"Good morning, everyone."
Lucas rubbed his eyes as he came downstairs. After greeting everyone eating breakfast near the counter, he walked toward the lounge area.
Gothitelle was quick-eyed and quick-handed, reaching out to grab him by the collar.
Meeting Gothitelle's cold gaze, Lucas could only sit helplessly by the counter. Alcremie skillfully placed Lucas's breakfast in front of him.
"imai~"
Please enjoy~
"Thank you."
Lucas thanked her weakly.
Having video-chatted with Cynthia until midnight yesterday, Lucas, who hadn't gotten enough sleep, had absolutely no appetite right now.
"I've just woken up, so I don't really have an appetite for breakfast—"
Lucas looked at Gothitelle.
Gothitelle kept her head down, eating her own breakfast and ignoring Lucas.
Lucas looked at Gengar. Triggering a stress response, Gengar instantly turned around with his breakfast, turning his back to Lucas.
Want to steal my breakfast again? No way!
Lucas: ————
In the end, Lucas could only look at Lilligant. Sitting on a bar stool, Lilligant shrugged at him, indicating she couldn't do anything about it either.
After quickly finishing her breakfast, Gothitelle floated back to the kitchen with her tableware.
Sonia looked at Lucas, who hadn't touched a single bite of his breakfast, and then at Leon next to her.
Leon shook his head, indicating he couldn't help either.
Nearby, Mr. and Mrs. Fujino, Lucian, and even Shauna and Tomoyo seemed to be used to this, continuing to enjoy their breakfast with their heads down.
"It's fine, don't mind him. Gothitelle and the others will handle it. We just need to finish our own breakfast."
Lucian swallowed his food, wiped his mouth with a napkin, took two sips of Moomoo Milk, and then spoke to Leon and the others.
"Ah? Is that so? But Lucas looks like he's in really bad shape?"
Sonia asked curiously.
Lucian glanced at Lucas. "There have been times when his state was even worse than this. This is already considered very normal."
Anyone who frequently visited the Breeding House would know that Lucas had been completely spoiled by the Breeding House's Pokémon.
Only the Breeding House's Pokémon could spoil Lucas like this.
And only Lucas and his Pokémon got along this way.
Of course, it wasn't like no one had tried to interact with their Pokémon the way Lucas did.
The result?
Their afros were blasted pitch-black by Flamethrower.
Just as Sonia was about to say something else, she saw Gothitelle float out of the kitchen, holding a bowl of porridge and a few meat buns. She moved the noodles in front of Lucas aside and placed the porridge and meat buns before him.
"Gothitelle."
Eat this instead.
Wow! Porridge!
Smelling the fragrance drifting from the hot porridge, Lucas sat up straight, his eyes lighting up.
He blew gently on a spoonful and took a bite.
Delicious!
Seeing Lucas eating his breakfast, Gothitelle nodded in satisfaction. Then, she pushed the untouched noodles in front of Gengar.
Gengar: Treating me as a food disposal unit again?
Gothitelle: Cut the crap. Do you want it or not? If not, I'm giving it to Munchlax.
Gengar: *Gulp, gulp.*
I'm done eating.
Gengar stuck out his tongue, licked the corner of his mouth, and grinned.
Looking at Gengar's eager expression, Gothitelle pointed toward the kitchen, indicating there was still a big pot of porridge inside, and he could go serve himself if he wanted more.
Gengar giggled, then passed through the wall into the kitchen, returning directly to the counter with the big pot to start enjoying the—
—delicious hot porridge.
The meat buns made by Mime Jr. and Alcremie were large, with thin skin and plenty of filling. After eating two, Lucas was full and pushed the remaining buns to Gengar. Gengar wasn't polite either. Holding a spoon as large as a bowl, he drank his porridge while tossing the meat buns whole into his mouth.
"See, I told you Gothitelle and the others would have a way."
Lucian said with an "I told you so" look.
Sonia suddenly realized that this was how Lucas, Gengar, and the others lived their daily lives.
"But... why do I feel like Gothitelle is like a mother taking care of a child who can't look after themselves?"
Sonia said softly.
The dining table fell into silence.
Thinking she had said something wrong, Sonia quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just speaking my mind."
