Chapter 43: It's All Because of You!

The atmosphere inside the villa shifted abruptly, plunging into tension. In ordinary circumstances, Am might have dismissed this as merely a spat among friends. Yet, glancing at Conan, Am sensed this was not the time for complacency.

Dinner concluded amidst the heavy mood. To ease the tension, Hiroki produced a set of Pokémon battle cards and suggested, "Shall we play cards?" None of them possessed the talent to train Pokémon; even with Pokémon partners, they weren't suited for battles.

"Yes, let's!" Sonoko, ever eager for amusement, agreed at once. Chikako, however, stood up at that moment. "The rain has lessened. I'm going for a walk," she declared, and strode out without a second thought.

"Wait, the mountain weather can change—rain might start again at any moment..." Hiroki hurried to intervene.

"It's fine, I won't go far," Chikako replied, unmoved.

"Then I'll go with you..." Hiroki said, resigned, and followed her out.

Meanwhile, Shou, whose looks were not insignificant, approached Misty. "Beautiful lady, I can sense it—you carry the aura of water. How about a stroll in the rain?"

Sonoko puffed up with indignation. She had found Shou somewhat attractive and had hoped to strike up a conversation; when he walked over, she thought he was coming for her. But of course—such a thing could never happen! It wasn't about looks; Shou was wise enough to keep his distance from the heiress of the Suzuki Foundation.

"A stroll in the rain?" Misty’s expression was pure confusion.

"Just a walk in the woods..." Shou said, attempting to take Misty's hand with flippant charm. But instead, he found himself grasping Am's outstretched hand.

"She's a Water-type trainer. On rainy days, she needs to train rain-related skills and abilities. As for me, I prefer the air of the mountains and forests. How about I accompany you instead?" Am replied seriously.

Misty watched Am's retreating figure, her cheeks reddening slightly—why was he so anxious?

Shou froze, then laughed, "Haha, so that's how it is? I didn't see that coming. Well, never mind, I'll go rest." As he spoke, he glanced at Ran, completely ignoring Sonoko. Having just invited Misty in front of Ran, he couldn't simply switch targets now.

Am, for his part, breathed a sigh of relief—With a temperament like his, he was just asking to get himself in trouble. Thank goodness I was quick-witted and stopped him!

Turning back, Am found Misty with her head lowered, and Sonoko and Ran eyed him with a peculiar glint, especially Sonoko, whose gaze sparkled with gossip.

"What's wrong?" Am asked, puzzled.

Sonoko hurried over with an umbrella. "Am, do you want to go for a walk with Misty?"

"Huh?" Am was still confused. "With the rain barely falling, isn't it time to train Water-type skills?"

Misty stiffened. "Yes, I need to train Water-type moves and the 'Swift Swim' ability, haha..."

Sonoko and Ran exchanged glances, then asked, "Aren't you going to train together?"

Am looked even more bewildered. "Me? No sun, and it's raining—how am I supposed to train Grass-type or Electric-type moves?"

'Sleep Powder' and 'Thunderbolt'—can those be trained in rain? Do you even know the basics of training?

Misty, Sonoko, Ran: ...

Even Conan, nearby, wore an expression that said, "You really don’t get it."

"Well... I'll go train my moves, then?" Misty felt the atmosphere had reached a point where if she didn’t train, it would seem unreasonable.

Sonoko, though, hooked her left arm through Ran’s and her right arm through Sonoko’s, saying, "Training can wait—let’s go for a walk!"

Am glanced at the trio and then at the second floor. By rights, Sonoko and her companions, himself included, were outsiders. If there really was a 'culprit,' unless they were a maniac, they likely wouldn't target them. Thus, the most at risk was probably that playboy upstairs... followed by Chikako, who had just left.

"Wait for me a moment," Am said, and ran upstairs. The villa was spacious; Ayako had arranged separate rooms for him and Misty. Am's room was directly opposite the playboy's. Entering, Am released Voltorb.

"Boom?" Voltorb looked at Am quizzically.

"Boom, I have a feeling the person opposite might be in danger soon. I need to step out for a bit—could you keep an eye on things?" Am patted Voltorb's wooden-feeling head.

If it were a tournament, Voltorb wouldn't give Am the time of day, not having acknowledged his prowess as a trainer. But for someone's safety, it was willing to stay alert.

"Thanks!"

Though Voltorb turned away with tsundere pride, it didn't refuse, and Am knew it had agreed. Then he rejoined Sonoko and the others outside.

"I'll go with you as well! There might be Ursaring in these woods, and besides... we can look for Chikako and Hiroki, who just left," Am declared matter-of-factly.

Naturally, Conan followed.

The rain was light, more a pause than a downpour. Once in the woods, umbrellas weren’t necessary. The three girls walked ahead; Am and Conan lagged behind.

"Hey, why did you stop that pretty boy from walking with Misty?" Conan asked, a mischievous look on his face.

"Huh? Because of you..." Am answered, entirely self-assured.

Conan: ???

What does that have to do with me?

"Didn't you notice? Wherever you are, people get impulsive, even murderous. I think those folks have some unresolved issues, and that playboy acts too flippantly. With you here, someone might just decide to get rid of him!" Am continued, still confident.

Conan was skeptical. "Oh? Are you sure it wasn't because of Misty?"

"No, I would've stopped him no matter whom he invited—Sonoko or Ran, it's the same," Am replied, utterly certain.

Conan: ...

"Ran doesn't need your worry. Mind your own business," Conan rolled his eyes skyward.

"By the way, are you sure you don’t want to check if you have a Ghost-type talent? Maybe the power of the Grim Reaper or something."

"That joke isn’t funny—"

"Ah!"

Just then, a scream pierced the air.

"What happened?" Am and Conan tensed instantly, rushing forward.

They found a humanoid coffin, its back sprouting shadowy hands reaching toward Misty and the others.

If it had been a wild Pokémon, Misty and her friends could have responded with their own Pokémon in battle. But this scene shattered their nerves; they screamed and fled in terror.