The Renegade Trainer

Gengar laughed at Maguro's scheme.

"Gengar--geng!" (You're still not there, but the plan isn't bad.)

"As long as the main request isn't altered, you're free to play to your heart's content." 

The Ghost giggled in understanding as the space begun to shift between them.

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure either. Wait---!"

Both Ruiz and and Iizumi were puzzled as an invisible force separated them. This was of course Gengar's doing. Being a high-level Pokémon, it had the power to influence its surroundings to a limited extent.

But all it needed to disorient the pair was a simple [Hypnosis].

Meanwhile, Maguro collected his loot from today's event. From the appliances, a new Pokémon, and a potential recruit, it was a bountiful harvest.

After stashing the items in a storage space, which worked similar to Pokéballs except for inanimate objects, he carried a tied Iizumi on his back while leaving Ruiz for Gengar and others to deal with.

Maguro left the haunted manor through the window, landing safely on a cushion he prepared beforehand.

'Well, what should I do with her? Iizumi definitely has a connection to my clan, but it's all pointless if she isn't aware of her Hisuian ancestry.

'Much worse, I might get charged for kidnapping. Hmm?' realizing he could check her bag and items, Maguro walked through her luggage to get some background info.

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A few minutes passed and after scanning through her notes, he didn't find anything noteworthy at all.

But Maguro was soon proven wrong.

Because after he read through one of her notebooks a page fell off. 'Oh? This paper is...'

From the texture, Maguro knew exactly what to do. Taking a lighter, lit a fire below the seemingly pyrophobic paper.

The torn paper had a hidden message that read:

My descendants, inheritors of the Hisuian legacy. We must be stay strong as the Diamond and Pearl clans are making advances on wiping us from history's pages.

I am from one of the four pillar clans, Ryugi Ashoka. I write this letter in hopes to contact my fellow Hisuian nobles. As my son-in-law has died, this will most likely fall to the hands of my granddaughter, Iizumi Ashoka. 

She may be ignorant of the whole truth, but I assure that Iizumi's loyalty lies with Hisui. Whether you may be from the Restoration activists or the shadows, or whichever Hisuian faction you hail from, please protect my granddaughter. That is my final plea as a pillar of the Hisuian legacy.

I promise the Ashoka clan's heritage will be helpful.

Maguro's eyes widened at the revelation, he never expected a single page to contain so much information.

"HEY!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Seeing the trainer who calls himself Maguro stick a flame under a paper from her notebook, Iizumi was infuriated as she thought that the boy was burning her stuff.

So she never expected what the trainer did next.

"Lady Iizumi Ashoka, it is an honor. I knew you were a noble, but never expected to meet the heir of Hisui's four pillar clans out here." Maguro performed a deep, respectful bow before her.

"What?" Iizumi blankly looked at him as if he were crazy.

'What's up with this change of tone? I didn't think this trainer could speak in such a way.' she thought while Maguro showed her the letter.

She was stunned, never expecting that the ripped page from her grandpa's notebook could contain something like this. 

"In fact, that entire notebook could contain a hidden message if you know how to check it."

Iizumi took a while to process things while Maguro spent some time with his Pokémon as they sat outside the mansion...

"By the way, where is Ruiz?"

Maguro lied through his teeth, "He went on ahead to Eterna city. After Gengar separated us three, I found you unconscious and rested you here outside. I didn't see him, but seeing the exit already open, I figured he must've left on ahead."

"I see." She was crestfallen hearing Maguro's alibi, looking down at the tombstones.

"More importantly, what are you planning to do now?"

A long pause befell the two before the Ashoka lady replied, "Grandpa wants you to protect me, so I'll be in your care from now on."

"It's an honor. However, I wanted to ask what is your goal in travelling with me."

"The goal of my journey hasn't changed. I want to avenge my grandfather's death."

"Well then, our interests align. Welcome aboard, Iizumi." As the sun fell to the west, the two Hisui descendants came to an agreement with a handshake.

With that, Maguro and Iizumi walked towards the horizon, finally ending the long Eterna forest journey.

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14 days later...

An orange plasma Pokémon was with a young trainer in prestine white jacket over a black turtleneck.

Maguro's green eyes covered by cool black glasses wandered across Eterna city as he wandered about.

After reaching a clearing at the city's outskirts, he clicked on the black watch on his right wrist. A microwave oven manifested from the storage.

"If you'll enter that oven, I'll treat you to sweet electricity. And maybe, just maybe, I'll let you consume an electric gem."

There was no hesitation, and Rotom went inside the appliance. It's form changed, and it grew significantly bigger.

This also stripped Rotom of its ghost type, but this Fire-Electric type Pokémon was exactly what Maguro wanted to pick up in Eterna forest.

"Good job." Rotom didn't lose its gluttonous nature even after changing forms, devouring the charged battery it's trainer gave without any remorse.

Maguro released the rest of his Pokémon.

"In 5 days, we will challenge the Eterna city gym. I've booked it earlier today." He told the team before taking out his Pokédex to scan them.

They stood in attention, hyped but calm in the face of a new challenge.

"It will be a three-on-three match. And the gym leader uses a Leafeon, Tangrowth, and a Torterra, all of which are high-level intermediate Pokémon (33-34).

"The gym specializes on steady, defensive, and long term survivability plays. That is why I planned our strategy around smashing their defenses as fast and efficiently as possible."

With a notebook, TMs, other items on hand, Maguro smiled to his team.

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[TO BE CONTINUED]