With Torchic's evolution into Combusken, Natsui finally filled the Fighting-type gap in his team.
Now, at least, he was eligible to participate in fighting tournaments, instead of just watching from the stands as he had before.
Of course, Combusken wasn't a pure Fighting-type. In tournaments with strict rules, its abilities would be limited compared to a pure Fighting-type Pokémon.
But who cared? He finally had a Fighting-type!
Forrest and Forrester walked over to Natsui, their expressions glum. They were clearly upset about losing the Double Battle.
It was understandable. Psyduck was in such rough shape; they just needed a little more effort to beat it. Natsui's side won entirely thanks to Torchic's type advantage. If he'd used any other Pokémon, Forrest and Forrester were confident they would have won.
But what these rookie trainers didn't realize was that there are no 'what ifs' in this world. If Misty had switched Psyduck for any other Pokémon, they probably would have lost even faster.
The older brother, Forrest, sighed and said, "We lost. Your Torchic is really strong. Congratulations on its evolution."
But Forrester said, "I'm not satisfied with that loss. How about a rematch?"
Natsui checked the time and shook his head.
"Sorry, we've already been delayed too long and can't stay." Seeing Forrester about to protest, Natsui added, "Since you're trainers, your goal must be the Ever Grande Conference, right? If you want a rematch, let's have a proper battle there."
"The Ever Grande Conference?"
The brothers looked at each other. Since Natsui had put it that way, Forrester, though disappointed, couldn't force the issue. He could only watch as Natsui and Misty recalled their Pokémon.
"Well, since the battle is over, we should be going."
After saying goodbye, Natsui and Misty set off again, heading deeper into the forest.
This time, they didn't encounter any more rookie trainers or Pokémon. They crossed the forest smoothly and finally arrived at another town by dusk.
According to the map, this town was called Verdanturf Town, located at the foot of the mountains. From here, it wasn't far north to Mt. Chimney, and at the base of Mt. Chimney was Lavaridge Town, home of the Lavaridge Gym.
After traveling for so long, they had finally reached a town and naturally needed to rest properly.
Walking into Verdanturf Town, they could feel it was surrounded by nature. They looked around and saw that the town was built in a valley. The scenery was pleasant, and the air was fresh.
Misty sniffed the air and said, "It smells so fresh. Strange, isn't this close to the volcano? Shouldn't it be covered in ash? How is the air so clean? I don't even see any dust."
Natsui looked into the distance, where he could faintly see the silhouette of Mt. Chimney. Just as Misty said, he felt no discomfort at all. But Mt. Chimney was a dormant volcano, and although it hadn't erupted in a long time, it still released ash. Verdanturf Town was so close; it should have been affected.
He held out his hand and felt the air.
After a moment, he understood and said with a smile, "It's because of the wind. See, there's a constant, warm breeze. This wind blows the volcanic ash away from here."
Hearing this, Misty also felt the wind with her hand and found Natsui was right. A gentle breeze was blowing, strong enough to push impurities away and spare the town from the ash.
As they entered the town, they noticed the pace of life was incredibly slow. People were sitting together, chatting and drinking tea. Most of them were energetic elderly people; young people were rarely seen.
They first went to the shop to restock on food and supplies, then headed straight to the Pokémon Center to check in.
Verdanturf Town wasn't large, and there weren't many buildings. They reached the town center and easily spotted the Pokémon Center nearby.
As they entered the lobby through the automatic doors, they nearly collided with a girl who was walking out.
The girl was about seventeen or eighteen, with delicate, pretty features, and silver-gray hair cut to her ears. She wore a large headband, a black and white tight-fitting sports uniform, and had tan skin and toned muscles, radiating an aura of power and health.
The midsection of her uniform was a sheer black material, so thin that her navel was faintly visible.
Since Natsui and Misty had just entered, they were blocking her path. Realizing she was leaving, they politely stepped aside.
The girl paused, then gave them a slight nod of acknowledgment and walked out.
Misty had clearly never seen this type of woman before. She turned her head, watching the girl until she disappeared.
She turned back to Natsui and said with some excitement, "She looks so cool!"
Natsui nodded.
The girl did indeed look cool and capable.
And with just one glance, he had recognized her.
This girl was the Gym Leader of the Stow-on-Side Stadium in the Galar region, the Fighting-type expert—Bea!
She was no simple trainer; she was known as a prodigy of Galar Karate.
But why was she here?
Natsui thought for a moment and came to a conclusion.
In the anime, Bea often used her spare time to travel the world, honing her skills and her Pokémon's, challenging famous fighting-type masters. Kanto and other regions were her destinations.
Thinking of it that way, her appearance here wasn't so strange.
Nearby, Misty, having spoken, saw Natsui still staring at the girl's retreating figure. She immediately felt a pang of jealousy.
"She's already gone. What are you still looking at?" she asked.
Natsui, sensing her displeasure, turned back and tapped her on the head. "What are you thinking?" he said. "I just saw she was carrying a backpack and was clearly heading out. I was just wondering where she could be going so late, since it's not convenient to travel."
