Kashiwagi hadn't slept well. He spent the first half of the night contemplating how to trick—er, persuade—Raikou into continuing their journey together.
Should he use the threat of future encounters with Team Rocket as an excuse?
Realistically, he felt certain he'd cross paths with those guys again. Even if he hadn't had a direct confrontation just yet, the fact that they were pursuing Mega Evolution meant a collision was only a matter of time.
The Hoenn region was big, but it wasn't so big that they could avoid each other forever.
Come to think of it, he hadn't actually asked Raikou what it wanted yet. He had a lingering premonition that asking would poke a hole through the paper-thin status quo, forcing a change to an arrangement everyone had silently accepted.
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he couldn't keep it bottled up forever. He needed to find the right moment to ask.
Kashiwagi turned over to look at Raikou, who was sleeping by the bed. Every time the legendary Pokémon shifted slightly, Kashiwagi's heart skipped a beat. He felt as though if he looked away for even a second, the creature would vanish without a sound.
Of course, he knew this was likely just his own paranoia.
His behavior didn't go unnoticed by the rest of his team. On one hand, they felt a bit envious; on the other, they didn't want Raikou to leave either.
Ordinary Pokémon possessed a natural reverence for Legendaries. Under normal circumstances, unless ordered by a Trainer, most Pokémon wouldn't dream of attacking them, nor would they harbor ill will.
Furthermore, they had already begun to view Raikou as one of their own, even if communication was sparse... but since when was that a dealbreaker? Galarian Corsola didn't talk much either, and everyone accepted it without question.
And so, the Pokémon who were still awake found themselves mimicking their Trainer, stealing secret glances at Raikou.
Raikou: "..."
Is something wrong with these people's heads?
It's the middle of the night—why aren't they sleeping? Do they really think I can't feel them staring?
Raikou's gaze swept across Kashiwagi and the group. Seeing them hurriedly turn away and fake a deep sleep, the legendary beast felt a wave of wordless exasperation. It lifted a paw and lazily scratched the fur on its face.
It rarely performed such "undignified" actions in front of others. Long ago, it noticed that whenever it did, humans would look shocked, and its two companions had suggested it was best to maintain an air of mystery.
But after traveling together for so long, it couldn't be bothered to pretend anymore.
What else was it supposed to do? If its face itched, it had to scratch. If its paws or coat got dusty, it had to wash or lick them. Hiding it would only draw more of Kashiwagi's attention; it was better to just be upfront about it.
Raikou closed its eyes, choosing to ignore them entirely.
Before long, the biological clocks of the Pokémon kicked in and they drifted off. Kashiwagi held out a little longer, but once he realized Raikou probably didn't intend to leave under the cover of night, he finally let his eyes slip shut.
A dreamless night passed.
...
The next morning, at the first light of dawn.
Lying on his side, Kashiwagi snapped his eyes open and looked toward the floor. Seeing that Raikou hadn't disappeared, he let out a small sigh of relief.
If it hadn't bolted overnight, it meant the cat wasn't in a desperate rush to leave.
He rolled over, only to see exactly what he had feared: Hydreigon was levitating over the bed. Its large central head was lowered directly over his own, while its two side-mouths were positioned over his hands. A long trail of drool was dangling from its maw, inches from his face.
And the smell? Pungent!
"..."
Kashiwagi didn't dare move a muscle. He reached out blindly and patted the Galarian Corsola on the nightstand. "Pass me some tissues."
No response.
"If you don't help, I'm using you as the rag!"
A few napkins were promptly tossed over by a translucent, smoke-like tentacle.
He slowly retracted his right hand, carefully catching the dangling drool with the tissues. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and sit up. "That was close... why is its saliva so sticky?"
He didn't dare take a second whiff. He tossed the tissues into the trash and headed to the bathroom with the newly awakened Blissey.
Hydreigon opened its eyes groggily and tried to follow its memory toward the bathroom. Instead, it slammed into a glass door. It was about to let out a pitiful, spoiled whine when it realized it had flown the wrong way; it had hit the balcony window.
It quickly turned around and flew toward the bathroom.
"..."
