The sky gradually darkened.
But on the lawn outside the research institute, it was brightly lit.
It must be said, the Alliance highly values a genius scholar like Sakuragi, who has made outstanding contributions at such a young age.
Just looking at the setup of the scene, it's clear a lot of effort, manpower, and resources were invested.
Natsuhiko and Hilona, due to their status, were placed in a relatively corner position.
With them were:
Flint, representing Devon Company, came to express congratulations, and also to discuss the detailed matters of production for the "Affinity" detector.
Kona, the most outstanding student of this batch from Silver Academy, came with his doctoral mentor.
And Ryuzi, representing the Dragon Taming Race, who received the news and came to express congratulations, along with Xiaochun.
After the opening ceremony of Natsuhiko's dojo, the group gathered together again.
But the atmosphere was a bit strange.
"Ahem... what's with you guys staring at me?" Natsuhiko coughed to break the silent and awkward atmosphere.
"What's the surprise? I asked those two, and they wouldn't say." Lance couldn't help but ask.
Natsuhiko averted his gaze slightly, avoiding eye contact.
"...You should know shortly."
After a slight pause, he countered, "Do you have so much free time lately?"
Lance stretched widely and chuckled, "There's a lot to do, but coincidentally, I'm free now."
Such convenient timing... Natsuhiko internally grumbled.
After Natsuhiko broke the silence, the conversation started flowing among them.
They began discussing topics on Pokémon training and battle techniques.
The most talked-about issue was about Pokémon team configurations.
Everyone knew each other's backgrounds well, so there was nothing they couldn't discuss.
Natsuhiko suddenly felt a gaze from behind, one that lingered for a long time.
He turned slightly, angling his head to the side.
At a table two away, he saw a girl with long ebony hair, wearing a red tight suit, her eyes glinting with a subtle green hue, staring at him.
Her hand also glowed slightly green, a juice-filled wine glass spun playfully at her fingertips.
Yet there wasn't a hint of spilling, not even a drop of juice had been spilled.
Nancy!
Their gazes met.
Nancy tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with a bit of curiosity.
Natsuhiko's heart tensed a little.
He knew Nancy sensed the superpower within him.
But Natsuhiko wasn't nervous.
His guise as a Hunter wasn't just about appearance; it included height, behavior, habits, personality, and even his way of thinking. Naturally, his superpower was masked as well.
After all, superpower is essentially a materialized spiritual power embodying abilities across different spectrums.
Where there's a will to disguise, it can be done.
Soon after, Natsuhiko smiled at Nancy, lifting his own glass slightly.
Nancy, seeing Natsuhiko's gesture, was briefly taken aback, then turned her head, not wanting any interaction with him.
Natsuhiko smiled wryly, not caring.
Nancy's just like that, a girl who never seems to grow up, acting solely on her whims.
The fact that she's sitting there quietly is a miracle in itself.
Natsuhiko's gaze swept over the group beside Nancy.
The Gym Leader of Withered Leaf City, Masashi, in a military uniform, was downing his drink as if it were just water.
The Gym Leader of Light Red City, Aju, dressed in black tight clothing and wearing a red mask, leaned against his chair with closed eyes.
When he noticed Natsuhiko's gaze, he slightly opened his eyes.
But by the time he looked over, Natsuhiko had already shifted his eyes.
A girl named Lijia, wearing a kimono and a gentle smile, the Gym Leader of Rainbow City.
Apparently, that table should be where the Gym Leaders from around Withered Leaf City are gathered.
Sakuragi's influence is quite evident.
But sharing a table with three Rocket Team executives, Natsuhiko couldn't help but smack his lips.
The Rocket Team probably also holds great interest in a genius researcher like Sakuragi.
"What are you looking at?" Hilona noticed Natsuhiko's gaze and asked.
"Nothing." Natsuhiko smiled, taking a sip of the slightly bitter wine. "Just seeing which big shots have arrived."
"Nervous?"
Hilona seemingly misunderstood.
Upon hearing this, Natsuhiko chuckled lightly, appearing calm and composed.
Yet he responded with, "Hmm."
This might be one of those ways of saying the most timid words with the most arrogant posture.
Seeing Natsuhiko's nonchalant demeanor, Hilona thought he wasn't nervous at all.
But hearing his words, she couldn't help but laugh.
"We're all here." Hilona whispered.
Natsuhiko's gaze lingered on several people, finally resting on Lance, who was dealing with Xiaochun, twitching his mouth slightly.
It's because you're here that I'm nervous.
But he nodded slightly and took a deep breath.
As they chatted.
The ceremony soon began with the announcement by the host arranged by the Alliance.
Actually, the ceremony wasn't complex.
Initially, several esteemed doctors from the Pokémon research community were invited on stage to speak one by one.
The content of the speeches wasn't important, but everyone still gave face to Sakuragi, showering compliments when they went up on stage.