The Battle Hall was bustling with noise, the sounds of energy collisions and Trainers' cheers intertwining into a chaotic background noise.
Roy's gaze swept across the field.
Most of the Trainers here were dressed flamboyantly, their temperaments more like those of wealthy children or collectors, purely for entertainment or showing off.
Occasionally, there were a few who looked serious, but the levels and degree of cultivation of the Pokemon in their hands were far inferior to those challengers who traveled outside all year round.
Roy easily achieved a series of victories.
After Pikachu paralyzed a Poliwag with electricity, the surroundings erupted into a frenzy.
"He... he won again!"
"How many matches has this guy won in a row already?"
"It seems to be... the tenth match? His Pikachu is so strong!"
Roy's expression remained calm as he called back Pikachu, simply recorded the victory, and then walked toward the next vacant field.
To him, battles of this level were more like an efficient warm-up and experience harvest.
The opponents' Pokemon were generally between levels 10-20, with the occasional level 30 or so, but their tactics and adaptability were very immature.
Roy didn't even need to switch Pokemon frequently to crush them.
Butterfree also got a chance to appear; against opponents with disadvantageous types or who were equally weak, its coordination of Confusion and Sleep Powder became increasingly proficient.
[Current Win Streak: 18/30]
Another battle ended.
Roy's Butterfree elegantly flapped its wings, sweeping an opposing Golbat into its wind; the Confusion effect caused the Golbat to attack itself blindly, eventually falling to the ground.
"Butterfree, well done," Roy praised with a smile.
Butterfree flew back to him happily and affectionately rubbed against his cheek.
Just then, a slightly exaggerated voice sounded from nearby.
"Oh~ how beautiful and how powerful a Butterfree!"
Roy turned to look.
He saw a middle-aged man wearing a black top hat, a white suit, and holding a gold-inlaid cane walking over.
He had a forced elegant smile on his face, but the shrewdness and calculation in his eyes could not be hidden.
Most eye-catching was the female companion on his arm.
She was an extremely hot woman wearing a deep purple, low-cut evening gown.
The design of that gown was bold, the neckline opening almost to the navel; her snowy-white fullness was barely held up, with most of it exposed to the air, swaying precariously with her twisting steps, incredibly seductive.
Her makeup was glamorous, her eyes alluring, and she was staring unblinkingly at the Butterfree beside Roy, licking her red lips.
"Darling, look at this Butterfree, the patterns on its wings are so special and beautiful!" the woman said in a coquettish voice while hugging the gentleman's arm.
"Hehe, it is indeed extraordinary." The man in the top hat nodded and looked at Roy, striking a pose of appreciation: "Young Trainer, your Butterfree is exceptionally well-bred. Not only is its appearance magnificent, but its combat power is also impressive. What's rare is that it seems to have an extremely high level of intimacy with you."
Roy said impassively, "You flatter me."
"It's like this," the gentleman changed the subject, his smile widening: "My companion likes your Butterfree very much, she simply can't put it down. You see, she's so lovely, I really can't bear to let her down."
He paused, took a poké ball from his waist, and pressed it lightly.
A red light flashed, and a Raticate, slightly larger than an ordinary Raticate with sleek, glossy fur, appeared on the ground.
"This is my Raticate, it's a very rare and robust individual with great potential. I'm thinking of exchanging it for your Butterfree, how about it?"
"Of course," seeing that Roy didn't immediately agree, he added with a hint of condescension, "I see you look like a traveling Trainer, you must not be very well-off."
"How about this, in addition to this precious Raticate, I will give you an extra ten thousand alliance coins as a token of thanks and as recognition for your breeding such an excellent Butterfree. What do you think, young man? You won't lose out."
After speaking, he looked at Roy confidently, waiting for the other party to agree ecstatically.
To his mind, how could a traveling Trainer refuse a "rare" Raticate plus a "huge sum of money"?
The female companion beside him also twisted her snake-like waist at the right time, shaking his arm and saying coquettishly, "Yes, yes, I really like it so much~ can you trade it to me?"
Roy didn't even bend down to look closely at that Raticate.
High potential? Perhaps.
But to him, it was meaningless.
He looked at the gentleman, his tone calm and steady: "No deal."
"What?" The gentleman was stunned, the smile on his face freezing. He didn't expect to be rejected so directly.
"Do you think the price isn't enough?" He frowned, but still maintained his composure.
"Twenty thousand alliance coins? Or thirty thousand? Young man, you should know that this Raticate itself is worth a lot..."
"I said, no deal." Roy interrupted him, his gaze turning cold. "My partner is not a commodity to be traded. Furthermore..."
