"I'm already here."
The night breeze brushed past the windowsill, gently stirring the hem of dark clothing.
Shiraishi Ritsu froze in place, clutching the reply he had just finished writing.
The man outside the window stood tall with his arms folded across his chest. A ninja mask covered the lower half of his face, and he gazed calmly into the room.
That outfit, that air about him...
Shiraishi Ritsu swallowed.
"G-Gym Leader Koga?"
"Indeed."
Koga gave a slight nod.
"Forgive my late-night visit."
Shiraishi Ritsu glanced down at the letter in his hand, then back up at the window.
Good grief!
He had only just finished writing his reply, and the man had already shown up in person!
Was this how efficiently ninjas operated?
"Gym Leader, please wait a moment!"
Shiraishi Ritsu hurried over.
Koga tilted his head slightly, seemingly expecting him to say something important.
Instead, Shiraishi Ritsu pointed downstairs with an utterly serious expression.
"Could we use the front door?"
"..."
Koga fell silent for a moment.
Then he nodded lightly.
"Very well."
As his words fell, his figure flashed away from the window and vanished into the night.
Shiraishi Ritsu quickly leaned out to look.
There was no one below, not a soul in sight.
"Hiss..."
He could not help sucking in a sharp breath.
"Partner, did you see how he got down?"
"Smeargle!"
Smeargle nodded excitedly.
It picked up its brush and swiftly made a few strokes in its sketchbook.
Shiraishi Ritsu leaned over for a look.
In the drawing, Koga used the windowsill and footholds on the wall to flip nimbly down.
His movements were incredibly fluid.
"You even caught all that?"
"Smeargle!"
Smeargle puffed out its chest proudly.
Shiraishi Ritsu suddenly felt that having this fellow draw manga with him was something of a waste of its talents.
With eyes like those, it was practically born to be an action artist!
Still, there were clearly more important matters at hand.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Shiraishi Ritsu opened the door.
Sure enough, Koga stood outside.
"Pardon the intrusion."
"Gym Leader, please come in!"
Shiraishi Ritsu quickly ushered him into the living room.
Yet he could not help muttering inwardly.
Sabrina could use psychic powers, Lt. Surge was built like a small mountain, and Koga had come straight to his window.
Why did every Gym Leader he knew have more distinctive quirks than the last?
Inside the studio.
Koga sat on the sofa, his gaze slowly sweeping around the room.
Character design sheets for Pokémon Adventures covered the walls, while unfinished storyboard drafts lay piled on the desk.
On an easel nearby sat a freshly completed sketch of a ninja in motion.
The person in the drawing was none other than Koga himself.
"This is..."
Koga rose and approached the easel.
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled a little sheepishly.
"After reading your letter, I discussed ninja movements with Smeargle."
"Smeargle!"
Smeargle raised its tail and greeted him enthusiastically.
Koga studied the drawing closely.
His drawn self had one foot planted against a wall, his body leaning forward and the hem of his clothing flying with the movement.
Though it was only a sketch, the pose looked entirely natural.
"Well drawn."
Koga nodded in praise.
Smeargle's eyes immediately lit up.
Another person who appreciated art!
It hurriedly opened its sketchbook to show him several other drawings.
Koga looked through several pages, growing more surprised.
"It drew all of these?"
"Of course."
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled and said, "Our studio's chief artist. Every finished manuscript has to pass through its tail."
"I see."
Koga turned to Smeargle and gave it a solemn nod.
"Impressive skill."
"Smeargle!"
Smeargle was so happy that its tail waved wildly.
Shiraishi Ritsu quickly pulled it back.
"All right, partner. Let's hold off on showing your work for now."
He poured Koga a cup of tea, then sat down opposite him.
"Gym Leader Koga, I've read your letter."
As he spoke, he handed over the reply he had just written.
"I was planning to send this to you through the publisher tomorrow. I didn't expect you to come in person."
