Natsui and May had never taken part in this kind of event before. It did not take them long to realize that running at full speed was not a smart idea.
It was not because they were tired. Instead, it was because the path was difficult to run on.
The stone road ended after the first part of the course. It was replaced by forest paths covered in weeds. If they were not careful, they could easily trip over a rock.
They had no choice. The two slowed down from a sprint to a steady jog.
The two Pokémon seemed very comfortable. They even played together while they ran!
Most of the time, the lively Eevee kept bothering Squirtle.
Other than that, the trip was going very smoothly.
Their first destination was Moon Rock on the right side of the island. The map said it was located on a tall rocky mountain. At the top was a terrace where you could see the whole island. A giant Lunatone statue stood on that terrace. That was their goal.
When Natsui and May reached the foot of the mountain, the path became steep. At that point, they had already pulled far ahead of the other runners.
Their travel experience helped them a lot there. With their Pokémon, the two climbed the mountain easily. They soon left the others far behind.
When they reached the top, they saw the giant Lunatone statue. It was several meters tall. No one knew how old it was. The stone surface was covered with marks left by the wind and sun. From a distance, it really did look like the surface of the moon!
Next to the statue was a platform with a stamp. They knew they did not have much time, so they did not stay long. They only looked at the view below for a moment before walking over and stamping their maps with Lunatone. That meant they had cleared the first checkpoint!
The two went down the mountain by a different path. May looked at Natsui and smiled. "Looks like we're tied for now."
Natsui had a longer stride, so he could run very well. But May's quick steps made up for it. Both of them were in great shape, and she was able to keep up with him the entire time!
"Don't rush. This is only the first checkpoint, and the race has just started. It's still far too early to decide the winner!"
"That's true." May nodded. "I just don't know how the people on the other routes are doing. If they pass us right at the end, that would be awful."
Ash and Team Rocket were not in the race this time. That meant there were fewer strong rivals and no one causing trouble. But Natsui and May were still outsiders. The local runners knew the roads and shortcuts better than they did, so they could not afford to be careless.
All they could do was try their best!
They came down from the mountain and kept moving at full speed. Without stopping, they headed straight for the next place: Rainbow Falls.
Rainbow Falls was the checkpoint farthest from the Pokémon Center, but it happened to be close to Moon Rock.
A waterfall poured down from a tall mountain into a pond below. Inside the falling water, a rainbow remained suspended in place. It looked like a dreamlike bridge made of light.
The two ran through an arch of water created by Remoraid using Water Gun. They reached the platform beneath the waterfall and got the Rainbow Falls stamp. Now they had the second mark on their maps.
Natsui and May also saw a few other runners there. It was not clear which route those people had taken. Everyone looked to be in a great hurry, each heading off in a different direction.
All of the runners followed the rules. No one tried to hide the stamps.
That might have been because cameras were hidden around the area.
Under normal circumstances, Natsui and May would have liked to stop and enjoy the scenery, but not today. After leaving the platform, they immediately continued toward the next checkpoint.
The next destination was a cape by the sea.
To get there, they had to follow the river the whole way. At the end of the cape was an ocean lookout and two tall rock pillars. A platform stood on one side, and once they reached it, they got a Kingler stamp.
This was another beautiful place. But Natsui and May did not stop to admire it. They kept going toward the next checkpoint.
By then, May was starting to get tired. She was younger and had not traveled as much as Natsui. Because her stamina was giving out, her speed began to drop.
Natsui noticed it. When he realized she was no longer beside him, he looked back and saw her following behind in silence, head lowered, sweat covering her face. He immediately understood that she was reaching her limit.
Natsui immediately slowed down. He waited until May caught up, then walked beside her.
May looked at him in surprise. She bit her lip and asked, "Why did you slow down too? This was the perfect chance to leave me behind."
"How could I possibly leave you behind?" Natsui smiled. "Winning the orienteering competition or getting the fruit... none of that is as important as the person beside me."
Natsui showed that companionship mattered more than winning.
May was deeply moved. Her face flushed red.
From that moment on, May no longer wanted to compete with Natsui for first place. Just following him like this already made her feel happy and at ease.
During the rest of the race, Natsui helped May the whole way. When they found a one-log bridge, he supported her as they crossed. When they had to wade through water, they moved slowly together. When they got hungry, they stopped to eat energy bars. With Natsui helping her, May did not fall behind even though she was already tired.
People say you feel less tired when you have someone beside you.
May had never heard that saying before, but that was exactly how she felt. With Natsui, it no longer felt like a competition. It felt more like a pleasant trip. Her exhaustion faded away, and it was as if new energy kept rising inside her!
