[Pokemon] Chapter 65: VS Lapras

From the surface of the sea, Lapras glared up at Jin, who stood at the bow of the ship, with seething hatred. Jin, in turn, returned the look with an icy, almost disdainful gaze, as though he were looking at trash. That expression only further enraged Lapras.

HOOOOOH!”

Trembling with fury, Lapras charged straight through the water toward Jin at the bow.

Compared to Pokémon like Arboliva, Lapras’s size was more "normal," but even so, it was still massive. If it rammed the ship, not only Jin but the entire vessel would take serious damage.

“It’s got power, I’ll give it that… But you’re full of openings. Iron Head!”

Just then, a Pokémon shot up from below the surface, slamming a powerful headbutt into Lapras’s side and halting its charge.

“Miiilooo!”

It was Milotic—Jin’s Pokémon, who had been released into the sea before the white mist appeared.

Milotic, under Jin’s instructions, had been lying in wait beneath the ship, prepared to strike the moment Lapras revealed itself. When the fog rolled in and Lapras approached the ship, Milotic confirmed Jin’s suspicions and moved into range, staying alert for an ambush.

“Hooo!”

Lapras, startled by the unexpected attack, took some damage but quickly regained its footing and counterattacked with a high-speed tackle that sent Milotic flying near the ship.

…What incredible power. That was just a charge, and it packed that much force… figures—it is one of the Six Heroes.)

A normal Pokémon would’ve taken massive damage from a direct hit like that. It was possible that, like the other Six Heroes, this Lapras had undergone some extraordinary mutation beyond common sense.

But with Milotic as she is now…)

Despite taking a direct hit, Milotic gracefully recovered her posture and smiled elegantly, signaling that she was still ready to fight.

“!?”

Lapras was visibly shocked. It hadn’t expected to finish the fight with one blow, but it also hadn’t expected its attack to do so little damage.

…Glad I prepared ahead.)

Jin glanced at the small, empty vial in his hand—what Milotic had drunk before diving into the sea.

It had contained Tepen’s “Homemade Super-Strong Burn Serum,” which Jin had acquired along with the sleeping powder. It had put Milotic in a burned state, but in exchange, activated her ability, Marvel Scale, boosting her defense by 1.5 times.

Milotic already has high durability, but with this prep, she’s tougher than ever. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to face her myself.)

The burn’s damage was offset by a pre-applied Aqua Ring, allowing her to recover more than she lost. And with the Shell Bell item she was holding, she could recover HP each time she dealt damage.

…I almost feel bad. But when it comes to pirates, I can’t afford to hold back.)

“Milotic! Dive under!”

Milotic vanished beneath the waves once more. Lapras, wary of another sneak attack, dove after her—but Jin was quicker to respond.

Twister!”

Just as Lapras began to submerge, a spiraling Twister burst from the water, catching it mid-dive and launching it back to the surface.

“Surround Lapras!”

Before Lapras could regain its balance, Milotic conjured three more Twisters, making four total that whirled around Lapras in a ring.

“H-Hooo…”

With the Twisters forming a cage, Lapras was completely trapped. But it didn’t end there—Milotic manipulated one of the Twisters from below, striking Lapras from a blind spot.

“!?”

She then pulled it back and sent another Twister in for another strike, preventing Lapras from focusing on a single target. Even a hardy Pokémon like Lapras began to show signs of strain from the repeated hits.

“…Could that really be all you've got?”

Lapras had an impressive frame and brute strength—but compared to Galarian Moltres, its battle skills fell short. That was Jin’s current impression: just a pirate after all.

“!? HOOOOOH!”

Enraged by Jin’s thinly veiled contempt and disappointment, Lapras let out a howl and began to sing. At the same time, a shimmering orb of water formed above its head.

Sparkling Aria...)

The orb burst, splitting into multiple droplets that flew toward the Twisters, destroying all four.

“...Well then.”

With one powerful Sparkling Aria, Lapras had eliminated all the Twisters. Its sheer move strength was undeniable—Jin reminded himself to treat this as a serious battle.

Still, until I know its Ability, I can’t recklessly use Water-type moves…)

Lapras could have Water Absorb, Shell Armor, or Hydration. If it had Water Absorb, then Water moves would not only be useless—they’d heal it. Since Milotic had already dealt damage through surprise and tactics, it was too risky to throw that advantage away.

Fine. I’ll just chip it down bit by bit…)

It’d turn into a war of attrition, but Jin trusted Milotic could handle it.

“HOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

Suddenly, Lapras let out an earsplitting roar—not as intimidation or to raise morale, but as if calling out to someone. The sheer volume made Jin freeze for a moment.

