Chapter Thirty-Seven: The True Epilogue

Thunder and Lightning had both seen this person before. Or perhaps… they had only ever seen this person. Everyone else in the organization wore their own masks, but this individual, for some reason, rarely bothered with one. In his own words, “We’re not some sludge from the sewers—why should we hide our identities behind masks?” He was flamboyant, but sensible enough; in the presence of outsiders, he would obediently wear a mask, since that was the leader’s arrangement.

“The boss is fairly satisfied with your recent operation, so he sent me to pick you up. But there were some notable flaws: you just let the Punishment Jar fall right into the hands of the Alliance,” the bespectacled man said with evident displeasure, though it was only that—displeasure.

Thunder and Lightning both smiled awkwardly. They had indeed not paid much attention to the Punishment Jar, leaving it to the Gengar assigned to monitor Xin Xiu to snatch it if possible, and if not, to focus on eliminating Xin Xiu.

“We didn’t expect their actions to be so decisive, and those four hunters seemed to be hiding some of their strength,” Lightning explained to the man, not so much to excuse themselves as to clarify. The organization didn't seem particularly concerned about the Punishment Jar, after all.

“No need to explain. We’re all on the same side. Letting the Alliance keep the Punishment Jar is just another smokescreen. Hah, Gengar’s appearance was perfectly timed—it highlighted the presence of a mastermind while distancing you two, who don’t have any Ghost-type Pokémon. Well done.”

The man praised them. In this respect, Thunder and Lightning had indeed performed well; anyone who focused their analysis on Gengar would fall for their smokescreen. The entire plan was quite covert. Finding any trace of Thunder and Lightning would require someone to meticulously comb through the events from start to finish and be confident in their deductions.

Such a person hadn’t appeared in the Alliance yet!

Just then, the bespectacled man’s expression changed abruptly. He quickly released an Alakazam and produced three masks from who-knows-where. He donned a Kadabra mask himself and tossed the other two to Thunder and Lightning.

Thunder caught a Jolteon mask. Lightning received an Electivire mask.

Kadabra suddenly asked, “Did you leave any loose ends? Someone outside is rushing straight toward us! Wait… at that speed—is that even human?”

Thunder and Lightning exchanged glances, then shouted in unison, “It’s Chen Ou!”

Mismagius looked puzzled. “Chen Ou? Isn’t he human?”

Thunder: “That’s hard to say!”

Lightning: “That question is way too difficult!”

Mismagius: …

As the three bantered, Chen Ou’s presence reached the doorway.

“You two go ahead. I’ll deal with this… non-human,” Mismagius said with a grin.

“Kai! Listen to me—calm down. Let’s leave, don’t stoop to the level of that Pokémon!” Thunder urged.

“Yeah, Kai! Don’t act rashly, that guy isn’t someone you can outtalk,” Lightning added.

Both pleaded with Kai, who waved them off. “No need to say more! I’ve decided. You two leave first, I’ll handle him! Alakazam, take them away!”

Alakazam hesitated, but Thunder and Lightning darted to his side and grabbed his arms. Although their expressions were hidden behind masks, their trembling urgency was palpable—just short of shouting, “Go, now!”

With no room for doubt, Alakazam immediately activated Teleport, whisking the pair away from the scene.

Chen Ou rarely used Teleport himself. In the past, it conflicted with the spatial nature of this world, so he hadn’t developed the habit of using it for quick travel. Wataru, meanwhile, didn’t have any Psychic-type Pokémon at hand, so he lacked the habit as well.

As for the others, they had their own ideas interrupting their plans, so it never occurred to them. Ultimately, Teleport wasn’t a common method of travel in this world—it was brief, taxing, and exhausting for both parties.

Kai stayed behind because he suspected Chen Ou’s urgent arrival had to do with Thunder and Lightning. He wanted to know where the flaw in his plan lay, since he had devised it himself.

Behind his mask, Kai smiled, already deciding on the “cheerful” tone he would use to question Chen Ou. When his Sigil Bird informed him that Chen Ou was outside, Kai straightened his attire, determined to show proper respect to someone who could see through his plan.

But then the wall collapsed and fire surged in…

Meanwhile, Thunder and Lightning watched the roaring flames and towering pillar of fire rising from that side. As if rehearsed, each drew a cross over their heart.

“Farewell!” ×2

…

Kai was utterly bewildered. He stared at Chen Ou, whose whole body blazed with fire, his mind replaying the merciless pillar of flame from moments ago. Had his Sigil Bird not reacted instantly with Protect, he’d have been reduced to ashes.

No, something had to be wrong. How could such a reckless, unsophisticated, and utterly unprincipled person possibly deduce his plan?

“You’re one of the masterminds? Are you Thunder and Lightning’s superior? Where are they? Did you save them, or silence them?” Chen Ou rattled off a barrage of questions.

Damn, it really is this guy! Did the Creator make a mistake? How can someone with such overwhelming power also possess such intelligence?

It wasn’t the Creator’s fault… Chen Ou was a bug in the system, with cheats besides…

But Kai knew nothing of this, so his composure shattered. He grabbed Sigil Bird’s tail feathers and ordered it to ascend.

“Chen Ou! I’ll remember you! Next time, I’ll devise a flawless plan—and then… I’ll kill you!” Kai shouted, utterly lacking in grace.

Chen Ou gave no reply. Instead, an even larger pillar of fire erupted, blasting toward Kai.

“Teleport!” Kai frantically commanded.

The next instant, he vanished.

…

Thunder and Lightning, preparing to leave, saw the second pillar of fire and were indignant.

“Wow, kicking him while he’s down!”

“Seriously, that’s too much!”

Then they turned and fled. No way they’d linger—another moment and they might be next.

Besides, if Kai didn’t suffer, how could Chen Ou’s strength be properly demonstrated? Everyone knows that when defeated, the best way to regain face, aside from fighting back, is to brag about your opponent—especially to others.

Thunder and Lightning both wore the expressions of master strategists.

…

“So, how did it go?” Wataru, arriving late, asked Chen Ou, whose face was still aflame with anger.

“They escaped. The opposition is organized. As soon as I saw Thunder and Lightning slip away, I intercepted another person. Turns out he specializes in Psychic-types, so he got away.”

Chen Ou’s face burned, his tone full of regret.

“The other one wore a Kadabra mask—hard to identify. Be careful; I expect we’ll meet again soon.”

“We’ll search for these masked individuals with all our resources,” Wataru declared righteously.

Chen Ou waved him off without saying more. Wataru was diligent, but…

His mind still wasn’t sharp enough.