Raine lay limp on the ground. He was now completely alone. Everyone else who had entered the mausoleum was gone. Only he and Tetsuya remained.
And now, Tetsuya had become a living nightmare…
Terrifying.
Far too terrifying!
He felt like he could be killed at any moment!
Tetsuya was the one who had killed his grandfather. Should he seek revenge…?
He simply didn't have the ability. And they were still in Ecruteak Gym. If Tetsuya died, he wouldn't escape punishment either. Matsuba could end him with a flick of the finger.
On this point, Tetsuya and now also Raine, were thinking the same thing. They both wanted the other dead -to eliminate the threat- but now was simply not the time.
Tetsuya, however, clearly had the upper hand. First, in terms of strength, Raine was nowhere near his level.
Second, the setting. This was Ecruteak Gym, Matsuba's territory. Once they left the mausoleum, no one would dare mention it.
If Matsuba ever found out what had happened, as a Gym Leader, he would quietly deal with both of them. Their lives would be in his hands. Of course, Matsuba wouldn't be foolish enough to hand them over to the League, this was about the gym's reputation.
But as long as both of them kept their mouths shut, Matsuba would never suspect that two of his own pupils had been involved in something so dangerous.
So, within Ecruteak Gym, Tetsuya and Raine would remain "at peace." Just on the surface, though, they were enemies underneath.
Once they "publicly" left Ecruteak Gym…
Heh~
Tetsuya would never leave such a threat alive.
Out in the wilderness, Raine would definitely seek revenge for his grandfather.
Tetsuya glanced at Raine, who was still slumped over and deep in thought, then said, "As long as you stay under Matsuba's wing, you might make something of yourself. Otherwise, you should know what kind of fate awaits an orphan in this brutal world."
Raine slowly stood up, glaring at Tetsuya with hatred. After all, this was the person who had just killed his grandfather. But that look of hatred quickly faded.
Reality was harsh… it crushed the spirit.
Raine's grandfather was still frozen. The Eternal Ice on him had to be retrieved.
Tetsuya looked over at the nearby Machoke.
"Ditto, Transform into Machoke. Smash the ice."
As he spoke, the wristband on his right hand slipped off, revealing a burly Machoke.
It began hammering away at the ice with relentless Karate Chops.
After a few strikes, cracks started forming in the ice. Raine approached with his own Machoke, probably hoping to recover his grandfather's body.
Together, Ditto and Machoke broke the ice apart.
Tetsuya had only one goal: to openly retrieve the Eternal Ice from Raine's grandfather's body.
Raine could do nothing to stop him. He merely sent out Dusclops.
"…Use Will-O-Wisp."
Under the blue flames, his grandfather's body was reduced to ashes.
Raine felt torn inside. He was now forced to bow his head and live under Ecruteak Gym, and even had to see Tetsuya every day.
But sometimes, a person has to lie to themselves…
'Tetsuya only killed him in self-defense… yeah, my grandfather would've killed him otherwise.'
This was the only way Raine could find a sliver of comfort… for now.
Tetsuya never let anything valuable go to waste. He had Ditto, in Machoke form, move the Dusk Origin Stone from Matsuba II's mausoleum to the final chamber guarded by Gengar. With Mega Gengar there, it would be well protected.
Since the memoir said that this Dusk Origin Stone would be crucial for the future use of [Ghostly Flame], Tetsuya felt safest leaving it here.
On the corpse in front of the stone door were five Poké Balls: three Noctowl and two Magcargo that had lost the ability to battle.
Tetsuya accepted it readily. He could probably sell them for some money on the Black Market. Selling someone else's Pokémon was often the best solution; unless they had great potential and talent, in which case he might consider "reprogramming" them himself.
"You can stay here and mourn all you want. I'm heading up." With that, Tetsuya took his three Pokémon and started walking toward the exit.
Raine naturally didn't dare remain in such a place alone.
He hurried to follow.
"…To be honest, you were nothing more than a tool your grandfather used to steal Matsuba's ancient tome."
Tetsuya gave a cold laugh, tossing out the words casually, but with deeper meaning.
Raine swallowed hard. Thinking back on his short life, had he ever truly known a day of happiness? There had never been a childhood. From the moment he could remember, his grandfather drilled into him the idea of "reviving the Family." Any misstep brought harsh punishment. His twin brother, Storm, couldn't bear that life and took his own life… it had become Raine's eternal pain.
Was such a grandfather really worth grieving for?
'Brother… if it were you, you might've even thanked Tetsuya…'
---◓---
They emerged from the mausoleum. The sky was a dull gray, it was impossible to tell what time it was.
Although Tetsuya and Raine no longer spoke to each other, they both understood what needed to be done.
They twisted the mechanism again, restoring the stone pavilion and ritual vessel to their original appearance.
The scattered ashes were gathered at the four corners of the vessel, and its interior was disguised. No one would be visiting this place again for quite some time.
After finishing, both Tetsuya and Raine let out a sigh of relief.
Looking up at the sky, breathing in fresh air…
It really felt like a lifetime had passed!
They still didn't know exactly what time it was.
Neither dared linger. They ran back to the dormitory area, heading first to Ryuto's room. He was still fast asleep.
Checking the clock, it was the early hours of the third day. They had been inside the mausoleum for two full days and nights.
An overwhelming sleepiness crashed over them.
They couldn't worry about anything else now. Tetsuya returned to his room and took a hot shower.
Drew the curtains…
Sleep…
Until…
Ryuto's voice echoed through the hall.
"…etsuya…! Tetsuya! Why are you still sleeping? There's trouble at the Gym!"
Tetsuya opened his groggy eyes and got dressed.
Ryuto was still banging endlessly on the door.
He gathered his things.
"Uh… What is it?" Tetsuya opened the door and asked.
Ryuto caught his breath and said, "Someone showed up to challenge the Gym, and he's acting all arrogant! I got beaten right away, so I came to call you and Raine. Raine's already gone. I doubt I can handle this guy."
"…If you can't beat him, just give him the Badge."
Tetsuya looked annoyed. Things like Gym challenges weren't supposed to be this dramatic.
Gym Leaders were usually strong and had their own businesses. Anyone trying to overthrow a Gym would have to be stronger in both power and wealth.
Besides, family-run Gyms were loyal supporters of the League. As long as they weren't rebellious, the League would protect them completely.
So-called Gym Challengers were usually just overconfident hotheads.
Ryuto looked helpless. "Sigh… He doesn't even want the Badge. He's just blocking the Gym entrance."
Huh.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Now Tetsuya was curious.
"This guy's standing at the entrance, blocking Challengers. He says no one can challenge Ecruteak Gym unless they beat him first! But he's not even part of the Gym, who gave him the right!? I couldn't stand it and tried to reason with him, but I got beat up too…" Ryuto looked like he had been wronged.
Someone bold enough to cause trouble right in front of the Gym… could it be they knew Matsuba was away and felt emboldened?
Led by Ryuto, they headed to the front of the Gym.
Raine was already in the middle of a battle, commanding his Dusclops.
And the person standing across from him…
He looked very familiar!