabrina is a Team Rocket operative.
Gulzar's eyes widened. His hands nearly jerked before he caught himself and forced his expression back under control.
Reiji had written a few more lines underneath.
Keep this to yourself. Don't warn Travis, and don't let Sabrina know you suspect anything. Be careful around her and stay out of whatever is happening unless the League gives you direct instructions.
Travis was already infatuated, and both families seemed perfectly happy to encourage the relationship. Whether Sabrina's father knew about her ties to Team Rocket was impossible to say, but Gulzar had no business trying to uncover the answer.
If Team Rocket had infiltrated Kumquat Gym deeply enough for Sabrina to become involved, this was far beyond something a teenage Trainer should investigate alone.
Reiji added one final warning.
If League investigators approach you, cooperate and follow their lead. Don't try to be a hero. If all you can safely do is play dumb and stay out of the way, do that. Nobody has the right to expect a kid to throw himself into the middle of this.
Gulzar read everything twice, then wrote a short acknowledgment underneath and handed the notebook back.
Reiji closed it and slipped it into his bag.
That was one problem handled as well as he could manage.
The two spoke normally for another minute before Gulzar caught up with Travis and left.
Not long afterward, Rudy approached with his younger sister Mahri beside him.
"Rai, next time we battle, I expect both of us to be proper Elite Four-tier Trainers."
Rudy offered his hand with a confident smile, and Reiji shook it.
Despite finishing above Reiji in the tournament, Rudy had no illusions about which of them currently had the stronger personal team. Many of the Elite Four-tier Pokémon he had used during the Orange League had been borrowed, and he knew he still had plenty of catching up to do.
"That's the plan," Reiji said.
"I'm going to travel for a while. Somewhere farther away this time." Rudy glanced toward Mahri before continuing. "I want to push my own Pokémon into Elite Four tier, and I've been curious about Pokémon Contests too. Might be good to see a completely different side of training."
"Sounds worthwhile. I'll be waiting for that rematch."
They separated with another handshake, and Reiji watched Rudy and Mahri disappear into the departing crowd.
Danny came by next.
"Rai. I'll see you at the Elite Four selection."
There was no bravado behind the words. Danny had finished second in the entire tournament and knew he had a genuine chance of claiming one of the new seats.
Reiji smiled. "See you there, Danny."
As another of the Orange Archipelago's major Gym Trainers, Danny was one of the opponents Reiji expected to keep running into. Rudy was talented, but Danny bothered him more as a future rival.
He was older, experienced, and difficult to rattle. Even when a match turned against him, Danny rarely panicked or abandoned his game plan.
That kind of composure became more dangerous the stronger a Trainer got.
The Elite Four selection was going to be crowded with people like him. Reiji had no room to relax if he actually intended to compete for one of those seats.
For once, the area around him emptied out for a moment.
Then Shun came running over with two familiar round-bodied friends in tow.
"Reiji-nii! I'm going back to Kinnow Island. Are you coming too?"
Reiji paused at the question.
It had been a long time since he had seen the old headmaster or Shun's grandfather. Thinking about Kinnow Island brought back memories that somehow felt much older than they really were.
Too much had happened since then.
"I'll go back," Reiji said, "just not yet. I need to prepare for the Elite Four selection first. Once things calm down, I'll visit."
Shun's excitement faded immediately.
"Oh. Okay."
Reiji laughed and turned toward Bunta instead.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to hang out." Bunta scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed grin.
His parents' attitude toward Shun had changed dramatically. Years ago, they had looked down on the orphan boy their son played with. Now that Shun had become Bruno's student and reached the Orange League top eight, they seemed very eager for Bunta to remain close to him.
Bunta himself did not care much about any of that. He was simply happy he could spend time with his friend without his parents complaining.
Reiji looked at the other boy.
"And you? Your family already left?"
The rich kid stiffened when Reiji addressed him directly.
"They went home last night. There's a lot going on, so my brother had to return early."
He could barely look Reiji in the eye.
Considering how arrogantly he had behaved when they first met—and how thoroughly Reiji had since beaten his older brother—the nervousness was understandable.
Reiji laughed.
"Relax. If you're Shun's friend, you can call me Rai-nii too."
The boy visibly loosened up. "Okay, Rai-nii."
Shun raised a fist.
"I'll be training with Bruno for the Elite Four selection too. If we meet there, I'm not holding back."
He had been chasing Reiji for a long time, and that goal had not changed.
"Good. I'd be disappointed if you did." Reiji smiled. "And if I have any interesting 'activities,' I'll call you."
