Pokemon: Master of tactics-Chapter 439

Luis learned early that waiting was a skill.

On Springdale Close Street, patience meant survival. You waited for the right moment to search trash piles. You waited for footsteps to pass before moving. You waited for hunger to dull enough that it stopped hurting.

But patience didn't mean acceptance.

Luis hated waiting.

He sat on the cracked steps of a half-collapsed building, knees pulled to his chest, eyes fixed on the street ahead. The lamps flickered weakly, like they might give up at any second.

Lena sat beside him, chewing on a piece of stale bread they'd shared earlier. She always tried to eat slower, pretending she wasn't hungry. Luis noticed. He always noticed.

"We should go tonight," Luis said quietly.

Lena didn't look at him. "You said that yesterday."

"And the day before."

"And every day," she replied calmly.

Luis clenched his fists. "Because staying here is stupid."

She finally turned toward him, her green eyes steady. "And running into other parts of town gets us caught."

"At least there's food," he snapped.

"At least here," Lena said, "we know who hurts us."

That shut him up.

Luis hated that she was right.

Springdale Close Street didn't pretend to be kind. It crushed you openly. Other places smiled first.

He leaned back, staring at the broken windows above them.

One day, he promised himself. One day, he wouldn't wait anymore.

The orphanage appeared on a night when Luis expected nothing.

A building where there hadn't been one. Light that didn't flicker. A door that looked solid enough to keep danger out instead of inviting it in.

Skyreach Orphanage.

Luis didn't trust it.

Free things never came without strings.

But Lena's hand tightened around his sleeve when they stepped inside, and for the first time in years, she didn't look afraid—just overwhelmed.

Luis watched everything.

The floors were clean. Too clean. The food smelled real. The beds didn't creak like they were about to collapse.

Maria scared him.

Not because she shouted or threatened—but because she didn't. She saw everything. Missed nothing. And she didn't lie to them.

Rules were rules. Break them and leave.

Luis can respected that.

At night, while others slept easily, Luis stayed awake, counting breaths. Listening. Waiting for the catch.

It didn't come.

Hours passed. Then Days.

He learned the orphanage wasn't soft. It was strict. Fair. Unforgiving if you crossed particular lines—but protective if you didn't.

Luis followed every rule perfectly.

Not because he liked them.

Because rules were tools.

When Alex arrived, Luis noticed him immediately. Not because he was loud. Not because he demanded attention.

Because he didn't.

Alex watched like a predator resting—still, alert, dangerous in a quiet way. His eyes didn't slide off people. They stopped. Measured.

Luis hated that.

He felt exposed.

During meals, Alex listened. During training hours, he observed. When kids showed off, Alex ignored them. When someone slipped, he noticed.

Luis stayed calm. Focused. Controlled.

Inside, he burned.

He wanted to be seen—but on his terms.

When Alex announced the test, Luis felt something click into place.

Finally. A chance to prove something without begging. The scenarios weren't about strength. They were about decisions.

Luis liked decisions.

Then Alex announced the start of the test. Paper. Pens. Fifteen minutes.

Finally.

Luis sat straight as the first scenario stared back at him.

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Scenario 1: The Injured Pokémon

You are traveling alone outside a town when you find a wild Pokémon badly injured. It is weak, scared, and clearly won't survive long without help. Helping it will slow you down and may attract other wild Pokémon. also helping did not guarantee anything.Leaving it behind would be safer and cost you nothing.

What do you do? Why?

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Luis didn't hesitate long.

He remembered Pokemon on Springdale Close Street. Injured ones didn't last. Neither did kids who stopped for them.

He wrote:

I would assess the injury first. If treatment is possible without risking my life, I'd stabilize it and move to safety. If helping guarantees my death, I'd mark the location and leave. Survival comes first—but You can sell a Pokémon corpse for a lot of money, even a weak one, so I can come back later to see if I can retrieve it.

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Scenario 2: The Stronger Opponent

You are a rookie trainer. During a mission, another trainer challenges you to a battle. Their Pokémon is clearly stronger than yours.

If you lose, you might be injured and fail the mission. If you refuse, your reputation may suffer.

What do you do? How do you handle the situation?

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The next page.

Luis exhaled slowly. Reputation didn't keep you alive. neither did pride.

I'd refuse the battle publicly. Strength gaps aren't closed by ego. I'd complete the mission and i challenge them later if it brings me an advantage and if i am prepared.

Strength wasn't about proving yourself to idiots.

