...
The next day
Holy hell! Eindoak was more packed than a Snorlax's belly after an all-you-can-eat buffet! Seriously, the streets were a goddamn circus!
Everyone, including Natsu and that motherfucker Lance, crashed at the Pokémon Center. Normally, that joint would be overflowing like a Wailord in a kiddie pool, but since these two bastards were "investigators"—fancy talk for "privileged assholes"—they got their own damn rooms.
Can you believe that shit? Natsu, the smooth operator he is, just soaked up that special treatment like a Parasect on a sun-drenched mushroom.
Eindoak's streets? They were a goddamn carnival!
Besides Trainers from every region dragging their poor Pokémon around, you had a bunch of local weirdos dressed in ancient crimson robes, looking like a cult of Gengar worshippers. Some were apparently descendants of the "People of the Vale"—whoever the hell they are—and the rest were just lost tourists who somehow got brainwashed into their bizarre customs.
"Morning, you magnificent bastards!" Bruno bellowed, waving at Natsu and Lance who just rolled out.
He was already out in the yard, pumping iron with his Machamp, muscles bulging like a damn Groudon's arm. This son of a bitch was clearly up before the Pidgey even started chirping, a real fitness freak. No wonder some people succeed; talent's important, sure, but hard work? That's the secret sauce that turns a Magikarp into a goddamn Gyarados!
Natsu's eyes practically popped out of his skull looking at that Machamp. "Holy shit, Bruno, you're actually bringing that Machamp to this glorified dogfight?!" he spluttered.
That Machamp was a goddamn titan, muscles rippling everywhere, fists calloused like a Golem's hide. One glance and you knew this Machamp had been through hell and back, easily Elite-tier.
Are you shitting me?! Bringing an Elite Pokémon to a local backyard brawl?!
Bruno just flashed a cheesy grin, scratching the back of his head. "Haha, yeah, man. I didn't drag too many other Pokémon along, and this little cheeky here needs some exercise. You two are participating anyway, right? Think of it as a little warm-up, some battle experience!"
Natsu scoffed. "Little?" He stared at Machamp's fist, which was bigger than his own head. Where in the flying fuck is the 'little' in that, you absolute moron?!
"Machaa~"
Hearing Bruno's words, a faint blush crept onto Machamp's face. Even though Natsu couldn't quite see it clearly, he still caught the subtle shift.
His face froze solid.
You've gotta be kidding me! Is this the legendary, ultra-rare female Machamp?! What the actual fuck?!
"Well then, Bruno, prepare to get your ass handed to you on a silver platter!" Lance declared with a smug grin.
"Hahaha, I'll stick with you until hell freezes over!"
The two "battle junkies" were already exchanging fighting words at the crack of dawn. Natsu just gave Bruno a weird look, then glanced at Lance, and silently shook his head. These goddamn lunatics.
"I'm starving, let's grab some damn breakfast!" Bruno clapped Machamp on the back and motioned to the other two.
...
...
...
"Alright, you beautiful bastards, welcome to Eindoak! And now, for the 'Harvest Festival'! Show us your fiercest enthusiasm and conquer the challenges! Go on, you magnificent sons of bitches, show us what you're made of!" bellowed Mannes, the Mayor of Eindoak, microphone in hand, hyped up like a Jigglypuff on caffeine.
The rules were simpler than a Magikarp's moveset. Each contestant held a small wooden pendant. The winner snagged the loser's pendant, and the loser had to cough theirs up. By the last day, whoever had the most pendants was crowned the champion.
Every contestant could invite and challenge any other player with a pendant, and refusing was absolutely not allowed!
The battle rules were also straightforward: only one Pokémon allowed per fight. This was literally the most basic-ass game to determine who was the top dog.
As soon as Mannes stopped yelling, some over-eager contestants immediately started throwing down right in front of the crowd.
The spectators, being the nosey bastards they were, naturally cleared a path and circled them, giving the two fighters plenty of attention, like they were some kind of Pikachu rock stars.
Bruno, Lance, and Natsu calmly navigated through the masses, thanks to Machamp's insane strength. That brute could clear a path better than a Tauros stampede.
"So, what's our game plan?" Lance asked.
"Even though I'm itching to kick both your asses, fighting right off the bat would be duller than a Bidoof's personality. How about we just meet up later?" Bruno suggested.
"Sounds good," Lance agreed.
They both looked at Natsu.
Natsu just adjusted his hat, a smirk playing on his lips, "I don't give a damn."
"Alright then, let's scatter like Zubat in daylight!" Bruno said, then dashed off with his Machamp.
"I'm out too!" Lance chimed in.
"Hmph."
Watching Lance leave with his Charizard, Natsu just clicked his tongue. One by one, they're off. If they're taking this piddly little tournament so seriously, what the hell are the other participants going to do, cry like a Cubone who lost its bone?
"Chaa?"
Togekiss, who had been looking adorable just moments before, couldn't help but nudge Natsu, who was still wearing that mischievous grin.
"Ahem—" Natsu quickly wiped the smirk off his face, patted Togekiss's wing, and said softly, "Hold your horses, don't rush."
They had a whole damn day.
Natsu made his way to the edge of the plaza. Since Eindoak was a city built on a mountainside, and the plaza was also at the city's edge, when Natsu walked to the long fence, he could glimpse a vast forest covered in snow and ice.
A little further away, the ice and snow vanished. There was a bay, and beyond that, an even wider sea. Even before the cold air could reach Eindoak, it was carried away by unseen air currents. As a result, the mountains around them were still lush with trees and the gentle sound of flowing water.
Natsu rested his hands on the fence, gazing at the curving mountains, and mentally, he felt completely relaxed.
"Eev?!" Eevee, nestled in Natsu's arms, pointed to a tall mountain in the distance and chirped at Togekiss.
"Does that look like ice cream?!"
"Chaa!" Togekiss squinted for a moment, and suddenly her eyes widened in surprise.
"Holy shit, it really does!"
"Eev~~" Eevee clicked her tongue, narrowly avoiding drooling on Natsu.
"Chaa~" Togekiss rummaged through her thick wing feathers, then pulled out two macarons, offering one to Eevee.
Eevee instantly pounced and snatched it.
Natsu, watching this spectacle, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Hiding midnight snacks wasn't enough for Togekiss anymore; now she was stashing treats everywhere, the sneaky little bitch.
"I'll buy you more later, you little greedy" Natsu promised.
The two Pokémon immediately lit up with joy, moving closer to Natsu.
In a shadowy corner, a ridiculously cute little Pokémon with V-shaped ears was observing the whole scene.
"Viicc.."
With envy practically dripping from its eyes, it watched Togekiss and Eevee happily munch on their macarons, swallowing hard.
When it realized a gaze was shifting its way, it instantly vanished.
While comforting his two Pokémon, Natsu shifted his gaze into the distance again.
Between the vast forest and the bay, stood some odd, peculiar stone pillars.
"So, Victini must be in Eindoak too, not in Liberty Island, huh?" Natsu mused.
But Victini, much like Meloetta, was a Mythical Pokémon that could turn invisible. If it didn't want to be seen, no one on this goddamn planet could find it.
Even though Eindoak had legends about Victini symbolizing victory, in addition to heroic tales, very few people had actually seen it to this day.
Natsu turned his head.
At a mobile stand, there was all sorts of Victini merchandise: pendants, masks, keychains, you name it.
Victini symbolized victory; they said any Trainer who beat Victini would never fail. So, making Victini-themed toys and pendants also symbolized a desire for victory.
"Excuse me, two pendants and two keychains," Natsu said, walking up to the stand.
"Coming right up, sir."
Juanita, a middle-aged woman dressed in "People of the Vale" attire, packed Natsu's order with a warm smile.
Seeing Togekiss and Eevee with stars in their eyes, she couldn't help but sigh, "Sir, your Pokémon must adore you."
"Oh, really?" Natsu grinned, adjusting his hat.
Eevee, nestled in his arms, nuzzled her head against his chest, and Togekiss also affectionately rubbed her head, their meaning crystal clear.
Seeing the two Pokémon's eager expressions, Juanita couldn't help but chuckle.
"Move aside, please! Clear the way! Look out!!"
Just as Natsu was Browse, urgent shouts echoed from a distance, accompanied by scattering crowds and panicked cries.
"Tyranitar! That's a Tyranitar, a Quasi-Legendary Pokémon!"
"This Tyranitar looks insanely powerful!"
"It's because it's too powerful. When the Trainer can't control it, it goes wild!"
"..."
Watching the rampaging Tyranitar in the plaza, many people in the crowd commented on the fierce Pokémon's strength, and some worried that this out-of-control monster would ruin their businesses and even smash their stands to smithereens.
A young boy in a green coat and black-rimmed glasses scurried behind the Tyranitar, his face a mix of confusion and pure terror.
It was damn obvious.
This Tyranitar was his Pokémon. But he couldn't control the damn thing, which was why it was going berserk.
But as everyone else scattered like Beedrill from a broken hive, Tyranitar stomped directly towards Natsu.
"Chaaa!"
Togekiss, who had looked all innocent and cute, instantly changed her expression. The moment she got a signal from Natsu, or felt Tyranitar might threaten him, she'd go straight for the jugular.
"Mom!"
Before Togekiss could even twitch.
A red light flashed, and another fierce Pokémon materialized between Natsu and Tyranitar.
"Hydreigon!"
"Hydreigon's also a Quasi-Legendary Pokémon!"
"Why is its color different from a normal Hydreigon?"
"Oh, it's Carlita!"
"..."
"Roar--!!"
Roaring with fury, the Shiny Hydreigon charged straight into Tyranitar.
A Shiny Quasi-Legendary! Well, I'll be damned!
Natsu was intrigued by the Shiny Hydreigon, but he couldn't help but curse in his heart. A green Hydreigon? Seriously? That's just ugly as sin!
And a Shiny Pokémon doesn't even add battle power, you useless piece of shit!
That was the very first thought that crossed Natsu's mind.
