The night was heavy with darkness, the new moon hidden behind thick clouds, obscuring both its glow and the stars above. The land lay shrouded in shadows, and Darkrai's cold blue eyes gleamed with an ominous light—this was the time when its power surged to its peak.
"Summer… can you tell me when exactly I exposed myself?"
Rei's voice had returned to its usual calmness, but thanks to his Star Power, Summer could still see his twisted expression through the veil of darkness.
"…We have nothing to talk about."
He tossed a Poké Ball into the air. In an instant, the radiant beauty of Milotic emerged—even the darkness couldn't dull its alluring presence. Against a tricky opponent like Darkrai, Mist Terrain would be the key—its ability to negate status conditions would counteract Dark Void's sleep effect.
Rei smiled bitterly and fell into silence. Then, without hesitation, he recalled Darkrai into its Poké Ball, crouched down, and emptied his storage pouch—letting all of his Poké Balls spill onto the ground.
Summer watched as four Poké Balls rolled across the dirt, and then saw Rei reach into his backpack, retrieve six more, and carefully place them down one by one.
Standing up, he took three steps back, then raised his hands in surrender, his expression filled with resignation.
"…Right now, I'm just an unarmed human with no Pokémon to protect me," he said, voice flat. "Summer, you can do whatever you want to me." He let out a short, empty laugh. "But first—can we finally talk properly?"
"…Rei."
Summer let out a breath. His feelings were complicated.
"Milotic, bring all of those Poké Balls over here."
Milotic conjured a cluster of shimmering water bubbles, gently lifting the ten Poké Balls and floating them toward Summer's side.
"…You really are thorough, huh, Summer?" Rei let out a helpless chuckle.
"Rei!"
A sharp voice suddenly cut through the air.
It was Ingo.
His hands were clenched tightly over his cap, his voice shaking with anger and disbelief.
"…Tell me one thing—why?"
He still didn't want to believe it.
The Rei he knew was a kind, responsible member of the Survey Corps. A reliable investigator. A good person.
How could someone like that… betray an entire village?
"…I'm sorry, Ingo." Rei's voice was flat.
He exhaled slowly, then closed his eyes for a moment before continuing:
"I was delusional."
He chuckled to himself.
"I had hoped that if Summer took Ingo back to his time, he might take me along too… But now, I can see that was just a fantasy."
"…A fantasy, huh?" Ingo's hands trembled.
"Then tell me, Rei—why did you do it?"
"I already told you."
Rei slowly opened his eyes, and in the moonless night, his gaze was hollow.
"I wanted to see Dawn again."
His voice was soft, but every word carried the weight of his obsession.
"I worship Almighty Sinnoh because it brought Dawn to this land."
"…And I despise Almighty Sinnoh because it took her away."
Summer remained silent.
"…You never even met her, did you?" he finally asked.
Rei smirked faintly.
"That doesn't matter. Even if she cursed me to my face… even if she hated me for this… Just seeing her again would be enough."
His eyes were filled with mad desperation.
"This is all my fault. But that's fine—I don't care anymore."
"…You idiot."
Summer sighed and shook his head.
"Ingo. Let him go."
Ingo hesitated before loosening his grip, reluctantly releasing Rei's collar. Rei reached up to rub his throat, chuckling.
"…Alright. Now, tell me—how did you figure it out?"
Summer's gaze hardened.
"It was because of your Pokémon."
"…My Pokémon?" Rei raised an eyebrow.
"The first time I fought Zoroark at Snowpoint Village, it used Electric, Water, Fire, Grass, and Flying-type moves against me. At first, I didn't think much of it—after all, those are common attributes."
"But then, I spoke to Arezu. She told me that when Dawn calmed the Rampaging Lady of the Ridge, she used three Pokémon whose types perfectly countered those elements."
"So… I went to Ingo."
"As the one who oversees Single Combat, he should know exactly which Pokémon Dawn carried with her."
"…Six Pokémon."
"And those same six Pokémon just so happened to include Zoroark."
Rei's expression darkened.
Summer continued:
"The remaining two were Ninetales and Gliscor. Their types conveniently countered the other attacks I faced in Snowpoint Village."
"…So, tell me, Rei—isn't that just a little too convenient?"
Rei let out a short laugh.
"Hah. And that was enough to make you suspect me?"
"No." Summer's eyes were sharp.
"What made me sure… was something you said yourself."
Rei frowned.
"You once told me that Dawn disappeared with six Pokémon."
"But tell me, Rei—how did you know that?"
Summer's voice was cold.
"Considering how obsessed you are with her, there's only one logical explanation."
"…You found the Poké Balls Dawn left behind on Mount Coronet. Didn't you?"
Rei's eyes widened slightly—but after a moment, his lips curled into a smirk.
"…Yeah. I did."
Summer folded his arms.
"And looking back on my time with you, I noticed three other suspicious things."
"First—after completing Arezu's request, you entered a house covered in snow, yet your shoulders were far too covered in frost for a short trip."
"…You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"
Rei's grin widened.
"Oh yeah. And what I overheard was quite the surprise."
"Second—when we fought Regigigas, you said, 'No matter how many times I see that move, it still amazes me.'"
"But tell me, Rei—when exactly did you see it before?"
"You should've been trapped in a nightmare."
"…Unless, of course, you and Zoroark were working together."
"Lastly—when you were trapped in a nightmare, you cried out in fear."
"The thing that truly terrifies you… is the thought of Dawn disappearing forever, isn't it?"
Rei fell silent.
"In the end, your goals aligned with those of Dawn's Pokémon."
"You wanted to see her again."
"And they wanted to return to her side."
"That's why you teamed up."
"…And you weren't working alone, were you?"
Rei sighed, his smirk fading.
"…No. I wasn't."
"The one who helped break the seal—his name is Volo."