He took a step forward, his voice lowered but carrying an unquestionable sense of pressure: "Do I need to contact the security on this ship, or directly report to Miss Jenny through my pokédex to confirm whether this kind of monetary 'exchange' is completely legal, and whether there is any suspicion of coercion or fraud?"
"I think the Officer Jenny Family would be very interested in this kind of 'transaction' happening on a Luxury Cruise Ship."
Hearing the words "Miss Jenny," the gentleman's face changed instantly.
As someone who hung around the edges of high society, he knew best what the Officer Jenny Family represented.
If he were really investigated, even if his procedures were barely legal, getting involved with the police—especially the attention of the Officer Jenny Family—would ruin his reputation and many of his secret businesses.
"You...!" He pointed at Roy, his face turning red and white, but he couldn't say a word.
The glamorous female companion was also so scared that she let go of his arm, not daring to make another sound.
"Let's go!" The gentleman glared fiercely at Roy as if to remember his face, then sheepishly withdrew his Raticate, pulled his companion, and walked away quickly, disappearing into the crowd.
[Ding! Triggered Task: Refuse to release Butterfree! Help Butterfree find a girlfriend while not releasing it.]
[Task Reward: Butterfree-exclusive Power Enhancement Berry—Butterfree's potential level +1 after use.]
[super flight berry *1—After being eaten by a Flying-type Pokemon, it will gain significant positive benefits in terms of size and lifespan.]
Roy raised an eyebrow as he looked at the new task prompt.
In the original plot, Butterfree would indeed leave the team soon because of its breeding season and would have to be released.
But now, his Butterfree had been invested with a large amount of resources: Silver Powder, super flight berry, and potential enhancement berries.
Even without the task, Roy would never release it.
This was one of the cores he planned to cultivate into a Bug-type main combat force.
This task was simply the icing on the cake.
Exclusive potential Berry! potential level directly +1 after use!
If it increases one more level, it would be an Elite-level potential Butterfree?
My god, looking at the entire history of the League, I'm afraid you can count the number of Butterfree that can reach Elite level on one hand.
That is definitely a rarity among rarities!
And the super flight berry, which increases the size and lifespan of Flying-type Pokemon.
This is clearly prepared for Butterfree's future partner.
It can't be that while Butterfree lives a long time with me, its wife's lifespan runs out shortly after giving birth, right?
Roy would never allow such a tragedy of lifespan disparity to happen under his watch.
"Don't worry," Roy lightly stroked the wing of the Butterfree resting on his shoulder and chuckled, "You'll have a girlfriend, and the family won't be broken up. You will become stronger and longer-lived than any other Butterfree."
Although Butterfree didn't fully understand its master's words, it could feel that sentiment and promise, and it flapped its wings happily.
After accepting this unexpectedly triggered task, Roy felt even more motivated.
"Continue!"
He turned and walked toward the next challenger.
With a clear goal and the stimulation of generous rewards, Roy's subsequent battles were even more sharp and efficient.
Pikachu's electric light almost became a golden bolt of lightning in the hall, possessing both speed and power; ordinary Pokemon couldn't last two rounds.
Bulbasaur's Vine Whip and Razor Leaf also became increasingly tricky, often launching attacks from incredible angles.
After knowing that its master had high expectations for it, Butterfree also fought particularly hard, and the power of its Psychic seemed to increase slightly.
[Current Win Streak: 25/30]
[Current Win Streak: 28/30]
[Current Win Streak: 29/30]
When Roy commanded Bulbasaur to use a precise "Leech Seed" plus "Vine Whip" binding to exhaust the last opponent, a Growlithe's entire physical strength.
The entire Battle Hall went silent for a moment, and then an even louder clamor erupted.
"Thirty consecutive wins! He really got thirty consecutive wins!"
"A monster! How old does he look?"
"That Pikachu definitely has Gym-level potential; this kid might be able to become a Gym Leader in the future."
[Ding! Continuous Challenge Task completed!]
[Task rewards being distributed...]
[Three random Pokemon in the team have their levels increased by 2.]
[Pokemon: Pikachu, Level: lv40 → lv42]
[Pokemon: Bulbasaur, Level: lv32 → lv34]
[Pokemon: Butterfree, Level: lv26 → lv28]
Three beams of light that only Roy could see merged into the bodies of the three Pokemon respectively.
"The random selection was quite good; all three different level brackets were taken care of." Roy nodded in satisfaction.
With a thought, he took out two Basic Rare Candies from the system space.
"Butterfree, come here."
"Mui?" Butterfree flew closer obediently.
Roy fed it the two candies that emitted an alluring sweet fragrance.
