Day 3 of the trip to Kanto: clear skies.
After that sudden storm blew itself out, the sky finally opened up again. The passenger ship made it safely into Kanto's harbor without a single mishap, and Reiji—who'd been keeping a low profile on board—finally let his shoulders drop.
He meant to follow the crowd off the ship, but the normal exit route on the pier was packed tight. Flashbulbs kept popping from the shoreline, all aimed straight at the liner.
Then someone appeared, and every reporter swung their camera toward the man coming down the gangway: Elite Four hopeful Will, the Psychic specialist.
"Trainer Will! You rescued a passenger ship that was hijacked by pirates during an emergency. The public's been talking about it nonstop—can you walk us through what happened? How did your Pokémon help you carry out the rescue?"
"Trainer Will, there are rumors you've been nominated as a Johto Elite Four candidate. That's sparked a lot of attention and debate—how do you respond? How are you feeling right now, and what are you expecting from the Elite Four challenge?"
"Trainer Will—"
Reiji took one look at the swarm and immediately turned around. In his last life or this one, he'd never liked reporters. They never seemed interested in doing anything useful—just fishing for soundbites, twisting words, and trying to bait someone into saying something that could be turned into bad press. If they were going to clog the pier like this, he'd take the other way down.
Back on the deck, he released Pelipper and had it carry him to a quieter stretch of shore to land. He just wanted a room, a shower, and a few hours of peace.
No one spared him a glance when he left. Everyone's attention was glued to the rising star who might soon join the Elite Four, and Reiji wasn't worth chasing with a camera.
He wandered around the harbor area and spotted a Pokémon Center. He went in, used his Pokédex to book a room, and settled in for the night. A long hot shower later, he washed his clothes and dried them inside the Center.
From last night into this morning, he'd been living on edge. He hadn't dared to sleep; the smallest noise had him snapping awake. Every minute, his mind jumped to Team Rocket tracking him down. Now, for the first time since the chaos began, he could actually sleep.
When he finally woke up, it was already 3 p.m. Lunch service was long over, so he dug out his travel rations and filled his growling stomach the lazy way.
After packing up and leaving the Pokémon Center, he stepped onto the main street and unfolded the map he'd picked up inside—an Indigo Plateau Conference beginner's guide. He skimmed it once, then again, and finally confirmed where he was.
So this was the Seafoam Islands resort area.
The guide listed Professor Westwood V's Laboratory here. It also mentioned the coast—famous for a legendary wave called Humungadunga. As for Giovanni's seaside villa, the guide didn't say a word about it, but Reiji remembered it anyway. He'd watched that episode in his last life—Giovanni bringing the Team Rocket trio here on vacation. That memory was the only reason it clicked.
Not that Giovanni would be here now. If the timeline matched what Reiji thought, Giovanni was busy at the Viridian Gym, sweet-talking Mewtwo and strapping armor onto it. No chance he'd be lounging on a beach.
What Reiji cared about was Pallet Town—where it was, and how far he was from it. Once he remembered this place, he also remembered that Ash had come here to train—meaning Pallet Town wasn't far.
"There you are." Reiji tapped the map lightly and found Pallet Town's marker. All he had to do was cross the winding mountain road.
He needed to know whether Ash had already left home. If Ash had already set out, Reiji wouldn't be able to intercept Ho-Oh in time. Then he'd have to go looking for Ho-Oh at Mount Tensei instead—the peak said to be its home.
With his route decided, he mounted Pelipper again and had it fly straight over the mountain road by the guide's directions. After about half an hour, a small town came into view, so lush it looked like it had been painted in green.
Before he even reached Pallet Town, something big and orange dropped into his path and blocked the airspace, letting out a displeased roar.
"Dragonite?" Reiji immediately thought of Professor Oak's Dragonite. If that was true, then this had to be Oak's "enforcer."
"Bwo…" Dragonite lifted an arm to stop him, then pointed down toward the ground, clearly ordering him to land.
"It says flying isn't allowed here," Darkrai translated quickly, hearing the tone before Reiji could.
"Oh. Got it—sorry about that." Reiji gave an awkward smile and had Pelipper descend. Once he landed, he returned Pelipper to its Poké Ball and released Poliwhirl instead. Dragonite watched him comply, then flew off, satisfied.
Reiji entered Pallet Town on foot.
The town was small—quiet, with only a handful of residents. The most famous landmark on the map was Professor Oak's Laboratory. Near the entrance was a general store, the kind of place where he could restock travel basics.
He hadn't had a real chance to replenish supplies since heading for Kanto. Every stop had just been another transfer, another rush. He still had a few leftovers in his bag, but he had no idea how long he'd be traveling in Kanto. Stocking up mattered.
The store was easy to spot the moment you stepped into town. He'd barely started toward the door when a woman with flaxen hair and an apron stepped out and greeted him.