He put just enough emphasis on the word for Shun to understand.
"Definitely."
Shun's eyes brightened.
They had done dirty work together before. Long before Reiji returned to his life, Shun had handled plenty of dangerous situations on his own, so the idea of joining Reiji on another unofficial job did not scare him.
As Reiji watched the three boys leave, another thought settled into place.
He needed to introduce Shun properly to the rest of Spider.
If they were going to operate in the same circles, everyone needed to know he was one of theirs before somebody accidentally treated him as an enemy.
...
"Rai, where are you traveling next?"
Reiji turned and found Shingo standing nearby with Scizor at his side.
"There you are." Reiji considered the question for a moment. "I haven't decided. Maybe Hoenn."
The answer came casually, but his mind was already working.
He still wanted Shingo in Spider.
The problem was how to get him there.
Forcing him into a corner and then offering Spider as his only way out would certainly be effective, but Reiji dismissed the idea almost immediately. They were supposed to be building something better than the organizations they fought against. Manufacturing someone's misery just to recruit them crossed a line he had no interest in crossing.
If Shingo ever ran into genuine trouble, that would be different.
Reiji could help him then.
Trust earned that way actually meant something.
"Hoenn..." Shingo repeated.
His hand rested against Scizor's armor as he thought.
This tournament had shaken him more than he liked to admit. He had arrived confident in his own strength and in Scizor, only to be eliminated before the top sixteen by Reiji.
The loss had shown him how much larger the world was than he had imagined.
Strong Trainers were everywhere, and what had once felt like the summit now looked more like the beginning.
"Hoenn doesn't sound bad," Shingo finally said. "Maybe I should see it for myself."
Reiji hid his satisfaction.
"Then contact me if you go. Maybe we'll run into something interesting together."
Shingo nodded. "I will. See you around, Reiji."
He left with Scizor following close behind.
That was enough for now.
If Shingo started traveling, sooner or later he would run into a problem he could not solve alone. Reiji did not need to create that opportunity; the Pokémon world was perfectly capable of doing it for him.
When the time came, he could offer Shingo a hand.
And perhaps Spider would gain the strategist it had been missing.
Before Reiji could dwell on the idea any longer, a much louder voice came racing toward him.
"Rai-nii!"
Ash practically bounced through the crowd.
"We're going back to Pallet Town! You have to visit sometime. I'll show you all the good places!"
Reiji smiled as he looked past him. Gary, Misty, Brock, and Tracey were there too, with Professor Oak waiting nearby.
"Sure. I'll come by when I get the chance."
His gaze paused briefly on Brock.
Lokoko's voice entered his mind.
Rai, I'm going back to Kanto with my master. Thank you again for helping me find him. If you ever need help, come find me. And take good care of the Ninetales traveling with you.
Reiji understood immediately.
He looked at Brock and grinned.
"Brock, next time we meet, we're having a drink."
The answer was for both of them.
Nobody else noticed.
Brock laughed. "Absolutely!"
The promise of alcohol was apparently enough to make him forget every other conversation happening around him.
"Ash! Gary! We're leaving!"
Delia had finished her own goodbyes and was calling from farther down the road. Before turning away, she gave Reiji a grateful nod.
Reiji returned it.
He watched Ash, Gary, Misty, Brock, and Tracey follow Professor Oak toward the waiting cars, another little group disappearing from what had been a packed competitors' village only an hour earlier.
A familiar booming voice came from behind him.
"Brat! We're heading back to Cinnabar Island. Come visit when you have time!"
Blaine approached with Amber, Amber's mother, and one more girl Reiji recognized immediately.
Komai looked nervous.
Reiji pretended otherwise.
"I will. Who's this?"
"We took her in while we were here," Blaine said. "She'll be coming back with us."
The real decision had largely come from Amber's mother. She had taken one look at Komai's situation and refused to leave the girl alone, especially after the supposed gang attack the previous night.
"Rai-nii! Rai-nii!"
Amber grabbed Komai's hand and pulled her closer.
"This is my new friend, Komai!"
"Already making friends without me?" Reiji teased.
He reached into his bag and took out a high-grade Thunder Stone.
Komai stared when he offered it to her.
"First time meeting, so I didn't prepare much. Here."
"A Thunder Stone?"
She looked from the stone to Reiji, unsure why someone she had idolized from afar was suddenly giving her an expensive gift.
Komai happened to own an Eevee, though, and she had been looking for an Evolution Stone for it. After a moment of hesitation, she accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you."
She still had not managed to reach her older brother. Once they arrived at Cinnabar Gym, she intended to try again.
