Ren had mentioned earlier that Taro was furious about the no-show.
If Ren tipped Taro off, Taro himself probably wouldn't jump them. Last time he lost five million and didn't retaliate—he wasn't small-minded.
But people with money care about face. Reiji's forfeit made him lose face. If Taro did show up tonight, that would be trouble. Better to keep a low profile.
Inside the city, Reiji wasn't worried about a public fight. With all the cameras and people around, anyone would have to do it quietly.
Either way, it would just be a hassle.
What Reiji didn't know was that Ren hadn't called Taro. He'd decided Reiji and Shun were leaving Kinnow and went to find people to block them on his own.
When Shun's Poliwhirl finished its massage, Reiji skipped his. The next opening was two hours later.
Too risky. That timing was perfect for an ambush. They'd already seen enough—club league, youth tournament, even Lance on TV.
Go back, sleep, and catch the morning boat. Done.
Who takes the trophy? Boring. Most likely a club insider.
Same for the youth tournament—money wins. Not worth watching.
They headed out. Keiko walked them to the door.
Shun recalled Poliwhirl and didn't ask questions. He'd thought Reiji would give his own Poliwhirl one last massage, but if Reiji was leaving early, there had to be a reason.
They stepped out of the alley—and ran into Ren coming back.
"Heading out already? Don't want to sit a bit?" Ren said with a smile as he closed the distance.
He'd almost missed them. Catching them here was ideal. Outside on the main street was much harder.
Why target Shun? Why his Elekid? Because it was the easiest target. If these two vanished, there'd be no proof. And if anyone did suspect foul play, Taro would be the first name people said—he'd been raging all afternoon about the forfeit.
So this was the best time to move. Best excuse ready-made. Ren wasn't going to waste it.
"It's almost eleven. We're turning in," Reiji said. He glanced past Ren—no one else visible. He let out a slow breath.
The timing felt wrong. Hopefully Ren hadn't brought backup.
This alley had only a few lamps. The ground was wet from the earlier drizzle. Not a great place to fight.
"Let's go, Shun," Reiji said, taking the left exit.
Ren walked the other way, brushing past Shun like he was heading back to the shop.
They passed shoulders—no one spoke.
A knife slid from Ren's sleeve and stabbed for Shun's throat—aimed to kill in one strike.
Screee—
Not a splash. Metal against metal.
Reiji's gloved hand clamped the blade. The anti-stab glove bit down. "What are you doing?" he snapped.
"Heh. Do it," Ren barked.
A blue-yellow blur shot in from the alley mouth—so fast Reiji barely saw it—slamming him off his feet. His grip broke. He managed one shout: "Shun—Pelipper! Go!"
He yanked a smoke bomb from his pocket and popped it. Thick white fog flooded the alley.
Shun froze. The knife had been a breath from his throat. His body locked up; his mind went blank.
Reiji's shout brought him back. His breath tore in and out. His heart hammered like it would burst.
He glanced toward where Reiji had been thrown, then at Ren's face—no longer friendly. The knife rose again.
So that gentleness had been an act.
Those eyes were vicious. Shun's legs wouldn't move. He punched his thighs with his fists, willing them to work.
Move. Please move.
They didn't.
Thump—
A ball at his belt popped. Pelipper burst out, grabbed his shoulders, and launched skyward as the knife fell.
In the air, Shun finally remembered to breathe. His limbs went weak. Pelipper carried him onward. Only then did he remember—Reiji was still in the alley.
Smoke smothered the ground. He couldn't see. He had no idea how to help.
Down in the smoke, Reiji gagged twice, vomited up dinner, and pushed off the wet pavement. The hit had knocked everything loose.
Ditto's Protect had saved him. Without it, he'd be done. His back burned where he'd hit the wall.
No time to think about it. Ditto shifted back into a scarf; Reiji sent out his real Poliwhirl.
Pelipper's wind tugged at the fog—Shun was airborne.
Through the clearing smoke, Reiji saw Ren throwing a ball—Pidgeot—to chase.
"Poliwhirl! Don't let it take off—ground it!"
