I never expected that while watching the match I went unnoticed, but during the evening gala, I kept receiving complex glances from people.
He took out his phone to check.
It turned out that photos from the event were posted online and sparked discussions.
Many people believed that having the time to watch the battle but not to participate meant, in essence, that the rumors were true—afraid of losing to the Four Heavenly Kings and the Champion, he dared not compete.
Thus, the double victory generated a lot of negative perceptions.
In fact.
It's entirely normal for a tournament winner to abstain from competing in the next Champion Alliance due to insufficient confidence in their strength, Mann Chong had no intention of participating from the start and hadn't leaked any information.
The main reason is that Baimu's fame rose too fast, and everything happening now is simply the backlash from the past glory.
Thankfully, no idiots came up to cause trouble.
Most of the attendees at the gala were prominent figures from various sectors in the Hoenn Region; they were too busy networking and collaborating with each other.
Who has time to waste?
As for the young followers accompanying them, they generally surrounded Da Wu, gazing at him with extreme admiration and speaking in hushed tones, frequently letting out barely contained squeals of excitement.
Occasionally, one or two young girls showed interest in the Mawile quietly eating sweets beside Baimu, but upon seeing Captain Genji nearby, they immediately turned pale and left.
Genji: "..."
Baimu astutely perceived a trace of frustration flash across the Old Celestial King's face, delighting in it without offering solace, knowing that saying anything would only make Genji more miserable.
"Eat a little less; even on a cheat day, there are limits."
He pressed down on Mawile's small hand reaching for a puff, "If you gain weight, your movements will become sluggish."
"Chidor..."
Mawile's hand froze, looking forlornly at the delicious treats that ordinary Trainers rarely offered.
Even though it had already devoured six mille-feuilles, three Black Forest cakes, two tiramisus, a small plate of cookies, and a small plate of pancakes, its stomach could still hold more!
Gaining weight...
If only there were a way to eat without gaining weight someday.
Mawile sighed as it put down the puff.
Sitting nearby, Furong, who was unaware of its eating prowess, couldn't tolerate it anymore and complained, "Just let it eat! It's not like a little bit will—"
The sound came to an abrupt halt.
Because Baimu silently revealed a large stack of empty plates hidden by Mawile's head.
Furong stared in amazement at Mawile, "How can you eat so much!?"
"Chidor!"
Mawile angrily shouted at her; how could she casually comment on a lady's appetite! Such rudeness!
Oh well.
Seeing as she stuck up for it earlier, it let it slide!
Mawile picked up a cup of black tea and started sipping slowly.
With nothing much to do, it could sip a pot of tea for half a day, even outlasting the most laid-back and daydreaming Galarian Corsola.
The evening gala concluded uneventfully.
However, late at night, following the release of a battle video, a silent yet massive storm brewed on Poké Blogger.
——
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A rapid knocking came from outside the cabin.
Baimu put down his phone, glanced at the bustling port outside, and figured there should still be some time before departure.
"Come in!"
Creak!
The wooden door was pushed open as Otsuka and others rushed in eagerly, each holding a phone, excitedly babbling:
"Baimu! You beat the captain? You beat the head of the Four Heavenly Kings in Hoenn?"
"I knew you definitely wouldn't lose to the Hoenn People!"
"The boss is the boss!"
"Those who were saying you lacked strength earlier online have completely disappeared! Now, everyone praises you!"
Baimu covered his ears as the Pokémon in the room either curiously or discontentedly looked at the group of Chatot-like people, curious about what had happened.
First Officer Liang Guang leaned against the door with arms crossed, smiling broadly, "These lads heard the news from us and immediately dropped what they were doing to rush over! Each one more energetic than a Vigoroth!"
"Well, you should give them a good lesson; how can they just run off when they're supposed to be doing their jobs?"
Baimu got up, feigning impatience as he pushed the group aside, shouting, "What's the big deal? Wait until I become the world's strongest Trainer, then you can come running over with excitement! Winning against the captain once is nothing to brag about! Now get back to work!"
"Yes!"
"Okay, boss!"
Otsuka and the others chuckled as they left the room, their eyes shining brightly, as if imbued with divine light.
They learned from the sailors aboard the Fury that Genji's strength ranks among the top tier of Trainers in this world.
And that Baimu, who had managed to defeat Genji, clearly possessed a shot at reaching the pinnacle!
How could they not be excited by this?
They, coming from a place where survival of the fittest reigns, had not yet fully shifted their mindset, still believing that only the strong are worthy of following.
Moreover, they had started from scratch together and fought their way to where they were now!
Even if it didn't relate much to them, Baimu achieving something still instilled in them a sense of pride and accomplishment.
After they left, Liang Guang sighed, "You've clarified things for yourself now; you might not know how heated the debate was on the blogs after the Champion Alliance ended yesterday."
"As long as you're not angry about me gaining fame from defeating the captain, it's fine." Baimu replied softly.
Purposely timing the battle video release did give off a feeling of stepping over Genji to rise.
Liang Guang shook his head and said, "Defeating the captain is a fact, unrelated to the battle video, and the people on this ship don't concern themselves with such fleeting fame. Besides, having a defeat video posted online isn't shameful; losing to someone younger isn't shameful. Refusing to acknowledge defeat afterward is what's truly shameful!"
"Well said."
Genji's voice came from the hallway.
Liang Guang's expression froze, his relaxed demeanor vanished entirely as he forced a smile, "Captain!"
"Liang Guang... no, First Officer, you certainly didn't disappoint me; even in my younger days, I may not have had your level of understanding. Given time, you'll definitely have a brighter future than mine!"
Genji's typically stern face showed rare softness as he looked at the somewhat incredulous Liang Guang and said, "It's time for you to take over this ship."
"Captain!"
Liang Guang hadn't fully processed the praise when he heard these words and immediately looked alarmed, "Teacher! You, you—"
He was at a loss for words.
Baimu also stood up in surprise, was Captain Genji planning to retire with this tone?
That couldn't be, considering he's still part of the Hoenn Region's Four Heavenly Kings!
Not achieving the desired surprise expressions, Genji looked between Liang Guang and Baimu and said, "It seems you've misunderstood something? What I mean is appointing First Officer Liang Guang as the captain of the Fury."
"What about you?"
"Naturally, I will move to another ship. First Officer Liang Guang is already quite capable of handling command independently!"
Upon hearing this.
Liang Guang relaxed, scratching his head in embarrassment, "So that's it, you're planning to hand the Fury over to me."
Genji nodded and said, "But after our journey to the Ore Region. I plan to sail a new fishing vessel alone to explore the seabed of the Hoenn Region; Baimu, should you not mind, you might consider joining me on occasion."
"If given the chance, absolutely!" Baimu readily agreed.
He was almost losing track of how many people he'd promised things to; being young, he figured agreeing to everything would work out fine.
Soon enough.
The Fury set sail, heading toward the Ore Region.
According to Genji's estimation, if they went directly without detours, it would take about fifteen days, not differing much from the journey over.
Two weeks of training is neither too long nor too short.
At least, within a couple of days, Otsuka's walking posture improved significantly, and after a week, he had gained a lean and agile stature.
You can't underestimate the importance of surroundings.
Life on the ship was quite monotonous.
Aside from Pokémon battles, there weren't many entertainment activities—arm wrestling competitions were one, and every sailor on the Fury had biceps comparable to Machoke's.
Even Captain Genji participated; despite his skinny frame, his explosive power was unusual.
Nevertheless, none could move Baimu's arm.
Baimu was puzzled too; he would work out with Pokémon occasionally, but his dedication was questionable at best.
Genetic factor perhaps? Could the Meteor People's lineage be this formidable?
All in all.
When Baimu remained undefeated in both arm wrestling and battle, eventually surpassing everyone aboard the Fury, the ship gradually sailed into the waters near the Ore Region.
Home, it's almost here.