"He won! Brother Ariel won!"
The silence was broken by a sharp cheer. Shauna, like a happy little bird, screamed as she rushed down from the audience seats, opening her arms to pounce on Ariel.
A hand accurately blocked her path.
"Mind your image."
Brawly retracted his gaze and looked at his younger sister expressionlessly.
"You are the Gym Leader's sister."
Shauna's smile froze on her face. Looking at her gloomy brother, she reluctantly stopped, only able to gaze at Ariel from afar with starry eyes.
Brawly took out a Poké Ball, and a red light recalled the fallen Hariyama.
He walked silently to Ariel, his tall figure casting a shadow.
He took a deep look at Ariel with a complex expression—there was frustration and unwillingness, but even more so, a recognition of the strong.
"Ariel, you are even more unfathomable than I imagined."
Brawly's voice was somewhat raspy.
"That Malamar... it's practically the nemesis of the Fighting-type. Your control over the battle is like the sea outside Dewford Town—seemingly calm, but actually unpredictable with surging undercurrents."
He took a badge from his pocket and solemnly handed it to Ariel.
It was a badge shaped like a fist, its bronze-colored metal reflecting a steady luster under the lights.
The Knuckle Badge.
This was the second proof Ariel had earned through his strength in the Hoenn region.
Ariel reached out to take it; the badge felt slightly heavy and cool in his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced behind him, where Malamar was floating quietly as if the intense battle just now had nothing to do with it.
He thought to himself.
In the battle just now, if he hadn't wanted to hide his trump cards, he could have had Malamar use Teleport to get behind Hariyama the moment it used Belly Drum; the battle would have ended much faster and more easily.
But that card had to be saved for the most critical moment.
If news of a Malamar that could use Teleport got out, there would likely be countless people wanting to get their hands on it.
Before he possessed enough strength, such an inconceivable ability would only attract endless greed and trouble.
Keeping a low profile while making a fortune was the way to go.
Ariel put away the badge, looked up at Brawly, and smiled slightly. "Thank you for the guidance."
Brawly looked at him and suddenly smiled as well, though there was a hint of bitterness in it. "Next time, I won't lose again."
"I'll be waiting," Ariel nodded.
---On the beach of Dewford Town, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky a magnificent orange-red.
Golden light spilled over the sea surface, shattering into billions of shimmering scales with the rise and fall of the waves.
The sea breeze, carrying a slightly salty moisture, brushed lightly across the beach and curled his pant legs, bringing a hint of coolness.
Ariel was barefoot, feeling the delicate sensation of sand grains flowing between his toes.
Not far away, his Pokémon were enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
Having just finished the battle with Gym Leader Brawly, a hearty victory had left him in an exceptionally good mood.
Brawly was a pure martial artist; whether it was the man or his Pokémon, they were filled with passion and respect for battle.
"Whew..."
Ariel let out a long breath, gazing at the boundless sea and thinking about the road ahead.
Just then, a rapid electronic alert broke the silence of the seaside.
"Beep beep beep—"
Ariel pulled his pokédex from his pocket, and a familiar name was flashing on the screen—Steven.
He answered it casually, and Steven's impeccably handsome face appeared on the screen. The background seemed to be a brightly lit laboratory.
"Ariel, send me your location."
Steven got straight to the point, his tone crisp and decisive.
Ariel paused for a moment and instinctively asked,
"Is the press conference about to start?"
"That's right! Devon Corporation's Fossil Press Conference starts tomorrow morning."
Steven said as if it were a matter of course,
"You are my most important guest; you must be there."
"What is your current location?"
Hearing this, Ariel replied.
"Dewford Town, it's quite a distance from Rustboro City."
On the other end of the screen, Steven let out a light chuckle, a hint of understanding flashing in his deep blue eyes.
"Small problem."
He said nonchalantly,
"No need for a boat. I've sent a private jet for you."
"Private jet?"