Koga took the letter and briefly read it over.
"I originally came to Celadon City on other business. Hearing that Mr. Masuda's manga was quite popular with young Trainers, I wished to consult you in person."
"Oh, I wouldn't call it consulting me."
Shiraishi Ritsu hastily waved his hands.
"You're the Fuchsia Gym Leader. Your understanding of Poison-type Pokémon must be far deeper than mine."
"You're too modest, sir."
Koga set down the letter.
"Some of the tactical ideas in your work truly interested me."
He paused briefly, then posed his first question.
"For instance, in the battle where Venomoth used powder to block off a corridor, why did you have it release Stun Spore before launching a frontal attack?"
Shiraishi Ritsu blinked.
He had not expected Koga to jump straight into a technical question.
Still, this happened to be the subject he knew best.
"Mainly to restrict the opponent's movement."
Shiraishi Ritsu took a sheet of draft paper and drew a simple layout of the corridor.
"Venomoth can fly, so in an environment like this, it can use differences in height to avoid obstacles on the ground."
"And Stun Spore can inflict paralysis on the opponent. Once it hits, their movements may be affected, making it easier to launch the next attack."
Koga nodded slightly.
"But air currents also affect powder."
"Exactly!"
Shiraishi Ritsu pointed at the ventilation opening in the sketch.
"That's why I specifically designed this setting."
"In an open area, the opponent could quickly put some distance between them or use a move like Gust to give themselves a chance to blow the powder away."
"But a corridor has limited space, making the powder's path of dispersal easier to control. Venomoth can first use the powder to force its opponent to reposition, then look for an opening to attack."
Koga listened closely.
"Then what if the opponent uses a Poison-type Pokémon?"
"You can't simply copy the same approach."
Shiraishi Ritsu answered promptly.
"Poison-type Pokémon can't enter a poisoned condition, and Steel-types have the corresponding immunity too. Against opponents like those, you have to reconsider moves such as Toxic and Poison Powder."
"Although Stun Spore works on quite a few Poison-type Pokémon, you also need to consider their Abilities, moves, and the actual battle environment."
At this point, Shiraishi Ritsu smiled again.
"Besides, status conditions can't replace attacks entirely."
"If it encounters a really fast Pokémon or one capable of ranged attacks, Venomoth might not even get a chance to prepare."
Koga's gaze shifted slightly.
He had originally only wanted to see how much this young manga artist actually knew about Poison-type Pokémon.
He had not expected such clear answers.
Especially regarding the conditions under which different moves were useful.
Many Trainers just starting their journeys only knew that Toxic could continuously drain an opponent's stamina and that paralysis could restrict movement. They rarely considered how to create opportunities to land those moves.
Yet this young man before him had already developed his own understanding.
"Interesting."
Koga nodded lightly.
"You seem to have gained considerable insight from studying status conditions."
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled.
"I enjoy thinking about these things in my spare time."
He could hardly tell Koga how much time he had spent on all sorts of team compositions and movesets while researching Pokémon battles in his previous life.
Especially those stalling strategies built around status conditions.
They had once given plenty of players endless headaches.
Of course, real Pokémon battles were far more complicated.
Relying solely on ideas from the games certainly would not be enough.
"Actually, there's something I'm more curious about."
Shiraishi Ritsu suddenly spoke.
"Gym Leader, when you command Poison-type Pokémon, do you ever deliberately mislead your opponent about your intended target?"
Koga raised his head.
"Oh?"
"For example, using Smokescreen to block their vision, then having your Pokémon attack from another direction."
Shiraishi Ritsu picked up a pencil and drew a few simple routes.
"If you combined that with Double Team, wouldn't it be even harder for the opponent to determine your actual position?"
Koga looked at the sketch, his expression turning thoughtful.
"It certainly could."
"However, Smokescreen may also interfere with your own side's vision."
"So coordination between Pokémon is very important."
