Chapter Nineteen: Reprimands Arriving One After Another

In the training room of the Tokiwa Dojo.

Chen Ou and Charmander, just brought back from the station, hung their proud heads low.

“We’re sorry!”
“Wuu~~”

Standing before them was Nanami, her lovely face shrouded in thunderclouds of anger, her eyes blazing as she glared at Chen Ou.

“Chen Ou! I just said you were more reliable than that Blue kid, and you pull this! Burning down the mayor’s house? What’s next? Setting fire to the research institute? Or maybe the stadium for the Quartz Conference?!”

Then... she noticed Chen Ou and Charmander exchanging glances, their faces lighting up as if they’d discovered a new continent.

“You two... are you really thinking about it?”

Nanami doubted she could win with words against these two, whose thinking seemed to defy all normal (human or Pokémon) logic. Maybe it was better to act instead.

She clasped her hands together, cracking her knuckles with a sharp “crack, crack.”

“Of course not!”

“No such thought!”

“Impossible!”

Chen Ou fired off three denials in a row. Sure, burning down the stadium for the Quartz Conference was a creative idea, but... he couldn’t do it. Burning that place would be a slap in the face to the League itself. Maybe in the past, he could have joined some villainous group, but now... Team Rocket was lying low, shifting from black to gray, maybe even trying to go legitimate. The other groups, lacking Team Rocket’s deep ties to the League, had mostly been wiped out; the few remnants scattered and weak.

Unless he founded a new villainous team himself, burning the stadium would mean a life on the run. Even though he’d crossed over in body, his “Fourth Calamity” mindset was hard to shake in this world. It was difficult to treat a world you’d only seen in games, novels, manga, and anime as real, even after crossing over. That arrogant sense of omniscience bred a deep-seated contempt for this world. Knowing how dangerous it was did little to change that... Some things can’t be changed just by telling yourself.

But starting a new villain team sounded even more exciting than burning the stadium! He had good relations with some legendary Pokémon; maybe he could create a group that worshipped Mew, seeking to plunge the world into nightmares only to return to Mew’s embrace.

He’d call it Team Mewtwo! Maybe he could persuade Mewtwo to be his right-hand enforcer. The group’s stated goal could be the absolute equality of humans and Pokémon, even allowing Pokémon to enslave humans—Mewtwo would eat that up!

Perfect!

“Thud!” A fist landed on his head.

“Chen Ou! Focus!” Nanami’s roar yanked him from his daydream.

Cradling the swelling lump on his head, he hissed, “Ow, Megumi, take it easy! I was just imagining things. I never meant to found Team Mewtwo.”

A vein bulged on Nanami’s forehead.

“Explain yourself! What in the world is Team Mewtwo?!”

————————————

Green stared speechless at Chen Ou’s bruised and battered face, which bore a dopey grin.

“Let me guess... You provoked my sister again?”

Chen Ou said nothing, simply flashing a dazzling (if foolish) smile and giving a thumbs-up.

Green recalled the resigned frustration and faint anger on his sister’s face as he’d arrived and watched her leave. He figured that after a beating like that, her temper had probably cooled, and all he could do was sigh, shake his head, and call over a dojo apprentice to fetch either a Chansey or an Audino.

Chen Ou’s face showed genuine gratitude.

Green grumbled, “Don’t get too happy. I’m also here on behalf of myself, my grandfather, and Red. We’re all here to set you straight.”

Chen Ou’s expression immediately drooped.

“Grandpa said: You should’ve discussed things with us. Once the truth was out, we could have either reported it to the League or used our names to make Bell back down. But burning someone’s house? That puts you in the wrong. Reckless! Brainless!

Red said: I know how much a burden unresolved issues like these can be for a Pokémon’s growth, but you don’t have to shoulder this alone. If we act together, the blame won’t fall on just you.

And I say: That was the stupidest solution dreamt up by the stupidest person!”

Chen Ou wilted, drooping like a frostbitten eggplant under the barrage of criticism. Green fell silent for a long while, then continued.

“But as trainers, and former trainers, the three of us actually think you did the right thing.”

Chen Ou looked up.

“Facing things head-on with Charmander, getting the apology you wanted, is much better than if you’d come to us for help. It puts you and Charmander on the same side, truly in sync.”

Chen Ou smiled.

“It was a reckless act, but when it comes to matters concerning their own Pokémon, a trainer shouldn’t overthink. Being a little naïve, even a bit rash, isn’t so bad. Bonds forged from sincerity are the truest bonds.”

Green smiled back, genuinely approving. He, Red, and Professor Oak all believed that Chen Ou had done well this time.

“How about Charmander?” Green asked.

“He’s training. I told him, if you don’t want me to get scolded again, you’d better get stronger—strong enough that no one has to worry about us over little things like this.”

Chen Ou’s smile was light.

Green hesitated, then spoke.

“What is it? Go on, after all the scolding, what’s a bit more?” Chen Ou chuckled magnanimously.

“Stop grinning... With all those bruises, it’s hideous.”

Chen Ou: “...”

“Green! Get lost!”

————————————————

On a shopping street in Jubilife City, Sinnoh—

“Cynthia? Cynthia? What’s wrong?”

A striking woman with short hair and a white outfit looked at Cynthia, who was frowning at her phone, and asked in confusion.

Cynthia snapped out of her daze and smiled, “It’s nothing, just a minor issue.”

Diantha stared at her suspiciously. Cynthia met her gaze with a gentle smile, then sighed softly, “It’s an old friend from Kanto. He’s in some trouble. I need to call him. Could you pick out an ice cream for me? I’ll join you after I’ve finished.”

Diantha chuckled and threw up her hands in mock surrender, “All right, all right, Miss Champion, you make your call. I’ll choose the ice cream, so you don’t spend half an hour deciding.”

With a playful grin, she walked off toward the ice cream stand.

Cynthia took a deep breath and dialed Chen Ou.

“Hello, Cynthia. What’s up? Missing me?”

Chen Ou’s teasing, irreverent voice came through the line.

Cynthia frowned, “You burned down the mayor’s house—are you all right?”

Chen Ou paused, then replied with a smile, “No problem. As long as I don’t completely disgrace the League here in Kanto, it’s fine. How did you hear about it?”

“I saw Lijia’s post—she said she’d heard someone torched the mayor’s house in Viridian. I thought about it and guessed it was you.”

“Wow, do I really look like an arsonist? Hahaha!”

“Don’t joke around. Why were you so angry?” Cynthia’s tone grew stern, though she tried to hide a smile.

Chen Ou was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m a trainer, after all. I caught a Charmander who’d been abandoned and framed, so I stood up for him.”

Cynthia paused, took a deep breath, then said, “Don’t be so impulsive next time. Find a better excuse, go in under the pretense of an investigation. If things escalate, you can say you lost your temper or got into an argument. If you really can’t find a reason, call me. I’ll come up with one from Sinnoh and commission you to investigate.”

After her words, Chen Ou was momentarily speechless. Cynthia realized she’d said too much, her cheeks flushing red as she wondered what to say next.

“Thank you. I’ll remember. Don’t worry, I won’t be so rash again.”

“Good. I’ve got to keep Diantha company shopping. Talk later!”

Cynthia hurriedly hung up, touched her burning cheeks, and looked up to see Diantha grinning mischievously with two ice creams in hand.

“Well, well, well, is the Champion Cynthia blushing? Tsk, tsk...”

“All right! Do you want to shop or not? If not, I’m going back to work!”

“Hey, hey, don’t be mad. I’ll stop. Let’s keep shopping!”