Raikou, who had been awake for a while, witnessed the sight of the "menacing" Hydreigon idiocially bonking against the glass. It wasn't quite sure what expression to make.
"Mawile~"
A big-mouthed baby carrying a doll passed by, telling the legendary beast in a cool tone not to pay it any mind.
That idiot is always like this.
Soon, the bathroom became noisy, with another unidentified roar. The door suddenly flew open as Hydreigon tried to scream and escape, only to be yanked back by one large pair of hands and one small pair grabbing its wings.
Scolding followed immediately.
"Open up! Show me those teeth! I just brushed them yesterday afternoon and they're already this stinky! I'm taking you to a dentist if I have to!"
"Hydrei—wuooo—"
The low, muffled cry of despair was clearly audible.
Mawile sat on the sofa, taking a sip of black tea and feeling that life was truly beautiful. Aggron, meanwhile, picked up the fish tank to take Feebas for a water change. While Feebas could survive in a filthy ditch, Kashiwagi would never dream of mistreating his Pokémon like that. A water change every half-day was standard procedure.
Porygon was the last to wake. It hadn't participated in the Gym battle yesterday but had handled the most street battles, leaving it exhausted—especially after staying up late.
As it hovered up in a daze, unsure of where to fly, it felt a weight on its back.
"Pory?"
"Sola..."
Galarian Corsola settled comfortably onto Porygon's back. It knew that if it stayed on the nightstand, Hydreigon would definitely try to lick or bite it once it came out of the bathroom. Porygon's back was the safest place—perfectly level and ideal for a nap.
Finding it was only Corsola, Porygon didn't mind and continued to drift aimlessly. It still needed some time for its internal systems to fully boot up.
"Roar..."
Raikou watched the chaotic morning. Instead of finding it annoying, it found itself enjoying the scene. It often saw similar interactions among wild Pokémon, yet... this felt fundamentally different.
Under its watchful eye, a freshly scrubbed Kashiwagi pulled a massive paper map from his backpack. He spread it across the bed and met Raikou's gaze.
"Where are you planning to go next?"
"?"
Initially confused due to the angle, Raikou stood up to see the map. It scanned the vast expanse of the Hoenn region but didn't answer, simply looking back at him.
"I'm going to Fallarbor Town," Kashiwagi said, pointing to Lavaridge Town and tracing a line upward to show his route, as if he knew what Raikou was thinking. "There's a Contest there, and I need to get the Fallarbor Ribbon."
Lavaridge and Fallarbor aren't actually that far apart, primarily because the cable car over Mt. Chimney cuts the travel time significantly. Otherwise, one would have to take the long way around Route 111 to Route 113—which was unnecessary, as he would cover that ground later when heading toward Mauville City anyway.
Kashiwagi watched the big cat's expression and slowly moved his finger downward. "After that, I'll head to Mauville and take Route 118 to the eastern part of Hoenn. Once I have six badges, I'll participate in the Draconid trial."
At the mention of the "trial," Raikou's gaze snapped from the map to Kashiwagi.
"The trial... it probably has something to do with Mega Evolution. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Zinnia just showed up, told me about it, and then vanished."
Kashiwagi gave a quick explanation, then tapped the map again. "So, where do you plan to go?"
He looked at Raikou with a mix of anticipation and nerves.
"Roar~"
The legendary beast slowly lifted a paw. It teased him by circling the map, making it look like it was about to point somewhere outside of Hoenn. But before Kashiwagi's face could fall, the paw quickly shifted toward Fallarbor Town—specifically, the Meteor Falls nearby.
It looked at Kashiwagi's rapidly changing expression, a faint hint of a smile appearing on its majestic face, its eyes almost crinkling at the corners.
"..."
Kashiwagi felt like he was being teased by a giant cat. He couldn't help but say, "I feel like your 'cool and aloof' persona is starting to crumble."
Raikou ignored him. It didn't have a "persona"; it simply did as it pleased.
"Fine, let's move past that. What are you going to Meteor Falls for? To meet the Draconids? Or is Team Rocket lurking around there too?" Kashiwagi pressed further.