Shiraishi Ritsu picked up the thread.
"Exactly!"
"If a Trainer hasn't developed an understanding with their Pokémon beforehand, recklessly using a tactic like that might leave them confusing themselves first."
At last, Koga gave a soft chuckle.
"Sir, are you familiar with ninja tactics too?"
"Well..."
Shiraishi Ritsu rubbed his nose.
"I've read quite a few stories about them before, so I've studied how ninjas operate a little."
"I see."
Koga nodded.
He did not press further.
After all, many ninja techniques revolved around observation, concealment, and timing.
Applied to Pokémon battles, this knowledge could indeed produce plenty of interesting variations.
The two found more and more common ground as they talked.
From Venomoth's powder tactics to the timing of Weezing's Smokescreen, then to using terrain to cover a Pokémon's movements, their discussion gradually branched out.
Shiraishi Ritsu proposed ideas.
Koga pointed out potential problems from a practical combat perspective.
Some tactics sounded brilliant but required prolonged training to execute.
Some move combinations Shiraishi Ritsu casually suggested struck even Koga as worth exploring further.
Before they knew it, over an hour had passed.
Smeargle sat beside them, drawing paper already covering half the table.
It had originally only intended to record their discussion.
Yet as it drew, it ended up completing several more sets of storyboards.
"Speaking of which."
Shiraishi Ritsu looked at Koga.
"Gym Leader, could you demonstrate that move you used to come down from the window again?"
Koga paused slightly.
"Why?"
Shiraishi Ritsu immediately pointed at Smeargle.
"This fellow loves drawing high-speed movements. It was really excited by what you did earlier."
"Smear!"
Smeargle nodded vigorously.
It had already stood up with its drawing board in its arms.
Faced with the expectant gazes of the man and Pokémon, Koga fell silent for a moment before finally nodding.
"Very well."
They went to the small courtyard behind the studio.
The night deepened, and several warm yellow lamps lit the courtyard.
Koga first surveyed his surroundings, then walked over to the courtyard wall.
"A ninja's movements emphasize light, agile footwork."
"Especially in complex terrain, controlling your center of gravity is often more important than simply pursuing speed."
As he finished speaking, he suddenly took a step forward.
Then he lightly tapped his toes against the wall, using it to propel himself upward.
The loose hem of his clothing flared in midair.
The next second, he had landed steadily on the other side.
The entire sequence was extremely quick.
Shiraishi Ritsu's eyes lit up as he watched.
"Amazing!"
Smeargle was so excited that it nearly jumped.
"Smear!"
It swiftly moved its tail, recording the movements it had just seen.
Koga demonstrated a few more times.
On one attempt, he deliberately made as though to move left at the start, only to abruptly change direction and leap out from the other side.
Shiraishi Ritsu immediately caught the key point.
"A feint!"
"Precisely."
Koga nodded.
"If an enemy watches only the initial movement, they can easily make the wrong judgment."
Shiraishi Ritsu nodded repeatedly.
"We can use this in the manga!"
He hurried over to Smeargle.
"Partner, for that sequence just now, only draw Koga's foot stepping left in the first panel."
"In the second panel, have his opponent turn their head after him."
"Then draw him appearing from the right in the third!"
Smeargle immediately understood.
It swiftly adjusted the storyboard.
A few minutes later, a sequence of action panels brimming with speed was complete.
Shiraishi Ritsu was utterly delighted after looking it over.
"Beautiful! That's exactly the feeling!"
Koga came over too.
He had only casually demonstrated a few basic movement techniques and had not expected Smeargle to reproduce them so accurately.
Especially the final panel.
Koga appeared suddenly at the edge of his opponent's field of vision, with even the direction of his fluttering hem rendered in careful detail.
"Truly incredible."
Koga could not help marveling.
"This Smeargle really does possess a rare talent."
"Smear!"
Smeargle proudly raised its tail.
