Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 107: The Honey Trap

Since they had to drive themselves, Rio took the passenger seat without hesitation. Hunter J froze.

He took the passenger seat? That means I have to drive. She’d never been in a car with a man and had to drive herself.

"What are you waiting for? You chose me, so you drive, right?" Rio urged, completely matter-of-fact.

The other hunters chuckled at how clueless H was—making such a beautiful woman drive. What a stereotypical clueless guy. Someone like that could never get a woman—they’d rather die. But that was good—his cluelessness would make their own thoughtfulness and charm stand out.

So, within two seconds, all the other passenger doors swung open.

"J—don’t bother with that clueless H. Come ride with us—I’ll drive."

"J—don’t go with them. Come with us. I know lots of jokes—I’ll keep you entertained."

"J—come with us. I sing well—I’ll serenade you."

"J—come with us. I brought lots of snacks..."

But Hunter J glanced at them, then at Rio. "Thanks, everyone—but I prefer driving."

She got into the driver’s seat of Rio’s car. The other hunters were left frozen in shock.

Rio smirked. Oh yeah, I’m a clueless guy—a clueless guy who openly admits he’s a pervert. But you guys? You never say you’re perverts, yet every word screams it. And you use me as your contrast? Don’t you have any self-awareness?

"Sorry, everyone—J and I will wait for you at the entrance up ahead." Rio gave a little salute from the passenger seat, and the car drove off under the other hunters’ gritted teeth.

"What the hell did H do—put a spell on J?" one hunter growled.

"Bullshit—it’s because E didn’t wash off his stench. If she’d come with me, my jokes would’ve won her over."

"Nonsense—I washed four or five times. I’m definitely cleaner than you. You’re the one who stinks."

At the villa entrance, the car pulled over. After a moment of silence, Hunter J suddenly spoke: "H—did you give them those nightmares?"

What’s she trying to do? Confront me openly? Or is she setting me up? Rio chose to deny everything: "Don’t accuse me—I didn’t do anything."

"I noticed—you don’t smell at all. Completely different from them."

"Maybe I’m just braver and didn’t lose control? Besides..." Rio leaned toward the driver’s seat and sniffed. "You don’t smell either. So by that logic, I could just as easily accuse you of causing those nightmares."

"But I don’t have a Haunter," Hunter J laughed.

"Having a Haunter doesn’t prove you caused nightmares, and not having one doesn’t mean you couldn’t. There are plenty of Pokémon that can cause nightmares besides Haunter. More importantly—if it wasn’t you, why did you claim you had a nightmare too? That’s like hiding something by pretending to be part of the crowd—overcompensating, wouldn’t you say?"

Rio’s words came out like rapid fire, sharp and logical. Hunter J fell silent, unable to find a rebuttal.

Finally, she admitted: "You’ve got a sharp tongue. I can’t argue with you."

Rio smiled lightly: "It’s not sharp—it’s just the truth."

Hunter J fell silent again. She’d planned to use that topic to coerce him into working with her, to disrupt the hunters’ Raikou capture plan. But H’s battle skills were terrifyingly strong, and his verbal skills were even more formidable—he’d shut her down completely. Even her logic had somehow fallen apart.

Just then, Hunter A drove past and signaled them to follow. Hunter J stepped on the gas.

Maybe I should try a honey trap—that seems like the only option left. He admitted he’s a pervert. She glanced at Rio in the passenger seat.

"If you’ve got something to say, say it. If you’re trying to seduce me, I’m open to it," Rio said flatly.

Behind her mask, Hunter J rolled her eyes. But she took a light breath and spoke in a pleasant tone: "H—I think you might have misunderstood me. I wasn’t trying to accuse you earlier. Actually, I find those guys annoying too."

"Oh?" Rio raised an eyebrow. Is this where the trap begins?

"They’re all talk, full of tricks—truly tiresome. Not like you—strong, straightforward, and honest. Open about what you like, honest about what you don’t. I like that personality."

"Ooh—" Rio drew out the sound. A honey trap, is it? Good—I love honey traps. I can counter any of the Thirty-Six Stratagems—except the honey trap. That one, I just surrender to.

Bring it on! I’m ready!

Hunter J continued: "Honestly, after seeing your battle earlier, I realized those guys are nowhere near your level. This operation doesn’t need them—they’re just dead weight. They don’t deserve to split the bounty equally with you."

"What are you getting at?" Rio’s lips curled behind his mask.

"What I’m saying is: for this operation, you and I should catch Raikou together. I’ll take 30%, you take 70%."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Whatever kind of trust you need—I’m willing to give."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then take off your mask first."

Hunter J didn’t hesitate. She pulled off her mask, revealing a striking face with a beauty mark beneath her eye. Rio’s eyes lit up—top-tier figure, top-tier face.

Damn—no wonder Saurion was acting like a lovesick puppy, spending millions at the black market for Electric-types.

"About that ’further trust’ I mentioned—you could always ask for more," Hunter J said, tucking a strand of her black-red hair behind her ear, biting her lip in a way that practically screamed come and get it.