At least she was not especially worried about him. Tai had an Elite Four-tier Muk and was much better equipped to protect himself than she was.
Amber immediately hugged Reiji's arm.
"Komai got one. I want a present too!"
Reiji laughed. "Of course you do."
He dug through his bag and handed her another high-grade Evolution Stone. He had chosen the Thunder Stone for Komai because of her fondness for Electric-type and yellow Pokémon; Amber's gift was much less carefully selected.
She certainly did not mind.
"Mine's blue!"
Amber hurried over to compare the stones with Komai as if their colors were the most important thing about them.
Amber's mother stared at the two gifts with considerably more understanding of what Reiji had just handed over.
"Rai, make sure you visit Cinnabar Gym. I'll cook something good when you come."
"I'll remember."
Blaine glanced at the stones but said nothing. He already suspected Reiji had income coming from places better left unexplained.
The timing around the Lake of Rage incident alone had told him plenty. Reiji had appeared near Pryce, and shortly afterward Team Rocket's base had gone up in flames.
Blaine was not stupid enough to believe that was pure coincidence.
"More importantly," Blaine said, "train properly for the Elite Four selection."
"I will."
Blaine paused, then held out a hand.
"Give me Rhydon and Magmar."
Reiji blinked. "Both?"
"I'll train them for a while."
Blaine had seen Poliwrath's ice armor during the tournament and immediately recognized Pryce's influence. If that old Ice-type fossil was willing to help Reiji, Blaine saw no reason to be stingy himself.
Reiji might not officially be his student, but the distinction had become pretty meaningless by now.
He took out the two Poké Balls without hesitation.
"Behave yourselves. Listen to Blaine and make the most of it."
Then he handed them over.
If Rhydon and Magmar had a chance of reaching Elite Four tier under Blaine's guidance, Reiji was not going to turn it down. It also removed two Pokémon from his own training workload while he focused on the Water-type team.
"I'll take care of them," Blaine said. "Come visit when you can."
The group started toward the exit, Blaine and Amber's mother each holding one girl's hand.
Amber kept looking back.
"Bye, Rai-nii! Come see me when you miss me!"
"I will."
"You better!"
Her voice carried across half the village and drew several curious looks.
Reiji could only laugh and wave again.
Amber was not actually his little sister, but somewhere along the way, that distinction had stopped mattering to him.
By the time Blaine's group disappeared, most of the competitors' village had emptied.
Tai was busy with Team Rocket's recruitment operation. A.J. had slipped away the previous night, and the other Spider members—Keith, Sou, and the rest—had already left separately. With so many eyes around, none of them could afford to openly acknowledge one another anyway.
Reiji scanned the remaining crowd and noticed Sabrina climbing into the same car as Travis.
Gulzar had only learned the truth that morning.
Reiji hoped the kid could handle whatever was waiting around Kumquat Gym, because that situation was already becoming more complicated than he liked.
"Rai."
Cissy approached from behind and looked around the nearly empty village.
"Everyone you know gone?"
"Pretty much. You too?"
"Yeah. We should leave before my parents start calling. Senta already went to the harbor with them."
Reiji remembered seeing Cissy chatting happily with Misty earlier and wondered when the two had become so friendly. Maybe two young women who specialized in Water types simply never ran out of things to talk about.
Either way, there was no reason to linger.
"Come on. We'll grab a taxi outside."
Several drivers were already waiting beyond the gates, knowing exactly where hundreds of departing Trainers would need to go. Reiji and Cissy climbed into the first available car and headed toward the harbor.
The commercial streets from the previous night's festival passed outside the windows. Only hours earlier they had been packed with lights, food stalls, and crowds; now they already felt like something Reiji had left behind.
A little over ten minutes later, the taxi reached the harbor.
The tournament exodus had turned it into controlled chaos. Travelers dragged luggage between ticket gates while staff tried to direct everyone toward the right ships.
Reiji and Cissy made their way through the crowd, checked their tickets, and boarded without trouble.
Cissy's parents, grandfather, and Senta were already waiting.
Pummelo Island was not far from Mikan Island. Once the passenger ship left the harbor, it settled into an easy course across the sea, white foam spreading behind the hull as the afternoon light broke through the clouds.
Reiji stood looking out over the water.
The Orange League was behind him now.
Ahead waited Mikan Gym, another round of training, and an Elite Four selection where every serious candidate would need to build a full team around a single type.
He already knew he would choose Water.
What he did not know was what everyone else would bring.
As the ship carried them home, Reiji found himself wondering which types his future rivals would choose when they finally met again.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]