In that cheerful mood, the two reached the next checkpoint.
It was a giant 300-year-old tree deep in the forest!
It was the tallest tree in the area, full of green life.
Natsui and May found the stamp beneath the tree and marked their maps with the fourth checkpoint.
The race was almost over, and everything had gone very smoothly.
They did not know how the other runners on the other routes were doing. But no one along their own path had passed them, which meant they were probably among the fastest.
At that moment, they saw Nurse Joy in the forest!
They had not expected her to be out on the course!
She was acting as both a judge and a runner.
Natsui and May did not stop to greet her. They passed by and headed for the final checkpoint, the Rope Suspension Bridge.
The bridge stretched above a very deep river. First, they had to slide down a long rope to the ground below. Then they had to cross a swaying suspension bridge. That bridge led to a tall stone pillar rising from the river, where the final stamp was placed.
This was a serious challenge for anyone afraid of heights or lacking courage.
But Natsui and May were not afraid.
They slid down the rope and landed safely. Then they ran across the creaking suspension bridge and stamped their maps at the final checkpoint.
"Mission accomplished!"
May was overjoyed. She raised her hand and jumped up with a cheer.
"Alright," Natsui said with a gentle smile. "It's still too early to celebrate. Let's hurry back to the finish line."
May felt embarrassed. She stopped jumping and followed Natsui as they headed back toward the Pokémon Center.
From far away, they saw the red ribbon stretched across the starting line. A large number of spectators had gathered there and were cheering for them.
"Looks like we really are the first ones. We're incredibly lucky!"
Natsui was in a great mood. He had joined to have fun, but winning on top of that only made it better.
After hearing what Natsui said, May slowed down slightly and let herself fall a little behind him.
Before the race, she had wanted to beat him. But now, she wanted to let him take first place.
But Natsui reached back and pulled her up beside him.
"What are you doing?" He looked at her and smiled. "We're already here, so why are you shrinking back now?"
May understood what he meant. He wanted them to cross the finish line together. That moved her deeply.
Before, she had liked him because he was handsome and strong. But now, she was moved by how kind he was. It was the same feeling Misty had once had. May was completely caught up in her feelings for him.
Since Natsui had said that, May was no longer shy. She let him pull her along. Together with Eevee and Squirtle, they crossed the finish line side by side.
"A new record has been set! The time is three hours and twenty-four minutes! Since the Potpourri Island Orienteering Competition began, this is the first time anyone has completed it in under three and a half hours. And two people crossed the finish line at the same time! Let's congratulate these two contestants!!" Nurse Joy appeared and shouted in surprise.
The crowd burst into loud cheers. It was the first time they had ever seen two people finish together, and all eyes were on Natsui and May.
A bright smile appeared on May's face.
She had thought they would at least place near the top, but they had actually broken the record!
It was a huge surprise.
It proved that she and Natsui made an incredible team!
She was happy to receive the trophy. It was a new honor for her. But in truth, she did not care all that much about the trophy itself.
What she really wanted were the plump fruits with their sweet smell!
Slurp...
May immediately felt that things were not looking good.
She had almost started drooling!
A staff member came over to check their maps. After confirming that everything was correct, they reported back to Nurse Joy.
Nurse Joy's smile grew even brighter. She told Natsui and May to rest first, then returned to wait for the other runners.
For Natsui and May, the race was already over. It had become a joyful memory from their journey. But for the others, the competition was still ongoing.
The two of them waited for more than two hours as the other runners came back one after another. At noon, the final runner returned. He was an elderly man, and even the staff had to help him walk.
Only then did the competition finally come to an end.
Nurse Joy, the audience, and the runners all applauded as Natsui and May stood together on the podium.
This race was not held often. There had never been two winners before, but fortunately, there were enough medals in storage. So they were able to give one to each of them.
There were also many high-quality fruits prepared as an additional prize. If they had been split among too many people, there might not have been enough.
But since Natsui and May were traveling together as partners, that arrangement made Nurse Joy very happy, because it meant everything could still be distributed fairly.
Nurse Joy hung the medals around their necks, then had someone bring over the fruit.
Finally, it was time for the group photo.
Eevee and Squirtle stood at the sides. Natsui and May wore their gold medals and leaned close together. The camera clicked, and that moment was preserved forever.
The photo was printed very quickly.
May looked at the photo. She and Natsui were smiling brightly, standing very close to each other.
They looked just like a couple.
May's face turned red again.
She stared at the photo for a long time and let out a silly little laugh. Then she carefully tucked it into her notebook.