After a night's rest, when Natsui met up with Erika in the cafeteria the next morning, he found that Kenta and Marina were already waiting there. Their plates were in front of them, but the food was already gone, with only a few crumbs remaining.
At this moment, the two were sitting there, making small talk, and it was unclear how long they had been there.
Looking down at the time, Natsui walked up to them and said in surprise, "It's not even seven yet, and you've already finished breakfast? You're up way too early!"
It wasn't that Natsui was a late sleeper, but trainers like them, who didn't have to go to work or school, generally didn't adhere to a strict early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule, unless they needed to get an early start on the road. Their daily routines were basically determined by their mood.
"It's all this guy's fault!" Seeing the two, Marina first let out a big yawn, then complained to them, "He said he was worried Raikou would sneak away, so he went to the sickroom to check on it before dawn. He ended up waking me up too. I'm so sleepy."
"Hmm?" Erika was puzzled. "Even so, he should have gone by himself, right? Why were you with him?"
Hearing this, Marina's face turned slightly red. "His footsteps were too loud, they woke me up."
Natsui and Erika exchanged a look.
That excuse was really flimsy...
It was important to remember that boys and girls were housed in different dormitories, with some distance between them. The dorms were also soundproof. Unless Kenta had specifically gone to wake her up, it would have been impossible for Marina to hear his footsteps unless she was already awake!
This girl isn't telling the truth...
Thinking about it, it made sense. As childhood friends, Marina could probably guess Kenta's thoughts very easily.
This time, she must have anticipated that Kenta would go to check on Raikou in secret, so she had gotten dressed and ready in advance, waiting for him!
And she claimed she was woken up... she was clearly just trying to create an opportunity for the two of them to be alone!
But although the two saw through her, they didn't expose Marina's little scheme.
After all, the budding stage of love is a beautiful thing. Let these two savor it!
Ignoring the two of them, Natsui and Erika each went to get some of their favorite food.
The breakfast at the Pokémon Center was served buffet-style, like in a hotel, where you could take whatever you wanted. It was very convenient.
At this time, there weren't many people in the cafeteria. Compared to the hustle and bustle of yesterday, it was visibly less crowded. There were two reasons for this: one was that many people hadn't gotten up yet, and the other was that some had already left last night.
After all, as Pokémon trainers, they were also very busy. Since they couldn't see Raikou, most of them had given up and didn't want to waste any more time. They had continued on their journey to start their own adventures!
After Natsui and Erika finished their breakfast, they naturally went to check on Raikou's condition as well. And although Kenta had already seen it once, he still followed behind them and headed towards the treatment area again.
Seeing Kenta so tirelessly devoted, Marina sighed helplessly.
Didn't we already see it once? What's there to see again!?
Just how much does this guy care about Raikou!
Marina complained inwardly about Kenta's actions, but she had no choice but to follow along.
The four of them entered the hallway, and before they even reached Raikou's room, a man burst in behind them in a flurry!
Hearing the hurried footsteps, Natsui's group turned around and saw a man in his late twenties, wearing a purple casual suit, white gloves, a white cape on his back tied with a red ribbon, and his golden hair combed back, with a single lock of his bangs sticking up in the air.
A very flashy outfit, was Natsui's assessment and first impression of this man.
Even as he passed by Natsui, he could smell a hint of men's cologne!
"Where's Raikou!? Where's Raikou!?"
The man shouted as he strode over to the window of the sickbed, his hands pressed against the glass as he peered inside.
When he saw the sleeping Raikou inside, he first let out a gasp of amazement, then exclaimed excitedly, "It really is Raikou! No doubt about it! It's magnificent! This is the Legendary Pokémon that is on par with Suicune! I can't believe I'm lucky enough to see you here!"
Perhaps his shadow was too large, as the Raikou in the room twitched its tail, but fortunately, it didn't wake up immediately.
Seeing him like this, Kenta couldn't help but shout, "Hey! Who are you!?"
Only then did the man turn his gaze to Natsui's group. And when she saw the man's face, Marina, who was at the very back, suddenly became infatuated.
"He's so handsome!"
She exclaimed, and then in a flash, she ran up to the man and just stared at him, a faint blush on her face!
But...
This man is handsome?
Natsui first gave Marina a strange look, then took another careful look at the man.
In terms of looks, this man was only slightly better looking than the average person, but he was definitely not what you would call handsome!
Seeing Marina's behavior, and Natsui's bewildered expression, Kenta's face darkened, and he whispered, "Ah... I remember now. Ever since she was a kid, Marina has had no resistance to handsome guys in capes!"
No resistance to handsome guys in capes?
Natsui frowned.
So that was it. He never thought that Marina, at such a young age, would have such a strange preference...
And this preference was really, really strange. After all, normal people usually liked to look at faces, legs, or chests. This was the first time Natsui had ever heard of someone who liked to see people wearing capes!
All he could say was, he really didn't understand how Marina's mind worked!
Perhaps Marina was being too forward, as the man cautiously took a step back. And in doing so, he happened to see Erika at the side and said in surprise, "Eh? You're Miss Erika, right? What are you doing here?"
Natsui's gaze shifted between the man and Erika.
"You two know each other?"
Erika looked closely at the man's face but eventually shook her head.
"I'm sorry, have we met before?"
The man smiled. "My hometown is in Celadon City. I once challenged the Celadon Gym a few years ago but was defeated by you, so it's normal that you don't remember me. Ah, I should introduce myself first. My name is Eusine, and I'm a Pokémon researcher, of sorts."
Eusine?
So it's him!
Hearing that this man was a researcher, Kenta suppressed his annoyance and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Eusine, what do you research?"
Eusine grinned. "I'm an expert on Ho-Oh's Royal Guard. For many years, I've been tracking Suicune!"
Tracking Suicune?
Natsui and Erika exchanged a look, and then subconsciously touched the Ultra Ball at their waists.
If they told this guy that they had a Suicune in their possession right now, his pride would surely take a huge blow, right?
After all, he had been searching so hard for so long, while they had not only encountered it but also captured it with ease. No matter how you looked at it, it was quite a blow.
But Natsui just thought about it. After all, this Eusine was obsessed with Suicune and was also an arrogant and conceited person. Natsui had no desire to deal with such a guy.