“…What was that?”

But even after that, Lapras didn’t move. Jin decided to watch and wait.

“……! What—?”

Moments later, the ship began to shake again. Jin grabbed the railing just in time and glanced to the side to identify the cause.

It was the Wailord that had been moored alongside them—Lapras’s allies—pulling away.

…So that’s it.)

The roar had been a signal to retreat. There were two possibilities: either they were giving up the fight and fleeing, or…

The other possibility—Lapras is about to use a massive move that could hurt its own allies.)

Lapras didn’t want to risk friendly fire and had sent them away. That seemed most likely.

“…Alright. Let’s go, Milotic!”

Hearing Jin’s command, Milotic burst from the water, positioning herself between the ship and Lapras. Meanwhile, Lapras, having seen its allies withdraw, began concentrating icy energy in its mouth.

“HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

Lapras fired a devastating Ice Beam—so cold it froze the surrounding sea as it launched straight for Milotic.

Mirror Coat!”

Milotic’s body glowed with a rainbow shimmer as she intercepted the Ice Beam. Normally, the move would be doubled and reflected instantly, but the sheer power slowed her down. Seconds—maybe dozens—passed in their standoff, though to those watching, it felt endless.

But every battle must end—and the one to endure was...

“MILOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

Milotic held firm. With immense effort, she reflected the Ice Beam back at Lapras, inflicting serious damage and even freezing its surroundings, trapping it in ice. Lapras’s shocked expression said it all—it hadn’t expected to be sealed in ice itself.

“Milotic! Bind it!”

Sensing the perfect opportunity, Jin gave the command. Milotic, despite her injuries, surged across the surface and coiled around the immobilized Lapras, completely restraining it.

“Now, Iron Head, one after another!”

With Lapras pinned, Milotic hammered it with repeated Iron Head strikes. The already-wounded Lapras groaned under the relentless blows, while Milotic’s Shell Bell restored her stamina with each hit.

Lapras’s strength was nearly gone. It couldn't move and could barely even resist. At this rate, it would lose consciousness and be declared unable to battle.

…Looks like it’s over.)

But just as Jin was sure of victory, an unexpected interruption occurred—from behind Lapras.

Wheeeeeeeeeeel!”

The Wailord group had returned. Once in range, they fired Water Guns at Milotic, trying to knock her off.

“…Milo.”

But Milotic barely flinched. It was more annoying than damaging. Type advantage aside, the difference in level was just too great.

Only Lapras is strong. The rest are nothing but common thugs.)

These were petty crooks who could only steal under the cover of mist. Their clumsy attacks said everything—this wasn’t a trained team.

“WHOOO! WHOOOH!”

Even Lapras knew its allies couldn't win. But it cried out regardless—trying to buy them time to escape.

…They really do care for each other.)

Despite being pirates, both Lapras and its allies truly valued their comrades. Ignoring Lapras’s command, the Wailord struggled desperately to rescue it. Seeing that their long-range attacks were ineffective, one of them began closing in, switching to close combat.

“…No choice. Milotic, back off!”

Even Milotic couldn’t withstand focused fire from over ten Pokémon while restraining Lapras. Though it was a golden opportunity, Jin had no choice but to retreat and regroup.

Wheeeeeel!”

The Wailord group surrounded the freed Lapras, forming a living shield to protect it. Then, from their blowholes, they blasted Mist, cloaking themselves completely. Moments later, the mist cleared—and they were gone.

“So it can use Mist, too… I didn’t expect that.”

But there was no point regretting it. There was nothing more Jin could do. He recalled Milotic into her Poké Ball.

Rotom-rotom-rot! Rotom-rotom-rot!

As he did, his Rotom Phone rang. It was a call from Liko.

『Jin! Are you okay!?』

“…Thanks for worrying. I’m alright.”

Liko’s voice came even before Jin could reply, showing just how much she had feared for him.

“But Lapras got away. Looks like I underestimated it.”

『I see… Oh! Friede says he wants a full report—can you come to the meeting room?』

“Got it. I’ll be right there.”

---

Once everyone had gathered in the meeting room, the other members immediately demanded an explanation about what had just happened. Although they had followed Jin and Friede’s instructions, none of them had been told the full story, so their reaction was only natural.

“You all saw it, right? While Lapras was drawing our attention with its song in the fog, its partner Pokémon approached the ship and tried to make off with all the food from the cargo hold. That’s the trick.”

“So… that’s the truth behind the Song of the White Mist?”

“Yeah. That cargo ship captain? He was completely duped. Didn’t even realize who’d taken his supplies.”

