Early morning in Fortree City.
Sunlight streamed through the Pokémon Center's huge floor-to-ceiling windows, cutting diagonally into the clean and bright lobby, casting mottled shadows on the floor.
When Ariel walked out of his room, there were already a few scattered Trainers moving about in the lobby.
Some were planning routes against the map on the wall, while others were at the service counter, quietly consulting with Miss Joy about their Pokémon's recovery; everything was in perfect order.
He immediately spotted the figure leaning by the window.
Winona.
She wasn't wearing her elaborate Gym Leader uniform today, but a simple set of tight-fitting athletic clothes that outlined her firm silhouette.
With her arms crossed over her chest, she was staring absentmindedly out the window at Fortree City's iconic treehouses built upon towering giant trees, the morning light gilding her profile with a soft golden edge.
Standing there, she looked like a painting, yet she seemed out of place with her surroundings.
The Trainers in the lobby consciously or unconsciously walked around her, and the occasional glances they cast were a mix of awe and curiosity.
Ariel walked over.
"Gym Leader Winona, morning."
Winona turned her head at the sound, her gaze falling on Ariel; her originally somewhat distant expression instantly melted, carrying a hint of a smile.
"You're awake. I thought you'd sleep a bit longer."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough in the quiet lobby.
In a corner, a young Trainer who was munching on a sandwich trembled, dropping crumbs all over his pants.
"Is... isn't that Gym Leader Winona of the Fortree Gym?"
His companion lowered his voice, his eyes wide and round.
"Nonsense, who else could it be? The point is, she's waiting for someone? Waiting for that boy?"
"Who is this boy? He has so much face?"
The whispers were like pebbles thrown into water, rippling outward. Almost everyone's attention was drawn to this side.
Winona seemed oblivious to the surrounding commotion, looking at Ariel and getting straight to the point:
"Thank you for yesterday. On behalf of Fortree City and the rescued researchers, I thank you. So, what reward do you want? As long as it is something I, as Gym Leader, can do, it's yours."
The words fell.
The lobby instantly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
A Trainer who had just come out of the treatment room, holding a rejuvenated Pidgey, stumbled upon hearing this, nearly dropping his Pokémon.
"Did I hear that right? Gym Leader Winona said... anything?"
"A promise from a Gym Leader... the weight of this reward is far too heavy!"
"What did this kid do yesterday? Save the world?"
Envious, jealous, and inquisitive gazes almost pierced through Ariel.
In their eyes, this was practically a chance for instant success.
Rare Pokémon? Precious items? Or even personal guidance from the Gym Leader?
Whichever it was, it would be enough to save an ordinary Trainer years of struggle.
Ariel, however, just looked at Winona calmly.
He glanced at her, those clear eyes showing not a hint of excitement, but instead carrying a clarity that seemed to Detect everything.
He saw through Winona's little scheme clearly.
Recruitment.
To put it bluntly, Ariel hadn't contributed much to yesterday's operation.
There wasn't even a single Pokémon battle from start to finish.
Yet Winona was now showing such preferential treatment, simply because he was a direct descendant? No, more than that.
This Gym Leader was very bold, defying the League higher-ups' orders to personally wipe out Team Rockets' stronghold in Fortree City.
It was a job well done, but the loose ends were definitely not tied up cleanly.
There are many factions within the League, and there would always be people who disliked her and would use this incident to make things difficult for her; that was a certainty.
So, she needed allies now; she needed investment.
What she valued was his potential.
Doubtless, his files had been studied over and over by her last night.
This current posture was nothing more than a carefully designed gesture of goodwill.
Ariel's heart was as clear as a mirror.
He didn't like getting involved in these troublesome matters, but if benefits were delivered to his door, he might as well take them.
He pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd.
"Then, a Protect hm disc will do."
The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Huh?"
The Trainer who almost dropped his Pidgey just now opened his mouth so wide it could fit a Poké Ball.
"Protect? Just... just a Protect? This thing is rare, but it's not worth a Gym Leader's blank check, right?"
"Is there something wrong with his head? This is Gym Leader Winona! He could ask for more, much more!"
