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"That was truly a wonderful battle. That little one at the start had real grit, and that Electabuzz later on was exceptional. You've won—this is the Feather Badge of this Gym. It's yours now."
At the entrance of the Fortree Gym, Terry sighed in admiration as he placed a white badge into Liam's hand.
"As expected, Senior is still the stronger one! Hehe~"
Winona stood beside them, smiling brightly.
"Uh, haha, thank you, Gym Leader Terry. I'll accept this badge. I appreciate your guidance. I still need to head to the Pokémon Center, so I'll take my leave now. Winona—Steven and Wallace are all working hard toward their dreams too. You should keep it up as well. Goodbye."
Liam accepted the Feather Badge and nodded with a smile. Then he turned and walked down the steps, heading toward the Pokémon Center.
Winona waved as she nodded.
"I understand, Senior! I'll definitely work hard and not lose to them! Goodbye!"
Only after Liam had gone far into the distance did she finally lower her hand.
At that moment, Terry—who had been standing beside her—finally spoke.
"Winona, just who exactly is this senior of yours? You seem pretty familiar with him. Where did you meet?"
After that battle, Terry could clearly tell—this "senior" of hers was no ordinary Trainer. There was an unfathomable depth to him.
"Hehe~ Uncle Terry, your loss this time wasn't unjust at all~ His name is Liam. I met him while traveling in Johto with Wallace and the others. Back then, Steven battled him twice the very first time they met—his Grovyle and Metang were both defeated by that same Electabuzz you just saw. And at that time, it hadn't even evolved yet—it was still an Elekid."
Winona turned around, speaking proudly.
"Oh? Then that Electabuzz must be his main Pokémon. No wonder it's so strong…"
Terry stroked his chin, looking enlightened.
"That's not it at all! Honestly, Uncle Terry, all you do every day is fly around—you never pay attention to anything else! You should be able to find some of Senior's battle videos online. Go watch them when you have time! That Electabuzz just now doesn't even rank high on his team! Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore! Give me Altaria and Tropius—I'm going to heal them!"
Winona rattled off everything in one breath, clearly dissatisfied. She then snatched two PokeBalls from Terry's pocket, made a playful face, and ran back into the Gym.
Terry: "…Hmph, like I'd believe that so easily. I'll go check for myself! Let's see just how strong your 'Senior' really is!"
Winona's attitude left Terry feeling slightly hurt. With a huff, he turned and walked into the Gym, apparently to search for information about Liam.
But one could only imagine… what kind of expression he would have once he discovered Liam's true identity?
...
Meanwhile, after quickly descending the steps, Liam returned to the Pokémon Center. He handed Piplup and Electabuzz's PokeBalls to Nurse Joy, asking her to restore their strength.
After taking the PokeBalls, Nurse Joy went into the treatment room. Liam took the opportunity to sit in the dining area and organize his belongings.
At present, Liam had already obtained three badges. There were still five remaining. His next destination was Lilycove City, which didn't have a Gym. After some thought, he decided that after capturing Janine and the others, he would stay in Hoenn for a while—collect the remaining badges and also head to Mt. Chimney to see if there was a chance to restore Deoxys.
Time passed quickly as he thought.
Before long, Nurse Joy returned with a tray holding his PokeBalls—but her expression looked rather awkward.
"Hm? Nurse Joy! Did something happen?"
The moment Liam saw her expression, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly grabbed the two PokeBalls from the tray.
"S-sir, your Piplup, it…"
Seeing Liam's anxious face, Nurse Joy became even more embarrassed, stammering as she spoke.Piplup
"Piplup? What happened to Piplup?! Come out, Piplup!"
Liam's anxiety spiked. Without knowing what had happened, he immediately released the Pokémon!
A flash of white light—
A completely different Pokémon appeared before him!
It had a body of deep blue and light blue, a round belly marked with four white spots, yellow webbed feet, powerful wings—and a beak that looked like polished yellow metal.
There was no trace of Piplup left.
"P-P…? Prinplup?!"
"Prinplup~"
Liam: "…"
"I-I'm so sorry! Right after the treatment ended, your Piplup evolved into Prinplup! This was our oversight! We sincerely apologize for allowing your Pokémon to evolve without your knowledge!"
Nurse Joy bowed deeply, apologizing loudly.
"Uh…"
Liam was speechless. He had thought something terrible had happened—who would've expected it to just be evolution?
"Ahem… Prinplup?"
"Prinplup~"
"You've evolved now—that means you've grown stronger. Do you like your new form?"
"Prinplup! Prinplup!"
Prinplup cried happily.
"Heh, that's good."
"Nurse Joy, thank you for your help. Piplup likes this new form very much, so please don't apologize anymore. It's completely fine."
The Pokémon Center was a place meant to heal Pokémon and support them. Cases of Pokémon evolving during treatment weren't unheard of.
However, many Trainers valued witnessing their Pokémon's evolution personally. When evolution happened without their knowledge, some Trainers found it hard to accept, leading to unpleasant situations.
That was why Nurse Joy had felt so apologetic.
"Ah! Thank you so much, sir! Thank you, Prinplup!"
Relieved, Nurse Joy let out a long breath. Her smile returned as she bowed deeply to both Liam and Prinplup before leaving.
After she left, Liam cast a Scan on Prinplup.
[Ding!]
Pokemon: Prinplup
Type: Water type
Species: Penguin Pokémon. The evolved form of Piplup. Possesses powerful wings capable of slicing through ice with ease. Prefers cold environments. Rarely seen in groups, as each one carries great pride, believing itself to be the best.
Ability: Defiant
Nature: Diligent
Gender: Male
Moves:Pound, Growl, Bubble, Water Sport, Peck, Bubble Beam, Metal Claw
Egg Move:Endure
TM Moves:Brick Break, Ice Beam
Base Stats: Total 405
HP: 64
Attack: 66
Defense: 68
Sp. Atk: 81
Sp. Def: 76
Speed: 50
Evaluation: Excellent? Potential has been stimulated by the host's mysterious power, improving its physical limitations. This is nearly a transformation. Recommended for training.
.....
Liam: "…Prinplup, you've really grown stronger."
"Prinplup!"