“You figured all that out…?”

“I didn’t,” Friede said. “That was Jin.”

All eyes turned to Jin. If this had been right after they’d first boarded the ship together, they might have doubted it—but not anymore. After all they’d been through, it wasn’t strange at all that Jin had seen through Lapras’s true nature.

“There were a few clues. The sudden appearance of fog. All the food missing. If it had been just one or the other, I might’ve chalked it up to coincidence. But both? At the same time? No way.”

If there was one more factor to add, it was Jin’s slightly cynical nature. He believed in the goodness of people and Pokémon—but also knew just how real malice could be. That awareness might have been what allowed him to see what others didn’t.

“You figured all that out from just that…? You really are amazing.”

“I still let them get away, though. I misjudged them.”

Jin had hoped to capture them for sure. What caught him off guard was the strength of the bond between the pirate Pokémon—stronger than he had expected.

“Maybe Lapras traveled across regions, gathering companions. They’re basically the Lapras Pirate Crew.”

“Pokémon forming a team like that…”

“Yeah. I’d heard Lapras were intelligent, but not this much.”

“That’s why we had them confirm whether the Pokémon were really after the food,” Friede added.

“You could’ve told us that first! I was panicking!”

“Sorry about that. It was my idea,” Jin admitted. “I wanted everyone to act as naturally as possible.”

Just like Murdock said, Lapras was smart. If anyone had acted suspiciously, the raid might’ve been called off. And if that had happened, capturing—or even encountering—Lapras again might’ve become impossible.

“But… why would Lapras and the others do something like that?”

“Seriously… stealing human berries and Pokémon food?”

“You think it’s wrong?”

As Liko and Roy began to criticize Lapras’s actions, Diana gently interjected.

“It might seem that way to us. But what about from Lapras’s perspective?”

“From Lapras’s perspective?”

“That’s right. Working together to get food and sharing it among friends—that might not be right or wrong to them. That might just be how they live. One way of surviving in nature.”

“Grandma…”

“Humans and Pokémon coexist in all kinds of ways in this world. Living together isn’t the only form of coexistence. But… Pokémon Trainers are the ones who bridge the gap between Pokémon and people.”

Liko listened intently, nodding solemnly.

Diana certainly had a point. There may be times when a creature has no choice but to steal in order to survive. That’s just another form of nature.

But…

“No. I can’t accept that.”

Jin’s voice cut through firmly, directly opposing Diana’s view.

“I understand where you’re coming from. But just because there’s a reason for stealing doesn’t mean it’s justified.”

If it had been wild Pokémon stealing from each other, Jin could have accepted it as part of nature. But Lapras and the others had interfered in the human world—and Jin didn’t believe that was something to overlook.

“In this world, humans and Pokémon live side by side. I’m not saying everyone has to get along. But because we live together, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Things that shouldn’t be broken. And they tried to break that.”

“…I’ve investigated the Song of the White Mist for years. I never once heard any reports of theft or violence. They’ve never been known to cause harm.”

“Their personality doesn’t matter. No matter how kind someone is, what matters is what they did.”

If a person committed a crime—no matter how beloved they were—they’d still be judged by the law. Maybe their situation would earn sympathy later, but they’d still be arrested first.

“And you say they don’t like violence—but when the fog cleared and they were caught in the act, they didn’t run. They attacked to steal the food anyway, didn’t they?”

If they truly hated violence, they would’ve retreated. But they didn’t. They chose to fight and take what they wanted. That choice exposed who they really were.

“The only reason no one got hurt today was because we were stronger.”

Had it been a smaller ship, like the cargo vessel they’d visited before, it could’ve been sunk. Injuries… or worse—deaths—might not have been avoided.

And maybe… just maybe… there had already been ships lost like that. Ones no one knew about.

“Their tactics were clever. But just like I figured it out, someday someone else will too. And what if that person doesn’t have Pokémon to defend themselves? Who’s to say they won’t be hurt?”

“…I…”

“Diana. You said Pokémon Trainers are the ones who connect humans and Pokémon. But I believe we’re also responsible for protecting innocent people from dangerous Pokémon—or from criminals.”

Jin couldn’t believe that kind-hearted captain or his crew had done anything wrong. The captain still believed in Lapras, still thanked it.

“They’ve been taking advantage of people’s kindness. I want to ask that Lapras: when those people said thank you, how did you not feel shame?”

“…Are you saying they’re shameless?”

“If it didn’t sound that way, then I didn’t phrase it strongly enough.”

“You—!”

