Chapter 81: Axing

“This is simply unbelievable! Someone would actually come straight to the hot springs… Didn’t you even check my room to see if anyone was there?” At this moment, a girl with violet hair dressed in black had already put her clothes back on. Her face was flushed red as she spoke.

From the way she spoke, she sounded quite justified, but seeing the blush on her cheeks, Amu had no doubt she was feeling guilty!

The Arrival of Tian’a

“Shouldn’t I be the one finding this unbelievable? Who stays completely submerged in the hot spring while bathing? And then, after being discovered, throws projectiles? Are you an assassin?” Amu immediately retorted, unwilling to back down.

Though Amu had noticed that the “projectiles” weren’t actually aimed at her, but rather thrown in a way that traced the outline of a body—as if to startle her into confusion so the girl could dash behind the rocks to change. Still, it had been dangerous!

“Not an assassin, a ninja!” the violet-haired girl corrected her with conviction.

Amu: …

“Is that really the point?” Amu felt exasperated.

“And they weren’t projectiles—they were shuriken,” the girl continued, pausing to explain, “Besides, I was underwater to practice my reed-breathing technique, not to hide from you!”

At this, Misty couldn’t help but ask, “So… you came here alone? Just now in your room, we saw…”

“T-that was my substitute! I was practicing the art of substitution, so I set up a decoy!” the girl replied, her face growing even redder, but she remained stubborn.

Misty let out a sigh of relief—so there was nothing unclean or sinister, good!

“So it’s entirely your own fault, isn’t it?” Amu immediately accused.

“C-couldn’t you have just knocked?” the girl retorted, still trying to save face.

But she really hadn’t expected there’d be other guests. Her clothes had been left on the far side of the rocks, so Amu and Misty hadn’t seen them when they arrived.

Now Amu looked at Misty in puzzlement. She had assumed Misty would have knocked the first time she went looking for someone!

Misty, meanwhile, was whistling and looking away. Truthfully, she had hoped the person next door wouldn’t answer her, so she’d have an excuse to invite Amu along. Of course, she hadn’t knocked.

“All right! I did make a tiny mistake—sorry.” The violet-haired girl couldn’t hold out any longer and finally admitted her fault… and immediately bowed low in apology.

“No, no, you don’t need to be so formal…” Amu had always thought there was something odd about this girl.

Her attire was very “traditional”—all black, with a red scarf, very much like a ninja.

But Amu went on, “At least it was me. I have night vision…”

Whoosh—

In an instant, the violet-haired girl leaped from her bow to land on a rock, half-kneeling, her hand gripping the short blade at her waist, ready to draw.

“Otherwise your throwing star might have hurt me,” Amu finished, at which point the girl finally relaxed and removed her hand from the blade.

She insisted once more, “That wasn’t a throwing star—it was a shuriken!”

“Ah! Are you a trainer from the Crimson City Gym?” Misty suddenly realized.

“Crimson City Gym?” Amu repeated, surprised.

She’d been to Crimson City several times, for various exams, but hadn’t visited the gym, not being a trainer at the time.

Thinking back, she did recall occasionally seeing people in ninja-like attire around Crimson City.

“That’s right! I’m Anzu, a Seven-Star Gym Trainer from Crimson City!” the violet-haired girl—no, Anzu—said proudly.

“I see…” Amu gave a knowing nod, glancing at the left side of the girl’s waist.

But the next moment, Anzu vanished from Amu’s line of sight, leaping again onto a rock, once more ready to draw her blade!

Yes, on Anzu’s waist was a birthmark that resembled an apricot blossom…

“Anzu… Ah! You’re Anzu!” Misty interrupted her intimidating stance.

“Huh?” Anzu looked at Misty in confusion, then gradually started to remember—she did look familiar.

“It’s me, Misty! Four years ago, at the Gym Leader Tournament—we met!” Misty said quickly.

Misty was only sixteen, Anzu seventeen; four years was a long time for girls of their age, so it was no wonder Misty hadn’t recognized her right away.

“Gym Leader Tournament?” Amu echoed, thoughtful.

The name Anzu had sounded familiar, but she’d been distracted by less important things… It wasn’t her fault she had excellent night vision!

Now that Misty mentioned the Gym Leader Tournament, Amu remembered—Anzu, in the games, was daughter of Koga, the Crimson Gym Leader, and would someday inherit the gym.

Another second-generation gym leader?

No wonder Misty knew her.

Although Cerulean Gym was in the northeast of Kanto’s Cerulean City, and Crimson Gym was in the southern metropolis of Crimson City, so they were far apart. Many years without seeing each other made sense.

“Misty? You’ve started your journey already?” Anzu, recognizing an old acquaintance, finally came down from the rock, her tone warming a little.

“Y-yeah… And you’re still training to inherit the gym, right? Are you traveling now?” Misty replied, a little guilty.

She had, after all, run away from home, so her answer was a bit evasive.

Anzu’s gaze wandered as she answered, “O-of course! I’m just also trying to train during my journey… heh heh…”

Amu: …

Gym trainers straddled the line between the academic and traveling schools—most would train at their gyms for a while before setting out on a journey.

Anzu’s skills were clearly above Misty’s; she was older by a year, and had just introduced herself as a Seven-Star Trainer—which meant she was authorized to judge challengers for the seventh badge at Crimson Gym!

“By the way, you’re heading to Mt. Moon too, right? Why are you staying here?” Misty asked curiously.

“I won a complimentary stay in a lottery at the department store… Didn’t expect the place to be so…” Anzu wanted to say “shabby,” but bit her tongue.

“So you’re going into Mt. Moon tomorrow as well? Are you after a particular Pokémon? We could go together!” Misty suggested.

“No… I need to train in the way of the ninja, so I’ll be moving alone,” Anzu replied quickly.

Thinking back to Anzu’s background in the manga, Amu’s thoughts deepened…