Seeing Kashiwagi suddenly get all fired up, Raikou quickly shook its head to show he had the wrong idea.
Why was this brat not only unafraid of Team Rocket, but also so happy? It was strange; he clearly hadn't been truly beaten by bad guys before!
He'd only dealt with those few small fry from before.
Raikou was a bit peeved at Kashiwagi's "disdain" for the organization. It worried he'd take a massive hit when he ran into them for real. After all, underestimating your enemy usually led to terrifying consequences.
But how was it supposed to tell the brat that Team Rocket was actually formidable?
Raikou was torn.
It had spent much of the previous night weighing whether to keep traveling with Kashiwagi. On one hand, it worried about the entanglement; on the other, it felt a strange reluctance to leave.
In the end, it decided to leave it to fate. If their paths aligned, they'd go together.
As it turned out, Kashiwagi's thoughts were perfectly in sync with its own. He had even pulled out a map to confirm the route, and their destinations were indeed close.
It should... be fine, right? Raikou thought. Considering the attentiveness Kashiwagi had shown lately, it felt he wouldn't be careless when the real Team Rocket appeared.
Raikou glanced toward Aggron. They say Trainers and Pokémon grow to resemble one another. Looking at the big guy's steady composure, it was clear where Kashiwagi got his occasional bouts of groundedness.
Meanwhile, Kashiwagi was feeling a bit of a thrill.
Meteor Falls and Fallarbor Town were practically neighbors. In other words, the time to part ways with Raikou hadn't arrived yet. It looked like he still had a chance to rub that chin and belly!
He couldn't help but rub his hands together in anticipation. Noticing Raikou's sudden gaze, he quickly hid his hands behind his back and coughed twice.
"Ahem. Yeah, good. That's real good."
...
--Breakfast ended.
As if he hadn't just been electrocuted the night before, Kashiwagi—once again tempting fate—tried to go for Raikou's chin.
He had his insulated gloves on, maxing out his defenses.
The process followed the usual routine: start from the back, slowly work the way around, and finally manage to touch that firm-yet-soft chin.
Even though the big cat had a fluffy face, the bone structure of the jaw was easy to feel. However, his angle was slightly off, and he kept brushing against those two sharp fangs. He was on edge, waiting for the zap.
But seeing Raikou starting to loll onto its side, Kashiwagi couldn't suppress the urge to ditch the gloves. He checked the time and gritted his teeth. Fine, if I get zapped, I get zapped. Sometimes, if you don't push yourself, you never know your true potential.
Kashiwagi resolutely peeled off the gloves and began to lightly scratch Raikou's chin. A sensation entirely different from the muffled touch of the gloves flooded his brain from his fingertips.
One scratch, two scratches...
Wait? No electricity?
A grin bloomed on his face—only to freeze an instant later as a surge of lightning leapt out.
"Argh!"
Kashiwagi let out a cry of pain and yanked his right hand back. He frantically rubbed his skin and his slightly blackened fingertips. The numbing ache was so intense he could only grit his teeth, unable to speak.
He glared at Raikou, who looked quite smug while squinting as if it didn't have a care in the world.
You're real mean, you know that?!
He had to admit, Raikou probably had a natural talent for torture. How else could it manage to inflict more pain than his old injuries from Pyrite Town without actually causing permanent damage?
Is its nervous system just made of pure spite?
"You just wait!" Kashiwagi threw out a parting threat and headed out with his Pokémon to buy supplies.
While he was at it, he'd get Hydreigon's teeth checked.
The dragon likely had tartar build-up to have breath that foul. If he didn't clear up its oral hygiene soon, smelling that breath for even a second felt like it would shave a week off his life.
Shortly after he left, Raikou also headed out. Even though it had learned from Kashiwagi that the "one who got away" was the Draconid Zinnia, what if someone else had escaped earlier?
It didn't want to miss a single Team Rocket member.
Furthermore, based on Raikou's knowledge of them, Team Rocket wouldn't just ignore a secret base being taken down and dozens of their people being left unconscious.
Crucially, it didn't want any "little tails" following it and Kashiwagi. Those guys were like Ekans—give them an inch and they'd wrap around you for a mile.