Shiraishi Ritsu laughed.
"Of course!"
"I owe it all to this partner of mine that I became a manga artist!"
At those words, Smeargle froze for a moment.
Then it lowered its brush and happily hugged Shiraishi Ritsu's arm.
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled and rubbed its head.
"All right, all right, you're getting extra food today!"
"Smear!"
Smeargle instantly grew even happier.
Standing beside them, Koga watched their interaction with a little more warmth in his eyes.
He usually trained Pokémon with Janine, so naturally, he understood the bond between Trainers and their partners very well.
Although this pair's way of getting along was somewhat unusual, it was also quite interesting.
It was nearly midnight.
Koga finally prepared to take his leave.
"Mr. Masuda, I've gained much from our discussion today."
He nodded solemnly to Shiraishi Ritsu.
"Your work's depiction of Pokémon battles certainly has much to commend it."
Shiraishi Ritsu immediately smiled.
"Smeargle and I are both very happy to have your approval."
"However, there is one matter I would ask you to keep in mind."
Koga's tone grew a little more serious.
"Though manga is fiction, anything involving real people must still be handled with care."
Shiraishi Ritsu immediately nodded.
"You can rest assured about that."
"The publisher has already included a notice in the work stating that real Gym Leaders have no actual connection to the manga characters."
He paused briefly, then added, "Future publicity won't use your identities as Gym Leaders without permission either."
After hearing this, Koga nodded in satisfaction.
"Good, then."
He glanced at the character design sheet on the wall.
"As for the version of me in the manga, since he serves as a villain, please continue creating according to your own vision."
Shiraishi Ritsu's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Koga said calmly, "However, should there be any obvious mistakes in your portrayal of ninja tactics, I'm afraid I may come to consult you again."
"Haha! You're always welcome!"
Shiraishi Ritsu answered with a smile.
Of course, it would be best to make an appointment next time.
He did not want to be taking a bath one day, only to suddenly discover another ninja Gym Leader standing outside his window.
As he saw Koga to the door, Shiraishi Ritsu finally remembered this question.
"Oh, right, Gym Leader."
"What is it?"
"How exactly did you find my studio?"
Koga glanced at him.
"I followed some leads, investigated, and found it."
"..."
Shiraishi Ritsu fell silent for a moment.
That answer was way too ninja-like!
Koga seemed to notice his concern.
"Rest assured, sir. I will not disclose this location to outsiders."
"Thank you, then."
Shiraishi Ritsu breathed a sigh of relief.
He certainly did not want his studio turning into some tourist attraction for manga fans right now.
Koga adjusted his sleeves and turned to leave.
But after just two steps, he suddenly stopped.
"By the way, Mr. Masuda."
"Hmm?"
"What do you plan to draw next?"
Shiraishi Ritsu thought for a moment.
"There should be a few more incredibly powerful villains."
"Oh?"
Koga's interest was piqued.
"More powerful than us?"
"Of course!"
The moment the manga's future plot came up, Shiraishi Ritsu became animated.
"There are plenty of important characters coming up, each stronger than the last, and their identities are quite unusual too!"
"Especially one of them..."
At this point, he abruptly stopped.
I almost gave away a spoiler!
Shiraishi Ritsu hurriedly coughed.
"Anyway, you'll find out when the serialization gets there."
Koga nodded lightly.
"Then I shall look forward to it."
After saying goodbye, he turned and left.
After walking some distance, however, Koga could not help looking back at the brightly lit studio.
Sabrina.
Lt. Surge.
And himself.
All three Gym Leaders had been cast as Team Rocket executives by this young manga artist.
And yet that brat's manga was quite popular.
Now, from the sound of it, he seemed to be planning to introduce even more powerful villains later on.
Koga fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly, he felt that those who had yet to appear in the manga deserved a little sympathy.
After all...
Who knew which unlucky Trainer Masuda Senbei would set his sights on next?