The direct collision of two Quasi-Legendary Pokémon, both green for some godforsaken reason, caused an immediate uproar.
A girl in a red cotton hat quickly ran to the stand and anxiously asked, "Mom, are you alright?"
Juanita was surprisingly calm, shaking her head with a smile. "Carlita, I'm fine, you be careful."
"Okay!"
The girl named Carlita was the Trainer of this Shiny Hydreigon.
"Tyraaan!!"
However.
Even among the final evolutions of Quasi-Legendary Pokémon, there were power gaps, you sons of bitches.
Although Tyranitar wasn't controlled by its Trainer, it was precisely because it was so damn strong that it was arrogant and refused to obey the commands of a weak-ass Trainer.
In the first clash, Tyranitar won with terrifying power, the bastard.
And then.
The monstrous Tyranitar locked onto Carlita's Shiny Hydreigon and grinned savagely.
"Tyraan!!"
With Tyranitar's roar, sand and dust slowly swirled up in the now-empty plaza.
Hydreigon's vision was instantly obscured by the dust.
BAM!!
A massive claw, crackling with terrifying energy, slammed into Hydreigon's head and sent its flying.
Natsu couldn't help but shake his head.
The power gap was still painfully obvious, goddammit.
And this Carlita didn't seem too great at battling; her commands to Hydreigon were all over the place, in Natsu's opinion. What an amateur.
"Togekiss," Natsu called.
"Chaa!"
Togekiss understood, flapping her wings. A fierce, powerful gust of wind swirled from her wings, and Tyranitar's rampaging yellow sand was swept away by the strong wind in mere moments.
"What... what kind of Pokémon is that?!"
Finally, someone noticed Togekiss's presence.
Togekiss raised her head high, staring at the Tyranitar across from her with defiant eyes.
Learning from Aegislash, a "manual provocation," the sassy little brat.
"Tyraan!!"
This was the first time Tyranitar had ever seen its "Sandstorm" vanish so easily. The colossal Pokémon took heavy steps, charging towards Togekiss.
However, Togekiss remained incredibly calm, merely flapping her wings.
Two milky white "Air Slash" beams shot out.
Bang!
The first hit only elicited more enraged roars from Tyranitar, the stubborn bastard.
Bang!
But with the second hit, Tyranitar's movement abruptly stopped and it fell into a "Flinch" state.
"Keep going," Natsu commanded.
Immediately after that.
People watched in disbelief as the fierce Tyranitar was rendered helpless in front of the deceptively cute-looking Pokémon.
Even if Tyranitar managed to take a few steps, Togekiss's continuous "Air Slash" would stop it dead in its tracks again.
In reality, Togekiss was Natsu's strongest Pokémon for this particular situation.
Tyranitar was simply being controlled by her.
Sorry, buddy, game over.
To snag the prize, Natsu was also ready to completely dominate this whole damn event.
"Togekiss! That's Togekiss!"
Finally, someone recognized Togekiss, a Pokémon that wasn't exactly a household name.
"Natsu! That's Natsu, the runner-up of the 'Lily of the Valley Youth Tournament'!"
With Togekiss identified and Natsu's distinctive appearance, it wasn't hard to connect the damn dots. After all, a lot of people from the Unova Region participated in the "Lily of the Valley Youth Tournament."
Plus, Natsu fought Caitlin there too, damn it.
"Natsu? The 'Eevee Expert'?"
"Also, Milotic and Steelix!" someone quickly added.
As his identity was confirmed, more and more people's attention shifted to Natsu instead of the battle.
"'Tactical Master' Natsu, Togekiss is one of his signature Pokémon! Her 'Air Slash' has incredibly strong control abilities! Ten consecutive 'Air Slash' shots can control an opponent to the point of utter defeat!"
Someone was holding a small computer, even pulling up some of Natsu's battle videos.
Listening to the chatter around him, Natsu couldn't help but rub his forehead.
That title seemed a bit over-the-top, you bastards.
"Togekiss, finish it. Aura Sphere."
"Cha!"
A blue Aura energy ball was unleashed instantly, striking Tyranitar like a bullseye, completely knocking it out of commission.
The crisis was averted.
While many people breathed a collective sigh of relief, a horde of them also began moving towards Natsu.
"Sir, accept my challenge!"
"Mr. Natsu, I'm your biggest fan, please sign this!"
"Sir...."
"Mister Natsu...."
Natsu still clearly underestimated his standing in the hearts of young people, especially the civilian young Trainers.
At Juanita's stand, Victini was perched on the ceiling, tilting its head and nibbling its fingers.
It couldn't for the life of it understand why Natsu was so damn popular.
"Eev—"
Taking a breath of relief, Eevee popped out of the crowd and floated up to the ceiling to catch her breath, but she just happened to spot Victini with a curious look on its face.
"Eeve?"
"Vicct!!"
Victini, being a clever little shit, reacted instantly and plummeted from the ceiling.
Fortunately, it could fly.
And as it fell, it chose to become invisible.
"Eev?"
Eevee blinked twice.
"Was that an illusion?"
...
(End of this fucking chapter)