Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

”This job is dangerous,” Reiji said, looking at the 6 of them. ”You don’t have to come. Naoki and I can handle it.”

Keith was not joining either way. He was too weak right now. Having him stay outside and record would be enough.

”Boss, I’m broke lately,” A.J. said at once. He had no interest in sitting this one out. Reiji and Naoki were both Elite Four-tier Trainers, and this was supposed to be the last big job for a long time. After this, they would not be acting together as a group, and they could not use the Spider identity anymore. There was no way he was missing this meal.

”Suit yourself. If you want to come, come. Just don’t blame anyone if you die.” Reiji looked at Keith and Gulzar, who both looked eager, then asked, ”I do need someone to stay outside and record. Which one of you wants to do it?”

Keith and Gulzar looked at each other.

Gulzar obviously did not want to miss a chance like this. They were hitting a gang. No point leaving money on the ground.

In the end, Gulzar gave Keith a pleading look. Keith sighed and raised his hand. ”Rai-nii, I’ll do it.”

”Good. And don’t feel bad about it. Knowing what you can and can’t do is a good thing.” Reiji nodded, satisfied. ”After this fight, I’ll give you ten million.”

A Trainer needed to know their limits. Keith was the weakest one here. He did not even have an Advanced-tier Pokémon yet.

Gulzar at least had 2 Advanced-tier Pokémon, and his Sceptile was close to reaching Advanced tier too. Once a Trainer had 3 Advanced-tier Pokémon, people would start calling them an Advanced-tier Trainer. The same logic applied to quasi–Elite Four tier. You needed at least 3.

Reiji guessed the gang boss’s son probably only had 2 quasi–Elite Four-tier Pokémon. Naoki had only seen 2 as well. It was probably not that the kid was holding back. He simply did not have a third, and bringing out anything weaker would give him away.

”I understand, Rai-nii.” Keith nodded obediently. At first, he had thought Reiji was looking down on him by giving him the safest job. Now he realized he had misunderstood. Reiji was protecting him. Being looked after by someone older felt pretty good.

”Keith, did you pick Gligar or Sneasel?” Reiji had given Keith the recording job, but the ten million was mostly to smooth things over and keep him from feeling left out. Running a team was never easy.

”Rai-nii, I picked Gligar. It can fly.” Keith liked Flying types to begin with, so between Gligar and Sneasel, Gligar was the easy choice. Type matchups were not what he cared about.

”Give me the Razor Fang.” Reiji held out a hand. Of course he knew what Keith had bought. He had given those items to Naoki himself.

”Rai-nii?” Keith did not hesitate. He had spent nine million on it, but if Reiji needed it, he would hand it over.

”Good. Catch this one.” Reiji put the Razor Fang into his bag, then took out his last quasi–Elite Four-tier Razor Fang and tossed it to Keith. ”This one’s quasi–Elite Four tier. I’m trading it for your Advanced-tier one.”

”Rai-nii?” Keith had never thought Reiji would take his item for himself, but he also had not expected Reiji to swap it for a quasi–Elite Four-tier one. That was a much better evolution item.

”Just take it.” Reiji waved him off. He hated dealing with tears. Then he looked at the others. ”I still have 2 quasi–Elite Four-tier Razor Claws. Anyone else want to stay outside and record?”

Everyone looked at each other.

They all understood what he meant. Whoever stayed behind to record would get ten million as compensation for missing the job, and they could trade an Advanced-tier evolution item for a quasi–Elite Four-tier one.

No one complained.

No one volunteered either.

A gang that big had far more than ten million in goods sitting around. Staying back was safer, sure, but they were all hoping to get rich off this. Keith could handle the recording. Their appetites were bigger than that.

”Good. Then that’s settled for now.” Reiji left it there. He had given them the choice, so no one had room to complain later. Then he turned back to Naoki. ”Which family in the city is backing that gang?”

”Boss, from what I found, the gang has ties to the owner of the Electric-type club. They seem to be brothers. They had a falling-out years ago, and everyone knows the gang and the club don’t get along. They clash pretty often.” Naoki paused. ”But I think the gang might be the club’s dirty hand. Most of the gang members use Electric-type Pokémon. The boss, his second-in-command, and his son all use Electric types too.”

”The Electric-type club, huh?” Reiji immediately thought of the Electric-type club on Kinnow Island, and the 3 brothers there. He wondered where Shun was now. He kind of missed him.

”They’re probably putting on a show.”

Reiji did not believe the falling-out story. Maybe there had been real bad blood at the start, but after all this time? Any work the club could not handle openly would naturally go to the gang. And if the gang leader happened to be the owner’s own brother, even better. Nobody made a cleaner dirty hand than family.

”Which club did you join?”

”The Water-type club,” Naoki said. He was using a Water-type Trainer identity as cover, and Sou was also a Water-type Trainer, so they had joined the Water-type club.

Daishi was in the Water-type club too, for a very simple reason. Rich people sometimes liked proving themselves by picking fights against types they were supposed to beat. Daishi was there to give them that satisfaction.

”Water type, huh.” Reiji thought of Kinnow Island again. Same setup. The clubs were probably how local families kept armed forces in plain sight without breaking the law.

They talked a little longer. After dinner, Reiji went back to his room.

Even if they were going to scout the gang or make a move, it did not have to be tonight. Waiting a couple of days was fine. A gang that large was rooted in the old district. It was not going anywhere.

For a gang, fixed assets were the real foundation. For Reiji’s side, staying alive mattered more than rushing. As long as they did not die halfway, slow and steady growth was the right call.

Back in his room, Reiji took out Pidgeot’s Poké Ball. He still had not checked its panel. Its potential should be somewhere in the seventies. Either way, it still had Mega Evolution later, so there was no rush.

[Pidgeot]

[Type: Normal + Flying]

[Gender: Female]

[Potential: 76%]

[Level: 38.91%]

[Ability: Keen Eye/34.23%]

[Moves]

Normal-type: [(Foresight/17.21%) (Tackle/28.53%) (Quick Attack/34.23%) (Double Team/21.44%) (Protect/14.31%)]

Flying-type: [(Air Cutter/28.71%) (Brave Bird/30.22%) (Defog/25.14%) (Gust/26.83%) (Roost/31.48%) (Pluck/26.54%) (Tailwind/26.23%) (Wing Attack/22.82%) (Hurricane/23.62%) (Fly/12.12%) (Sky Attack/8.22%)]

Other: [(Steel Wing/21.31%) (Sand Attack/18.91%) (Agility/26.34%)]

Seventy-six potential was pretty good. Pidgeot had absorbed less than Marshtomp had, so being a little lower made sense. Their starting points had been about the same anyway.

Its level was also close to Advanced tier. His third-string Pokémon were almost there now, while his first-string Pokémon were pushing toward Elite Four tier. Everyone was growing. Not bad at all.

Too bad it only had 1 ability.

According to the books Reiji had read, Big Pecks could improve Pidgeot’s burst power if developed the hidden way. The obvious effect was the one listed in the ability description.

Big Pecks prevented the Pokémon’s Defense from being lowered.

Pidgeot had gained 3 moves: Protect, Fly, and Sky Attack.

Protect was something Pidgeotto had learned on its own. The evolution itself had only given it Fly and Sky Attack.

Sky Attack was the big Flying-type move, with 140 power. That alone was enough. Power mattered.

There was not much else to look at. Compared with many Pokémon, Pidgeot’s learnset was not especially large.

Reiji closed the panel, picked up Eevee, and got ready to sleep.

He could start checking out the gang tomorrow.

[End of chapter]

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