Natsui turned his head to see Misty standing on a low wall behind him, an ice pop in her mouth, watching him with an amused expression.
Seeing Natsui notice her, she hopped down, walked over, and handed him a spare ice pop.
Natsui took it, raising an eyebrow. "Why aren't you exploring the city? I thought I gave you the day off so you wouldn't have to follow me around."
"There's not much to see." Misty took the popsicle out of her mouth and shook her head. "It's just buildings. Once you've seen a few white houses, you've seen them all. Besides, the celebration doesn't start for a few days, so the real fun hasn't begun yet."
She looked at Natsui with a teasing glint in her eyes. "But it's lucky I came back. Otherwise, I would have missed watching you fight such an intense battle against these toddlers!"
Natsui rolled his eyes at her. "Intense? I'm dominating the field, thank you very much."
"Yes, yes, yes..." Misty's grin widened. "Dominating two little kids. You must be so proud, Mr. Champion."
Ignoring Misty's teasing, Natsui turned back to the two boys, who were still recovering from their crushing defeat.
"So, do you want to go another round? I can keep going all day~"
The two boys looked at each other and shook their heads vigorously. "No way! We can't beat you. But even if we lost, we won't admit defeat!"
"Oh?" Natsui looked at them, amused. "You won't fight, but you won't admit defeat? Then what exactly do you want?"
The boy with the baseball cap stepped forward defiantly. "Beating us doesn't prove anything. You only win if you can beat Kinta!"
"Kinta?"
The rosy-cheeked boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! He's the strongest trainer in the neighborhood. None of us can beat him, and you definitely won't be able to either!"
Listening to their description, Natsui surmised that this "Kinta" must be the leader of the local kids.
"Sure. Go get him. I'll wait right here."
Watching the two boys scramble away, Natsui finally unwrapped the ice pop Misty had given him. He sat by the pool's edge, calling Milotic over to review the battle while they waited.
Post-battle analysis was crucial for a Pokémon's growth. It allowed them to recognize mistakes and reinforce good habits. It was an indispensable step in training.
By the time the review was finished, the boys still hadn't returned.
Just when Natsui thought he had been stood up, Misty tapped his shoulder and pointed into the distance. Natsui looked up to see the two boys returning, panting heavily as they practically dragged another boy toward the park.
That must be the leader, Kinta.
Examining the newcomer, Natsui noted that Kinta looked a year or two older than the others—about the same age as Misty and Ash. And judging by the way he was being shoved forward, he was clearly a reluctant participant.
Even from a distance, Natsui could hear Kinta complaining. "Seriously, guys, slow down! I'm busy training. I don't have time to play house battles with you two!"
"It's real this time!" the baseball cap boy pleaded. "Trust me, Kinta! This guy is really strong! We couldn't touch him, so we need you!"
Despite his protests, Kinta was shoved right in front of Natsui.
The boy crossed his arms, trying to look cool and aloof. Before he could speak, Natsui smiled. "I heard you're pretty strong?"
Kinta raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the man in front of him. He stayed silent for a moment, assessing the situation.
He had assumed the opponent was another kid from a different block. He didn't expect an adult.
Weird... why is a grown man battling these two?
Kinta scoffed. "Are you the one bullying my friends?"
"Bullying?" Natsui chuckled. "We were just having a friendly spar. It was only after they lost that they claimed you were the only one who could beat me. So, here we are."
"That's exactly what bullying is! Seriously, a grown man battling kids... aren't you ashamed?" Kinta sighed with an exaggerated, old-fashioned air, then shook off his friends' hands and walked to the challenger's box. "Fine. I thought it was just some brat unworthy of my time. But since you're an adult and you messed with my crew, I can't just ignore it!"
Natsui: "..."
This kid... his ego is writing checks his skills probably can't cash.
And this was the second time today he'd been roasted for battling children.
He wanted to ask: What's wrong with battling kids?
Aren't you a kid too?
Haven't you heard the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover"?
Just as a lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit, Natsui treated every battle seriously. Who could guarantee there wasn't a prodigy like Gary Oak among them? Or a wildcard like Ash Ketchum?
Whether he was fighting Legendary Pokémon in the sky or battling toddlers in a park, Natsui relied on one thing: absolute seriousness.
Meeting him this early in their journey was simply... bad luck for them.
Glancing at Milotic, Kinta took out a Poké Ball.
With a confident toss, the ball opened, and a Tentacruel materialized on the water's surface.
Seeing the Jellyfish Pokémon, Natsui was momentarily reminded of the giant Tentacruel he had faced back in Kanto.
Back then, fighting such a creature had been a desperate struggle. But as his journey continued, he had grown to a point where dealing with them was routine.
He now commanded more Legendary Pokémon than most trainers had Badges.
Seeing a Tentacruel now brought a strange sense of nostalgia about how much time had passed.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Natsui commanded Milotic to take its position.
"Go Kinta!!"