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Scenario 3: The Easy Shortcut

You are given a mission to escort supplies through a dangerous area. There are two routes:

A long, safe path that will delay the delivery.

A short path where wild Pokémon attacks are common.

If the supplies arrive late, you will suffer. If you take the shortcut, you safe money.

Which route do you choose? Explain your reasoning.

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The paper felt rough under Luis's fingers.

He reread the question slowly, lips pressed into a thin line.

Two routes.One safe. One dangerous.Late delivery versus cheaper delivery.

He leaned back slightly in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a moment, memories rising without permission—Springdale Close Street, empty hands, hunger that didn't care about excuses.

Late supplies meant suffering. He knew that. But death wasn't a delay.

Death ended everything.

If he died on the shortcut, that the supplies wouldn't arrive at all doesn't matter to the him then. The shortcut wasn't cheaper. It was gambling with his live.

Luis glanced around the hall. Other kids were already writing. Some fast. Some hesitating. He lowered his gaze and picked up the pen.

What would I do? He imagined himself as the escort. Alone. Responsible. No one else to blame.

Luis wrote carefully.

I would take the long, safe route.

Delivering supplies late can causes suffering, but taking the shortcut risks losing everything if someone dies or the supplies are destroyed. A mission that fails completely is worse than one that arrives late. If people are depending on these supplies, my job is to make sure they arrive, not to gamble for profit.

Planning for safety is not weakness. It is responsibility.

Luis paused. Then added one more line.

If the mission is important, it should never depend on luck.

He put the pen down and exhaled slowly. He didn't know if this was the right answer. But it was the answer he could live with.

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Scenario 4: The Weak Teammate

You are part of a temporary team of trainers. One member is much weaker than the rest and keeps slowing everyone down.

Leaving them behind would increase your survival chances. Staying together increases risk for the entire group.

What do you do? Why?

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Luis didn't like this one. He could already tell.

He read the scenario twice, then a third time more slowly. His jaw tightened.

A weak teammate.A temporary team.Survival versus loyalty.

His first instinct was ugly—and honest.

If it was me and Lena… I wouldn't even be thinking.

But it wasn't his sister. That mattered.

Springdale Close Street had taught him one thing very clearly: groups didn't fail because of enemies. They failed because someone panicked, froze, or needed saving at the wrong moment.

A weak link wasn't evil. But pretending it wasn't there killed people.

Luis folded his hands together, forcing himself to think past instinct.

Leaving them behind outright felt wrong. Not morally wrong—stupid wrong. A desperate, abandoned trainer could draw wild Pokémon straight toward the group. Or survive and come back angry.

And staying together no matter what?

That was how everyone died. The problem wasn't the person.

It was how the situation was handled.

Luis picked up his pen.

I would not abandon the teammate without a plan.

First, I would change the team's formation and roles. The weaker trainer should be protected and given non-combat tasks, or staying in the center of the group. If the danger increases beyond what the group can safely handle, I would escort the weaker trainer to the nearest safe location and continue only if the team agrees.

Leaving someone behind without preparation creates new risks and future threats.

Luis paused, eyes lingering on the last line. He added one more sentence.

If they refuse to cooperate or follow instructions, then they stop being a teammate.

He set the pen down.

His answer wasn't kind. But he had a feeling that Alex wasn't looking for kindness.

After reading all the scenarios, it became clear that this test wasn't meant to reward comforting lies or heroic fantasies. It was designed to expose how someone thought under pressure—what they would discard, what they would protect, and what they were willing to accept.

Luis knew Alex's reputation. Master of Tactics. A man who won battles before they even began.

Trying to outsmart someone like that by giving an answer he didn't believe in would be pointless.

Worse—it would be insulting.

So Luis didn't polish his response. He didn't soften the edges. He wrote exactly what he would do. And deep down, he suspected something else.

Alex wasn't as friendly as he appeared in front of the children. The calm smile, the measured words—it all felt controlled. Deliberate. Like a mask worn out of habit, not warmth.

Luis understood that kind of person.

People like that didn't ask questions because they wanted reassurance. They asked because they wanted the truth.

And for once, Luis had given it.

****

Finally finished with this chapter! This was the chapter I spent the most time on to make it as perfect as possible. It was a very important chapter, so I took my time, but I didn't expect it to take this long. I even rewritten several parts, which took up most of the time.

Although I'm very happy with the chapter now, even though it took me four to five hours to create it.

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If you want to see the next chapters (30+ chapters) earlier or just want to support me

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