The Lily Youth Competition has officially concluded.
Many people gathered at Flint's villa for a final party. After this gathering, everyone will head their separate ways, embarking on their own paths.
Reunions are fleeting, but the friendships formed between them are long-lasting.
Da Ye, already renowned for his exceptional social skills, stood out among the participants, becoming the "leader" of this gathering.
Natsuhiko, too, through this spontaneous gathering, met many Trainers who would occupy important positions in their respective regions in the future. He also got to know some Trainers who may not seem famous but are nonetheless quite strong.
This forms his future network.
Connections, at times, are a resource more important than material wealth.
In fact, compared to the material rewards from the competition, these connections might be more valuable to him.
And among them, what Natsuhiko remembers most clearly are the two little devils brought by Nanami, Ash Ketchum, and Gary Oak, who are a pair of close friends.
Some of Ash's questions often left Natsuhiko both amused and exasperated, while some of Gary's questions sometimes made Natsuhiko ponder deeply.
For these two lively treasures, Natsuhiko exhibited enough friendliness as their senior.
However, he didn't engage in much deeper interaction, after all, they were just children, with an age gap and significant differences in knowledge levels, leaving few topics in common.
But their admiration for Natsuhiko was undisguised.
The only thing that puzzled Natsuhiko was that Professor Oak, a figure of authority in the Pokemon research community whom Natsuhiko always wanted to meet, didn't come along.
Perhaps he felt that this gathering was for the younger generation, and his presence might restrain them.
Or perhaps he had other matters to attend to.
Besides, after the awards ceremony, Natsuhiko hadn't seen his somewhat elusive mentor, Agatha.
The party was halfway through.
Still somewhat unaccustomed to the lively atmosphere, Natsuhiko sat by the villa's garden pool, put away his phone after just making a call, and lay on the grass gazing at the night sky.
As for the warning given by Darkrai, the news of Groudon's imminent awakening, Natsuhiko had already relayed these details via phone to Ryuzi, who is far away in the Hoenn Meteor Falls.
Moreover, Ryuzi, upon receiving the message, promised to convey everything truthfully to the elder.
Returning to "Meteor Village" was something he certainly had to do again, but not right now.
With the competition over, he had countless things to deal with and prepare for.
For the role of the Dojo Leader, Agatha had already arranged it for him, and Kikuno, who handles affairs at the Sinnoh Dojo, also expressed her support for Natsuhiko.
However, specific details could only be finalized after Natsuhiko visited the Alliance Headquarters in Sinnoh.
And as the runner-up in this competition, Natsuhiko hadn't immediately received his prize.
Because he had chosen to "select any item worth no more than fifty million Alliance coins from the Alliance Treasure Vault."
This time, the Alliance's sincerity in its offerings was indeed substantial.
The position of Dojo Leader, without a doubt, held the most long-term value.
But since Natsuhiko had already obtained this position through Agatha's connections, there was no need to choose it again.
So, he opted for something with the highest short-term value.
It was said that Hilona made the same choice.
The items in the Alliance Treasure Vault numbered too many, with a range of tools, Pokémon, secrets, and materials too numerous to transport to the competition venue.
Many others also chose this option, though the maximum amount they could select was not as high as his.
And they could only obtain it from their region's Alliance.
And the opportunity to become a Dojo Leader was only available to those who made it to the final four.
With the development of the Alliance, the criteria for choosing a Dojo Leader were now more stringent than ever before.
Natsuhiko happened to have to go to the Alliance Headquarters to discuss the Dojo Leader matter, the fossil revival issue, and in addition to the competition rewards, taking care of all three things in one trip would save time.
Once all aspects of becoming a Dojo Leader were finalized, Natsuhiko would have to start getting busy with the Dojo's construction, its promotion, and a series of other matters, so for a while, he certainly wouldn't be able to leave Sinnoh.
Besides the Dojo's construction, Natsuhiko's private Pokemon Ranch was still only in its nascent stage, with many elements and facilities yet refined, requiring him to spend time preparing.
So.
The end of this competition wasn't a time for Natsuhiko to relax but rather the beginning of his increasing busyness.
"What are you thinking about?"
A sudden gentle voice came.
Natsuhiko sat up and turned to see Hilona, with slightly flushed cheeks.
They had already met the minimum age requirements for the Alliance's "alcohol limit rule," so they had both indulged a bit tonight.
Look at that, Hilona's face had reddened.
But truth be told, at this moment, Hilona's rosy cheeks made her look more adorable than usual and less distant.
Retracting his gaze, he leaned back on his arms, sitting sideways by the pool, looking out at the vast night sky, shaking his head, "No, just thinking about the road ahead."
Hilona walked over to Natsuhiko.
She looked at his feet dipped in the pool.
Thought for a moment.
She bent down, took off her leather shoes, revealing a pair of delicate jade feet, and rolled up her pant legs to reveal her fair, slender calves.
Imitating Natsuhiko, she sat by the pool.
Her fair feet touched the water's surface, a chill crept in.
Hilona furrowed her brows slightly.
But still, she allowed them to be, gently swaying.