The rosy-cheeked boy cheered loudly, while the baseball cap boy stepped to the side to act as referee.
"Battle begin!"
With the signal given, the match started.
Immediately, Natsui realized that compared to the two younger boys, Kinta was on a different level. His commands were sharper, his Pokémon stronger, and his battle sense much more developed.
No wonder he was so confident.
But that was all.
He was the king of the sandbox, but he was still just a kid. If Natsui had to compare him, Kinta was slightly stronger than Wally had been when they first met—talented, but raw.
In the early stages, Tentacruel used its numerous tentacles and Poison-type moves to give Milotic some trouble. But once Natsui analyzed Kinta's rhythm, he took control.
Specifically, when Milotic used Refresh to cure the poison status, the battle's outcome was sealed. Seizing the opening, Natsui launched a counterattack that swept Tentacruel off the field in one clean wave.
The two younger boys stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. They couldn't believe their hero had fallen so easily.
"Ki... Kinta... you lost?"
Hearing the disbelief in his friend's voice, Kinta's face flushed red. He snapped back hurriedly, "Idiot! I didn't lose! I... I was just careless for a second!"
He turned back to Natsui, shouting, "That one didn't count! I want a rematch!!"
Compared to his cool demeanor earlier, Kinta was now desperate. He needed to defeat Natsui to save face in front of his friends.
"A rematch? Sure, no problem."
For Natsui, this was ideal. He was here to train Milotic. The more battles, the better.
Seeing him agree, Kinta took a deep breath, recalled his fainted Tentacruel, and pulled out a second Poké Ball with a solemn expression.
Despite his excuse of "being careless," Kinta knew in his heart that he had given that last battle everything he had. And he had still lost.
There was a gap between him and this stranger. A big one.
What terrified him wasn't Milotic's raw power—it was the man's suffocating command style.
It felt like they were fighting evenly, and then suddenly, without warning, Kinta would find himself completely checkmated, unable to resist.
He had only ever felt this kind of pressure from one other person—his idol. To feel it from this stranger was... unsettling.
Is he really that strong?
As strong as my idol?
No, no, no... How could a guy who spends his time bullying kids in a park be mentioned in the same breath as him!
Natsui didn't know what internal crisis Kinta was having. He watched the boy's expression shift before Kinta finally steeled himself and threw the ball.
With a flash of light, Kinta's second Pokémon appeared.
It was a Marshtomp.
The evolved form of Mudkip, one of the Hoenn starters. With sturdy legs developed for walking in mud and a mucous membrane protecting its body, it was a versatile fighter on land and in water.
Sending it out now meant this Marshtomp was stronger than the Tentacruel. Judging by Kinta's intense expression, this was likely his starter—his ace.
Does he see me as a boss battle now?
Natsui smiled indifferently, waving his hand for Milotic to ready itself again.
"Kinta! You can do it!!!"
The two cheering boys cupped their hands around their mouths, screaming support for their leader. The noise drew the attention of passersby, but seeing it was just a park battle, most people moved on.
In the pool, the second round began.
Kinta was fully focused this time, treating the battle with life-or-death seriousness. But just like before, after the initial exchange of moves, the dynamic shifted.
At a certain moment, his strategy was dissected, his moves predicted, and his defense shattered.
He was defeated again. Easily.
Just like the first match, the loss felt suffocating.
"How... how could it be like this..."
Kinta stepped back, pale-faced, staring at the water in a daze.
His two companions looked like their world had collapsed. They slumped to the ground, utterly defeated by proxy.
Misty, watching from a nearby bench, yawned lazily. She didn't even bother to applaud.
Having witnessed battles between Champions and Legendaries, a squabble between kids held zero excitement for her.
Natsui recalled Milotic, stroking the scales on its head in praise, before looking up at the devastated boy.
"So, still want to fight? I can go all day~"
It was the exact same phrase he had used on the younger boys. There was no malice in it, but to Kinta's ears, it sounded like pure mockery. His anger flared.
I won't lose to this guy! Not to someone whose hobby is crushing kids!
But having both his Pokémon defeated so thoroughly forced him to accept reality. He couldn't win.
Taking a deep breath to steady his shaking hands, Kinta glared at Natsui and snorted. "Don't get cocky. Beating me doesn't prove anything. You only win if you can beat my mentor!"
Hmm?
Why does this sound so familiar?
I feel like I heard this exact line ten minutes ago...
Natsui glanced at the two younger boys, then nodded at Kinta. "Alright. Go get whoever you want. I'll wait right here."
"You asked for it!"
With one last glare, Kinta turned on his heel, grabbed the two boys, and stormed out of the park.
Watching them retreat, Natsui laughed out loud.
This was getting interesting.
Originally, he just wanted to find some weak opponents for target practice. He didn't expect that pulling up one weed would drag out the whole root system.
But this was good. The opponents kept changing, and the difficulty kept scaling up. It saved him the trouble of hunting for suitable training partners.
Besides, he was curious. Who exactly were these kids going to drag out next?
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