April 15th, Thursday.
The day after the All-Around Competition.
The bright sun and dry, pleasant air signaled the arrival of spring.
"Weather like this is rare in Sinnoh."
Bruno, bare-chested with a black belt and white pants, lounged on a chair while speaking into his phone.
"I sent you to investigate Sinnoh's situation, not to vacation."
Lance's exasperated sigh crackled through the receiver. "If Arceus' awakening is imminent, other leagues' Elite Four and Champions must be involved."
"Since I'm already competing, I might as well go all out."
Bruno chewed on a steamed bun. "Also, I found this amazing Rage Candy shop here. Tastes even better than the one in Mahogany Town."
"You're sure it's not some knockoff?" Lance asked.
Bruno paused mid-bite. "...Who cares? Tastes good."
"Whatever." Lance, cloaked in his signature cape, soared over the ocean on Dragonite's back. "Natsume-sensei's competing too. Coordinate with him."
"Already met him." Bruno's tone sharpened.
"Oh?" Lance's voice carried a hint of curiosity. "He and Gold haven't started brawling yet, have they?"
Bruno slowly rose, his muscles gleaming under the sunlight.
"This afternoon… it's my match against Natsume-sensei."
A brief silence.
Lance fell silent for a moment, then said, "False Swipe will do. At the very least, we must conserve our strength for the crisis that may come."
"Understood."
A sharp glint flashed in Bruno's eyes, the long-dormant fire in his chest reigniting—just like the day he'd challenged Red to a battle.
Now, Red stood atop a peak far beyond reach. But as for him? There were no more shackles holding him back.
"I'll ask him for advice—my strategy for catching that massive Onix at Mount Hideaway."
"And one more thing."
Bruno slung his three-section staff over his neck, his broad back like a mountain as he strode toward the roaring arena.
"A duel between two martial artists."
...
"Gold's Politoed has taken a commanding lead in the obstacle course!" the commentator announced.
Natsume slumped in the spectator stands, listlessly chewing on a hot dog, his cheek propped on one hand.
"Gengar~" The plump Gengar sat in the seat beside him, happily slurping soda through a straw.
Once the slurping noise stopped, Gengar popped open the lid and rolled up the ice cubes with its tongue: "Gengar~(￣～￣)"
"Natsume-sensei, are you alright?" Jasmine, dressed in a white gown, sat primly as she asked softly.
"It's nothing." Natsume sighed. "Just feeling a little… suffocated."
Jasmine tilted her head thoughtfully, offering a gentle smile. "If you're unwell, you should cancel this afternoon's events. Rest is important—there's no need to push yourself."
"I'll be fine by this afternoon," Natsume said. "As for the jumping event… let Ash and Gold fight for the gold medals."
The jumping event required trainers and Pokémon to clear hurdles in perfect sync—while wearing some dubious "brainwave tech" to monitor their coordination.
Natsume had already decided: No thanks. With his luck, what if the device exploded?
He wasn't like Ash, whose physique treated explosions as a mere "hair singeing" incident—something he could shrug off with a quick shake.
Besides.
Natsume glanced down at the seven gleaming badges in his case and let out another long sigh.
Another badge acquired… and yet, I still can't muster the will to compete early in the morning!
"You only need one more badge, don't you?" Jasmine asked gently.
"No. What I need is my last life," Natsume muttered gloomily.
"Huh?" Jasmine blinked, resting a finger on her chin. After a pause, she added, "Though I've heard the Beacon Badge is one of the easiest to obtain."
Natsume stiffened. "How so?"
"Well, I've always been fascinated by lighthouses, so I looked into Sunyshore City's."
Jasmine smiled. "Rumor has it Volkner, the Electric-type Gym Leader there, dislikes challenges so much that he just leaves the Beacon Badge at the entrance for anyone to take."
Natsume: ?
Johto's Olivine City and Sinnoh's Sunyshore City were both famous for their lighthouses.
Near the white strait, the mad scientist Bill even had his own lighthouse—home to legends of a "gigantic Dragonite."
Natsume had an odd fondness for lighthouses… but badges? Hard pass.
"I'll just avoid Sunyshore City during my travels," Natsume mused. "Otherwise, Gengar might just grab the badge on its own!"
"Gengar~" Gengar had already pried open its bento box, balancing it on its lap as it neatly split apart the chopsticks.
Inside: a vegetable salad, seaweed-wrapped sushi, golden crispy fried chicken, and beef-shaped Pokéblocks.
