"Alright, I understand."
Nozomi nodded, not rejecting Lance's request.
At a time like this, when the peace of the entire Kanto region was at stake, it was only right for him—as one of its members—to lend his strength.
Besides, the Rocket Gang that had once threatened Kanto had been driven out by him personally.
Now that Pokémon Hunters were invading the region, it felt to Nozomi as though someone else was trying to steal the crops he had painstakingly planted. The thought alone was intolerable.
So, whether by reason or emotion, Nozomi had to take action.
"Do we know when those Pokémon Hunters from Unova will arrive?" he asked.
He needed that information to make his plan.
Unlike the Rocket Gang, who had sprawling bases across the region, the Hunters couldn't be dealt with by simple attrition. Against the Rockets, he could just crush one base after another until their losses forced them to retreat.
But the Hunters were different. Against them, it had to be a decisive battle—one that hit them so hard they'd never dare set their sights on Kanto again.
"According to our intel, the Unova Hunters should arrive in about a week. You'd better come to the Indigo Plateau two days early to discuss tactics with the Gym Leaders," Lance said.
"That won't be necessary," Nozomi replied calmly. "I can handle this on my own."
They were merely Pokémon Hunters. Why would he need an army?
Even if the Plasma Team was behind them, Nozomi doubted they'd send their entire force to Kanto. As long as they didn't mobilize everything, he and his Mewtwo—and Mega Metagross—would be more than enough to wipe them out.
Nozomi's confidence was absolute.
Lance's, however, was not. "No. This isn't a small matter. We follow the plan."
He dared not let Nozomi face a group of Hunters—especially ones said to be the Plasma Team's elite—alone. If something went wrong, the consequences would be disastrous.
It was safer to have the Gym Leaders assist from the sidelines.
"Fine."
Nozomi didn't argue.
He had only suggested going alone because he worried other fronts might be short-handed. Since having more people didn't hinder him, he decided to let Lance handle the arrangements.
"Then I'll see you in five days."
"Five days. Indigo Plateau."
They exchanged a few more words before hanging up.
Nozomi sighed. "So much for earning the final badge reward. What a shame."
He turned toward Nurse Joy, collected his fully recovered Pokémon, and started walking toward Professor Oak's laboratory in Pallet Town.
Since his journey as a Pokémon Trainer had begun under Professor Oak's guidance, it was only polite to return and pay his respects now that his badge collection was nearly complete.
Pallet Town
Just like before, the quiet little town remained as peaceful as ever. It was as if time itself had forgotten how to leave its mark here.
"Even calmer than Viridian City," Nozomi murmured. "That's both a blessing and a curse."
The good part was obvious—Pallet Town was a wonderful place to live and grow old. Nozomi was convinced anyone who stayed here would live at least ten years longer.
But its very tranquility was also its flaw.
In a place this serene, it was easy for the young to lose their drive.
Which made Ash and Gary all the more remarkable.
How had this little town produced those two of all people?
Perhaps it was because they constantly pushed each other to grow stronger.
That thought amused Nozomi as he walked. Before long, he found himself standing before the familiar wooden gate of the Oak Research Laboratory.
He pushed the door open.
As always, Professor Oak was eating instant noodles.
"…" Nozomi sighed. "Professor, can't you try eating something else for once?"
Whenever they spoke during lunch or dinner, there was at least a seventy percent chance the professor was eating instant noodles—and the remaining thirty percent, it was a ready-to-heat hotpot.
"Ahem." Oak coughed awkwardly, swallowing his last bite before hastily changing the subject. "So, Nozomi, what brings you back?"
Nozomi shook his head helplessly. Even in the original timeline, Ash had traveled all the way from Kanto to Alola, yet Professor Oak's instant noodle habit had never changed.
It seemed the man had an emotional attachment to them.
"I've almost finished collecting badges, so I decided to return for a visit," Nozomi explained.
"Oh? You've already completed your badge collection?"
Oak blinked, surprised. By the usual pace, most Trainers at this point should've only earned five badges at best.
Nozomi was far ahead.
"Not quite," he replied. "I have seven badges now. I was going to challenge the Viridian Gym, but the Gym Leader was called to the Indigo Plateau, so I'll have to wait a bit longer for the last one."
Oak frowned slightly. "Is this about… that incident?"
As one of the world's foremost scholars, Professor Oak naturally had access to inside information.
"That's right," Nozomi nodded. "But I've already spoken with Lance. He'll hand me the badge personally in a few days."
"That makes sense. With your strength, you hardly need to battle for it anymore."
Oak chuckled knowingly. Having seen the reports, he already understood how strong Nozomi had become.
If he could defeat Giovanni himself, there was no way a mere Gym battle would trouble him. In fact, if someone dared claim otherwise, Giovanni would probably be the first to object.
"So, what brings you back this time?" Oak asked again.
"Mainly to leave some Pokémon here. I've been carrying too many."
Ever since disabling his Pokédex's automatic transfer function, every Pokémon Nozomi had caught on his journey had stayed with him.
But managing so many had become exhausting.
Feeding them all alone took hours each day.
Besides, in battle, he rarely used more than a handful of them anyway.
"Oh? You're finally ready to leave some Pokémon with me?"