With the sky not yet completely dark, they found the only inn in the village and got two rooms.
In fact, because the area was so sparsely populated, Natsui didn't have to worry about the inn being full. After all, besides them, there were no other tourists on the entire island!
However, for a rural inn like this, the accommodations were naturally not ideal. Especially when night fell, and a slight breeze blew into the room from the open window, you could smell the scent of Tauros manure!
Perhaps for the people who lived here, after getting used to it, the smell was nothing. But as the wind came and went, the smell would appear and disappear, making both Natsui and Sabrina quite uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the room itself was clean and tidy, and compared to camping in the wild, staying in a warm room was obviously much more comfortable.
After moving Sabrina to another room that was more sheltered from the wind, Natsui also tightly shut his windows and door. Although it was a bit hotter, it at least blocked out most of the smell.
At night, though it was only seven or eight o'clock, the surroundings were already silent. It was pitch black outside, with not even a few lights to be seen.
Used to the fast-paced life of the city, Natsui lay in bed, completely unable to fall asleep.
He tossed and turned for over an hour before finally drifting off into a hazy dream. But perhaps because the bed was too hard, when he woke up the next morning, he didn't feel refreshed at all. Instead, his whole body was sore and extremely tired.
Sigh, the scenery may be nice, but I really don't want to come back to this place a second time!
After washing up, the two of them went down to the inn's main hall and had a hearty breakfast.
As they were preparing to check out, the stout, weathered landlady looked them up and down a few times and couldn't help but smile. "Did you two sleep well last night? Looking at you, you must be here to challenge Danny, right?"
"It was alright, except for the fact that your Tauros seemed to have an upset stomach last night. Everything else was acceptable," Natsui said with a wry smile. He then rubbed his nose and asked, "The Danny you're talking about, is he the Gym Leader of the Navel Gym?"
"That's right!" the landlady nodded, a hint of pride in her voice. "He's the Eastern Star of our Orange League, and he's very strong. He's defeated many challengers before, so you'd better not underestimate him!"
"Thanks for the tip," Natsui said confidently as he slowly gathered the bowls on the table. "I'm pretty strong myself. Just a few days ago, I even defeated the Western Star of the Tangelo Gym!"
"Oh?" The landlady raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You've already defeated Miss Cissy? Then you must have some skill."
Beside him, compared to Natsui, Sabrina appeared more cautious.
"How did you know we were going to challenge the Gym?"
"What's so hard to guess about that?" the landlady said cheerfully. "Our Navel Island is just an ordinary agricultural island. Not only is it sparsely populated, but we don't have any local specialties either. So, throughout the year, we hardly get any outsiders. For unfamiliar faces like you, I can tell without even asking that you must be here to challenge Danny."
"I see," Natsui smiled. "Then may I ask if you know where Danny's Gym is?"
The landlady pointed to the volcano outside the window.
"His Gym is at the very summit of Mt. Navel. But Danny doesn't really like to stay in the Gym much. Before you go there, I think you could first check the seaside or the foot of the volcano to see if you can find him."
...
Leaving the inn, Natsui and Sabrina followed a narrow, winding path, walking towards Mt. Navel.
However, they were only halfway there when, passing by a stretch of beach, they suddenly heard music with a strong tropical island vibe coming from the sea.
Curious, they turned to look and saw a man on a small sailboat, riding the waves!
And the music was coming from an old-fashioned stereo at his feet!
Sabrina merely glanced at him before continuing on her way, but Natsui stood in place, watching for a few more moments.
The man looked to be in his late twenties, with a healthy tan. Judging by his attire—a red shirt with a Geodude print and board shorts—he was clearly not a sullen person.
And according to the landlady's description, the Navel Gym Leader, Danny, loved outdoor sports and was very skilled at both surfing and rock climbing. Since there were no other outsiders on this island and the young people had all left for the big cities, after thinking it over, this man had to be Danny.
But it had to be said, to be able to go out sailing and listen to music first thing in the morning, Danny's job as a Gym Leader was quite carefree!
If I ever stop traveling, I hope I can live as freely and unrestrainedly as him!
Shaking off his thoughts, although he knew the man's identity, Natsui didn't disturb him. He pretended not to know, quickened his pace to catch up with Sabrina, and continued towards the Gym.
In the distance, Danny had naturally noticed the two of them. Seeing them heading towards his Gym, he pulled on the sail's rope and steered towards them.
"Hey, you two up ahead, please wait a minute!"
The sailboat rushed onto the beach, and Danny, with a stylish leap, jumped down in front of them.
"Are you here to challenge the Navel Gym?"
"Yes."
Seeing Natsui nod, Danny grinned, revealing a set of sparkling white teeth.
"I knew it. Hello, my name is Danny. It's a pleasure to meet you."
With that, he even extended his hand and gave them an exaggerated salute!
So I was right, this person really is Danny!
But... approaching people like this, and with such an overly-familiar tone, this is peak social skills right here!
Although he thought this inwardly, Natsui's face remained impassive. "Hello, my name is Natsui. Can I help you with something?"
"It's like this..." Danny smiled. "I just saw that you two seem to be from off-island, so you probably don't know the way to the Gym. As it happens, I have some business to attend to on Mt. Navel, so I thought I could take you both there!"
It sounded like Danny was a kind and enthusiastic person, but seeing that he still hadn't revealed his identity as the Gym Leader, Natsui suspected he had another motive.
Just then, Danny turned to look at Sabrina.
"By the way, beautiful lady, may I know your name?"
However, a long time after he had spoken, he received no response.
Looking closely, Sabrina was staring at him with a pair of completely emotionless eyes.
The feeling was as if he were a rock on the side of the road, or a clump of weeds, not even worthy of her attention.
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