Jasmine's gaze flickered toward it. Sitting stiffly, she pursed her lips, her cheeks flushing.
Just the smell was enough to make her body act on its own—she had to try some…
But too embarrassed to ask, and with Natsume oblivious, Jasmine ended up buying a dry white bread roll from a passing vendor, nibbling at it slowly.
"Mmm…" Her eyes lit up, her face still faintly pink. "I-It's delicious!"
"Ma'am, as our 1,897th customer, this one's on the house~" The clerk rubbed his hands cheerfully.
"That's right! Plus a free cup of freshly squeezed Berry Juice! Enjoy the matches, meow!"
"Eh? Are you sure?" Jasmine blinked.
"Absolutely! Now, if you'll excuse me—ahem—the Executive needs to… I mean, goodbye!" The odd clerk hurried off.
Natsume stared at the sky.
Team Rocket might look pathetic when they get blasted off, but their hustle for funding? Honestly… kinda impressive.
A sudden uproar erupted from the stands.
"An unexpected turn! Ash and his Snorlax have taken a tumble!" the commentator shouted.
Why would anyone send a Snorlax to a hurdle race? Natsume wondered.
Maybe Ash, being the single-celled organism he was, had been swayed by some hype poster?
Ash's voice rang out: "Snorlax, show 'em your guts!"
The commentator roared, "Gold and Politoed cross the finish line first—they've clinched the championship!"
The audience erupted in applause, Jasmine clapping gracefully among them.
"Aren't you competing in the endurance event this afternoon?" Natsume asked.
"Ah, yes…" Jasmine nodded softly. "It's a tag battle format. I've been paired with Ash."
"And who's my partner?"
Jasmine hesitated, confirming Natsume-sensei genuinely didn't know before whispering:
"You've been paired with… Bruno of the Fighting-type Elite Four."
Natsume paused, the image of a philosophy-spouting muscleman flashing in his mind.
Then again, martial artists are like that—ripping off their shirts mid-battle like it's nothing.
Come to think of it, he had earned the title of Fighting Master before…
But missing out on the P1 Grand Prix belt still stung a little.
"If I beat Bruno, I advance," Natsume said. "Then face Gold?"
"Eh?" Jasmine gasped, then nodded. "If Gold advances… then yes, that's correct."
"Got it."
Natsume gave a slight nod.
A breeze ruffled his dark hair as the notebook in his pocket pulsed with warmth.
Mega Evolution's cooldown was about a week—and it had been exactly that since Gengar's last transformation.
So against a Fighting specialist like Bruno… his best bet was—
Gripping the Dive Ball tightly, Natsume murmured:
"Endurance battle. Rule one: Don't get hurt! Survival is victory!"
The Dive Ball wobbled faintly in response.
Inside, Blastoise adjusted its sunglasses, oozing big boss energy.
"Blastoise… ヾ(■_■)"
Had Natsume used Aura to read its mind just then, his expression would've been priceless.
Only the living get to farm.
If you're scared of getting hit… take them out first!
...
The endurance event was structured as a group stage, where contestants could field two Pokémon for sumo battles.
Natsume suspected that not understanding sumo rules wouldn't matter much.
After all, in the anime, every sumo tournament inevitably devolved into a Pokémon battle anyway—so this wouldn't be far off.
Mid-match substitutions were allowed, and the Pokémon left standing on the field would be declared the winner.
It had to comply with the rules and meet heavyweight requirements. Thus, Natsume's choices were the Luxury Ball and the Dive Ball.
Arcanine and Blastoise were easily the toughest contenders in his roster.
"Blastoise can tank hits…" Natsume winced. "But it's so damn expensive!"
Still, for an endurance match, he could just have Blastoise spam Aqua Ring on itself and stall.
Every penny saved counted—even with his recent financial uptick, frugality was key for unforeseen disasters.
Meanwhile, in the chat group…
Brock narrowed his eyes. "Bruno and Natsume-sensei are both competing in this afternoon's endurance event… I'm very excited."
"If I recall correctly," Erika said with a smile, "Bruno of the Elite Four is your idol, isn't he, Mr. Brock?"
"Yes." Brock nodded solemnly. "He's the one I've always strived to catch up to."
Red tilted his cap, recalling his past duel with Bruno, and grinned. "I'm looking forward to it too."
"My idol's you, Senior Red!" Ash declared.
"Ahaha." Red scratched his head. "Flattered, flattered~"
Yellow blushed. "M-Me too!"