Furious, Diana shot to her feet and moved to confront Jin, but he raised a hand to stop her.

“I respect you, Diana. And like I said, I do think your perspective has merit. But on this issue, we’re never going to agree.”

Diana viewed the situation from the Pokémon’s side. Jin saw it from the human side. In other words: the perpetrator and the victim. As long as their stances were so opposed, they would never see eye to eye.

“J-Jin! Grandma! Umm… I mean…”

Caught in the tension, Liko desperately tried to break the ice. But unsure what to say, she flailed helplessly between the two.

Even so, her frantic presence helped both Jin and Diana cool down.

“Sigh… Let’s take a break.”

“Y-Yeah!”

“Good idea! I’ll make some snacks!”

It wasn’t just Liko—everyone else had been feeling the tension too. So they all gladly agreed to a break.

“…We’ll finish this conversation after the Lapras matter is resolved.”

Still planning to continue it? No one said it aloud, but everyone except Jin and Diana was thinking the same thing. The only saving grace was that they had some time before they’d see Lapras again.

“…But we don’t even know where Lapras is now.”

“And it probably won’t come near us again…”

“No way…”

After such a decisive defeat, Lapras and its crew likely had no desire to return. No one wanted to give up—but they also had no idea how to resume the search.

“No need to worry. We’ll know their location soon.”

Jin already had a solution.

“Salamence and Gardevoir are tracking them. They’ll find the pirates’ hideout before long.”

Before the fog even appeared, Jin had sent Salamence into the sky with Gardevoir riding on its back. Neither had participated in the battle; they had stayed airborne, just as Jin had ordered.

“A hideout? You think they have one?”

“They have to. No matter how big Wailord is, it can’t carry all that stolen cargo forever. There must be a place where they’re storing everything.”

Plus, their group included land Pokémon. They’d need solid ground to live comfortably.

“Wait… you mean you knew this would happen?”

The preparations were too perfect. Some even began to fear that Jin had planned for this outcome from the start.

“Hardly. I fully intended to take down Lapras back there… This was just insurance. I set multiple traps just in case they escaped.”

“‘Just in case’… But are you sure it’ll work? What if they notice?”

“They won’t. Salamence was told to stay hidden in the clouds. They won’t see him. And Gardevoir’s psychic powers will ensure nothing slips by. There’s zero chance they’ll get away.”

Besides, after that battle, Lapras’s focus would be on the sea and the surface. In its battered condition, there was no way it could watch the skies as well.

…Even if Lapras were in peak condition, it still wouldn’t have noticed. Predators never expect to become prey. That’s the arrogance of pirates.)

“I’ll be waiting for Salamence and Gardevoir at the wing deck. The rest of you—do whatever you want.”

With that, Jin stood up and walked toward the meeting room exit.

---

After leaving the meeting room, Jin made his way to the wing deck. There, lying in the center of the battlefield, he gazed up at the sky, waiting for Salamence and Gardevoir to return.

“Haaaa… maybe I went too far.”

Alone like this, his thoughts inevitably returned to what had just happened in the meeting room. Letting out a heavy sigh, Jin began reflecting on his words and actions.

“…Hm?”

As he was mulling over how he would resume the conversation once he returned, the door from the observation room connected to the wing deck opened, and someone stepped out.

“Jin…”

It was Liko. Without Sprigatito or Hatenna accompanying her, she quietly descended to the deck and sat down beside him. For a while, the two remained silent, saying nothing.

“…Sorry about earlier. I ruined the mood and put you in a tough spot.”

Eventually, the silence became too heavy, and Jin offered an apology.

“Don’t worry about it… I don’t think what you said was wrong.”

“Really? I figured you’d be on Diana’s side.”

“…When I first heard Grandma talk, I was. But then after listening to you and remembering that ship captain… I just didn’t know who was right anymore.”

Both Jin and Diana had valid points. Liko couldn’t say one was right and the other wrong—not with certainty.

“…Do you hate pirates, Jin?”

“…Is that what it seems like?”

“Yeah. You were acting so different than usual.”

As far as Liko could recall, even when dealing with the Explorers, Jin had never shown such open hostility. But his reaction to the Lapras Pirate Crew was clearly different. Anyone could sense it, not just her.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to… But I want to know everything about you, Jin. So if you can, I’d like to hear it…”

It was natural to want to know more about someone you care about. But sensing that Jin might be carrying a past he didn’t want to share, Liko softened her words.

“…You’re right. I hate pirates. But it’s not like anything happened to me personally.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. I got attacked a few times while traveling in the Hoenn region, but that’s all.”

That’s all…?)

