Pokémon: A Trainer Who Masters the Six Powers from the Start

"This is no longer police business. You can all get lost now."

Segast stood before Rudy, face twisted in disdain.

"You—"

"Chief Rudy, if you want a fight, I won't stop you. But are you really my opponent?"

"In front of so many people, wouldn't losing be a bit… embarrassing? Might make it hard for you to hold on to that nice little title of yours."

"Besides, say you do beat me. Would you dare lay a hand on me? Would you even have the guts to step foot inside this company?"

Standing just inches from Rudy, Segast's voice dripped with scorn.

This was Segast Thune—blood heir of the Thune family. Technically, he was George's nephew, and that connection, along with a lifetime of being raised with that clan's sense of superiority, made one thing clear:

To someone like Segast, a mere quasi-Elite Four like Rudy didn't even register on the radar.

"As I said, you and your men can leave. Unless, of course, you want to tear your relationship with the Thune family to shreds. But are you ready to deal with the consequences?"

That was the final straw.

Climbing from beat cop to director hadn't been easy—Rudy had made it this far not just on ability, but by staying cautious and avoiding unnecessary risks.

And now, faced with Segast's not-so-subtle threat, his instinct was to back down.

If conflict broke out between the Elite Four and the Five Great Families because of him… it could be the end of his career.

"Chief Rudy, may I ask: is this man part of the police force?"

Just as Rudy was about to cave, a calm voice cut in.

"You're... Ron?"

Rudy squinted at the familiar face. He recognized him now.

When the team was formed, Bruno and the other Elite Four had circulated Ron's photo to ensure smooth cooperation. That photo—and proper ID—were what had let Ron walk through the crowd without being stopped.

Nearby, Vitch caught sight of the Gardevoir standing silently by Ron's side. A strange feeling of déjà vu pricked at him. The same uneasy recognition flickered across the expressions of several company executives.

"That's right. I'm Ron. Let's handle this matter together. But first—Chief Rudy, please answer my question. Is this man with the police?"

His voice was polite, but firm.

"...No. He's not."

Rudy had heard of Ron—plenty, in fact. And now he was curious: what would this guy do?

"Understood."

Ron nodded, then turned to face Segast.

"Hey, you must be that Ron guy, right? Let me give you a piece of advice—just because Bruno let you assemble a task force doesn't mean you can stick your nose in our business! This is internal Five Families aff—"

Before he could finish, Ron raised one hand—and Segast was lifted clean off the ground.

Gardevoir's psychic powers flared, plucking every single Poké Ball from Segast's belt in an instant.

"First: you're not law enforcement. I'm placing you under arrest for obstruction of official duties."

"Second: Show some respect when you speak about the Elite Four. You're nothing but an insect I could crush in my sleep."

"And finally: What exactly do you mean by 'internal Five Families business'? Are you suggesting the Five Families rule the League? That you can just ignore the entire Kanto region and do whatever you please?"

Ron's voice grew colder with every word.

Segast gasped for air, choking on his own arrogance. He couldn't even manage a coherent response.

"Chief Rudy, please hold him in custody at the station. I'll take full responsibility for whatever fallout comes."

Like tossing out the trash, Ron flung Segast to the ground and addressed Rudy.

"You bastard! Ron, do you have any idea what you're—!"

Segast barely got to his feet before he was sent flying again. A spray of blood and shattered teeth arced through the air as his left cheek ballooned grotesquely.

Not that he felt it—he'd already passed out.

"Threatening a League Inspector? Arrest him immediately. Once we're finished here, transfer him to the main League prison."

"If he resists—eliminate him on the spot."

"Yes, sir!"

Beno and the others scooped Segast off the ground. Their voices betrayed a barely restrained excitement.

After all, if Bruno trusted Ron enough to list him personally, then Ron's stance was clear: no special treatment for the Five Families.

And for Beno, that kind of conviction earned deep respect.

"Chief Rudy, I'll leave the suspect pursuit to you. These folks here, I'll handle them. I want to see what kind of intel I can dig up."

"Don't worry. None of this will come back to bite you."

With the Thune brat dealt with, Ron turned to Rudy with a quiet assurance.

Meanwhile, Vitch and the other executives had gone pale.

If even a Thune could be brutalized like that, what hope did they have?

"…Thank you."

Rudy hesitated—but finally agreed.

Nobody could say for sure who would come out on top in the power struggle between the Elite Four and the Five Great Families. Or what the cost of that victory would be.

But Rudy had clawed his way up from nothing. He didn't intend to die on someone else's battlefield.

Ron was satisfied with his answer. If Rudy had insisted on staying involved, it would've complicated the behind-the-scenes work Ron needed to do.

"I now suspect some of you are connected to a terror plot. You will comply with my investigation."

"Any resistance… and you'll be executed on the spot."

Ron's voice turned to ice as he stepped toward Vitch and his group. The killing intent in the air hit like a blizzard.

They cowered like a flock of cold, shivering Pidove, not daring to utter a single protest.

After getting access to an interrogation room, Ron began his questioning with Beno and the others.

There's no need to describe the process. The results were clear enough:

Vitch's group wasn't involved in the terror attack—but several trainers recruited by the Thune family were.

"Hank. Sho. Take these people to League HQ and report everything to Bruno."

"Yes, sir!"

Obeying Ron's orders, Hank and Sho got to work.

With their Poké Balls confiscated, Vitch's people were just regular civilians. Against a quasi-Elite Four like Hank and a High Elite like Sho, they wouldn't be causing any trouble.

"I'm heading to the Thune estate to demand justice."

"This will be dangerous. You don't have to come with me. I won't hold it against you—and I trust Lord Bruno won't either."

After giving them the choice, Ron turned and began walking toward the city outskirts.

Not one of them hesitated.

Beno and the rest followed close behind, marching toward the rising sun.

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