Shauna, who was eating the big meat buns with her head down, picked up a third one, took a delicious bite, and said with a satisfied look, "Uncle often calls Gothitelle 'Mom'."
Sonia:?!
"Ah? Is that so?"
She looked at Gothitelle's completely unperturbed face and nodded in sudden realization once more.
So that was how it was—
"The way Lucas-boy gets along with Pokémon is always so unexpected."
Mustard wiped his mouth and said with a smile.
"Now that I'm full, I feel like I have endless energy all over. Lucas-boy, I'm going to use my full strength today."
Lucas nodded. "Alright—please make sure to let them admire your style."
Mustard looked at Lucas's calm and unruffled demeanor and couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Old partner, fight with all your might with me one more time.
After enjoying breakfast, Lucas and the others set off for the venue. On the way, Leon was recognized and forced to work overtime, taking some photos and signing autographs.
By the time he and Sonia arrived at the venue, the matches had already been underway for quite a while.
"Sorry I'm late. The fans were just too enthusiastic."
Leon sat on his chair with an apologetic look.
"As the strongest Champion, it's only normal for Leon to be surrounded by fans."
Lucian nodded and said.
"Sinnoh Gym Leader Maylene, Unova Elite Four Marshal, and Kanto/Johto Elite Four Bruno have all advanced."
Lucas watched the battle between two martial artists from other regions on the field and briefly updated Leon on the current situation.
"With their strength, as long as they don't run into each other, advancing isn't a difficult thing. Actually, if Bea hadn't run into Elite Four Bruno early, I feel her results would have been even better."
Sonia said with some regret.
"That's how competitions are, full of uncertainty. But if you have enough strength, then you don't need to worry about these things."
Leon made another strong-character statement.
Lucas and Lucian nodded in agreement.
Seeing that the match on the field was starting to wrap up, Mustard stood up and stretched his limbs. "Well, this old man will go get ready first."
"Alright, I wish Master Mustard a victorious start."
Mustard paused his movements and looked at Lucas in confusion.
Seeing Mustard's gaze, Lucas was also a bit confused.
What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? Why is he looking at me like that?
Mustard shook his head and left with his hands behind his back.
Lucas was completely baffled. After Mustard left, he continued to watch the match.
After the battle on the field ended, Lucian finished handling some sudden business on his phone. Looking up, he noticed Lucas was still standing in the stands. He pushed up his glasses and asked curiously, "Why are you still here?"
"If I'm not here, where should I be?"
"You're in the next match."
"Ah? But didn't Master Mustard already go to warm up—wait—Master Mustard's opponent is me?!"
Lucas asked, realizing it belatedly.
"Did you not look at the match schedule again?"
Lucian's eyes widened.
Lucas: ————
"Hmm... no wonder Master Mustard said those things to me during breakfast this morning—"
Only now did Lucas understand what Mustard meant when he said those things during breakfast.
It turned out he already knew his opponent this morning was me.
And here I was wishing Master Mustard a victorious start—
How embarrassing—
"Then I'll head out too."
Lucas recalled Dash into his Poké Ball, then ran toward the match tunnel.
"Ah! That hurts!"
Latias's voice rang out.
Lucas rubbed his waist, a mask of pain on his face. "Latias, you don't need to stay invisible on the stands."
Having said that, he hurriedly ran off.
Sitting in the stands, Gengar, Gothitelle, and the others all watched Lucas's retreating figure with helpless expressions.
Suddenly, Gengar whipped around and grinned widely.
"Gen gengar—"
Gothitelle, Lilligant, and Ninetales turned around together.
The sound of high heels echoed.
"He is still the same as always."
A cool voice rang out along with the sound of high heels.
Everyone turned their heads and found Cynthia standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at the battlefield.
"Miss Cynthia."
"Champion Cynthia."
"big sis."
Cynthia looked at Lucian. "Thank you for your hard work."
"It's alright. If it's coming over here to work overtime, I can still accept it."
Lucian sighed softly and said.
After greeting Leon and the others, Cynthia sat down on a chair.
"Gen gengar—"
Gengar floated to Cynthia's side, grinning with bared teeth.
Cynthia reached out and pinched the corners of Gengar's mouth. "You're really cute, Gengar."
Hehehe.
"How did Miss Cynthia manage to come over? Didn't Lucas say you were very busy?"
Sonia asked curiously.