...
Atop a skyscraper.
Raikou's mane fluttered in the strong wind. Its cold gaze scanned the bustling crowds below. To its surprise, it actually spotted a couple of suspicious characters.
But it didn't act rashly.
It waited for the suspects to move into a secluded area. Only after confirming they were definitely trouble would it drop a thunderbolt to teach them a lesson.
Unfortunately, someone beat it to the punch.
"Gah!"
The suspect was struck on the back of the head by a girl wearing a cloak and collapsed instantly.
Raikou sniffed the air, its expression turning odd. It leaped down from the roof into the alleyway, staring at the visitor with uncertain intent.
"Roar..."
"Hi there~"
Zinnia gave Raikou a little wave. "You didn't come charging at me all grumpy today. I guess Kashiwagi told you who I am?"
"..."
"I didn't expect him to be hanging out with a Legendary Pokémon. Say... you haven't been caught yet, have you?" Zinnia pulled a Poké Ball from her pocket.
Raikou lowered its body warily.
While its guard against Zinnia had lowered, if she actually tried to catch it, it would certainly use all its power to shatter her delusions.
However, she was simply planning to release her own Pokémon.
"I don't know why you're hunting Team Rocket, but sorry, I'm taking custody of these guys." Zinnia gave the limp grunt on the ground a little kick. "Can't hand them over to you."
It wouldn't matter even if you did... Raikou thought silently. Its usual method for dealing with Team Rocket was to shock them unconscious, release all their Pokémon, and fry all their electronics.
The first part was fine, but once it did the second part, the poachers and Team Rocket members would get incredibly hysterical, looking like they wanted to kill it. It was as if it had destroyed something vital.
The more Raikou realized this, the more enthusiastic it became about doing it. It didn't care about their equipment one bit.
Come to think of it, if this Draconid was also hunting Team Rocket, didn't that mean Kashiwagi was bound to run into them eventually? Perhaps that "trial" of his was connected.
The things you want to avoid most are always the ones that find you.
Raikou felt a bit frustrated. It felt that if possible, it had to make Kashiwagi realize just how dangerous Team Rocket was so he wouldn't suffer later.
With that thought, it turned and jumped onto a nearby roof, climbing higher and higher.
A moment later, Raikou vanished from Zinnia's sight.
"The Ho-Oh guard seems to have a lot of free time... What was it even here for?" she wondered. It had left so abruptly that her plan to bring out Salamence was for nothing. She had thought they were going to fight over the prisoner.
Zinnia turned her attention back to the Rocket grunt.
As the sole designated Lorekeeper of the Hoenn region—the Draconids who had mastered Mega Evolution since ancient times—Team Rocket was a group she definitely didn't want to see poking around.
She especially didn't want them making any discoveries. Thus, she spent her time sniffing out their hideouts and secret bases to take them down in one go.
Zinnia knew she couldn't take on an entire army alone, but she was no amateur. Knowing that solid ice is best broken from the inside, she often disguised herself as a grunt to destroy them from within.
It worked every time.
She was honestly surprised by their intelligence. Why, after being burned so many times, did they still trust people so easily without raising their guard?
As a criminal organization, Team Rocket was practically more innocent than the League.
Zinnia stared at the man at her feet. She knew he wasn't a stray survivor, but a contact sent to meet the others at the base. He had likely seen the base was compromised and bolted, allowing her to track him here.
She was going to use this opportunity.
She needed to find out exactly what their next plan was, where they were headed next to cause trouble, and where they intended to source the Key Stones and Mega Stones they needed.
...
At the hotel.
When Raikou returned, Kashiwagi was sitting there, idly rubbing Galarian Corsola's shell while he waited. His bags were already packed.
"You're back? Let's get moving!"
Seeing Raikou hop in from outside, he quickly stood up and placed Galarian Corsola on his shoulder. He had almost worried that the big cat had broken its word and snuck off early.
Now, he felt he could trust this legendary cat's character.
What surprised him even more was the response.
"Raooor~"
Raikou actually acknowledged his greeting for the first time.