The few days of travel ended abruptly amidst the laughter and joy of the little ones.
As Milotic's figure cut through the waves, Lionel finally saw the outline of Pacifidog Town.
It was a small island town nestled on the coastline, looking from afar like a pearl polished wet by the sea.
Here... The scenery was completely different from DewfordTown; instead, it resembled the Sea resort Lionel had visited in his previous life.
Lands of traditional wooden houses stood in a staggered pattern on the sea, connected by boardwalks made of planks.
The sea breeze changed. The wind chimes and sea spirit ornaments hanging from the corners of the houses jingled crisply, mingling with the sound of the waves. It was a natural melody.
Tall coconut trees covered the island, their thick trunks reaching into the sky, heavy coconuts hanging from their branches, as if they might fall into the sea with a "plop" at any moment.
The coastline was bustling with activity. Many tourists in brightly colored bikinis lay on Sassoon chairs sunbathing, and children chased after little spirits along the waves, their laughter rising and falling.
When Milotic brought Lionel closer to the shore, it was already...
Many people noticed him.
"Is that... Milotic?"
Someone recognized Lionel and immediately took out their phone to take pictures.
"Lionel is in Pacifidog Town!"
"And there's a Larvesta and those two Ice and Fire Vulpixes! So cute!"
Lionel smiled and waved to everyone. After Metagross landed steadily on the shore, he led his companions onto the island's land.
As soon as he posted, several familiar fans surrounded him, holding autograph books and cameras, quietly asking if they could take photos with him.
Lionel agreed, watching Larvesta strike that proud "general's" pose again, and couldn't help but shake it.
According to the previous plan, Lionel first went to check into the booked hotel.
This wasn't an ordinary concrete building hotel, but a stand-alone wooden cabin-style guesthouse near the sea.
Led by the staff, Lionel walked across the winding wooden boardwalk over the water to a two-story detached wooden cabin standing on the water.
The cabin's walls were made of natural-colored wooden planks, the roof was thatched, and a string of colorful seashell wind chimes hung at the entrance, jingling in the wind.
"This is your reserved sea-view room. There's a balcony on the second floor with a particularly good view," the staff member said with a smile, opening the wooden door.
"If you need anything, you can call us via the landline in the room."
As soon as the door opened, Larvesta, along with Fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix, darted inside with difficulty.
The six little legs and four little paws scurried across the wooden floor, sometimes crawling under the sofa in the living room, sometimes climbing up the stair railing.
They curiously looked around the room. The wooden cabin's furniture was all made of solid wood, carrying a faint scent of pine. The windows faced the sea, and standing by the window, one could see the shimmering waves.
Lionel carried his luggage up to the second floor. On the balcony, a rattan table and chairs were placed. Standing there, one could enjoy the panoramic view of the beach and sea.
Downstairs, on the wooden boardwalk, people strolled in twos and threes. Occasionally, a Pokémon would run past.
In the distance, on the beach, someone was training their Pokémon under a coconut tree, and the shout of "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" could be faintly heard.
Further into the distance, a huge, semi-open-air building came into view—the magnificent tournament arena of Pacifidog Town.
Its design closely resembled an ancient Roman amphitheater. The white walls shimmered in the sunlight.
"Pretty impressive."
Lionel picked up the binoculars on the balcony and carefully observed the structure of the Pokemon Contest venue, his anticipation for the upcoming competition growing stronger.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Steven:
"I've arrived in Pacifidog Town. Remember to watch the Pokemon Contest in a couple of days; it's Metagross's debut!"
A few seconds later, Steven replied:
"Don't worry, I already set a reminder.
You've been telling me all that, but if Metagross doesn't perform well, I'll be back to settle the score with you."
Lionel smiled and shook his head, about to reply, when he felt his pants being gently pulled.
Looking down, he saw a Larvesta tilting its head back, pointing out the window:
It had seen pedestrians wearing straw hats and seashell necklaces, its eyes full of envy.
"Want to buy some jewelry?"
Lionel asked.
Larvesta nodded vigorously, its antennae almost poking his face. It made a "bite-bite" sound, as if saying, "Take me there!"
"Okay, okay, I'll go in a bit."
Lionel reluctantly agreed; this little guy's obsession with dressing up was even deeper than the competition itself.
Upon hearing this, Larvesta immediately dragged the Fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix that had just come upstairs and ran downstairs.
Lionel stood on the balcony, listening to the "ding-a-ling" of bells and the "whoosh" of commands coming from downstairs.
Without even looking, he knew that these three little guys were definitely rummaging through drawers and cabinets looking for decorations again.
When he came downstairs, Larvesta had already put on the sunglasses and woolen hat he had bought in Dewford Town.
A red butterfly knot was tied around the neck of the Vulpix, and two small bells hung from its tails, making it walk with its tails held high, as if afraid the bells would fall off.
Metagross and Milotic, standing nearby, politely declined Vulpix's request to wear accessories.
"Alright, Vulpix, let's go shopping."
Lionel then intervened to help Milotic and Metagross out of their predicament, opening the door.
The accessory shops in Duskwood Town were Vulpix's paradise.
The shops were filled with all sorts of nautical-themed items: headbands made of colorful feathers, necklaces strung with seashells, straw hats printed with coconut tree patterns, and bracelets decorated with tiny suns…
Flamrex's eyes widened as it picked up each item, trying it on and then trying it on. Finally, clinging to a straw hat adorned with tiny seashells, a seashell necklace, and a small backpack made of coconut shell, it refused to let go.
The two Vulpixs also chose their favorite accessories:
Ice Vulpix got an anklet made of pearls, which rustled as it walked;
The fire Vulpix took a fancy to a small badge made of red coral fragments, pinning it to its forehead, making it look particularly spirited.
After buying the accessories, Larvesta eagerly dragged everyone to a huge coconut tree, pointing to the ground where the tree's shadow fell, indicating that it wanted to take pictures.
It stood under the tree for a while, then had the fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix stand beside it, striking a "protector" pose.
The little bug looked extremely proud. Milotic and Metagross showed little interest in Larvesta's penchant for taking photos, simply watching the two Vulpixes silently from the sidelines.
As the photos were taken, the two Vulpixes started to get a little annoyed. They deliberately caused trouble, intentionally refusing to cooperate with Larvesta's expressions during the photo shoot.
After seeing the final photos, Larvesta, realizing the two Vulpixes couldn't make any expressions, spun some silk, wrapped it around them, and tossed them to Milotic.
The Vulpixes immediately clung to Metagross, wanting to climb the tree to play with the coconuts. Metagross readily agreed, protecting them with its psychic powers.
After getting rid of the two "troublesome" Vulpixes, Larvesta immediately set its sights on a photographer not far away.
The photographer was holding a camera, taking pictures of a beautiful woman in a floral dress and her pet Marill . Marill perched on the beautiful woman's shoulder, her little hands flashing a "V" sign. The image on the screen was bright and vivid, making Larvesta's eyes widen in amazement.
It ran behind the photographer, its six little legs pressed against the screen, eager to see what was happening. Marill looked fair and chubby in the video, ten times cuter than usual.
Larvesta got excited and darted back to Lionel's side.
It tugged at his trouser leg, pulling him towards the photographer, its little paws pointing at the camera, then at itself, squeaking and squeaking incessantly.
The meaning was clear: it wanted this professional photographer to take its picture, and never again wanted Lionel's "crazy" photography skills.
"Alright, alright, I'll find you a professional."
Lionel, helplessly abandoned by Larvesta, had no choice but to agree.
The photographer finished taking pictures of the beautiful woman, then stepped forward with a smile and greeted her:
"Hello, could you take some photos of my Larvesta? It saw your photos and thought they were fantastic."
The photographer, having just packed up his equipment, glanced at the eager Larvesta beside Lionel and couldn't help but laugh:
"This little guy has good taste. No problem, but I have two more groups of customers after me, so you'll have to wait a bit."
"No rush, no rush, then we'll wait in line."
Lionel quickly nodded and thanked him.
Upon hearing there was a chance, Larvesta immediately spun around on the spot, adjusted its newly bought conch shell hat, straightened its seashell necklace, and even asked the Metagross if it looked good, it was absolutely gorgeous.
After waiting for about half an hour, it was finally Larvesta's turn.
The photographer took out a professional fill light and reflector, and gestured a few times towards Larvesta:
"Little guy, come on, stand a little over here, yes, with your back to the coconut tree, head slightly lowered... Hey, this pose is good!"
The professional photographer's guidance is truly different. He had Larvesta stand at the boundary between the coconut tree's shade and the sunlight:
One moment it held its head high, posing for a selfie from below, creating a "majestic" aura;
The next moment it lay on the sand, its six little legs curled up, head tilted to one side. It showed its round belly, adopting a "cute" style;
They even found a huge banana leaf, letting Larvesta hold it up to shield its head, only revealing its two bright, sparkling eyes, creating a mysterious "jungle adventure" effect.
Larvesta had never seen anything like this before; its usual poses were nothing more than looking up at the sky, balancing a dog on its head, or holding flames up its antennae.
But it learned quickly; whatever the photographer said, it immediately did, looking incredibly serious.
After shooting for a full half hour, using up two rolls of film, the photographer finally smiled and said:
"Okay, little guy, the final photos are absolutely stunning."
Larvesta eagerly rushed to the camera screen, looking at itself reflected there: some majestic, some playful, some lively—each picture a hundred times clearer and more beautiful than the ones Lionel took with his phone.
It scurried around, chirping, its little paws poking at the screen, then looked up at the photographer, its eyes filled with eager anticipation for when it could finally receive the album.
Lionel ruffled its head, soothingly saying,
"I've arranged with the photographer for expedited processing with added fleece lining.
It'll be framed and made into an album soon, and you'll have it in your hands. Now you're all set, right?"
Larvesta nodded emphatically, its eyes curving into crescent shapes, circling the photographer. It circled twice, touching his hand with its antennae, as if to express its gratitude.
For the next two days, Larvesta woke up every day and did one thing: wait by the window for the photo album.
Until noon the next day, the deliveryman brought a photo album with a gold-embossed cover to the cabin, and it finally felt its joy.
The photos in the album were brightly colored, and each page had an exquisite border.
Larvesta flipped through the album, pointing at one photo and nodding, then grinning foolishly at another, looking at it all afternoon without getting tired of it.
Soon, the day of the Pokemon Contest arrived.
In the early morning, Lionel stood on the second-floor balcony and could see the crowds flowing steadily down the wooden walkway. The magnificent stadium was bustling with activity.
Some people held up support signs, some held sign-up cameras, and others held their Pokémon, excitedly discussing today's matches.
A lively atmosphere filled the sea breeze.
The Vulpix and Vulpix nestled obediently in Lionel's arms, their heads close together, looking through the railing at the distant stadium. Their little paws occasionally touched, as if they were cheering each other on.
"Are you nervous?" Lionel asked, looking down at them.
The Vulpix made a soft "meh," opened its wide eyes to look at Lionel, nodded, then immediately shook its head, indicating it wasn't afraid.
The Vulpix, however, rubbing it's head bed against Lionel's palm, shaking its head, echoing its sister's words, as if saying, "Don't be afraid."
Just then, a "clinking" sound came from downstairs—it was Larvesta getting ready.
Knowing it didn't have to play today, it wasn't disappointed at all; on the contrary, it was quite happy.
When Lionel came downstairs, he saw it piling all its new accessories on itself: a seashell hat on its head, three layers of seashell necklaces on its chubby body, a small coconut shell backpack on its back, and even six small ribbons adorned with different knotted ornaments, making it look like a walking jewelry rack.
"Are you going to done?" Lionel teased with a smile.
Larvesta chirped twice, as if saying, "Of course," and even turned around in front of the mirror to make sure every accessory was still there before following Lionel with satisfaction.
At 9:00 AM, Lionel turned on his livestream equipment and locked his camera on Larvesta.
The moment he pointed it at Larvesta, the number of viewers skyrocketed:
[Here it comes! The Pokemon Contest is finally here!]
[Larvesta's outfit today... did it wear the whole jewelry store?]
[Where are the Flame Vulpix and Ice Vulpix? Let me see the two contestants!]
Larvesta waved its antennae at the camera, as if greeting them, then patted the Flame Vulpix and Ice Vulpix beside it with its claws, pushing them in front of the camera.
The two little creatures tilted their heads at the screen, instantly attracting a barrage of "cuteness overload" comments.
"Alright, we should head to the arena."
Lionel carried the two Vulpixes, followed by Metagross and Milotic, with Larvesta leading the way like a pathfinder.
The group walked along the wooden plank road towards the grand arena.