Meanwahile Back at Larry.
"Alright, then. I'm heading out. Take care of yourself."
Larry had taken an airship there. The timing was perfect, he would arrive in Yorknew City just in time for the upcoming events. After all, he hadn't forgotten his promise to Kurapika. Yorknew City's Pokémon.The Kurta Clan's Pokémon. He wanted them all.
"Be careful on the road. And don't forget, you can call me anytime if you want to eat~" Menchi's voice carried a trace of reluctance as she reminded him. Larry waved in response before disappearing from her sight.
After spending months indulging in the best cuisine Gourmet Paradise had to offer, his strength had reached an entirely new level. The sheer amount of top-tier food he had consumed had refined him in ways even he hadn't fully realized.
A while later, Larry arrived in Lukso City.
This city had recently gained attention as the home of the Nostrade family. Since Kurapika was supposed to be working for them, Larry figured he might as well stop by. There was always a chance he could catch something interesting here.
Not that he was getting his hopes up. In the original story, the Nostrade family's involvement was brief, just two episodes. In the grand scheme of things, Larry was certain they'd eventually move the focus to Yorknew City. This stop was just to test his luck.
Still, what he didn't expect was to run into someone unexpected.
In the distance, he spotted a short figure walking with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Dressed entirely in black, a skull mask covering half his face, the man's presence was impossible to ignore. Larry's eyes gleamed with interest.
'Feitan.' Larry hadn't expected to run into one of the Spiders so soon, but it wasn't entirely surprising either.
While Feitan was often seen with Phinks, in the anime, Phinks had arrived in Yorknew City before him. Feitan had instead traveled with Machi, Nobunaga, and Franklin.
'So, was Feitan on his way to meet up with them? Or was he taking an airship straight to Yorknew City, where they'd regroup at the meeting point?' Larry mulled it over, then smirked. An idea had already begun to take shape in his mind.
"Tch. I only came here because I heard there was a rare copy of The Taste of Candy and Pain for sale." Feitan grumbled under his breath, his sharp, narrow eyes flashing with irritation. "But there's nothing here at all."
His foul mood was palpable, and the air around him grew heavy with a chilling aura. Then, something caught his attention. "Hmm?" His gaze landed on a familiar figure slipping into the nearby woods. The sight made him pause, his eyes narrowing.
'Omokage?' For a moment, Feitan just stood there, stunned. That couldn't be right. According to the latest reports, Omokage was dead, killed by their newest member.
So what the hell was going on? Cursing under his breath, Feitan vanished in an instant, his form disappearing like a shadow in the wind.
In the dimly lit forest, Feitan moved swiftly, weaving through the trees like a phantom, leaving only afterimages in his wake. He followed the direction where "Omokage" had disappeared, his mind racing.
Minutes later, he arrived at a clearing. There, standing in front of him, was the very person he had been chasing. Feitan's sharp glare locked onto the figure in front of him, his voice as cold as a blade. "Omokage! What the hell is going on?! Did you deceive the others?!"
His grip tightened instinctively, his hand hovering near his umbrella sword, ready to strike at any moment. But just as he was about to demand an answer, something happened that caught even him off guard.
"Answer me, or do I need to torture you, " He stopped mid-sentence. His pupils shrank, and without hesitation, he unsheathed his weapon. The figure standing before him, the one he knew as Omokage, suddenly started twisting and contorting.
In mere seconds, its entire body transformed. Into him. "What the hell?! What's going on?!" Feitan's expression darkened, his voice dripping with hostility as he stared at the perfect copy of himself. His anger deepened, his narrowed eyes flashing dangerously.
Before he could act, a voice rang out from the forest behind the imposter. "What are you talking about? He is Feitan~" Larry stepped forward leisurely, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
He had orchestrated this entire setup, luring Feitan into the forest using the shapeshifter as bait. The confusion on Feitan's face was just as he had expected, though he would have preferred to see a hint of fear as well.
"Oh, right," Larry continued, his voice teasing. "Not yet, but don't worry about that." He patted the transformed creature on the shoulder and spoke pointedly, his gaze shifting to Feitan's increasingly hostile expression. "He'll be the real Feitan soon enough."
Feitan's face twisted with rage. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Did he actually believe some cheap imitation could replace him?
"Are you out of your damn mind?!" Feitan's grip on his weapon tightened, his voice brimming with murderous intent. "I'll cut you apart piece by piece! You won't die easy!"
In a blur, he dashed at Larry, his speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye. He was fast, lightning-quick, even. His entire combat style revolved around overwhelming speed, striking before the enemy even had time to react.
But Larry barely reacted. He didn't even lift an eyebrow. Feitan was fast, sure, but Larry had encountered much faster beings. Compared to them, Feitan's speed was nothing special.
A shadow suddenly loomed from above, an orange streak cutting through the sky. A monstrous force surged downward, crashing into the ground with terrifying power. 'Dragon Skill, Dragon Claw!'
A deafening impact shattered the silence of the forest, sending birds and small creatures fleeing in terror. Dust and debris shot up as the force of the attack carved a massive crater into the ground. And in the very center of it, standing completely unscathed, was a certain innocent-looking Dragonite.
And Feitan? He was barely recognizable.
Larry casually swept the lingering dust aside, glancing at what remained of the Phantom Troupe member with an air of disinterest. "There's always someone stronger," he muttered softly. "Be careful in your next life… if you even get one."
With the original dealt with, Larry turned his attention back to the Feitan lookalike standing nearby. "Alright," he ordered, "just follow his original plans and report to me if anything changes."
The transformed creature nodded obediently and turned to leave, heading toward the airship bound for Yorknew City. There, he was supposed to regroup with Machi and the others before heading to the abandoned building.
Larry watched "Feitan" disappear into the distance and sighed. "Man, this is way too convenient. It's a shame there's only one of these things."
The shapeshifter's abilities were incredibly useful. Aside from only having half the original's aura, it was a perfect replica, down to memories, speech, and mannerisms.
It made sense, though. The puppets created by his mask could retain memories too, so it was logical that a Pokémon with transformation abilities could do the same.
Not to mention, Pokémon had their own unique ways of communicating, even over long distances. That meant Larry could monitor every move the Phantom Troupe made from the inside.
Honestly, it was too good. His only real regret?
There weren't more of them.
"If I had a few more…" Larry chuckled to himself, imagining Chrollo's reaction. "He'd start wondering why all his comrades suddenly feel a little off."
Just the thought of it was hilarious. Chrollo, completely oblivious, only to one day realize that every last one of his 'companions' had been swapped. By then, the real ones would have long since disappeared.
Now that would be entertainment. But for now, he had other things to do.
"Alright, time to deal with that unexpected guest before heading to Yorknew." Larry climbed onto Dragonite's back, his voice carrying faint amusement. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon will show up from all the chaos?" And with that, he vanished into the sky, leaving behind only the faint whisper of his own musings.
The Phantom Troupe had no idea that one of their own had already been eliminated before they could even regroup. Worse yet, their fallen comrade had already been replaced by someone else.