"To come watch the matches, I worked overtime to finish all my tasks."
"Oh—"
Sonia nodded.
"The next battle features a contestant who once held the Galar Region Championship title for over a dozen consecutive terms, and is also an incredibly powerful martial artist—Master Mustard!"
"Facing him is our contestant from the Breeding House, the owner Lucas!"
In the spectator stands, a girl stood next to a Munchlax who had a large plate balanced on its head, filled with snacks and drinks. Upon hearing the referee's voice, she finished paying, grabbed Little Tomoyo's hand, and ran toward the stands with Larvitar in her arms and Zorua perched on her head.
"Little Tomoyo, let's get back quickly. Uncle is about to go on stage."
The two girls were followed by some small Pokémon. Chimecho's clear and pleasant chime rang out as they quickly wove through the stands.
"We made it."
Shauna stood on the stands, taking a breath. After setting Larvitar and the others down, she spotted Cynthia sitting in her seat.
"Sister Cynthia."
Cynthia smiled and pulled Shauna into her arms.
On the field.
Lucas looked at Mustard walking out from the opposite side, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Master Mustard, I really didn't know my opponent today was you."
Mustard burst out laughing upon hearing this. "I was wondering why you said those things. It turns out you didn't know your opponent was me!"
After laughing for a moment, Mustard stopped and looked at Lucas, his gaze becoming extremely sharp.
"But even so, I won't go easy on you."
Lucas grinned. "Of course, and I will also use my full strength."
Dash's Poké Ball appeared in his palm. Lucas pressed it firmly, and the Poké Ball instantly enlarged, filling his entire hand.
Mustard nodded, then flung off his upper garment, revealing his kung fu uniform underneath.
Despite Mustard's advanced age, the muscles on his body remained well-defined and clearly visible.
Mustard performed a few fighting stances, looking at Lucas seriously.
"Let me show you the fighting style of a true martial artist!"
Mustard threw his Poké Ball, and a red light flashed.
A terrifying aura instantly covered the entire arena.
Urshifu struck a fighting pose and let out a roar toward Lucas.
Urshifu, Single Strike Style.
Lucas watched Mustard's fluid movements, then looked down at his own clothes—a simple top.
Does he need to take it off to show respect?
But he didn't have any muscles—
Facing the pressure from Mustard and Urshifu, Lucas straightened his body, tossed his Poké Ball high into the air, and then slammed his fists together.
Machamp's imposing figure appeared on the field. Faced with the pressure from Urshifu, it showed no fear at all; instead, it used its own aura to push back.
Four fists collided heavily, and the resulting shockwave blew away the sand on the ground.
"Ma Machmap!" Come fight!
Waiting area.
Bruno watched as Lucas sent out Machamp, his eyes lighting up.
What a strong Machamp— Is this his trump card?
Marshal's eyes also lit up.
Maylene watched the terrifying Machamp and Urshifu, shivering in a corner.
In the audience.
Bea looked at the unusually tall Machamp and whispered, "Master Machamp."
Korrina: "So—so scary, that Machamp—"
In the stands.
Leon: "It's about to start, the all-out battle between Lucas and Master Mustard."
Lucian: "I just remembered—has this venue taken any safety precautions?"
Gothitelle: !!!
Cynthia's eyes were fixed on Lucas, and the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily.
Gurkinn: What a scary Machamp— So this is his full strength?
Shauna: "Uncle, go for it!"
Tomoyo: "Uncle, go for it!"
"Machamp, Dynamic Punch!"
As Lucas's voice fell, Machamp pushed off with its legs, instantly covering a large distance to reach Urshifu, and swung its massive fist straight at it.
"Sucker Punch."
Urshifu struck a parrying stance, dark energy rising in its palms, and then punched Machamp in the face. Machamp's head snapped to the side, and its body froze.
But for only a split second; Machamp continued its movement, landing the Dynamic Punch on Urshifu.
Urshifu brought its hands back to defend against Machamp's attack.
Even though it had prepared its defense, it was still knocked back several steps by the terrifying force.
Its hands trembled, and its head began to grow confused.
"Urshifu, steady your will."
Urshifu, whose eyes had been a bit unfocused, roared, and its eyes immediately regained clarity, staring intently at the Machamp opposite.
Seeing it suppress the confusion status with its own will?
