Chapter 313: Suspicion
When talking about this, Rinko trembled slightly for some reason. Her expression was extremely focused, yet her eyes were unfocused, distant, as if she had traveled through time and space and was seeing that traumatic scene again.
"When I looked out from the balcony," she continued, her voice strained, "I saw a group of people in official-looking uniforms.
They claimed to be from the Kanto League and had come to inform me that my parents had committed a major crime in Celadon City – multiple cases of murder, killing six people. And the dead, they said, were all famous, high-ranking Trainers."
"They demanded that I open the door, saying they wanted to search the house. But how old was I at the time? Just a child. I was completely stunned by the news, utterly terrified.
And those people, they didn't care whether I agreed or not. They just released their Pokémon to force their way in."
Her voice grew more agitated. "Their violent means triggered the Vileplume, my mother's Pokémon, that my parents had left to guard the botanical garden.
A foul, overpowering Stun Spore spread out and drove them back temporarily. But then they attacked Vileplume like crazy. Vileplume fought with them desperately to protect me.
At that time, Vileplume's power caused the entire house to be wrapped in thick, protective vines. I could only hear the terrible sounds of fighting outside…"
When she said this, Xiu could hear her voice was a little choked up, and a palpable sense of sadness and old fear was spreading from her.
"When the vines were finally broken through," Rinko went on, her voice barely a whisper, "I only saw Vileplume lying defeated outside. And those people… they approached me.
However, this place and Professor Oak's research institute are not far apart. The noise of the battle just now had alarmed Grandpa Oak on the other side. He brought his Dragonite to stop those people and managed to drive them away."
"But when I got outside to Vileplume… it had already lost all signs of life. Even Grandpa Oak, with all his knowledge, couldn't do anything about it. Vileplume… it left me forever that day."
Although Xiu had already guessed some parts of this tragic story, he still felt a deep sense of pity for Rinko when he saw her like this, reliving the trauma. He comforted her gently, "It's all over now, Rinko."
Rinko shook her head, her expression still distant, but a little calmer now. She continued with the story she had just told. "Later, with Grandpa Oak's intervention, people from the Alliance contacted me formally. They said that my parents were officially missing, presumed fugitive.
But the killings they had allegedly committed could not be let go, and financial compensation needed to be made to the families of the dead. Then, the matter of the Stun Stem was decided.
They decreed that the proceeds from the botanical garden's Stun Stem harvest would be given to the families of those people as ongoing compensation."
"Huh! And you believe this stuff?" Xiu couldn't help but complain skeptically after hearing this. "If they wanted monetary compensation, they wouldn't settle on just this.
Don't you have access to your parents' money and Professor Oak's support? So, it's clear they were just after the Stun Stem itself, or control over it.
But perhaps even the 'Professor' faction within the Alliance didn't dare to snatch it openly at that time, so they covertly framed it as 'compensation'."
Rinko didn't pay much attention to Xiu's cynical remarks but continued to talk about what she had just said. "Because my parents were afraid that I would be lonely at home by myself, they would always contact me via video call around 9 p.m. every night when they were away.
That night, the night before… all this happened… they contacted each other as usual. Although, looking back, their call was a bit strange, I wasn't paying close attention at the time. I just wanted to go to bed. I didn't notice their abnormal tone at all."
She paused, a frown creasing her brow. "Later, I realized that they had seemed to be in a very low mood, as if they had been deeply frustrated or disappointed by something.
At the same time, I also noticed that some of what they said was very strange. They told me that, 'Only by nurturing the Pokémon around you properly can you truly inherit the garden,'."
"So, you suspect there's something wrong with the official story?" Xiu asked.
Rinko looked a little bewildered, her gaze unfocused again. After a few seconds of pausing, she slowly shook her head and said, "I don't know either…"
When Xiu heard this, he realized that Rinko had harbored suspicions about her parents' alleged crimes and disappearance for a long time.