For a future Elite-level main force, this bit of investment was definitely worth it.
Butterfree happily swallowed the candies, a soft white light glowing on its body, and its aura strengthened at a visible rate.
[Pokemon: Butterfree, Level: lv28 → lv30]
[Candy Balance: Basic Rare Candy *3, intermediate rare candy *3, high-grade rare candy *3]
Elite-level, very good." Roy patted Butterfree's head.
Next, he took out high-quality Pokéblocks and special berries to reward the Pokemon that had just gone through successive battles.
The scene of Roy carefully looking after his Pokemon revealed the warmth between a Trainer and his partners, attracting many gazes.
Among them were several gazes from the VIP viewing gallery on the second floor of the Battle Hall.
The second-floor location was relatively quiet with an excellent view, allowing one to take in the entire Battle Hall below.
On soft sofas sat several women dressed in luxurious clothes with elegant temperaments.
They held crystal red wine glasses in their hands, clearly enjoying a leisurely afternoon tea time.
"Look at that black-haired boy down there," a woman with permed wavy hair, wearing a wine-red off-the-shoulder long dress, took a sip of red wine and looked at Roy with great interest.
"He seems to have just completed thirty consecutive wins. That's quite rare on this ship, which is mainly for pleasure."
"Indeed," a woman in a blue dress wearing a pearl necklace, who looked more dignified, nodded.
"His Pokemon are very well-bred, and his commands are clean and efficient, not like a child who's just out for fun."
"More than just not ordinary!" a third woman spoke up; she was wearing a more daring black lace-trimmed low-cut outfit, her cleavage deep, her eyes flickering with the charm and a hint of hunger unique to mature women.
"He's also handsome, and his body looks quite sturdy... Tsk tsk, young people are just so full of vitality, it makes me feel a bit... itchy."
As she spoke, her legs unconsciously rubbed against each other lightly.
"Mieko, you're being a flirt again!" the wavy-haired woman teased, but her eyes couldn't help but linger on Roy as well.
"I'm serious," the black-dressed woman named Mieko licked the corner of her mouth. "Don't you think such a young and strong lad must be very powerful? His endurance must be good... maybe he could make one feel like they're in heaven."
"You're too much! How can you say such things!" The woman with the pearl necklace spat, her face turning a bit red.
"Hey, Lady Yasuyo," the wavy-haired woman suddenly nudged the most elegant and gentle-looking beautiful woman sitting in the middle, who had been listening with a smile: "What do you think of that boy down there? Is he a match for your genius daughter?"
The beautiful woman called Yasuyo looked to be in her thirties, with fair skin and soft eyes, wearing a delicate light purple kimono that subtly outlined her mature and plump figure, naturally possessing a dignified and noble aura.
Hearing this, she gently set down her wine glass and smiled, her voice warm: "You're talking nonsense again. My daughter has a more important future. Both the family and the academy have high expectations for her, how could she consider romance now?"
Her gaze also swept over Roy below, a flicker of imperceptible appreciation passing through, but her tone remained calm: "Even if I personally think this boy is good, she and the family wouldn't agree."
"Oh, what a pity." Mieko sighed exaggeratedly, then her eyes darted around as she looked at Yasuyo and teased: "Sister Yasuyo, if you like him, why don't you go for it yourself? Anyway, that husband of yours in name only hasn't been home for how many years? Aren't you... lonely?"
Lady Yasuyo's gentle smile froze slightly, a trace of very faint complexity flitting through the depths of her eyes, then she lightly tapped Mieko's hand with her fan and scolded: "You're getting more and more outrageous! I think you've had too much to drink and are talking crazy."
"How am I crazy?" Mieko was unconvinced, leaning closer and lowering her voice, but with an ambiguous smile: "Last time we were at the hot springs, who was it that secretly told me they'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be cherished by a man? Ten years? Or even longer? Hmm?"
"You...!" A shallow blush finally rose to Lady Yasuyo's cheeks, and she gave her a cross look.
"Stop fooling around! We're here for an important meeting, not to... to mess around."
She stood up, straightened the hem of her skirt which had no wrinkles, and regained her dignified appearance: "Alright, we've seen enough, let's go back to our suite. There's still a formal banquet to prepare for tonight."
The other noblewomen also laughed and stood up.
Before leaving, Mieko glanced back reluctantly toward Roy's direction below, licking her red lips and murmuring: "He really is an enticing piece of fresh meat... what a shame."
The several noblewomen, clearly of extraordinary status, walked away from the viewing gallery laughing and chatting, interspersed with many jokes unsuitable for children, heading toward the most top-tier suite area of the cruise ship.