"So what's your goal?" Blaine glanced at Amber as he spoke. The question didn't need spelling out—Reiji hadn't done all this for nothing. Blaine didn't buy the fairy tale of "I just wanted to help."
"My goal?" Reiji only smiled.
The real answer wasn't something he'd hand to Blaine. That was a card for later—if it ever mattered.
As for the obvious things he could ask for… a top-grade Water Stone, a starter like Squirtle, even a pseudo-legendary. Blaine could probably provide any of it if Reiji opened his mouth.
But that kind of "payment" was too cheap.
Blastoise Island was near Cinnabar Island anyway. If he wanted a Squirtle, he could just ask for directions and catch one himself. A favor like this could save his life someday. He wasn't spending it on something he could grind out with time.
Besides, his biggest gain had nothing to do with items.
His bond with Amber was the real prize. You couldn't buy that. Everything else—Stones, Pokémon, strength—he could chase down on his own. Amber was different. If he'd missed this chance, it would've been gone for good… along with Mewtwo.
"Good kid," Blaine said, though he still didn't know what that smile meant.
Reiji's goal might be complicated, or he might have none at all and Blaine was just being paranoid. Blaine didn't know. He only knew one thing for sure—Reiji wasn't simple.
A young Trainer who dared to steal from Team Rocket and confront a Legendary Pokémon wasn't the type who needed handouts. If Reiji wanted something, he could probably take it himself.
Then Reiji tilted his head. "If we're talking goals, I did come to you with two."
Blaine straightened immediately, serious now. He'd been waiting for this.
"First," Reiji said, "you already know Amber exists. That means you share the risk. If Team Rocket comes hunting, you're on their list too."
"Second, help Amber find her mother. I'm not handing her over to Dr. Fuji while he's still tied to Team Rocket. That's just feeding her to wolves."
Blaine paused, then studied Reiji hard.
Those "goals" weren't about profit. They were about Amber.
He tried to catch a lie in Reiji's eyes and failed—just like before. Reiji met his gaze head-on, no flinching, no dodging. Blaine looked away first again, irritated with himself.
"I'd do both even if you never said a word," Blaine said finally. "So don't worry about that."
He wasn't dropping his guard completely. He still planned to watch Reiji. But for now, he could at least admit the obvious: Reiji was trying to protect Amber.
As for Fuji—Blaine had no news. Even if Fuji was alive, Blaine wasn't giving Amber to him as long as he stayed under Team Rocket's shadow. Fuji couldn't protect her there.
Team Rocket made this ugly. All they could do was hide Amber, raise her right, and help her grow strong enough to protect herself. Once she had her own power, she wouldn't have to live in fear.
Blaine wanted to dump every good thing he owned into her hands right now, but she was still a kid. She needed time. He could give her the best of everything as she grew. He owed her that much.
"Do whatever you want," Reiji said with a casual wave. He wasn't in the mood to babysit a suspicious old man who'd just gotten his world back.
"Come on," Blaine said, sliding open the wooden door. "Lunch."
He lifted Amber onto Arcanine's back and carried her out toward the dining hall.
Before they'd even eaten, Blaine had already dismissed every maid in the lodge. From today onward, anyone working here would be thoroughly vetted. He'd let a few harmless "eyes" exist before. Not anymore. Not with Amber here.
"Big dog… big doggy," Amber giggled, tugging playfully on Arcanine's fluffy ears like she used to.
Arcanine sighed through its nose and licked its lips, resigned. It had accepted the truth: the little tyrant was back. Its ears were going to suffer again.
A Champion-tier Arcanine, reduced to a child's personal mount. Dignity? Gone.
"Behave," Blaine snapped at Arcanine, face turning fierce in an instant. "If Amber falls, I'm the one hitting you."
Arcanine stared at him like its whole worldview had collapsed. It was Blaine's Pokémon, wasn't it? Why was it suddenly the villain in its own house?
They reached the hall.
A full spread of food covered the table, steaming hot. The room itself was empty—no staff, no extra footsteps, no loose ears.
"Gym Leader Blaine," Reiji said as he sat down, "did you prepare food for Pokémon too?"
He released his team.
Pelipper, Poliwhirl, Kingler, Rhyhorn, Scyther, Gyarados, Shelmet, and Zapdos.
Eight in total.
Gyarados stayed outside—if he brought that monster into the hall, it would probably take the roof with it.
Outside, Gyarados roared the moment it hit open air, thrilled to finally breathe.