But, trapped here in the isolation, she had no way to investigate and no means to find the truth, so her suspicion had remained just that – a gnawing, unresolved doubt.
"I just didn't expect that would be the last time I ever heard my parents' voices…" Rinko sighed, a profound sadness in her voice.
Xiu let her sit in silence for a moment, then, composing himself, said to Rinko in a serious, firm manner, "The reason you've been vulnerable is that you have had no power of your own.
Only when you have enough power – personal strength, capable Pokémon, influential allies – can you truly control your own life and not be manipulated by others.
And I will help you gain that power, help you regain control of your life."
Although he didn't know the full truth about her parents' incident, Xiu understood that if she ever wanted to investigate the matter thoroughly, there would be little hope of relying on the power of others to bring justice.
Justice, in this world, often depended on how big and hard one's own fist was. So, he wanted to teach Rinko how to make her "fist" bigger and harder.
"Okay," Xiu said, shifting gears. "Have you finished reading that book on Pokémon combat theory I gave you?"
"Huh!" Rinko was a little unable to follow Xiu's strange, abrupt train of thought, but still responded subconsciously, "Yes, I've finished reading it…"
"Okay! Then let me test you." Xiu was not polite at all and immediately blurted out a series of questions, covering various tactical scenarios and Pokémon typings.
He had written that introductory combat manual himself, so he knew exactly what was in it. These issues were also at the core of developing a sound strategic mind.
Rinko didn't offer any excuses. She could answer all the questions Xiu asked, and it was obvious that she had studied the material seriously and diligently.
"Okay, you already have a basic concept of Pokémon combat, and you know how to differentiate between organized battles and practical, no-holds-barred combat," Xiu acknowledged. "But this is just the basics. You still have a lot to learn."
"Yes!" Rinko replied, eager.
Xiu then used Abra and Scizor as examples, explaining how to cultivate combat awareness in Pokémon, how to anticipate opponent moves, and how to choose different combat plans according to specific situations and environments.
Rinko not only had to learn these concepts herself, but she also had to go back and effectively teach her Gloom. However, Xiu estimated that it would not be long before she would become a Vileplume, especially with a Leaf Stone now available.
"In fact," Xiu continued, "since you have the money and the time, I suggest you go find some more Pokémon to train."
Xiu had discovered very early on that Rinko was not short of money. After all, in addition to the Stun Stem that the Alliance effectively got for free, she also had a lot of other rare botanical materials from the garden to sell.
Some of these materials were not cheap, and the products cultivated by the Murasame family were renowned for their high quality and were very popular with certain discerning buyers.
Some of her customers were even loyal clients left to her by her parents. Another factor was that Rinko's personal living needs were terribly low.
Apart from the basic necessities of food and clothing, she had almost no other place to spend money. With the inheritance and assets left by her parents, Rinko could be considered a small, wealthy woman.
"But I haven't even raised my Gloom that well yet," Rinko said, looking a little worried as she hesitated.
"I've also seen quite a few Pokémon in my time," Xiu reassured her, "and I can generally tell whether they're well trained or not. Your Gloom is well-trained, Rinko.
You just didn't put enough focused effort into its combat abilities before, focusing more on its general health and happiness. Don't underestimate yourself or your Pokémon."
Among so many Pokémon types, Grass-types often had relatively lower baseline training requirements in terms of raw resource consumption, but they also tended to grow and mature for quite a while, taking a long time to reach their full potential.
Just like this Gloom; it had been with her since she was very young, and even now, after so many years, there hadn't been obvious, rapid growth in its combat power until recently with more focused training.
That's why Xiu suggested that she get another Pokémon, or even several. After all, according to her clear preference, any new Pokémon she acquired would most likely be Grass-types.
"There are a lot of interesting Grass-type Pokémon in Kanto," Xiu mused. "Like Paras or Bellsprout. Of course, a Bulbasaur or its evolutions would be even better, but it's very hard to encounter them under normal circumstances without significant League connections or luck."