Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
"..."
As soon as Liam finished speaking, the surroundings fell into silence. But after a few seconds, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes he was staring at!
Immediately after, a slightly slender figure leapt out from the bushes.
It was a young boy, somewhat thin in build, probably around Liam's age. However, that frail appearance was deceptive—the moment he appeared, Liam could tell that this boy possessed a body capable of explosive strength.
"How did you discover me?"
The mysterious boy stepped out, locking his gaze onto Liam without yielding an inch, and asked coldly.
"Heh, your aura gave you away. If you want to hide, you need to properly suppress it. Ordinary people might not sense aura, but for Pokemon… it's far too obvious."
"Piplup!"
Liam replied with a faint smile, clearly interested in the boy who looked strangely familiar. Beside him, Piplup—the one who had detected the presence—stood alert at his pant leg, staring cautiously at the boy.
"Hmph. I don't need someone who doesn't even dare show their real face lecturing me."
The boy crossed his arms and snorted disdainfully.
Liam: "..."
"Well~ I never said I was afraid to show my face. I just wear the mask for fun. Since you brought it up—how about we start over?"
Liam chuckled, then casually removed the mask from his face, revealing his true appearance to the boy, whose eyes immediately widened in shock.
Liam's identity as the Vortex Leader of Team Rocket was already known among the high ranks of the Kanto and Johto Leagues, so wearing a mask now was really just for amusement.
The boy: "..."
He clearly hadn't expected Liam to be so straightforward. The moment he saw Liam's true face, his expression changed dramatically—his eyes filled with shock and confusion.
"Oh? Judging by that reaction, you recognize me?"
Liam smiled.
"...Hmph. I do. But I never expected that the Champion of both the Kanto and Johto Leagues would be here bullying two small-time thugs."
Even after recognizing him, the boy's tone remained cold, his aura unwavering.
"Heh, they're not thugs. They're members of Team Aqua. You must've heard our conversation earlier—their goal is to find and release the legendary Kyogre of Hoenn, and use it to flood the land with the ocean. Do you think that's something 'small-time thugs' would do?"
Liam waved his hand dismissively.
But the boy refused to budge. Ignoring Liam's explanation entirely, he quickly pulled out an identification card and stepped forward.
"Even so, you can't just beat them into this state yourself! Don't think being a Champion means you can do whatever you want! I'm informing you in my capacity as a League Investigator—you're in serious trouble! Come with me to the station!"
Liam: "..."
Watching the boy approach, Liam's mouth twitched slightly.
Then—
"Come back, Electabuzz! Haha—these Team Aqua guys are all yours~ See you next time!"
In one swift motion, Liam recalled Electabuzz into a PokeBall, scooped up Piplup into his arms, spun around—and activated his Wind Shoes!
With a burst of speed, he turned into a gust of wind and dashed away, his laughter echoing behind him.
Boy: "...Hmph!"
The boy watched as Liam vanished in an instant, leaving no trace behind. In the end, he simply snorted.
Turning to the two Team Aqua members still tied to the tree, he frowned slightly, then pulled out a small communicator from his pocket and connected a call.
"Director, there's been an incident at the Weather Institute. The two Team Aqua members I was tracking were just taken down by someone…"
There was a hint of helplessness in his tone, his face showing clear frustration. From the communicator came the voice of the so-called Director.
"Taken down? By whom? Norman—why does something like this always happen wherever you are?"
Norman: "...It was the Champion of Kanto and Johto—Liam. He captured those two Team Aqua members, questioned them, and then left. Should I pursue him?"
Director: "...Ah, that Champion Liam has already reached your area? Alright, I understand. Don't concern yourself with him. The two Team Aqua members should still be there, right? Bring them back and see if we can extract the location of Team Aqua's headquarters. They've been getting more and more reckless—it's about time we taught them a lesson. That's all."
With that, the communication ended.
Norman put away the device and looked at the two charred Team Aqua members. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
....
Meanwhile—
Liam dashed all the way back to his campsite, quickly packed up his tent and belongings, then immediately set off again, racing through the forest toward Fortree City.
He had recognized the boy the moment he saw him.
Norman—the future Gym Leader of Petalburg City. A powerful trainer who would one day command Rayquaza.
Compared to the Norman Liam knew from the future, the current one looked almost identical—same hairstyle, same build—perhaps only lacking a bit of maturity.
Since Norman was part of the Hoenn League, Liam felt at ease leaving those Team Aqua members to him. It saved him quite a bit of trouble.
He entered Fortree City overnight. Since it was already late, he didn't disturb Nurse Joy. Instead, he found a large tree, took out his sleeping bag, and made do for the night.
Fortree City bore some resemblance to Viridian City in Kanto—both surrounded and embraced by lush greenery. However, Fortree had its own unique charm: treehouses.
One after another, wooden houses hung from massive branches, connected by vine bridges, giving the entire city a feeling of perfect harmony with nature.
The night passed quietly.
When the first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell upon Liam's face, he awoke.
After tidying up and heading to the Pokémon Center to freshen up, Liam made his way toward the Fortree Gym.
The Fortree Gym was the city's most iconic structure—the tallest building in the area. From afar, it resembled a towering altar, with long stairways stretching endlessly upward.
Step by step, Liam climbed the stairs.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally reached the top—standing before a massive structure.
Turning back, he looked at the treehouses below, now tiny in the distance. Then he looked up at the sky, now seemingly within reach.
Breathing in the crisp, fresh air—
He felt… completely refreshed.