Chapter 20: The New Generation Rising After the Disappearance of the Villainous Organization

Why did you become a hunter?

“Being a trainer? That’s out of the question. There’s no way I could ever become a League trainer in this life—I don’t have Miss Diantha’s acting skills, or Mr. Siebold’s culinary talents, and I can’t even manage to be a model like Nessa. So, being a hunter is the only way I can make ends meet.”

Lei found it odd that Officer Jenny would ask such a naïve question. Perhaps this was the kind of obliviousness one finds among those from privileged families.

People like him—talented but not outstanding, from decent but not exceptional backgrounds, unremarkable in every way—they could support a family as trainers, but becoming rich and powerful was out of the question.

As the saying goes, all the ways to make a fortune are written in the criminal code.

In a whole year of being a trainer, he probably wouldn’t make as much as he could in a single job as a hunter.

Money is a scoundrel, but everyone likes the look of it.

Lately, Jenny from Viridian City felt she was losing hair at an alarming rate.

Her Arcanine partner would look at the hair on her brush every day with a look of pity.

Just the other day, she’d praised that Chen Ou fellow as a model citizen for his bravery in catching a hunter, planning to have the mayor give him a banner for his valor, only for him to turn around and burn down the mayor’s house…

And now she was stuck with this slippery character named Lei. In just three or four days, he’d already befriended the chef at the station’s cafeteria, and every meal sent to him was a special dish the chef made just for him.

Jenny herself had never been treated to any special meals!

She was curious how he managed it, but that wasn’t the point of this interrogation.

According to joint investigation requests from other leagues, a new, large-scale poaching organization seemed to be forming.

Though, from what they knew, it was still a loosely organized group. Still, letting such an organization—one that should have been stamped out in its infancy—grow to this scale was practically dereliction of duty on the part of the police.

But in all fairness, not all the blame lay with them. Leaving aside the rangers fighting hunters on the front lines, the disappearance of villainous organizations had also meant the loss of a major force against poachers.

In the past, the so-called poaching by these villainous groups was often just large-scale catching of Pokémon to supply their new recruits. They weren’t good people, but at least their blatant, large-scale captures were easy to target.

Back then, poachers—hunters, really—were hounded by the police, caught by rangers, and even suppressed by villainous groups. They lived under three crushing mountains. Add in the righteous, if sometimes meddlesome, League trainers, and hunters’ lives were nothing short of miserable.

The entire hunting profession was in dire straits, with gloom hanging overhead. Only the infamous Hunter J was openly active.

But now, with one mountain toppled, many from the villainous organizations had become hunters themselves. With less pressure and more talent, the hunting profession was thriving again!

Hunter gangs began springing up like mushrooms after rain, only to be cut down like fields of chives again and again.

The League was at its wit’s end. Departments grew visibly busier by the day. It was said that, not long ago in Hoenn, a certain infamous repeat offender was even lauded in the industry for his elusive ways.

Perhaps because their own Champion was constantly running himself ragged, the Kanto and Johto regions fared a little better.

And so, Lance received the League’s award for “Most Dedicated Champion.” Hard work does pay off—how touching.

However, rumor has it that Lance didn’t look too happy when he went up to accept the award… He must have had a stomachache! Someone even proposed establishing a “Champion Most Likely to Slack Off” award, but the proposer was thrown into the river and the idea was dropped.

Apparently, traces of Steel, Water, Psychic, Fairy, and Fire-type energy were found at the scene, leading to the initial conclusion that at least five Pokémon were involved. With too many suspects and the victim remaining silent, the case could only be filed as unsolved.

As for the rumors that all the region’s Champions had ruthlessly bullied the poor proposer, Alder of Unova and company issued strong denials and handed the matter over to their lawyers.

Ahem—back on topic.

During their investigation of Lei, Jenny and her team discovered his ties to the new poaching organization, so this interrogation’s real purpose was to get this old fox to talk.

But clearly, it wasn’t going well.

Lei dodged every question, spinning tales and cracking jokes. The answers he gave sounded plausible at first, but in truth were worlds away from anything of value.

Watching Lei’s sly, mocking smile, Jenny felt her hairline recede even further.

She forced herself to calm her anger, then her eyes narrowed, taking on a foxlike glint.

“Lei, your charge is attempted murder, and you turned yourself in. To be honest, it’s not that serious—a few connections could get you out easily. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?” Jenny asked with a cheerful smile.

“Oh, Officer Jenny, how could you say that? I simply made legal use of a loophole in the law,” Lei replied, still grinning cheekily.

Jenny smiled, took off her hat, and covered the camera on the wall. Then, under Lei’s puzzled gaze, she leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Did you know? Xiao Chen’s parents paid a hefty price to have you killed. If you’re no longer useful, you’ll be transferred tomorrow to Viridian Prison, deep in the forest. A lot of accidents have happened on that road.”

With that, she stood up, uncovered the camera, and looked back at Lei, whose smile had frozen.

Then she put on a helpless expression, saying, “Since you have no intention of cooperating, we’ll end here. Tomorrow, we’ll have two senior officers transfer you to Viridian Prison. I wish you all the best in your rehabilitation—may you become a new man.”

She put extra emphasis on “rehabilitation,” and the threat was unmistakable in Lei’s ears.

He fell silent for a moment, then said with a smile, “That organization calls itself the Poachers’ League. It’s loosely formed by minor leaders from the old villainous groups in different regions.”

“This time, I came from Kalos to Kanto as a courier. My job was to deliver something from the Kalos head to your Kanto chief. I left the package at the eastern edge of Viridian Forest, on a tree where a Shiny Pidgeot nests. That Pidgeot belongs to the leader.”

“I’ve heard the Kanto Poachers’ League is planning to attack one of the League’s starter breeding centers, but I don’t know which one. That’s all I know.”

Jenny regarded Lei in silence for a long while, her own smile fading.

“You’re quite bold.”

“Oh, come on. The previous generation dreamed of world destruction, and here the new lot think hitting a breeding center is bold? To be honest, they’re overestimating themselves.”

“So, you don’t agree with their methods?”

“We hunters are rats—without even a rat king, how can we hope to emulate giants like Team Rocket? That’s just asking for trouble. It’s not that I disagree, I just think they’re all idiots.”

He dropped his smile.

“My greatest strength is knowing the lay of the land. That’s also why, after more than a decade in this business, I don’t have a single scar to show for it.”