Joanna glanced at his backpack.
Even without considering Natsuhiko's previous catches, just the spoils from these two were more than enough.
"Hmm." She nodded in response.
"So... you're stopping?"
Is that what he meant?
She saw Natsuhiko slowly grin, his white teeth contrasting with his pale face, saying it ten times in one night would be too little.
Strangely.
Seeing his smile, Joanna's heart skipped a beat.
Natsuhiko didn't answer her, just waved his hand gently, "While there's time, you should keep pushing yourself. Try to make it just before the latest assembly time, don't be too early."
After saying that, Natsuhiko patted Noivern's back and sat on it with its support.
Joanna smirked, "Even with more effort, there's not much hope."
She caught quite a few Pokémon.
But the situation now is that the ones you catch on your own definitely aren't enough.
Everyone else snatches from others, which means a group of people is helping one person catch, how can you compete with that?
"Unless..."
Unless everyone else is out!
Joanna suddenly lifted her head and saw the subtle meaning in Natsuhiko's smile.
Her eyes kept contracting, and even her breathing paused momentarily.
The latest assembly time?
Not too early?
She understood what Natsuhiko meant by his words.
Standing there, stunned, she watched as Natsuhiko, riding on Noivern, flew toward the direction they entered the island.
"Is he really planning to do it? This... madman..."
Joanna was shocked by the crazy thing Natsuhiko might do.
What was Natsuhiko planning to do?
Using Joanna as bait earlier to lure Billis and Bernie, those two big fish, suddenly made Natsuhiko realize something important.
Yes, indeed.
Aimlessly searching is nowhere near as efficient as having others come to you.
The level of bait is just too low.
Waiting in ambush is the real strategy.
Since everyone has to gather at the place to enter the island on the last day anyway, why not just wait for them there!
Be a bandit for a change.
Do one big heist!
By the way.
Take care of those who might become his competitors right here!
This mission only has three slots to win.
Presumably, elsewhere, the top seats also have some slots.
Those he can't handle for now.
But here.
He has the opportunity to deal with these competitors early.
Of course.
That's not the most important thing.
What matters most is....
In the spoils from Billis and Bernie, Natsuhiko saw was full of... money!
Whether it's handed over to the Hunter Guild in exchange for rewards based on point ratios, or kept secretly to sell himself, both are good choices.
Natsuhiko never forgot the three things he wanted to do in this mission.
Make money, make money, and damn well make money!
However, before that, to ensure his success rate, Natsuhiko has something else to do.
He has to persuade Milotic, uh, convince it to help him out.
Snorlax and Bewear are strong, but through the battle with Billis and Bernie, Natsuhiko feels they're not too reliable.
If he can persuade Milotic to help him, it should be more secure.
Riding on Noivern.
First, he circled above the island they entered.
Unable to spot "Miss Q's" figure.
This gave Natsuhiko a bit more boldness.
He came to the island's edge.
He took out a Pokeball and summoned Milotic.
"Ooo~~"
As soon as Milotic appeared, it elegantly turned in the seawater.
No matter how many times he sees it, Natsuhiko still thinks Milotic is really beautiful.
Not just because of its appearance, but also because of its inner qualities, and the elegant demeanor in its every movement.
After stretching its body, Milotic approached Natsuhiko.
Seeing his pale complexion, a slight worry flickered in its eyes.
"I'm fine." Natsuhiko smiled and said.
"Ooo~~"
A gentle cry, its slender tail, and fan-like scales, carrying starry glimmers, brushed past in front of Natsuhiko.
A few water droplets moistened his cheeks.
The cool water droplets seemed to carry some magical effect, relaxing Natsuhiko's previously taut spirit, easing the occasional stabbing pain in his head.
A slight blush returned to his face, recovering some vitality.
Milotic has the ability to calm Pokémon or humans, using its own way to alleviate the mental strain Natsuhiko suffered from overburdening mental fluctuations.
Although it couldn't fully recover Natsuhiko.
It did make him feel much better.
Natsuhiko's expression was complex.
Milotic's actions made many of Natsuhiko's words difficult to say for a moment.
But he still managed to say, "Thank you, Milotic."
"Ooo~~"
Milotic's eyes curved into a smile, snuggling closer to Natsuhiko.
Because it can calm Pokémon, it has a very sensitive understanding of Pokémon's emotions.
Back at the underground lake, it could clearly feel the constant happiness and joy radiating from Natsuhiko's Pokémon.
In Milotic's eyes, Natsuhiko is a very qualified Trainer; nothing is more joyful than making Pokémon happy.
Although it also sensed dark vibes on Natsuhiko.
But really, doesn't everyone have a darker side?
The key is whether you can grasp the balance of light and shadow in your heart.
Too much light gives an unrealistic feeling, as if it doesn't belong in the real world.