If that's not cheating, what is?!
Lucas's eyelid twitched.
"Let's do it too, Dynamic Punch!"
Urshifu closed the distance between itself and Machamp, slamming its fist hard into Machamp's stomach.
"Grab it, Double-Edge!"
With the No Guard ability, both sides' moves were guaranteed to hit. Mustard was precisely exploiting the weakness of this ability, having Urshifu use Dynamic Punch, which originally only had 50 accuracy.
When Urshifu's fist slammed into Machamp's stomach, Machamp's two arms tightly gripped Urshifu's hands, while the other two arms wrapped around Urshifu's waist. It then lifted Urshifu up, and using the strength of its entire body, smashed it hard into the ground.
Boom!
The smoke cleared.
In the crater, Machamp and Urshifu were staring at each other.
"Machamp has fallen into a state of confusion."
Leon said in a deep voice, watching Machamp, whose steps were a bit unsteady.
"Lucas will have a way."
Cynthia was full of confidence in Lucas.
Just like when her Spikes were broken by Lucas in an incredible way.
"Lucas, kid, Machamp is confused."
Mustard said with a smile, then his eyes changed instantly, becoming extremely oppressive.
"Urshifu, Close Combat."
Urshifu of the Single Strike Style has powerful moves and likes to kill the opponent in one hit.
Therefore, Urshifu's Close Combat only has a few punches, but each one has immense power.
"Machamp, Work Up."
Facing Urshifu's offensive, Lucas chose to have Machamp use Work Up.
Pokémon will respond to their Trainer's expectations. Lucas believed in Machamp—a Machamp that had never retreated when facing Regigigas, a Machamp that had never retreated when facing Arceus, a Machamp that had gone through thousands of tempered blows—it would not be defeated by Close Combat.
"Machamp, we—no, you—are the strongest."
Lucas took a deep breath and then roared.
"So, roar! Roar and smash everything in front of you!"
Listening to Lucas, Machamp raised its four arms to parry Urshifu's attacks, while constantly recalling the time it spent beating itself to protect the Breeding House, to protect the man who gave it and its little brother a place to stay—
"Ma Machmap!!!"
Machamp let out a roar, forcing Urshifu back.
Its aura began to climb steadily.
Its Attack and Special Attack were constantly rising.
Its eyes gradually turned blood-red.
"Ma Machmap!"
Fight! For the partners! For the Breeding House! For Lucas!!!
"Dynamic Punch!!!"
Machamp rushed toward Urshifu.
"Then come on, Urshifu and I have defeated countless strong enemies, and today will be just like the usual."
Mustard also roared angrily, "Dynamic Punch!"
Fists collided repeatedly, landing punches on each other's bodies. It was a battle of flesh against flesh, and every blow landed with a distinct, dull thud.
"Using Work Up to suppress confusion? This really is—the first time I've seen that—"
Leon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and said with a smile.
Cynthia pulled Zorua off Shauna's head, tossed it aside, rested her fair, smooth chin on Shauna's little head, and said, "Machamp is a Pokémon that craves battle to begin with. By using Work Up to ignite its desire for victory, it's not impossible for it to suppress the confusion."
"Besides, we all know that Pokémon themselves will create miracles to respond to their Trainers—"
Leon nodded gently.
"Exactly, that is the charm of battling."
Boom!
Both sides pulled apart.
At the same time, they shook their heads, suppressing the confusion status again.
Smoke enveloped both sides.
Both sides' fighting spirit reached a new peak once again.
Mustard laughed wantonly, "It's been a long time since I've had such an exhilarating battle. Lucas, come on, let's decide the final winner."
"To be honest, this is my first time battling so exhilaratingly too. As expected, a martial artist's battle is what makes my blood boil the most."
Lucas also laughed wantonly.
A battle of flesh against flesh was the fighting style Lucas liked the most.
Latias came above the field, flew around it twice, and then a wind blew across the field, blowing away all the smoke.
The entire battlefield was revealed. At this moment, the battlefield was covered in cracks, and craters of various sizes were irregularly distributed across it.
Machamp and Urshifu on the field were covered in wounds, but their fighting spirit was surprisingly high.
The entire venue held its breath, watching the battle nervously.