"Are you a Trainer visiting from out of town?" Delia looked him over, taking in the dust on his clothes and the road in his posture. He didn't look like a local.
Pallet Town had Professor Oak's Laboratory, so visiting Trainers weren't rare. A lot of people came just to meet the famous Professor.
"Yes. I'm Rai," Reiji said, using his alias smoothly. "And… wow. You're really pretty."
He wasn't even forcing it. He was an adult, and Delia was exactly his type—warm, mature, and confident. The little girls around the Mikan Gym could stay firmly in the "not even remotely" category.
"Haha, is that so?" Delia covered her mouth as she laughed. This kid was shameless—but polite, too, and she couldn't help liking that. "I'm Delia. Where are you coming from? You look exhausted. Want to come to my place for dinner?"
"Delia, I'm a Trainer from the Orange Archipelago. I'm just passing through Pallet Town today." The moment he heard her name, Reiji took a second look and had to clamp down hard on the surge of excitement in his chest.
So this really was Delia.
Apron on, she looked like any ordinary country mom—which, honestly, she was. The only difference was her famous son.
"The Orange Archipelago… that's pretty far away, isn't it?" Delia paused, tried to picture it, failed, and gave up with a shrug. Then she smiled again and pressed on with the invitation. "My son Ash loves Trainers. He'll be thrilled to meet you."
"Delia, I…" Reiji hesitated. He really wanted to see whether Ash had already left, but barging into someone's home felt a little forward. Still, Delia's casual tone made one thing clear: Ash probably hadn't set out yet. That meant Reiji still had a chance to catch Ho-Oh.
"Don't be shy," Delia said. "Pallet Town doesn't have an inn. If you don't stay with someone, you'll be sleeping outside." Her eyes drifted to Poliwhirl at his side. "That your Pokémon? Ash would love it."
"Alright," Reiji said, letting the invitation stand. "Thanks, Delia."
Restocking could wait. The priority was confirming Ash's status—had he left, had he already gotten Pikachu… or was it still the night before everything began?
It didn't take long to reach Delia's house. The moment he stepped inside, he saw a boy bouncing on the couch in front of the TV—loud, restless, and unmistakably Ash.
"Ash, settle down," Delia said, exasperated. "We have a guest."
"Who is it?" Ash craned his head toward the door and spotted Reiji in black shorts and a short-sleeved top.
"Hi," Reiji said. "I'm Rai. I'm a Trainer from the Orange Archipelago."
Ash didn't even wait for the rest. "A Trainer?! Where are your Pokémon?"
Reiji sighed, amused, and nudged Poliwhirl forward. "Poliwhirl."
"Pwooo!" Poliwhirl struck a pose on the spot and flexed its arms like it was onstage.
"Whoa! Poliwhirl!" Ash rushed up like they were already friends and grabbed Poliwhirl's arm, squeezing the muscle with wide-eyed awe. "Your Poliwhirl is so strong!"
"It works hard," Reiji said, smiling. On that point, he wouldn't accept arguments from anyone.
"Then it's decided!" Ash stabbed a finger into the air like he was making a sacred vow. "Tomorrow, when I get my starter Pokémon, your Poliwhirl is going to be my first battle—my first victory on the road to becoming a Pokémon Master!"
"Ash, stop threatening the guest," Delia said, tapping him on the head with a sigh as she headed to the kitchen.
Ash didn't absorb a single word. He immediately asked if Reiji had any other Pokémon, and Reiji released the ones that were safe to show.
Pelipper, Kingler, Rhyhorn, Scyther, and Poliwhirl—five in total.
He didn't bother bringing out Gyarados, Shelmet, or Zapdos. There was no reason to.
"Whoa—so many Pokémon I've never seen up close!" Ash spun in circles, pointing at each one. "Pelipper! Kingler! Rhyhorn! Scyther—your Scyther is so cool!"
"Don't hurt Ash," Reiji told the five. "Find a spot and get comfortable."
Watching Ash like this made the timing obvious. This was the night before Ash left home. He didn't have Pikachu yet, which meant Reiji still had a shot at intercepting Ho-Oh and finding a way to bring Amber back.
That thought loosened the knot in his chest—until Ash vanished again, apparently teleported by pure chaos energy. Still, this was Pallet Town. A kid wandering off wasn't exactly a crisis.
Not long after, another boy showed up—Ash had dragged him over himself.
In Pallet Town, that could only be Gary, plus the other two rookies coming for the Kanto starters.
"Gary! Gary!" Ash yelled, pulling him along by the arm. "My house has a Trainer from the Orange Archipelago, and he has a bunch of super strong Pokémon!"
"Orange Archipelago?" Gary scoffed, chin tilted up. "A Trainer from some backwater place like that isn't going to be impressive. My grandpa's backyard has plenty of Pokémon. It's nothing special."