Ariel blinked. Before he could ask for details, Steven hurriedly said, "I have things to do here, see you tomorrow," and then hung up the communication.
Looking at the darkened screen, Ariel didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The hoenn champion's style of doing things was as vigorous and resolute as ever, and... incredibly extravagant.
"A private jet, huh..."
Ariel murmured to himself, looking up at the sky dyed red by the evening glow, a hint of anticipation rising in his heart.
He was quite curious about what this "private jet" Steven mentioned would actually be.
Time passed minute by minute, and about ten minutes later.
Just as Ariel thought Steven was joking, a sharp sound of breaking air suddenly came from the horizon!
The sound was distant at first, like a hum, but in an instant, it went from far to near, turning into a whistle that tore through the air, as if something was approaching at supersonic speed!
"What's that sound?"
Not far away, Brawly, who was guiding Meditite in Calm Mind, also snapped his eyes open and looked up at the sky with a solemn expression.
The next second, a silver flash pierced through the clouds, drawing a breathtaking trajectory under the blood-colored sunset, diving rapidly toward the beach!
As the silver dot enlarged at extreme speed, a terrifying air pressure bore down!
Whoosh—!
A gale suddenly rose!
The peaceful beach instantly boiled as countless grains of sand were swept high into the air, forming a sand wall several meters high that smashed down head-on.
Brawly's expression changed, and he instantly shielded Meditite behind him, crossing his arms in front of his face, squinting his eyes as he tried his best to see the descending behemoth.
In the center of the wind pressure, Ariel stood steadily, his clothes fluttering loudly.
He merely raised his hand to block the blowing sand, his eyes fixed intently on the silver figure descending from the sky.
Boom!
With a dull, heavy thud, the figure landed steadily on the beach, its feet sinking half a foot into the sand and kicking up a circular wave of sand.
The gale gradually subsided.
When Brawly lowered his arms and saw the scene before him, the battle-hardened Gym Leader's pupils shrank suddenly, and his breath hitched.
It was a Skarmory.
But its size was far larger and more robust than any recorded in the pokédex data.
Its steel-forged body reflected a cold and grim light under the setting sun; every feather was like the sharpest blade, its edges shimmering with a heart-stopping cold glint.
What shocked Brawly the most were its eyes, as sharp as a falcon's.
There was no docility or wildness of an ordinary Pokémon in those eyes, only a pure, condensed steel will that seemed almost tangible, along with the murderous aura of a veteran of many battles.
Just by standing there, the invisible aura it emitted made Brawly feel as though his own breathing had become heavy.
"This... this aura..."
A storm surged in Brawly's heart.
"The strength of this Skarmory has probably already far surpassed most Gym Leaders in the Hoenn region!"
He didn't dare think further.
He turned his head and looked at Ariel with an unprecedentedly complex gaze, his voice somewhat dry.
"Ariel... that friend you mentioned, I'm afraid they have quite a background."
Ariel looked at the majestic "private jet" before him, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
He knew it.
How could something Steven called a "private jet" be ordinary?
He smiled at the shocked Brawly, essentially confirming his guess, and then stepped toward the giant Skarmory.
Skarmory's cold gaze landed on Ariel. After looking him up and down, it slightly lowered its head and let out a clear, high-pitched cry, as if greeting him.
"Thanks for the hard work, buddy." Ariel reached out and patted its cold, hard metal neck; the touch was like the highest-grade alloy.
He turned around and waved to Brawly.
"Gym Leader Brawly, thanks for the hospitality these past few days. I'll be going now!"
With that, he exerted force with his feet, leaped up, and landed agilely on Skarmory's broad, solid back.
"Reee—!"
Skarmory let out a long cry that pierced the clouds and shook its wings violently!
Boom!
A powerful airflow erupted again, blowing a huge depression into the beach.
In the next moment, its massive body was like a cannonball leaving the barrel, instantly rising from the ground and soaring straight into the sky!
...
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