Mustard extended his right hand, in which lay Urshifu's Poké Ball, "Come on, Urshifu, let yourself become even stronger."
Lucas did the same.
"Machamp, become stronger. Become stronger, even stronger, and smash the obstacles in front of me for me."
Both sides returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls at the same time.
Audience: ?
Muscular Referee: ??
Everyone and the Pokémon from the Breeding House: ???
Sonia covered her forehead, "This is not the Galar Region!"
Sonia shouted loudly.
Since it was an open-air venue, the patrolling Honchkrow and Murkrow were flying over the venue one after another.
"You can't Dynamax or Gigantamax here, hey!"
Leon heard Sonia's words and realized it too.
"So you wanted to Gigantamax—if you hadn't said anything, I would have forgotten that we are in the Sinnoh Region."
Leon couldn't help but laugh.
Cynthia was the same.
Lucian breathed a sigh of relief, "It's a good thing this isn't the Galar Region. Otherwise, if we were to have a Dynamax battle—I feel like I would explode from the aftermath."
The Muscular Referee realized what happened, "So both contestants entered a state of self-oblivion. It's a pity this is not the Galar Region; otherwise, I believe we could have seen an even more spectacular battle. Alright, please both parties send your Pokémon back onto the field at the same time."
————
On the field.
Lucas and Mustard stared at each other.
Then they both scratched the back of their heads at the same time.
Lucas: No wonder the Dynamax Band didn't react—
I thought the Dynamax Band had no power because it hadn't been used for too long—
Machamp and Urshifu returned to the field.
"What a pity, it would have been great if we could have a Dynamax battle right now."
Mustard said regretfully, and Lucas nodded in agreement.
"Exactly—no, no, if it were a Dynamax battle, then this field wouldn't—it would be—"
Lucas seemed to hear the sound of his wallet shrinking and shook his head repeatedly.
"However, even without Dynamax, so what? Urshifu and I can still defeat our opponent."
Mustard said: "Urshifu, Dynamic Punch!"
"Urshifu!"
Urshifu rushed toward Machamp.
"Dynamic Punch!"
Machamp roared and met Urshifu.
Both sides separated again.
Mustard performed a few moves heartily, and Urshifu performed the same pose as Mustard.
Mustard clenched his fists and lifted his right foot.
"Lucas, kid, this is the final blow. The strongest blow from Urshifu and me."
Watching Mustard complete a few flashy moves, Lucas suddenly felt that he was a bit monotonous in terms of battle poses.
No, he had to say something—
What should he say—
Lucas suddenly remembered the line Leon shouted when he battled Ash, when he pulled his hat down and threw it away.
With a smile on his face, the wooden plaque pendant on Lucas's chest began to float in mid-air, stopping in front of his eyes.
Lucas reached out his left hand and grabbed it.
At the same time.
Gengar, Lilligant, Gothitelle, Ninetales, and Latias all felt the energy within their bodies starting to surge.
Gengar curled its tongue, revealing the mega stone inside.
At this moment, the mega stone was emitting a dazzling light.
"Gen Gengar?"
Huh? Do I need to Mega Evolve to fight?
Cynthia looked at Lucas on the field.
Lucas grasped the wooden plaque pendant hanging around his neck, then pulled it off with a gentle tug, placing his clenched fist against his chest.
They all say I'm the Champion, then—
I should have one too, right?
Champion Time?
Lucas wore an incredibly confident smile, raising his left hand high. The sunlight shone directly upon him, casting a long, elongated shadow.
"Machamp, go! The moment that belongs to us—"
"The Champion Time!"
The pendant on his chest began to erupt with light.
Gothitelle floated into the air.
"Focus Punch!"
"Focus Punch!"
"Urshifu!!!"
"Ma Machamp!!!"
Boom!
Boom!!
Boom!!!
The shockwaves generated by the clash of moves swept toward the audience.
Gothitelle, floating in the air like a descending angel, raised her hands. Terrifying psychic power surged from her gaze, transforming into a massive psychic barrier that encased the entire arena.
Chewing on a medicinal herb, she let out a low, angry roar.
"Gothitelle!"
Get—back!
The spectator stands remained unscathed.
Tomoyo saw this and looked at Lucian. Lucian's eye twitched, and he picked up his cup to take a sip of hot tea.