"Poli!" Frost raced over Poliwhirl's fist. Ice Punch smashed into Pidgeot the instant it lifted.
The bird screamed and crashed. One wing hung limp, already frosting over.
"Damn it! Manectric—Thunderbolt that Poliwhirl!"
Lightning built—then a red beam snapped Poliwhirl back into its ball as Reiji, now on Pelipper, recalled it mid-cast. Thunderbolt blew through empty air.
He hadn't tried to hit Ren—Manectric was right beside him and faster on the trigger. Dropping the flier was the safer move.
Reiji shot Ren a hard look through the fog and had Pelipper bolt.
This wasn't the time to trade hits. Wrong place, wrong numbers, and his gut felt like it was tied in knots. Talking hurt.
And who knew how many more were hiding?
Best move: run.
Shun, already out, thought of Grandpa and told Pelipper to turn that way.
Reiji burst from the smoke, saw Shun starting to loop back, and forced a yell: "Don't turn around! Go!"
Seeing Reiji alive, Shun faced forward. Reiji's Pelipper caught up.
"Reiji—"
"Save it," Reiji rasped. Even a word stabbed his ribs. He flattened on Pelipper's back and let it carry him.
He'd expected Ren to call Taro. He hadn't expected a straight knife job.
Truthfully, the first hit had been for Reiji. If Ditto hadn't blocked, that one blow might have finished him.
Once he lived, they switched targets: Shun and the Elekid. No speeches. Just move.
Ren hiding his true strength earlier made sense now—set up the surprise.
All this for an Elekid. Tossing away a job and even his girlfriend's safety. Crazy.
Good thing the smoke bomb was ready. Ren's eyes were on Shun, not on Poliwhirl slipping in.
If Pidgeot wasn't grounded, it would catch Pelipper fast. And who knew what other fliers they had.
"Reiji—they're closing! Three riders—two Pelipper, one Fearow!"
Shun had switched to lookout. He checked back and called it out.
"Pelipper—Tailwind. Share it to his too," Reiji said, patting the bird's neck.
"Pelip." The gust caught both birds. Speed jumped.
"Reiji—we're at the shoreline. I can see the water!"
"Good… if you can, turn us back."
Pelipper banked—but the three pursuers spread out and cut off the way to the city.
"They're herding us," Shun said, tense. "They won't let us go back."
"Then out to sea," Reiji sighed. The best chance to reach the Pokémon Center had been back in the alley.
Here at the edge, there was no way they'd be allowed to return. If Officer Jenny found out someone attacked trainers inside the city, those guys would go to jail and lose their Pokémon.
If they wanted to keep living in the city like normal, no one could ever find out what they'd done.
Which meant Reiji and Shun had to die—no matter how far the chase went.
Reiji's strength bled away. Even breathing took effort.
His fingers slipped from Pelipper's feathers. The bird caught him gently in its beak and tucked him inside.
Shun's Pelipper did the same. It also cut wind drag. With Tailwind behind them, they flew faster.
The chase carried them farther and farther from Kinnow City and Kinnow Island, out over the dark sea.
The commotion wasn't small. It even reached Officer Jenny at the station.
When she checked the alley, she found a spent smoke canister, a collapsed bit of wall, feathers, blood, and char marks spider-webbed over the ground.
Short fight. Flying type. Electric type. Something that punched a wall. Trainers.
No witnesses. The smoke had rolled in and then gone.
She asked Keiko. Keiko said the whole alley had been white fog that even seeped into the shop. She locked the door and hid. Visibility under a meter. She'd heard thunder and bird cries—then nothing.
Jenny got nothing more. With no injuries reported, she closed it and pulled the team back.
Elsewhere, two hooded figures in the hospital morgue stiffened at the distant noise. A red "R" glowed on each chest.
"Fight near the Center. We should go."
"The body?"
"Bag it and carry it."
"No interest in the killer?"
"Not our job. We recover the corpse. People will say the 'Spider Muggers' did it. Who they are isn't our problem."
"…Fine. You file the hand-off."
"Together. If it blows back, I'm not eating it alone."
"Together, then."
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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