The Next Day
Riku slept in and didn't wake up until after 11 o'clock, heading straight to the kitchen to make lunch. The legendary Pokémon, who hadn't tasted their master's cooking in a long time, had been waiting since early morning. But seeing how tired Riku looked, they didn't dare wake him up for breakfast. So, helplessly, they went to the berry forest and freeloaded a meal from Farfetch'd.
Those underlings of Kyogre from before seemed like a big deal, especially since Kyogre had captured a whole population of Machop. There were even Machoke and Machamp among them. When this group cooked, it looked impressive—like they had invisible hands—but the taste was just average. It was filling, but not satisfying. Even Farfetch'd's cooking was better in comparison.
Although Riku hadn't cooked for almost a week, his skills hadn't deteriorated. Since the legendary Pokémon had nothing to do all morning, they had already prepared all the ingredients. With that help, Riku finished cooking lunch in about 40 minutes. As always, the legendary Pokémon started fighting over the leftovers after finishing their own portions. This time, Riku didn't even bother to persuade them—he just let them go at it.
After lunch, Grandma called. The challenger had arrived and was now waiting at the Mandarin Island Gym for the Orange League Champion—currently Riku. Since he had given his word, Riku greeted the legendary Pokémon and brought his own team to Mandarin Island.
Yesterday, after hearing the news of Riku's return, Gengar had also rushed back overnight. So Riku had no idea that as soon as he left again, Gengar returned to Ghost Island. But this wasn't really Gengar's fault. With five legendary Pokémon on the island, what could an Elite Four-level Pokémon possibly protect? If even they couldn't defend the island, Gengar would just be a sacrificial snack.
At the Mandarin Island pier, Riku unexpectedly saw Serena approaching.
"Why are you so late? Is your island really that far?" Serena seemed a little annoyed—clearly, she had been waiting a while.
"Quite far..." Riku nodded.
"Actually, you didn't need to wait for me here. It's not like I don't know where the Gym is."
"No," Serena said anxiously.
"I didn't wait for you specifically. It's just... the Pokémon Trainer who came to challenge you is someone I know."
"You know her? An acquaintance? A classmate?" Riku was surprised.
"Neither," Serena shook her head.
"I've just heard people talk about her. She's strong, so be careful."
Strong, huh?
Perfect! Riku grinned. After the Eterna City incident, he was now only about 300,000 points away from being able to exchange for a Mega Stone. He was especially curious about what Lapras and Gengar would look like after Mega Evolution.
After all, he had finally drawn a Mega Bracelet. It was a waste to keep wearing it just as decoration.
"Riku, good luck!" On the way to the Mandarin Gym, every islander who saw him greeted him warmly:
"This time the challenger is a beautiful girl—don't go easy on her!"
"Will you summon your Shiny Metagross today?"
"Hey, little Riku! Can you get me a seat? The Gym's so full you can't even squeeze in!"
...
"You're quite the celebrity," Serena said, a bit surprised at the enthusiastic crowd.
"So-so. Maybe third most famous in the archipelago," Riku waved modestly. Previously, since he was an unregistered resident and lacked Water-type Pokémon, most islanders didn't know much about him. But after defeating Bruno—veteran Elite Four of the Indigo League—in a public match, things had changed.
Bruno was a household name in the Pokémon world. Riku's battle had brought some real prestige to the Orange League.
Though a little overwhelmed, Riku responded to each greeting warmly.
Finally, they entered the Mandarin Gym. Seeing the densely packed crowd, Serena's scalp tingled.
"This is insane..."
"Even crazier than the League Championship audience."
The deafening cheers made even Serena—who had seen her fair share of large crowds—gasp.
Riku, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. He tidied his jacket slightly at the entrance and then stepped into the arena.
"She really is a beautiful girl."
As Riku laid eyes on the challenger, he couldn't help but admit her looks. She had a pure, innocent face and wore a V-neck black camisole with a short pink skirt. But what caught his attention the most was the white beanie she wore—decorated with pink Poké Ball patterns. Her long blue hair flowed smoothly beneath it.
"I've been waiting forever," the girl said with a hint of annoyance.
"So, you're the new Orange Archipelago Champion? Honestly, you don't look that strong. Did the League just pull someone random to fill the slot?"
"Didn't you hear those cheers?" Riku smiled.
"With an audience like this, can you really doubt my strength?"
"Hmph! Maybe the whole island's just putting on a show for you," she huffed, clearly still annoyed from waiting so long.
"Think what you want," Riku said with a slight bow.
"Hello, Pokémon Trainer from out of town. I'm Riku. Welcome to the Mandarin Island Gym."
"…What's with this guy?" the girl was momentarily stunned. But under the eyes of the crowd, she returned the courtesy with a small bow.
"I'm Dawn, a Pokémon Coordinator from the Sinnoh region."
"Sinnoh?" Riku was surprised.
"I just got back to the Orange Archipelago from Sinnoh yesterday. Seems like we really—"
"—Are you flirting with me?" Dawn narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"I didn't expect the Orange League Champion to be such a perv."
"Let me tell you: in just one year, the number of guys who hit on me and got beat up until they ran away crying is like... ninety-nine out of a hundred. So I suggest you shut up and battle properly."
"Where did I flirt with you..." Riku was dumbfounded. He was just about to explain when the referee suddenly raised the red flag with both hands.
"Go, Quilava!"
Bang—!
With a flash of white light, a flame-spewing rodent-like Pokémon appeared on the field.
Riku sighed, then tossed a Poké Ball.
"Go, Milotic."
Water beats fire. Beautiful girl or not—Riku had no plans to go easy.
"Milotic!"
The moment Dawn saw Milotic, she froze. Then her face twisted into an unmistakable mix of envy, jealousy, and disbelief.
She couldn't accept this.
The most beautiful Milotic in the Pokémon world, and it belonged to this flirt?
Unacceptable.
She had to defeat this guy.
-----------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter