A few seconds later, the dust settled, and everyone gradually saw the situation on the field. The Makuhita's massive body was half-kneeling on the beach, its thick buttocks trembling slightly. A few flickering flames still lingered on its body, scorching it and emitting wisps of blue smoke.
It tried to push itself up.
But as it tried to stand, the flames made it groan, and it stomped back down heavily, its face contorted in pain,
and its once bright eyes dimmed.
"Alright. Makuhita, that's enough."
Brawly quickly stepped forward, placing a hand on his partner's shoulder, his voice filled with concern:
"You've done very well."
"Lionel, you won this match. There's no need to continue. Makuhita and I concede."
Hearing that it had won, Larvesta burst into flames like fireworks ignited instantly, its five antennae spewing out five streams of fire.
It proudly circled around, its six tiny legs carrying it to the center of the arena, its face beaming with pride, looking every bit like a general who had won a battle.
However, its pride was not excessive.
When Larvesta saw the flames still burning on Makuhita's body, it immediately trotted over to its opponent and gently touched the flames with its antennae.
A wondrous scene unfolded.
As if summoned, the flames caused Larvesta's antennae to retract into its body, leaving only a few scorched marks on the Makuhita's body.
The Milotic behind Lionel also swam over.
With a gentle flick of its tail, several streams of shimmering blue life water floated over, coating the Makuhita. The water droplets transformed into soft light the moment they touched his skin.
The areas scalded by the flames visibly healed, and the Makuhita's pained expression gradually faded.
It gave a low "thank you" to Larvesta and Milotic. Brawly, seeing this, withdrew his hand from the Poké Ball, a helpless expression on his lips:
"Thank you, Larvesta and Milotic, you're really amazing..."
At this moment, the gym apprentice acting as referee ran over with a black badge and handed it to Brawly.
Brawly took the badge and personally presented it to Lionel:
"This is the Fighting Badge, take it.
It's our pride that Dewford Town has produced a trainer like you. We hope you can carry this glory forward."
"I definitely will." Lionel took the badge, feeling its cool touch on his fingertips. He placed it in its special badge box, alongside the gym badges he had previously acquired. The livestream chat was already flooded with comments:
[Awesome! As expected of my Bug Bro! One move and he took it down!]
Explosive!]
[That was amazing! Fire Stream to counter Impact Swim]
[Bug Bro: So low-key, basic operation.]
After the battle, Lionel wanted to leave, but was stopped by Brawly:
"Don't rush off. The weather's so nice, why don't we go surfing? I see you're always at the beach in your streams, you can't just be feeding your Pokémon, can you?"
Lionel was a little amused, but didn't refuse.
He had indeed been at the beach for a long time, but had never actually tried surfing.
Brawlyo surfboards, handing one to Lionel while he used the other, having the Makuhita create waves beside him.
"Lower your center of gravity, bend your knees slightly, feel the rhythm of the waves," the Makuhita demonstrated, his movements as fluid as a leopard.
It must be said, surfing looks simple, but it's not easy at all.
Lionel stepped onto the surfboard, lifted up by the waves created by the Makuhita. The board felt as slippery as if it were oiled.
His body wobbled from side to side, and after less than three seconds, he "plop" fell into the water, creating a large splash.
"Squeak squeak squeak—"
Larvesta laughed so hard on the shore it was doubled over, its five antennae almost bent with laughter, deliberately flicking a small cluster of flames at Lionel, mocking him.
Lionel wiped his face The seawater, somewhat annoyed, said to Larvesta:
"If you're so good, you try it."
Unexpectedly, this actually spurred Larvesta on.
It moved closer to Makuhita, spraying a few times, asking for surfing tips.
Makuhita wasn't angry about losing the previous battle. Seeing Larvesta asking for help, the large, fan-like creature rubbed its head and patiently taught Larvesta the essentials.
Then, Larvesta started surfing.
Unexpectedly, this big, fat worm actually had some talent.
Following Makuhita's instructions, Larvesta imitate the surfing movements it had seen before, lowering its body and gripping the board tightly with its six legs.
The Makuhita cooperated by creating a gentle wave.
I saw the board under Larvesta... With a gentle lift, it straightened its body smoothly. Although it wobbled a couple of times at first, it quickly regained its balance and glided out with the wave!
"Wow! This Larvesta is amazing!"
"You learned it in one go? That's incredible!"
The students around it exclaimed in admiration. Larvesta, hearing this, became even more proud and practiced even more enthusiastically.
After just a few practices, it became like a seasoned surfer, increasingly adept.
It even used its silk-spitting skill to spit out two thin threads, lifting Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix, carefully placing they on the back of the surfboard, and riding the waves with them.
The two little guys were a little scared at first, gripping the edge of the board tightly, but as the waves rose and fell, the thrilling, exhilarating feeling instantly excited them.
The Fire Vulpix whimpered, while Ice Vulpix's bells jingled incessantly.
The crisp sound of the bells mingled with the crashing waves, creating a particularly pleasant sound.
This was a completely different experience from the calm feeling of riding Metagross on the beach; every rise and fall brought a heart-pounding thrill.
Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix never stopped screaming.
On the other side, Lionel watched the Larvesta having so much fun, while he couldn't even stand steadily. Feeling somewhat resentful, he had no choice but to ask Metagross for help:
"Help me steady myself?"
Metagross nodded without hesitation, a glint of blue psychic light flashing in its eyes.
With the aid of psychic power, the surfboard beneath Lionel's feet instantly became obedient.
Not only could it stand steadily on the board, but it could also use the wave's momentum to draw several decent arcs, finally regaining some face in front of Larvesta and Vulpix.
Milotic swam leisurely not far away, occasionally flicking its tail fin, replacing Makuhita to create just the right amount of waves for Lionel and Larvesta.
Sunlight shone on its golden tail fin, reflecting the glow of smoke, attracting many people to take out their phones to take pictures.
The viewers watching the live stream were also enjoying themselves:
[Hahahaha, the streamer is too bad! You need a Metagross to surf!]
[Larvesta: Didn't expect that, did you? I can not only fight, but I can also surf!]
[Suddenly I think the beach in Dewford Town is amazing, I want to go check it out!]
After all the fuss, surfing finally ended.
Lionel was soaking wet and collapsed on the sand, exhausted. On the beach. Larvesta, still full of energy, carried two Vulpix on its surfboard, playing back and forth with Milotic's help.
When Larvesta and the Vulpix returned to the beach, a crowd had already gathered around.
Some were spectators who had just watched the battle, while others were drawn by the adorable appearance of Larvesta and the two Vulpix.
Many people held beautifully packaged Pokémon food, enthusiastically offering it to the little creatures.
"Larvesta, can we take a picture together? I brought you some good food!" A bespectacled boy held up a camera, his tone full of anticipation.
"Ice Vulpix, Fire Vulpix, look at this!
Double-flavored cookies made with Peach Berry and Berry!"
A girl held a small box, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the two Vulpix. Larvesta and the two Vulpixes turned to look at Lionel. Their eyes held a hint of curiosity. Lionel smiled and nodded:
"A photo is fine, but don't eat too many snacks. You still need to go home for dinner later, right?"
Larvesta quickly grabbed a biscuit and started eating.
Then a group of people surrounded it. Even with a biscuit in its mouth, it didn't forget to strike various "energy-boosting" poses.
After taking a few photos, Larvesta realized something was wrong.
So it immediately grabbed its own decorations from its friends and hurriedly put them on.
This adorable sight made everyone laugh.
The Fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix were held in the arms of several cute girls. The bells on their tails jingled with their movements, and their little heads kept bobbing against the biscuit box. They crawled away, incredibly well-behaved.
Metagross and Milotic weren't neglected either.
Someone even gave Milotic a small dried fish, testing its pretty appearance.
Others noticed the "Fighting King" badge in the center of the cross mark on Metagross's face and wanted to give it some other things.
But Metagross expressionlessly pushed them back with its psychic powers; its serious expression only made everyone find it more adorable.
Before long, after fulfilling everyone's requests for photos, the sun was almost directly overhead.
Lionel politely declined everyone's invitation to stay for dinner, and his companions, with snack crumbs all over their mouths, returned to their lodgings.
