That afternoon, Reiji and Skinny didn't train.
Skinny pulled out a book on Pokémon breeding—notes from the director's study about how to raise Breloom, along with the director's own personal annotations.
Reiji took out the incubator from his space backpack to recharge it, then carefully wiped the shell of the egg inside with a towel.
This Pokémon Egg was likely Normal-type, at least from what he had guessed a few days ago. He had thought about its origin often. Most likely, it had been fished out of the sea by a Pokémon hunter.
When he first obtained it, there was a crust of dried salt on the shell—clear evidence it had been soaking in seawater before being left to dry. No one knew how long it had drifted, or whether it had already gone bad.
Otherwise, a Pokémon hunter—someone who could capture Normal-types at will—would never bother keeping a random egg unless it had been scavenged by chance.
Reiji didn't hold much hope. If people could simply pick up rare Pokémon from the ocean, hunters wouldn't need to risk stealing Pidgey chicks.
He wasn't asking for a rare Pokémon. He just didn't want the egg to hatch into something like Spearow, a trash bird he couldn't stand.
If it really turned out to be a Spearow or a Hoothoot, he'd quit on the spot. "Whoever wants it can keep playing. I'm done."
At minimum, he'd accept a Pidgey, Cubone, Staryu, or Teddiursa. That much was still fine.
If it turned out to be something better—like Growlithe, Swinub, Kangaskhan, or Eevee—that would be even better. He liked all of them.
But absolutely no Spearow. If that happened, he swore he'd curse even the heavens.
From what he'd read, the incubation cycle for Normal-types was short: about half a month.
Spearow, Hoothoot, and Pidgey eggs took about two weeks to hatch.
Eevee took the longest—thirty-five days.
Most others fell around twenty days.
Either way, he'd know in just over two weeks.
He had placed the egg in the incubator on his third night on Kinnow Island. Counting today, it was the fourth day—meaning in eleven days, he'd know whether it was Spearow or not.
After wiping it down, he carefully placed it back in the incubator. Skinny had been watching and couldn't resist running over.
"Big Brother, what kind of Pokémon will it be?" he asked curiously.
"I don't know. I found it at sea. Judging by the markings, it's probably Normal-type, but I can't tell which one."
"Normal-type… I've seen lots of people with Pidgeot," Skinny said after a moment. To him, Pidgeot was the most impressive of the bunch—majestic and handsome.
"Pidgeot, huh? A beautiful Pokémon. If raised right, its strength shouldn't be underestimated." Reiji smiled. He too wanted one, especially that wild Pidgey back on the island. But its Pidgeot mother was far too fierce—no way he could try to capture it.
After chatting a bit, Reiji returned the incubator to his pack and picked up a Water-type breeding guide to study.
By the time evening came, he set the book aside and began preparing dinner, with Skinny helping in the kitchen.
At half past five, they called the Pokémon back from training to eat.
Afterwards, they watched the sunset briefly, then prepared to head out again for night training.
Reiji suited up in his full anti-stab outfit, including black fingerless gloves, and slung his space backpack over his shoulders. Spinarak crawled onto his shoulder.
Before leaving, he recalled Magikarp, Wishiwashi, Slowpoke, and Farfetch'd—Pokémon that would only drag him down in a fight.
He turned to the ones left behind. "Butterfree, Pelipper—you two stay alert. If anyone approaches, find me in the woods immediately."
"Buri—" Butterfree nodded seriously. It understood. Reiji wouldn't give orders like this without reason. His decision to recall the weaker ones only confirmed it—trouble was coming.
"Peliii," Pelipper nodded as well.
"Pelipper, stay on the roof. If anything happens, alert Butterfree and have it hide up there too," Reiji instructed. Pelipper was meant as a decoy.
Ever since discovering the stalker, he'd felt unease. The burly man was bound to strike soon. The question was whether he'd attack the villa first to weaken Reiji, or try an ambush in the forest.