They were getting their starter Pokémon tomorrow. Gary didn't see why Ash was acting like this was a once-in-a-lifetime event. If anything, he assumed this "Rai" guy was just another newbie who'd heard of Professor Oak and came chasing fame.
"I'm serious," Ash insisted, doubling down. "He's really strong! And his Poliwhirl is huge!"
"You say everything is 'really strong,'" Gary shot back, unimpressed. "You don't even know what strong looks like."
Ash led him straight to the front, rattling off Pokémon names like a proud announcer. "Look! Poliwhirl, Pelipper, Kingler, Rhyhorn, Scyther—Kingler's claw is massive!"
Gary's eyes lingered for a moment. "That Poliwhirl is bulkier than most. And that Kingler… yeah, the claw's unusual."
The rest didn't move him. Pelipper, Rhyhorn, Scyther—those were common enough. Even Poliwhirl and Kingler weren't rare in the abstract. What stood out was how well they'd been trained.
"Told you!" Ash puffed up like he'd raised them himself.
"Why are you bragging?" Gary folded his arms. "They're not your Pokémon."
Ash's grin faltered for half a second, then he snapped right back into battle mode. "Come on! The strong Trainer is inside my house!"
Reiji looked up as they entered the living room.
"Rai-nii," Ash said quickly, "this is Gary. We've been friends since we were little."
"Gary," Reiji said, playing it like a first meeting. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rai, a Trainer from the Orange Archipelago. Is Professor Oak home?"
"My grandpa's home," Gary said, like the question barely mattered. "You want to see him?"
"Yes," Reiji said, nodding lightly. "I'm passing through. I wanted to pay my respects."
"Sure, whatever." Gary's gaze sharpened. "Since you're from the Orange Archipelago… do you have the Orange League Honorary Trainer title? And the Winner's Cup?"
Ash blinked. "What's that supposed to be, Gary?"
"Idiot," Gary said, not even looking at him. "It's the Orange League."
Ash clenched his fists. "Shut up, Gary!"
"I haven't challenged the Winner's Cup," Reiji said. He knew exactly what Gary meant—the challenge at Pummelo Island, earning the four badges, then facing Drake.
Gary rubbed his chin, studying him. "So you came to Kanto to enter the Indigo Plateau Conference."
"That's right," Reiji said. "We might end up as opponents."
"Opponents?" Gary laughed. "I don't see you as one. Still—your Pokémon are trained well. Tomorrow, when I get my starter Pokémon, you'll be the first Trainer I beat. You'll be my first win on the road to greatness."
"Works for me," Reiji said, almost too pleased. If he'd come all the way here, there was no way he was skipping battles with Ash and Gary—especially while they were still rookies.
"And you!" Ash thrust a fist up like he was swearing an oath too. "Rai-nii, you're my first opponent too! First win on my road to becoming a Pokémon Master!"
Neither boy had any idea what kind of shadow they'd just volunteered to live under.
Gary and Ash locked eyes for half a second, each seeing the other's stubborn fire—and immediately looked away like it was contagious.
Delia came out of the kitchen just then. "Oh, Gary's here too? Stay for dinner."
"Mrs. Ketchum," Gary said, suddenly polite.
"Delia," Reiji said, matching her smile.
Dinner passed with Delia at the head of the table, the boys talking big, and Reiji letting them burn themselves out. Afterward, the three of them sat and watched a Pokémon battle on TV. Once it got dark, Gary finally went home.
Reiji had nowhere else to go, so he stayed the night in Delia's guest room.
After another hot shower, he lay down in the room Delia had prepared—right next to Ash's. The Pokémon had all been fed. Even the ones he didn't show were taken care of quietly in his room. Now all that was left was tomorrow, and Ho-Oh.
Ash, meanwhile, was still shouting at the TV next door, energy overflowing like he'd never heard of sleep. Reiji considered warning him—if Ash didn't sleep, he'd oversleep tomorrow and end up stuck with Pikachu.
Then Reiji let the thought go. Pikachu was Ash's partner. Messing with that was asking for trouble.
Even so, Reiji couldn't help being excited. He'd seen the "starter Pokémon" moment a thousand times in his last life, but watching it up close for real was different.
Besides Ash and Gary, there would be one more rookie choosing from the Kanto starters tomorrow: Marina, a Trainer from Kinnow Island, the same hometown as Shun. She'd be taking Bulbasaur.
There was also some chubby kid who'd take Charmander. Reiji only remembered the belly from his last life—nothing else.
And then there was Gary, taking Squirtle.
Reiji exhaled and let his eyes close. The starters weren't for him, and there was no point pretending otherwise. Right now, he just wanted a few more quiet moments with Amber.
Tomorrow, following Ash meant seeing Ho-Oh. Whether Ho-Oh would show up—whether it would stop long enough for that iconic moment—was everything.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]