Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

”Why?” the short, mustached manager blurted out without thinking—and immediately regretted it. He had fallen right into Reiji’s rhythm.

Reiji smiled, satisfied with the reaction, and narrowed his eyes with a teasing grin. ”Because I beat it up.”

The manager didn’t think for a second that Reiji had personally done it—it had to be one of his Pokémon. If a Pokémon’s power level had dropped from battle, that could explain the readings.

”Oh, and I starved it for half a month. It’s normal the scanner can’t read it accurately. Want me to let it out for a bite before we test again?” Reiji joked, reaching for the Poké Ball like he really was going to release the Electabuzz.

”Please don’t, sir!” the manager quickly raised his hand to stop him.

This Electabuzz clearly wasn’t his own Pokémon—and even if Reiji was a pro-level Trainer, the manager was just a regular guy. A battle-worn but advanced Electabuzz could still crush him. If that thing lashed out, he could end up dead in the corner bathroom stall.

”I know the Hunter it belonged to. This Electabuzz definitely had Pro-level strength,” Reiji said casually. ”Not only that, it inherited Focus Punch, and it knows Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Thunderbolt, and more.”

He chuckled like it was nothing. And really, for him, it was nothing—he had taken out that Hunter easily. Not that the manager knew that.

Reiji also had access to the move proficiency panel, which was more accurate than any device. A 55-potential Electabuzz definitely had what it took to reach pro level. That was unquestionable.

Of course, it had lost its original Trainer. Without evolution, it would never truly reach the Pro tier. Unless it evolved into Electivire—then it could climb even further, perhaps even to Elite rank.

The manager was speechless. His hands trembled as he pulled a silk cloth from his inner pocket to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Sharing a room with a possible Pro-level Trainer was pure pressure. One wrong word and this guy might snap his fingers—and no one in the shop would be able to save him.

So even asking the price had to be done with extreme caution.

”Sir… may I ask how much you’re looking to sell this Electabuzz for?”

”Fifteen million,” Reiji said flatly—completely open-lion style.

That was even higher than what the masked guy had asked earlier for his Electabuzz.

”Sir, please give a reasonable number. Even with all its powerful moves, fifteen million is too much. We can’t buy it at that price,” the manager said, his fingers no longer trembling.

If the deal wasn’t happening, there was no point pretending anymore.

”Fine. You name your price, then,” Reiji leaned back on the couch, letting the man make his offer.

It was a negotiation, after all—what kind of deal didn’t have back-and-forth?

The manager was just about to act tough when Reiji threw it back at him. He had no choice but to give a number—lowballing too much might anger this mysterious guy; offering too much and he’d lose out.

”How about… seven—seven million?” he said carefully.

”Too low,” Reiji shook his head, shooting him a look. He trusted the guy would get the message.

But the manager just calmly responded, ”Sir, seven million is the highest I can go. That’s my limit. I’m sorry.”

His tone was sincere, no fake smiling.

Reiji couldn’t argue. Unless he was willing to accept that number, there was no way forward. No amount of haggling would change the man’s cap.

That must have been what the masked seller earlier experienced too.

Reiji went silent, weighing whether to let the Electabuzz go for that price. If he accepted this number, then none of the other Pokémon he had would fetch a higher amount. Electabuzz was his ace—it was the only one worth serious money.

Suddenly—knock knock knock.

Someone tapped on the soundproof door. The manager stood and opened it. It was the same salesgirl from earlier, now holding a clunky, button-only phone.

”It’s a call from headquarters,” she said.

”I’ll take it,” the manager replied, grabbing the phone. He turned to Reiji and apologized. ”Please excuse me. You’re welcome to continue thinking it over or leave as you please. I just need to take this call.”

He stepped out of the room, leaving the door open—to avoid misunderstandings.

Reiji stayed seated, still considering whether to sell the Electabuzz.

Meanwhile, the manager took the call, confused why HQ would be ringing him.

”Fat Jin, did you turn down an advanced-level Electabuzz today?” a young man’s voice asked from the other end.

”Yes, General Manager. He was asking ten million, so I refused,” he replied honestly.

”Find that man. Buy the Electabuzz for ten million.”

”What?!” the manager was stunned. Had the general manager lost his mind? Or was this some imposter mimicking his voice? That price was ridiculous!

”This is a direct order from HQ. Ten million is the floor. Anything you save is your bonus. I don’t care what it takes—just get that Electabuzz,” the voice ordered.

A bonus?

Now the manager was excited—but then remembered the Electabuzz inside the booth… a Elite-level one.

He hesitated. Should he mention it?

”What? You’re not interested?” the GM asked. This greedy fatso usually jumped at money. Why so quiet now?

”No, no, nothing like that!” the manager said quickly. ”Actually, there’s one more Electabuzz in the store—possibly Elite level. I tested it, though, and it only came up as advanced tier.”

”The seller said it hadn’t eaten in half a month. It’s very weak right now. But the scanner still picked up advanced-peak level. He also said it inherited Focus Punch, and learned Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, and Thunderbolt. He’s asking for fifteen million. I refused…”

There was a long silence on the other end. Then a deep breath—and a shout:

”IDIOT! Don’t let him leave! Even at fifteen million, buy that Electabuzz!”

The general manager’s voice trembled with excitement.

A Elite-level Electabuzz at a moment like this—and with inherited moves?

This wasn’t just exciting. It was destiny.

With that Electabuzz—and its final evolution into Electivire—they’d have an Elite-level Pokémon on their hands. Or even if not quite, they could at least market it as one.

The breeding center would explode with popularity. A baby Elekid from a known Elite-level parent? They’d make a fortune!

The general manager was already daydreaming about profit-sharing bonuses, laughing in his sleep.

Back in the hallway, the manager stood frozen. His boss had just gone from cursing to cackling like a lunatic. Life came at you fast.

Still, fifteen million for one Pokémon? He’d get blamed if this went wrong. He had to be sure.

”Um, General Manager… may I ask why we’re going so far?”

”You can, but you better keep your mouth shut. If word gets out, you’ll be sleeping with the Sharpedo.”

”Understood!” the manager saluted, dripping sweat. How could he be so dumb, trying to dig into HQ secrets?

Note to self: stop being nosy or you’ll end up in a ditch.

”The evolved form of Electabuzz was just confirmed by a lab in Sinnoh. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—for our entire center. For you and me.”

The implication was clear: the general manager liked him. It was a chance to ride the rocket, live the dream.

”I understand, sir. I promise to close the deal and get both Electabuzz,” the manager said, thrilled to be trusted with the mission.

He couldn’t believe it—Electabuzz had another evolution?

What would it be like? How strong? How expensive?

He couldn’t imagine it. It was like something out of a dream.

This was his moment—promotion, bonuses, beautiful assistants… the short, fat manager could already see it all. In his head, his cartoon self was laughing wildly.

Let them laugh at him now. He’d soon be the one giving orders.

But all of that hinged on one thing: completing the mission. Perfectly. Impressing the general manager.

”Ten million and fifteen million—those are the caps. Anything saved is yours. Close the deal fast. I’ll come pick up the merchandise myself. Fail, and you’re fired. Back to cleaning cages.”

”Yes, sir! I’ll get it done before you arrive!”

He ended the call, heart pounding with greed and ambition.

(End of Chapter)

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