Either way, Reiji was prepared. The villa now held only trivial belongings; all the valuable supplies were in his pack. If things went bad, he could disappear quickly.
Running was the last option—but he preferred not to abandon the life he had just stabilized.
Skinny followed quietly. He noticed Reiji recalling the pool Pokémon, and sensed something unusual tonight. But he didn't ask.
If Reiji wanted him to know, he'd tell him. If not, he shouldn't pry.
"Don't think too much. It's getting dark—we're heading to the forest for training," Reiji said, patting his shoulder before leading the way.
Halfway there, Skinny realized Spinarak had vanished from Reiji's shoulder. He looked around but saw nothing.
Spinarak had gone ahead to scout. The forest was its domain, where it could move like a fish in water. If there was an ambush waiting, Spinarak would find it.
Reiji slowed his pace deliberately, waiting until night fully fell before reaching the forest edge.
Spinarak returned and tapped his shoulder, signaling danger ahead.
"How far?" Reiji asked.
Spinarak tapped more than twenty times: about two to three kilometers.
"How many people?"
Two taps, then it pointed to Skinny and tapped once more.
"Three… Skinny?" Reiji frowned. That meant two enemies, and one hostage—someone Spinarak recognized as similar to Skinny. Which could only mean another child from the orphanage.
So his enemies really had taken a child hostage.
The very situation he'd dreaded had come true.
The hostage had to be saved, and the kidnappers had to be eliminated.
He already had a plan. The enemy was exposed; he was still hidden.
"How many Pokémon?"
Spinarak tapped five times.
"Five… still manageable, though there could be more unreleased." Reiji thought for a moment, then ordered, "Go back and tell Butterfree and Pelipper. Have Butterfree use Sleep Powder on the kidnappers and their Pokémon. Leave a silk trail to guide me. No matter what happens, seize the chance to grab the child. If something goes wrong, signal me with sound."
Spinarak nodded and bounded away along the rooftops back to the villa.
"Big Brother, what's going on?" the kid finally asked, nervous.
Reiji sighed. "I'm not sure if I should tell you. I don't know if you'll stay calm after hearing it."
A fight to the death was coming—he knew it. He'd faced Pokémon hunters before. But Skinny? He'd never seen anything like this. Would he be able to handle it, or would he only get in the way?
"Tell me. I can handle it," he said, steeling himself. He thought it was a test.
Reiji studied him, then posed a different question. "Kid, if you met a trainer who abandoned their Pokémon, what would you do?"
Skinny froze. He hadn't expected that. Stammering, he finally repeated Reiji's advice from yesterday. "You said not to argue with people like that, right?"
"That was for avoiding trouble. But if trouble comes to you, you can't avoid it. You have to face it. So—what would you do?"
"I… I…" Skinny broke into a sweat, struggling for words.
"Don't panic. Just answer honestly," Reiji said gently.
"I'd tell them it's wrong to abandon their Pokémon," He said at last, nervously watching Reiji's reaction.
Reiji nodded. "That's right." Then his eyes turned back to the dark sea. "And if that trainer tried to kill the Pokémon they abandoned? What would you do then?"
"I'd… I'd save it," Skinny said.
"No—you should save it only if your strength allows it," Reiji corrected. "And if the Pokémon was already killed? What then?"
Skinny fell silent. There was nothing to save. Finally, he said, "I'd call Officer Jenny and report them. Let her punish the trainer."
"You really are a good kid," Reiji murmured. Then he asked one last question. "But what if there's no punishment? What if no one knew what they did? Or the trainer escaped? Or someone else took the blame for money? What if, no matter what, the killer never faced justice… and then you met him again?"
Skinny's mouth went dry. He started to say he'd hand them over to Jenny again—but realized that might mean nothing.
Reiji's smile under the night sky seemed too sharp, too unsettling.
"What would you do then?"
"I… I don't know…" he whispered, head lowered.
"When justice fails to appear," Reiji said quietly, "pure revenge becomes the only justice left."
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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