Normally, getting attacked multiple times by pirates would be reason enough to hate them. But Jin was a special case. Given how often trouble seemed to find him, if that were enough to make him hate something, he’d probably despise all criminals—and all troublesome Pokémon too—by now.

“Well, it’s fine. I took down every last one of the pirates who attacked me, sent them to prison, and wiped out their entire hideout. So I don’t really have any lingering resentment.”

He wiped them out…)

Perhaps it was just bad luck on the pirates’ part. Even if they were criminals, attacking a ship carrying someone they really shouldn’t have messed with… Liko couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for them.

“Then why do you hate them?”

“Let me start with Hoenn.”

Hoenn—Jin’s home region. It was known to be one of the most ocean-dominated regions in the world. Some towns there weren’t even connected to land, making sea travel essential.

And once, the region had been home to two notorious organizations: Team Magma and Team Aqua. Both had sought to harness the power of the legendary Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre—supposedly to expand habitable areas for people and Pokémon, or to take over the world, depending on who you asked.

“But then one day, both organizations disbanded.”

There were many theories as to why, but the most accepted one was that they realized they couldn’t control Groudon and Kyogre’s power.

“But it wasn’t a happy ending.”

If this were a storybook, that might have been the resolution. But disbanding the organizations didn’t make the people in them disappear. Once they lost their purpose, especially the grunts, many of them spiraled out of control.

Some former Team Magma members turned into poachers or thieves—some, with disguises, even became phantom thieves. Meanwhile, many ex-Team Aqua members, in the chaos of the disbandment, stole submarines and ships and became pirates.

“There’ve always been pirates in Hoenn. But after that, their numbers exploded. And so did the number of victims.”

While traveling, Jin had met many people affected by pirates. Some had only lost cargo. Others had their Pokémon stolen or suffered serious injuries from the attacks.

“The pirates I know don’t hesitate to hurt people to get what they want. They create nothing. They just take.”

Jin had seen too many lives ruined by piracy. And each time, he felt a deep fury—why should innocent people have to suffer because of scum like that?

“I get where Diana’s coming from. I do. But I can’t accept letting people suffer just so the Lapras Pirate Crew can survive.”

If they let the pirates go now, then every crime they committed in the future would be partly on Jin and his team. And Jin wasn’t about to shoulder that guilt.

“But to reach Laqua…”

“…I know.”

Their goal was to bring Terapagos to Laqua. To do that, they needed the help of the Six Heroes—and that included Lapras.

“Jin… let me talk to Lapras.”

“…Liko.”

“I’ll convince Lapras to come with us to Laqua. If it agrees, the pirate crew will have no choice but to disband, right?”

It seemed this was the main reason Liko had come to him. After hearing both Diana and Jin, she had thought deeply about Lapras—and this was the conclusion she had reached.

But…

Even if Lapras agrees, will the rest really disband…?)

There was no guarantee. Liko’s belief was more of a hope than a strategy.

During their retreat, Wailord had used Mist. If the others could use it too, they’d probably continue pirating the same way even without Lapras. Wild Pokémon don’t easily abandon a behavior once learned—especially one tied to survival.

…Well, whatever.)

The plan might be imperfect. But the fact that Liko had thought it through and come to propose it herself mattered more to Jin. She’d relied on him a lot before, but this was growth.

“…Alright. I’ll leave it to you, Liko.”

“Eh!? Really?!”

“…You’re the one who suggested it. Don’t act surprised now.”

And truthfully, her plan wasn’t necessarily wrong. If Lapras really was their main force, its absence could stop the crew’s piracy. There was no reason to dismiss it.

“Yeah. Let’s do what we can for Terapagos. Everything else… we’ll figure out later—hm?”

Jin suddenly stood and looked up at the sky. Liko followed his gaze and noticed a small flying figure approaching. Squinting, she saw it was Salamence—with Gardevoir on its back.

“They’re back. Liko, sorry—but go get Friede and the others.”

“Huh? Bring them here?”

“Pirates tend to move their hideouts often. If we don’t go the moment we find them, it might be too late. If we let them slip away now, we may never find them again.”

“O-Okay! I’ll go get them right away!”

Liko hurried back into the observation room to gather the others. Once her figure disappeared, Jin murmured softly:

“Let her do things her way… But I’ll come up with a backup plan of my own.”

//END

It turned into more of a “VS Diana” than a “VS Lapras,” huh?

The anime has always had this tendency—when a human commits a crime, they’re punished, but when a Pokémon does it, they’re forgiven. I’ve never been able to accept that. So this time, I decided to finally pour all those long-held frustrations into the story.