This was just a small interlude. They went to the counter, checked in with Nurse Joy, and soon forgot about it.
From Nurse Joy, they learned that a Pokémon Contest would be held here in about ten days, and their attention shifted to that.
"A Pokémon Contest?" Misty asked, puzzled. "What kind of competition is that?"
Nurse Joy looked at the girl from another region and said with a smile, "Unlike regular battle tournaments, this is a different kind of competition that showcases a Pokémon's charm. After the contestants and their Pokémon perform, several judges give scores, and a winner is decided."
"That sounds interesting," Misty said, her eyes brightening. But before her smile could fully form, she sighed in disappointment. "Aww, it's not for another ten days? That's too bad. We have to leave tomorrow."
"Don't worry about it," Natsui said when he saw her disappointment. "If we have time, we can come back when the Contest starts. Besides, our journey is just beginning. Even if we miss this one, there will be other chances to see one."
Hearing Natsui's words, Misty figured he was right, and her mood brightened. Then, thinking about how he said 'our journey is just beginning,' she felt a secret thrill.
That's right. My journey with Natsui has just begun. Why rush things?
...
After resting at the Pokémon Center, they ate breakfast the next morning, left Verdanturf Town, and headed for the nearby Mt. Chimney.
The night's rest had completely banished their fatigue, and they were full of energy again.
Mt. Chimney, a 1,500-meter-high volcano, was located in north-central Hoenn. They had barely reached the mountain's base, not even starting the ascent, when they felt the air grow warmer.
Sweat beaded on their skin, soaking their clothes and dripping to the ground.
Walking this mountain path was far more tiring than other routes. But since their destination was different this time, they didn't climb the mountain. Instead, after traveling for most of the day, they arrived at Lavaridge Town at the foot of the mountain.
Despite being close to Verdanturf Town, the climates of the two towns were worlds apart.
One was refreshing, the other hot, like two different worlds.
If Verdanturf Town was a retirement paradise, Lavaridge Town was a hot spring sanctuary. Thanks to the geothermal heat, there were hundreds of hot springs of various sizes, also making it very suitable for the elderly.
It was worth noting that the travel guide mentioned the hot springs were separated into men's and women's baths, but also had mixed bathing. This made Misty's heart race, reminding her of the hot spring memory she shared with Natsui on Cinnabar Island in Kanto.
I wonder if I'll get the chance to bathe with Natsui again here?
At the embarrassing thought, her face turned even redder. Fortunately, the temperature here was high, and they were both hot, so Natsui wouldn't notice.
After entering the town, they headed straight for the Lavaridge Gym.
Although Verdanturf was just a small town, Lavaridge, despite being called a town, felt more like a small city.
Tall buildings and classical architecture stood side-by-side, two different styles that somehow didn't clash. Located at the foot of the mountain, the terrain was varied. Hot spring water flowed under bridges, releasing wisps of steam, creating a very layered look.
As far as the eye could see, there were men and women in yukata, laughing, some admiring the scenery, but most stopping at various stalls, haggling with vendors.
Some people were even lying in the hot sand by the river, enjoying the warmth. A few minutes of that would surely wipe away all fatigue.
Along the way, everything was related to the hot springs. Misty was dazzled and bought a hot spring egg to snack on.
When they finally reached the Lavaridge Gym, they were taken aback by its scale.
The gym was located at the base of Mt. Chimney. Behind a tall wall was a four- or five-story building with white walls and a red-tiled roof. It didn't look like a gym at all. An uninformed person might mistake it for a hot spring resort.
As they entered the courtyard, before they even reached the main door, they saw a red-haired beauty training with two Slugma.
The Slugma were spitting flames at her, and the red-haired beauty was using herself as a target, constantly dodging.
Natsui had seen trainers and Pokémon train together, but this was the first time he'd seen someone have their Pokémon attack them as the target.
Hearing their footsteps, the red-haired beauty turned. Just then, a gout of flame hit her, instantly setting her clothes on fire.
The woman yelled, startled, and ran around frantically.
Misty stared, dumbfounded. She had assumed the woman possessed some great skill to act as a target, but it turned out she was just an ordinary person.
Snapping out of it, she quickly released her Starmie.
"Starmie, use Water Gun!"
Starmie sprayed water on the woman, successfully extinguishing the flames.
"Ah... finally, saved..." The red-haired woman said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Without even checking her injuries, she hurried over to Natsui and Misty. "Thank you so much! Thank you for stepping in. By the way, who are you? What can I do for you?"
Her rapid-fire questions made Natsui feel her fiery energy, even from a meter away.
He took a step back to create some distance and then said, "Hello, I'm here to challenge the Lavaridge Gym."
Before he could finish, the red-haired woman jumped in the air excitedly.
"That's great!" she said cheerfully. "I've been waiting so long, and finally, a challenger has come! Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! As you can see, I'm the leader of this gym—Flannery!"
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Note: I haven't been able to upload chapters because I didn't have internet.
The Bleach story is now complete. We'll still be uploading two new Bleach stories.
Also, The Black Dragon of the Katsuragi Family now has 160 chapters.
Pokemon now has 710 chapters
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