Blue Oak: "…"
Misty smiled. "My idol's Sister Lorelei. That's why I've been focusing on both Water and Ice types."
"You're already outstanding, Misty," Lorelei said, her lips curving. "Just keep being true to yourself."
Misty's eyes flickered before she nodded softly.
"Speaking of idols," Platinum chimed in, "mine is Miss Cynthia."
Natsume gave a silent nod.
Your idol's sleeping face is adorable.
Ruby: "@Wallace @Sapphire."
Sapphire: "@Steven @Ruby."
The chat suddenly reeked of dog food energy.
Sabrina, icy as ever, fell into thought.
An idol…?
Unconsciously, the image of a man in a black suit surfaced in her mind.
His silhouette seemed to overlap with Natsume-sensei's shadow.
Sabrina shook her head and grabbed her Fate's Spoon for a divination—only to freeze in rare astonishment.
"Why… is every single day lately inauspicious for outings?"
"Let the battle begin!"
Gold shouted, "Exbo, Smokescreen!"
Instantly, thick black smoke billowed from Typhlosion's back, throwing the race into chaos.
"Cough, cough—who the hell pulled that move?!"
"I can't see anything!"
"Holy—why is that Miltank using Rollout?!"
The race had barely started, yet the contestants were already split into two groups. Whitney found herself tangled in the rear pack, colliding with the others.
It was like a bike race pile-up—except this time, Gold and Whitney shared equal blame.
Someone finally remembered Defog, but by then, half a minute had passed—more than enough for the leaders to pull ahead.
"And Gold takes an early lead!" the commentator boomed. "He's breaking away from the pack!"
Glancing back from Exbo's back, Gold blinked in surprise.
"Natsume-sensei, how are you keeping up?!"
"Just out for a stroll."
Natsume, wearing oversized sunglasses, rode Arcanine at a leisurely pace, drafting behind Gold. Arcanine had blasted through the smoke with Extreme Speed, completely unfazed.
Gold turned left—and his eyes nearly popped out.
"WAAAH! Tauros, Quick Attack!!" Ash yelled, eyes squeezed shut as Tauros charged forward wildly. "Just hold on till the swimming section—we'll see better there!"
"Tauros!" Tauros' body flared with white energy as it overtook both Arcanine and Typhlosion, surging into first place.
"Incredible! Ash has pulled ahead!" the commentator announced.
Natsume & Gold: "..."
That Tauros, as the herd's alpha and under Professor Oak's care, was terrifyingly fast.
Ash reached the swimming section first, recalling Tauros and diving into the water to rinse his stinging eyes.
Natsume and Gold arrived almost simultaneously—but Gold was faster at the switch.
"Tibo, go!"
Using his pool cue as an improvised hydrofoil, Gold skimmed across the water, overtaking Ash in seconds.
"Gold regains the lead!"
The commentator paused. "Wait—Ash's swimming partner is... Pikachu?!"
Under the stunned gaze of thousands, Ash stripped off his shirt, standing on a surfboard while Pikachu perched at the front, looking both adorable and skilled.
Surfing Pikachu had entered the race.
Natsume's expression twisted. "This isn't swimming anymore—now we've got hydrofoils and surfboards?!"
"Fine." He leaned low against Blastoise's shell. "Blastoise, rear thrust—minimum power Water Gun. And I mean Water Gun."
"Blastoise... ヾ(■_■)"
Blastoise gave a confident nod.
Then—BOOM.
A pressurized jet of water erupted from its cannons, sending Natsume rocketing forward on a white-knuckle ride, water spraying in his wake.
"Whoa, this is actually awesome!" Natsume grinned.
The wave crashed toward Ash and Gold. Ash's surfboard flipped instantly, while Gold barely dodged, gritting his teeth.
"Tibo, hang in there—we can win!"
Mantine whipped up whirlpools to slow Blastoise—but Blastoise plowed straight through, surging toward the final stretch!
"Natsume has pulled ahead! Can he maintain his lead?!"
The commentator glanced at the rear. "Meanwhile... the second pack is still recovering from the pile-up. Whitney seems to be dropping out."
"Aibo, now!" At the last second, Gold smacked a Poké Ball with his pool cue, sending it flying toward a tree. Ambipom's tail lashed out, yanking Gold forward!
With this move, Gold closed the gap—entering the final sprint neck-and-neck with Natsume!
"The last stretch is pure Trainer endurance!" the commentator roared. "This is where true strength shines! Who will take gold—Natsume or Gold?!"