"Don't look at me. That's your uncle's Gothitelle. Even an average Psychic-type Elite wouldn't be able to achieve this level without prior preparation."
Lucian said this without blushing or skipping a beat. In fact, even with preparation, they couldn't do it.
It's true, can an Elite compare to a Champion? They simply can't, okay!
Thankfully, thankfully Lucas's Gothitelle can handle things like this. Thankfully I don't have to deal with it. I told you, as long as Gothitelle is around, I really have it much easier!
Lucian felt incredibly pleased at that moment.
On the field, the dust settled.
Machamp took a few steps back, its four fists tightly clenched.
Accompanied by the terrifying air currents, Machamp's roar echoed throughout the entire venue.
"Ma Machamp!!!"
Mustard exhaled. Before him, Urshifu still maintained its punching stance.
"You've worked hard, Urshifu—"
Upon hearing this, Urshifu fell forward. The moment it closed its eyes, it looked at Machamp opposite it.
What a powerful junior you are—thank you—for letting me feel the passion, excitement, and joy of battle once again. The era that belonged to us has finally come to an end; from here on out, it is your—stage—
Urshifu closed its eyes, losing consciousness.
After venting the fighting spirit in its heart, Machamp calmed down and looked at the unconscious Urshifu on the ground. It clasped its hands together and bowed respectfully.
"Ma Machamp."
Thank you for the lesson.
Lucas walked to Machamp's side, patted its arm, and gave it a thumbs up.
"Great job!"
"Ma Machamp."
Hehe.
Machamp grinned and also gave Lucas a thumbs up.
The familiar smile, the familiar thumbs up.
The muscular referee swallowed hard, came onto the field to observe Urshifu's condition, and then announced: "Incredible! Incredible! Simply incredible! The owner of a humble Breeding House from the Sinnoh Region has actually defeated our Master Mustard! But there is no denying that this was a truly spectacular battle."
"Therefore, the result this time is that contestant Lucas and his Machamp have achieved victory, and Master Mustard and his partner Urshifu have unfortunately been defeated."
The referee announced the result. The arena remained quiet, as if they hadn't processed it yet. That was until Rhys stood up and started clapping continuously.
"Lucas, I knew it, you are the strongest!"
The venue erupted into cheers. The cheering reached an unprecedented level.
Mustard recalled Urshifu, put on his clothes, and came before Lucas. Lucas extended his hand.
"Thank you for the lesson, Master Mustard."
"Lucas, my boy."
After shaking hands with Lucas, Mustard softly called Lucas's name. Lucas was stunned for a moment, then saw Mustard give him a thumbs up.
"Congratulations on defeating me. I had a great time."
Looking at Mustard's satisfied smile, Lucas felt a bit dazed.
"You know, ever since my partner passed away, and because of some things the League made me do, I've hardly enjoyed battling like this. So, this time, thank you for organizing this tournament, and thank you for using your full strength to defeat me, allowing me to briefly reclaim my youth."
Lucas knew Mustard was referring to the Galar League making him throw matches. Lucas smiled.
"Because I am a Champion, I will win, and I will keep winning."
Lucas said this inexplicably, then pointed a thumb at himself, "I, Lucas, have Champion-level strength!"
This time it was Mustard's turn to be stunned, and then he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha—hahaha—"
"Sister really has a great junior, hahaha."
"I am already looking forward to your battle with Leon."
"That day will come, Master Mustard. Let's go, and leave the field to the next contestants."
After Lucas and Mustard left. In the stands, Bea looked at the Poké Ball in her hand. Her belief in wanting to become stronger grew even firmer.
So this is what a battle between the world's top Fighting-type experts looks like! I can definitely do it! I will become one of the world's top Fighting-type experts!
Korrina: Bea's master—so strong!
Brawly: Good thing he didn't use this Machamp when he battled me—
Bruno tapped his fists together, then turned and left with his Machamp.
"Machamp, my blood is already boiling. How about you?"
"Ma Machamp."
"Conkeldurr, let's go."
Marshal walked in another direction.
"We're going for extra training."
Behind him followed a Pokémon carrying two concrete pillars.
In the stands.
"Master Mustard was defeated—"
Sonia said softly.
Leon nodded, "But Master Mustard lost very happily this time."
Honey was nearby, her eyes gentle, "It's been a long time since I've seen him like this—thanks to Lucas."