The expressions of the crowd shifted from envy and jealousy to incomprehensible shock in an instant.
Winona was also stunned; she clearly hadn't expected Ariel to propose such a... plain and simple request.
She had prepared several speeches, anticipating various conditions Ariel might propose, from rare Flying-type Pokémon eggs to the usage rights of certain special training grounds not open to the public.
But she never expected that the other party would only want a single hm disc.
It was like she had carefully prepared a Imperial Feast, only for the guest to order a bowl of plain white rice.
She understood Ariel's underlying meaning.
—My actions yesterday are worth this much.
We're even now; don't think of binding me with favors.
Winona felt a bit unwilling.
She indeed wanted to use this opportunity to have Ariel make a more excessive request, thereby establishing a deeper connection.
"Is there nothing else?"
She pressed further, seemingly still wanting to try.
"Nothing else."
Ariel's reply was crisp and neat, without any hesitation.
The air seemed to freeze.
Winona looked at the boy before her; his eyes were calm and waveless, as if he were talking about the most ordinary thing.
This clarity and rationality, far exceeding those of his peers, made her desire to recruit him burn even brighter.
Such a talent must not be missed.
She took a deep breath, simply tore off the subtle disguise, and stared at Ariel with burning eyes.
"Ariel, I want to formally invite you to join our Fortree Gym."
Boom!
If the reward promise earlier was a pebble, then this sentence was a depth charge.
The entire Pokémon Center lobby completely boiled over.
"J-Join the Gym?!"
"This is crazy! Gym Leader Winona actually personally spoke to recruit him!"
"Wait, didn't you hear? Gym Leader Winona called him Ariel! Also, she said she's seen his records! Challenging and succeeding in four Gyms in a short time! My god, where did this monster Newcomer come from!"
An well-informed Trainer had quickly extracted key information from Winona's words, his face full of horror.
In an instant, the gazes directed at Ariel changed completely.
It was no longer simple envy, but looking up. Looking up at a true genius who was no longer on the same level as them.
Facing the heavy olive branch thrown by Winona, as well as the mountain-shaking discussions around him, Ariel's expression still didn't change much.
He spoke, his voice not loud, yet possessing a power that could not be ignored.
"Thank you for your kindness, Gym Leader Winona."
He thanked her politely first, then changed the subject.
"I am a Trainer whose goal is to challenge the Ever Grande Conference. Before reaching the finish line, I will not stop for anyone or anything."
A polite refusal.
Crisp, thorough, leaving no room for negotiation.
The lobby fell into a deathly silence again.
Everyone looked like they had been hit by a Disable, staring blankly at Ariel.
He refused?
He actually refused a personal invitation from a Gym Leader?!
That's the Fortree Gym! One of the top Flying-type Gyms in the Hoenn region! How many Flying-type Trainers break their heads trying to get in as apprentices, yet he refused without a second thought?
The smile on Winona's face could finally no longer be maintained, a trace of helplessness and bitterness creeping onto the corners of her mouth.
She knew she had been completely Detect.
This boy, from the beginning, never intended to have any extra involvement with her.
After a long while, she let out a long breath, that sharpness belonging to the strong returning to her eyes.
"I understand."
She nodded, her tone returning to the posture a Gym Leader should have.
"In that case, next, you'll be challenging my Gym, right?"
"Exactly."
Ariel met her gaze.
The corners of Winona's mouth curled into a highly challenging arc, battle intent rising in her eyes.
"Very well. On the battlefield, I won't be as easy to talk to as I am now."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Ariel smiled faintly.
Having said that, he didn't stay any longer, turning and walking toward the Pokémon Center's exit.
Leaving everyone in the lobby with only a calm and determined back.
It wasn't until his figure disappeared out the door that the group of dumbfounded Trainers seemed to come back to life, erupting into a world-shaking discussion.
"This guy... is too cool!"
"His goal is the Ever Grande Conference... no wonder he doesn't look highly upon a Gym..."
"I've decided, from today on, he is my idol!"
As for Winona, she kept watching the direction Ariel left, her expression complex.
After a long time, she murmured softly to herself.
"The Ever Grande Conference... perhaps Hoenn will become exceptionally interesting because of you."