"Quiet," Reiji said, patting its thick scales. "You're acting like you didn't get smacked into shape a week ago."
Gyarados stared back stubbornly, as if its healing wounds had erased its memory.
Poliwhirl flexed beside Reiji and shot Gyarados a look. "Pwo."
Gyarados immediately bowed its head. "Gyaa…" It didn't want another beating. It still remembered that one.
Blaine eyed Reiji's lineup, noting the heavy Water-type lean. "All yours?"
"Yeah," Reiji said.
Blaine nodded toward the door. "Have them wait outside with mine. Someone will bring them food."
Reiji left only Zapdos with him and sent the other seven out.
Blaine squinted at the little gray "bird" Reiji cradled. "That one's… odd."
"It's a shiny Spearow," Reiji said smoothly. "Premature hatch."
He sprinkled some grains into a bowl and set it down as "lunch." There was no way he was pulling out Electric-type Pokéblocks in front of Blaine.
Blaine accepted the explanation without pushing. He'd seen plenty of shiny Pokémon in his life. "Fine. Sit. Eat."
Amber didn't hold back. She ate like the world might vanish again if she slowed down, cheeks shining with oil.
"It's so good, Grandpa," she said, mouth full. "I haven't eaten food like this in so long."
"Then eat more," Blaine said softly, watching her like she was the most fragile treasure on the planet. The vow in his eyes was clear: nobody takes her again. Not even Team Rocket.
Reiji watched Amber laugh and realized the difference immediately. This wasn't just "alive."
This was a child with family again.
While they ate, Reiji slipped in the question he'd been waiting to ask. "Gym Leader Blaine—any leads on Amber's mother?"
"I've asked around," Blaine said, and the sigh that followed carried years. "But it's been a long time. Who knows where Elisia ended up."
Then he talked, carefully, like he didn't want to reopen the wound but couldn't avoid it either.
"After Amber's accident, Fuji couldn't accept it. He extracted her soul… or whatever you want to call it."
"Elisia learned what he'd done, and she couldn't take it," Blaine continued. "She didn't want to live chained to the past. She left Fuji behind—one goodbye letter, one key… and then she was gone. None of us have heard from her since."
Reiji almost choked.
So it wasn't just separation. It was divorce, in everything but the word.
That made the search a nightmare. For all they knew, Elisia had remarried and changed her name.
Amber's spoon slowed. "Grandpa… my mom…"
"Don't worry," Blaine said, reaching out and pinching her cheek gently. "Grandpa will help you find her. You still have Grandpa."
"And you've got the right person for it," Reiji added, very deliberately kicking the responsibility onto Blaine's shoulders. "Gym Leader Blaine has a lot more reach than I do."
Blaine snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Keep talking like that."
He understood what Reiji meant. If Reiji searched alone, he might not find Elisia for years. Blaine had networks. People owed him favors. He could move faster.
Reiji grinned and leaned into the banter. "You're a Gym Leader. Compared to you, I'm just a rookie."
Blaine laughed once, then remembered something. "By the way, aren't you here to challenge my Gym for the Indigo Plateau Conference? How many badges do you have?"
"Zero," Reiji said with a shrug. "Not a single one. I came to collect my first here, then register at the Pokémon Center. Or you could just hand me the Volcano Badge and save us both time."
Blaine nearly choked on his tea. "Nice try. If you want the Volcano Badge, you earn it. Weak Trainers don't get it."
Reiji squinted at him. "Old man, that smile looks suspicious."
Blaine laughed openly now. "Rest today. We battle tomorrow."
He did want to see it for himself—what kind of Trainer could stare down Ho-Oh and live.
Reiji pointed outside. "No using your main squad. I'm not beating the monsters you've got out there."
Blaine knew exactly what he meant.
Ninetales, Rhydon, Magmar, Arcanine, Rapidash, Charizard—Blaine's regulars. Especially Magmar, the one that soaked in lava like it was a hot spring.
Blaine had others too—Flareon, Houndoom, Magcargo, Camerupt.
And the Cinnabar Lab had Pokémon that helped with research: Primeape, Electabuzz, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Machoke.
Blaine just laughed and didn't argue.
The more he watched Reiji, the more convinced he became: this strange kid who'd dropped into his life with impossible news didn't carry malice toward Amber, toward the Gym, or toward him.
Whatever Reiji was hiding, Blaine could live with it—if the outcome stayed good.
Old age did that to people. You start overthinking everything.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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