"Swinging~~"
The Oranguru softly called out to Natsuhiko, with no intention of launching an attack on him.
It gently waved the fan in its hand, then produced a special potion and handed it over to the Crabrawler beside it.
The Crabrawler lifted the Crabominable and immediately dispersed.
Only the Oranguru and Natsuhiko remained.
Natsuhiko slowly squinted, looking at the Oranguru, uncertain of its intentions.
Then he saw a psychic glow on the fan of the Oranguru.
A Pokémon darted quickly from the dense tree forest behind them and came in between them.
At first glance, it looked human, with its pink appearance resembling a woman in a kimono. Upon closer inspection, it was more like an insect, having insect features such as antennae and limbs.
But it was actually a Grass-type Pokémon.
Lurantis!
Another Pokémon that could be commanded by the Oranguru?
Was it really considering itself a Trainer?
"Swinging~~"
The Oranguru waved the fan toward Natsuhiko.
It was clear it wanted another round with Natsuhiko.
The loss of the Crabominable left it a bit unconvinced.
Natsuhiko looked at it.
He didn't immediately agree but instead asked, "Why should I agree with you?"
Upon hearing this.
The Oranguru was taken aback.
It then fell into deep thought.
Didn't every Trainer like battles?
Why would anyone refuse a battle opportunity?
Looking at the pondering Oranguru, Natsuhiko's mouth slowly curled up, and he continued, "Having another battle is fine, but it shouldn't be for nothing, right?"
The Oranguru appeared thoughtful.
It somewhat understood Natsuhiko's meaning.
"Swinging~~"
As it waved its fan again, ripe tree fruits floated over from all directions, slowly piling up into a small hill beside it, emitting a rich fragrance.
Pointing at the fruit pile nearby.
The Oranguru indicated it could use this as a wager, hoping to battle Natsuhiko again.
However, Natsuhiko shook his head.
"When we beat the Crabominable, these were already mine. You're using my stuff as a wager?"
Your stuff?
The Oranguru blinked.
This orchard belonged to Crabrawler and Crabominable; the Oranguru did not dispute this.
Thinking about it this way, Natsuhiko's words seemed somewhat reasonable, but something seemed off.
"Swinging?"
The Oranguru spread its hands, asking Natsuhiko what he wanted.
"You." Natsuhiko pointed.
Hearing this, a hint of anger flashed in Oranguru's eyes.
It shook its head decisively.
Good heavens, I wanted to be your brother, and you want to...
It's not foolish.
Natsuhiko's smile remained unchanged, "Don't rush, listen to me. If I win, you'll be my Pokémon, but not for long, just a year. After that, you can choose whether to stay or leave. If you win, I can tell you where your strategies went wrong."
A year...
For it, who lived in this jungle for who knows how long, that wasn't very long.
Strategy flaws?
That was what really caught its attention.
The Oranguru fanned its fan continuously.
Natsuhiko continued, "What? You don't have confidence in yourself?"
The Oranguru glanced at him.
It wouldn't fall for such a provocation.
However, Natsuhiko's words about strategy flaws indeed left the Oranguru somewhat unconvinced.
After a moment of silence.
"Swinging!"
The Oranguru raised three fingers.
The Alakazam accurately conveyed the Oranguru's intent.
Best of three rounds.
It gets to choose what they compete in.
"Alright." Natsuhiko agreed decisively.
Honestly, just seeing this Oranguru intrigued him.
Not only because Oranguru could partner with Snorlax and Bewear to unleash their full potential.
But also because he saw the potential for Oranguru to be a teacher for both Alakazam and Latios.
This Oranguru must have lived a long time, with rich experiences, and its battle instincts, although not top-notch, definitely surpassed most Trainers'.
This would undoubtedly make it an instructor for Alakazam, whom Natsuhiko was investing heavily in and needed to comprehend strategy and tactics.
After all, considering from a Trainer's perspective versus a Pokémon's perspective can be remarkably different.
Alakazam, from birth till now, has been less than a year old, lacking enough accumulated knowledge.
Moreover, Alakazam could learn many techniques from the Oranguru.
Such as "Illusion Space."
If Alakazam could master "Illusion Space," Natsuhiko's "Unlimited Defense Swap" strategy would have more options and possibilities.
Much like he had kept Bewear to teach fighting techniques to the Pokémon.
This kind of enduring benefit for his main Pokémon is what Natsuhiko truly needed.
The wager was set.
The Oranguru appeared serious, connecting telepathically with Lurantis.
This battle, it took exceptionally seriously.
Natsuhiko's smile never faded, and he said to the side, "Togekiss, your turn."
"Chakii~~"
Togekiss wore a serious expression.
With a gentle flap of its wings, it flew in front of Lurantis.
It had long sensed that Natsuhiko's gaze toward the opposing Lurantis was unusual.
Hmph—
The battle started directly without a referee.
Lurantis seemed to have great trust in the Oranguru.
"Flower~"
It gracefully spun its body right from the start.
A powerful storm, laden with numerous sharp, pointed leaves, swirled toward Togekiss.
Flying Leaf Storm!
A very powerful Grass-type technique, but its drawback is a significant reduction in its own Special Attack after use.