Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

Reiji sat on top of the cargo ship’s bridge, his face hidden behind a white Spider mask. Twelve members in matching black outfits occupied the roof around him, some standing with their arms folded, others crouching along the edge or resting a hand on their Pokémon.

The applause had silenced the deck below. Riku’s brother and Amber both looked up, trying to make out the newcomers through the rain, but neither made a move.

Reiji hadn’t expected the Spider disguise to fool Riku’s brother for long. The captain knew perfectly well who had reason to come after him. Still, Spider’s reputation had become so muddled since the incident on Mandarin Island North that wearing the masks might actually help.

Imitators had been using the name for pranks and petty crimes, and people were starting to doubt whether the original Spider incident had even happened. Reiji found that hilarious. They were the real Spider, but anyone who saw them tonight might dismiss them as yet another group of fakes.

”Who are you?” Riku’s brother demanded, searching the figures above for a face he might recognize.

Lightning illuminated the row of pale masks, numbered from Zero to Twelve. The sailors exchanged uneasy looks; the costumes matched the rumors exactly, though plenty of impostors had worn them by now. What none of those impostors could easily imitate was the strength of the Pokémon standing alongside the masked Trainers.

Six Elite Four-tier Pokémon were releasing their pressure openly, and even the others had the presence of quasi-Elite Four Trainers. Weaker Pokémon collapsed under the strain, while several sailors and Team Aqua grunts fainted before the newcomers had issued a single command.

Reiji enjoyed the reaction. After nearly a year of keeping his strength under wraps, he finally had enough powerful people behind him to make a show of it. He looked over the three groups below and chuckled behind his mask.

”Quite a gathering. If we weren’t on a ship, I’d think Crow had shown up.”

Nobody understood the reference, and Reiji didn’t bother explaining it. His amusement was interrupted when Amber stepped forward, staring at the six Elite Four-tier Pokémon with considerably less confidence than before.

”Who the hell are you people?” Amber called.

”Who are you supposed to be?” Reiji asked. ”I know you’re Team Aqua. I’m asking which one.”

”So you’ve heard of us?” Amber sounded almost pleased.

”Sure. I’ve heard of Archie, too. If he came himself, I might show a little respect.” Reiji looked him over. ”You? Not worth it.”

Riku’s brother almost laughed despite himself. He’d said nearly the same thing to Cassidy and Butch earlier, and now a stranger was throwing it at Team Aqua. Unlike him, though, the masked man had six Elite Four-tier Pokémon to back up the insult.

Slowbro was in no mood to laugh. It sensed something faintly familiar among the masked figures, a presence that left it deeply uneasy even though it couldn’t identify the source. Riku’s brother felt its warning and grew even more wary of the strangers above.

Team Aqua’s grunts shouted for permission to attack, threatening to knock the masked strangers off the bridge and feed them to the fish. Amber ignored their demands and kept assessing the Pokémon above. Even with the cargo ship’s crew helping him, he wasn’t confident they could win.

More importantly, Archie had entrusted him with both the submarine and its crew. Amber wasn’t about to lose either over a stupid insult. If Archie, Shelly, and Matt were here alongside him, the fight might be worth considering, but they weren’t.

”Admin Amber! Are we really letting them talk to us like that?” one grunt demanded.

”Shut up,” Amber snapped. ”You want to get us all killed?”

The grunts fell quiet, much to the sailors’ amusement. Riku’s brother, however, couldn’t share their relief. Slowbro’s reaction convinced him the masked group was dangerous, and he had a growing suspicion that they had come specifically for his ship.

He caught the third mate’s eye and gave him a discreet signal. The man slipped a hand inside his coat and sent a distress message to the Black Ship, careful not to draw attention.

Danny had heard the fighting from inside the cargo hold and crept toward a deck entrance. From his hiding place, he could see Team Aqua facing the crew, with thirteen people in Spider masks watching from the bridge. At first he thought they might be copycats, until he felt the pressure from their Pokémon.

The League had planned to intercept the ship near Moro Island, after it passed the Seven Grapefruit Islands. Danny was supposed to stay undercover until then, helping seize the contraband, rescue the captive women and children, arrest the crew, and uncover whoever was running the trafficking operation.

Instead, several Elite Four-tier Trainers had gathered on deck, and two other criminal groups had interfered before the League could spring its trap. Danny knew he’d accomplish nothing by revealing himself. He might even endanger the prisoners if fighting broke out before backup arrived.

He stayed hidden and sent an urgent report to his superiors, asking them to bring in the League’s Elite Four. The original interception plan would have to be moved up, because the situation aboard the cargo ship was already slipping out of control.

Cassidy and Butch were hiding elsewhere on board. They hadn’t followed Riku’s brother into the fight, and the sight of the Spider group gave them every reason to leave. Their recruitment mission was finished; whether their new contact survived the night wasn’t their responsibility.

”We’re getting out of here,” Cassidy whispered, already searching for a safe route off the ship.

”Sounds good to me,” Butch replied, following her into the passageway.

The two intended to report what they’d seen to Team Rocket and let Matori deal with the consequences. Neither they nor Danny had been noticed, leaving five factions involved in the same confrontation while only three had openly revealed themselves.

Reiji wasn’t going to let the standoff drag on. If he were in Riku’s brother’s place, he would already have called for reinforcements, and Amber could have done the same. The longer Spider waited, the greater the chance of somebody else joining the fight.

But Team Aqua had never been the target. Gengar had spotted their submarine during its reconnaissance and found that, aside from their leader, the people aboard weren’t particularly strong. Reiji had chosen to intimidate them into leaving rather than waste time fighting an unnecessary battle.

”I’m in a good mood, so I’ll give you a chance,” he told Amber. ”Take your people and get lost.”

Reiji’s gaze shifted toward Riku’s brother. The captain caught the look and knew his suspicion had been right all along. Spider had come for him, and with Team Aqua leaving, he would have to hold the masked Trainers off until the Black Ship answered his call.

A grunt started to protest, but Amber silenced him with a raised hand. He had come to this part of the ocean to track the Sea God, not die in a fight over someone else’s cargo. Whatever valuables might be aboard, they weren’t worth the risk.

”Forget the ship. We’re going after our real target,” he ordered, turning his people toward the submarine.

Team Aqua withdrew reluctantly, their members casting angry looks toward the bridge as they returned to the water. Riku’s brother watched them leave, glad to lose one enemy but painfully aware that the force remaining overhead was clearly the more dangerous one.

Reiji was about to signal his people to attack when Gengar rose out of his shadow with a warning cry. Its red eyes were fixed on a patch of deck where the light had started to bend strangely, twisting around an empty point even as rain continued to fall through it.

Reiji recognized the distortion at once. Someone was attempting a long-distance Teleport, and the arrival point was forming right in front of them. He swung toward Gengar, knowing they had only a moment to interrupt it.

”Gengar, full-power Shadow Ball! Hit that distortion before the Teleport finishes!”

[End of chapter]

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