Back at the seaside cabin, Lionel prepared a table full of food, and the Pokémon ate with great relish.
While eating, Larvesta was still gesturing to Lianjin. "The surfing motions are showing off his achievements."
After a short rest after dinner, Lionel packed his luggage and announced to everyone:
"Let's go! Target: Pacifidlog Town!"
The journey from Dewford Town to Pacifidlog Town requires crossing the sea. Metagross had already extended its body, simultaneously activating "Gravity" and "Magnet Rise," transforming back into its flying form.
At the same time, it used its psychic powers to lift Larvesta and the Vulpixes on its back, flying steadily close to the sea.
Milotic, meanwhile, carried Lionel on the surface of the sea ahead, like a nimble navigator.
The journey across the sea was initially full of novelty.
Sunlight shone on the sea, creating shimmering waves, and occasionally, groups of fishes swam past the boat, leaving behind a trail of colorful bubbles.
Two Vulpixes lay on either side of the Metagross, they stared intently at the water's surface beside the ship.
The Vulpix would occasionally exhale a small, chilling breath, slightly freezing the surface of the sea, only to have it melted by the little Flame Vulpix's fire. The two little creatures were having a great time.
However, after traveling for some time, all they could see was an endless expanse of blue water, even the wind carried a salty smell, and it gradually became somewhat monotonous.
Seeing that the Flame Vulpix and Ice Vulpix were getting a little tired, Lionel said to Milotic beneath him,
"Milotic, take them to play underwater. They haven't seen the underwater scenery before, have they?"
Milotic immediately understood and opened its mouth, spitting out a huge bubble.
Larvesta jumped in first, and seeing this, the little Flame Vulpix and Ice Vulpix followed their little dad into the pool.
Milotic gently pushed with its tail fin, and the bubbles carried them towards the surface. Lionel then jumped from Milotic's back onto Metagross.
Seeing Lionel land safely on the back of a Metagross, Milotic manipulated the bubbles, carrying Larvesta and Vulpixes, and slowly submerged into the water.
Inside the bubbles, Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix opened their eyes wide with curiosity, watching the colorful clumps of murmured brooks, the schools of small fish darting among them, and the Shellder blowing bubbles, exclaiming in amazement.
Looking at this scene so different from the surface of the sea, the two Vulpixes were so happy that their tails almost spun like tops.
Larvesta perfectly fulfilled its role as a babysitter, explaining to the two little ones, "What's this? What's that?"
Milotic, understanding the little creatures' desires, Milotic deliberately led them through the colorful coral reefs, occasionally using its tail to scoop up pretty seashells and bring them to the edge of the bubbles for them to see.
The two Vulpixes regained their previous energy. Not only that, but later on, after getting tired of the underwater scenery, Milotic would also give the two Vulpixes a different experience in its own way. It would increase its psychic output, using its psychic power to lift the two Vulpixes and Larvesta, slowly raising them higher into the air.
The Vulpix was initially startled, tightly closing its eyes. But feeling the wind rushing past its ears and the shrinking sea below, it couldn't help but open a crack, then let out an excited "Whoa!" and, supported by psychic power, stretched out its four...
Ice Vulpix wasn't much better off; at first, it held its tail modestly.
But when the Milotic carried it past a cotton candy-like cloud, it suddenly plucked at the cloud with its claws, and found it soft like cotton, and immediately opened up.
Seeing this, Larvesta quickly spat out its silk threads, carefully and wrapped them around the two little creatures, tying a knot like flying a kite—afraid they might be in danger.
But the Fire Vulpix had grown up and didn't want to be bound. It secretly produced some fire, burning a small hole in the silk thread, then suddenly broke free, and even spun around in mid-air, turning back to make a face at Larvesta, causing Larvesta to squeak and chase after it.
Ice Vulpix also followed suit, becoming mischievous. It spat out an ice spike, gently severing the silken threads. It joined the aerial chase.
Larvestas chased this one, then scooped up that one, the six streams disappearing rapidly in the air, incredibly worried. This amused Milotic immensely.
And so, in this cycle of diving to see the seabed, soaring into the sky to observe, chasing and playing, time flew by. The tedious journey was transformed into a sea paradise by these little guys.