Meanwhile, Ash hauled a soaked Pikachu onto the shore.
"You okay, Pikachu?"
"Pika... chu..."
Ash's eyes burned with determination. "We're winning this."
Natsume kept a steady pace—but Gold, fueled by sheer willpower, refused to fall behind.
After a moment's thought, Natsume activated Aura of Ripple, giving himself a speed boost. He overtook Gold effortlessly.
Gold's jaw dropped. "What the—Natsume-sensei, are you cheating?!"
Before Natsume could reply—
"ASH IS MAKING HIS MOVE!!" the commentator screamed.
Natsume & Gold: "..."
A blue aura flared around Ash as he roared past them like a Super Saiyan, crossing the finish line in a blur.
He snatched the Destiny Knot ribbon—victorious.
Natsume & Gold: "..."
Crowd: "OHHHHHH!!"
Bruno, watching from the sidelines, wiped sweat from his brow.
"That kid... is a monster."
Taking advantage of Gold's distraction, Natsume cleverly crossed the finish line as the second runner and won the silver medal.
Gold: "..."
Natsume-sensei, I beg you—have some shame.
...
The Speed events concluded with Ash claiming gold as the dark horse champion.
After a quick dinner, he rushed off to the next arena for the strength competition.
Natsume treated Team Rocket to dinner, moving them to tears—Meowth nearly offered up its golden coin in gratitude.
"What's the strength event about?" Natsume asked through a mouthful of spaghetti.
"Brick Break!" James answered.
"That's a move name."
"It's about smashing special tiles," Meowth explained. "The record's only 13, meow!"
Natsume nodded thoughtfully.
Brick Break… Sirfetch'd should excel at this.
After all, its leek is practically part of its strength!
That night, the bustling Arena was alive with excitement. The strength events competition officially began.
With Fighting Elite Four member Bruno serving as judge, Natsume faced off against Maylene on stage. Other contestants like Ash and Gold had signed up for all events.
Maylene wore only a thin tank top. Just before the match, Natsume overheard her muttering something under her breath.
A moment later, Natsume realized what it was.
Maylene was saying, "So hungry… so hungry…"
"You didn't eat dinner?" Natsume asked.
"I had one Berry," Maylene sniffed.
Logically, a Gym Leader shouldn't be this strapped for cash…
Natsume: "If you win gold medals, you're not planning to sell them for money, are you?"
Maylene: "…"
I totally called it!
"Well, there's also the discipline aspect," Maylene scratched her cheek and grinned. "Saving money means more treats for my Pokémon!"
In that instant, Natsume's vision blurred with tears.
In Maylene, he saw his past self—drowning in debt, scraping together resources for his little ones…
"I get it!" Natsume nodded firmly.
"R-really?" Maylene's eyes sparkled with surprise before she chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, Natsume-sensei, last time I didn't get to give you the Badge—"
Bzzt—
The contestant gate swung open, spilling light into the corridor. The distant cheers grew louder, swelling into a deafening roar.
"Go, Natsume-sensei!!"
"Gold's definitely setting a new record this year!"
"Whoa, did you see the match this morning? I bet Ash would do better fighting himself than sending out his Pokémon!"
Before each contestant stood stacks of specially crafted tiles.
Heavyweight Pokémon like Nidoking, Rhyperior, and Snorlax stood ready beside their trainers.
Maylene sent out Lucario. Across three attempts, it shattered 8, 9, and 8 tiles respectively—a solid performance.
Ash's Snorlax smashed an impressive 11 tiles in the first round, though its later attempts were lackluster (probably due to hunger).
"Contestant Gold takes the stage!"
The crowd erupted again as the commentator announced, "He's fielding Sudowoodo… mimicking Machamp's Bulk Up! Rock Smash incoming!"
"12 tiles! A near-historic score! As expected from one of the few grand slam champions in history!"
Gold blew his bangs aside, rested his pool cue on his shoulder, and flashed a sharp-toothed grin as he high-fived Sudowoodo.
The scoreboard displayed the rankings: Gold currently led.
Watching from the stands, Bruno recalled his own days competing in the All-Around Competition.
Crossing his muscular arms, Bruno murmured:
"Just like back then…"
His gaze settled on the black-haired young man with the pool cue. Softly, he added:
"This time, maybe it's related to Arceus again... Gold."
"Last but not least, the crowd's most anticipated contestant—Natsume!"
The commentator continued, "His choice is… Galar's noble knight, Sirfetch'd!"