Lucian turned to look at Tomoyo and saw that her eyes were full of longing.
"Is this the style of battle you like?"
Tomoyo looked up at Lucian, her small head nodding firmly.
Lucian gently patted her head, "Then go and enjoy battles like this."
Tomoyo nodded again, clenching her fists. "Mm."
Cynthia held Shauna, with Garchomp and Lucario standing beside her.
"Very handsome, isn't it?"
"kao!—"
Although I don't want to admit it, it's true.
"Rio."
Mm.
Shauna: "Uncle is so amazing, he defeated Grandpa Mustard."
Then she took a bite of the sausage in her hand.
Back in the stands, Lucas looked at the big, chubby face that appeared before him and fearfully pushed it away with his hand.
"What are you doing?"
Gengar didn't speak, just silently stared at Lucas.
"Don't stare at me like that, I'm scared."
Gengar puffed out its cheeks and pointed at Machamp with its finger.
"Gen gengar!"
That! I want that too! That one! The super cool one! I want it too!
"Gen gengar"
I'm actually not the first one!
Gengar was like an abandoned little girl, filled with resentment at this moment.
"This? No problem, next time, next time I'll make one for you too."
"Gen gengar!"
I don't care! I want it now! I want it! I want it!
Gengar started rolling on the ground.
Lucas tugged at its mouth, "I promise you, next time, next time, okay!"
"Gen gengar!"
No! I want it now!
Thinking about having to strike that pose in front of so many people—Lucas felt so embarrassed he could dig a hole in the ground.
"His pose requires emotional build-up. Doing it dryly like this doesn't look good."
Gengar was still rolling.
"How about this, next time I'll arrange something even cooler for you, even more powerful and handsome than this one, okay?"
Gengar kept rolling.
Lucas sighed, tired at heart, and looked at Gothitelle.
"What a pity, I just thought of an especially cool one. Since Gengar doesn't want it, shall I give it to you next time? It's even cooler than this one, and I reckon you're more suited for it than Gengar."
The purple water bucket stopped rolling.
"Sure, if a certain fatty wants this one now, I'll just get it for them, and save that one for you next time."
The purple water bucket went rigid.
Lucas sighed again, then reached his hands into his pockets, took out the wooden plaque pendant, and held it in his hand. The pendant began to glow.
Plop!
Gengar appeared directly in front of Lucas, its two chubby hands forcefully pressing down on Lucas's hand.
No way! I don't want this! I want the coolest one! I don't want this one anymore! Don't continue! Stop it, you jerk!
Gengar's face turned red from the effort before it managed to push Lucas's hand down.
"But you just—"
Gengar covered Lucas's mouth.
It grinned, its tongue wagging back and forth.
I didn't say anything just now, hee hee.
Lucas irritably reached out and tugged at its mouth.
"You—you're the easiest to coax. Don't worry, next time I guarantee I'll give you an incredibly cool one."
Gengar licked Lucas in satisfaction.
After getting away from Gengar, Lucas was met with Gothitelle's gentle smile.
Gothitelle didn't speak, just smiled.
Behind her were Lilligant, Ninetales, and Latias.
Latias, why are you mixed in there! Damn it!
"You all get one, you all do."
Lucas exhausted all his efforts to coax them, then came before the crowd, looked at the blonde beauty standing to the side smiling at him, was stunned for a moment, and then walked forward.
"Why are you back?"
"Back to watch your match."
"How was it?"
Lucas opened his arms, wanting to hug Cynthia, but considering there were so many people present, he put his hands down.
Cynthia reached out and hugged Lucas.
"Very handsome."
Lucas's face flushed.
His mouth grinned from ear to ear, "That's right, who do you think I am."
"I am the owner of the Breeding House, Lucas."
Cynthia looked at Lucas with a beaming smile.
Lucas: ——
Sonia saw this and glanced at Leon beside her, finding that Leon was discussing the details of the battle with Mustard.
Sonia: ——
Honey saw this, took her hand, and patted it.
"It's not like you don't know, he's just that kind of person."
Sonia nodded, "I know."
Leon looked back at Sonia, "I heard there's an island nearby, and the starry sky at night is supposed to be quite beautiful. Shall we go and take a look?"
Sonia blushed.
"O—okay."
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