"Sirfetch'd?" Sirfetch'd eyed the thick stack of tiles, then glanced quizzically at Natsume.
"Just use your leek like usual," Natsume smiled. "Same as when you practiced slicing Metal Coat at home."
Sirfetch'd blinked, scratched its head, then strode forward with leek and shield in hand.
Its commanding presence made the audience hold their breath.
This sharp-eyed Sirfetch'd might just make history!
"Sirfetch'd!" It raised its leek high—and swung down.
Crack!
Everyone froze.
"…Four tiles?"
"That's it?"
"Pfft—is this guy for real? Total flop!"
The referee blew his whistle. "Round two—begin!"
Sirfetch'd hesitated, looking back at Natsume-sensei.
"Relax," Natsume said. "Winning doesn't matter. We're just here for fun. Try using Brick Break this time."
"Sirfetch'd!" It nodded firmly.
For a moment, it seemed to transform into Galar's indomitable knight. Raising its Leek, a sharp white glow erupted from the leek's edge.
Brick Break landed—crack!
"Nine tiles… still not enough."
"Overachieving for its level, I guess?"
"Hey, nine's respectable."
As the crowd politely applauded—
Bruno, seated at the judges' panel, suddenly widened his eyes.
He sensed an entirely different aura—one as keen as an unsheathed sword, striking straight to the core!
"Sirfetch'd!!" Crimson energy flared around Sirfetch'd, a dark-red aura swirling like a storm.
Its leek grew sharper, gleaming like forged steel.
Just tiles, Sirfetch'd narrowed its eyes.
Even if Kurt stood before me, I'd cleave him in two!
"That's Sirfetch'd's Focus Energy!" the commentator shouted. "Contestant Natsume has employed a status move in the third round!"
Since only one status move was allowed, Natsume didn't stack further buffs.
Natsume: "Leaf Blade!"
"Sirfetch'd!! (╬ Ò﹏Ó)"
In that instant—a flash of steel!
The blade's force concentrated into a single point before descending like a guillotine!
Bruno's expression shifted slightly.
Focusing power to maximize destructive output… the same strategy Gold used to win.
And that Leaf Blade—it was a critical hit!
CRACK!!
The entire arena seemed to shudder.
"Fifteen tiles…" The commentator gaped before roaring, "A NEW RECORD! This year's All-Around Competition has shattered the strength event's historical benchmark! The champions: Contestant Natsume and his Sirfetch'd!!"
The stadium exploded—screams, cheers, applause echoing endlessly.
If Pokémon battles thrill us by defeating opponents…
Then Pokémon contests captivate by breaking limits and surpassing the past.
As the event concluded, the commentator announced: "The gold medalist has been decided! The strength event champion is… Sirfetch'd!!"
"Sirfetch'd! (´•︵•`)" It feigned indifference, though inwardly preening.
This proud, white knight had won the crowd's adoration.
Natsume teased, "So? Feel good?"
"Sirfetch'd! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ"
"Remember, you're on babysitting duty when we get back," Natsume said. "The Pokémon eggs can't find their mom."
"Sirfetch'd?! (´•︵•`)"
Guest commentator Maylene, a former all-star contestant, presided over the awards.
After reciting sponsor lines, she hung the gold medal around Sirfetch'd's neck, smiling:
"Congratulations, Sirfetch'd."
"Sirfetch'd~" It remained stoic, unfazed by glory.
"Oh, and—" Maylene pulled out a League Badge. "Could you give this to Natsume-sensei? I forgot last time, but he'll need it."
"Sirfetch'd!" It regally extended its shield.
A trivial favor for one such as I.
"Thanks!" Maylene placed the Badge in the shield's groove.
Nearby, Natsume was "encouraging" runner-up Gold.
"Keep at it! The future is yours!"
"Ugh, I'm winning gold next year for sure!"
Then—ping!
[Ding! Quest Updated!]
[Badges Collected: (7/8)]
[Mission Description: One Step Away!]
Natsume: ?
Familiar dread tightened his chest.
Natsume slowly turned toward Sirfetch'd beside Maylene. The Badge in its shield gleamed mockingly bright.
I can get Badges like THIS too?!
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Winning them in battles was bad enough…
But getting one during a sports event?!
Damn you, Maylene—
…Wait, no. She's too pitiful, and we've shared struggles.
"Natsume-sensei, why do you look so pale?" Gold asked.
"It's nothing."
Natsume pulled out his notebook and flipped to a fresh page.
"What's that?" Gold peeked over.
"Your name," Natsume said flatly.
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