Sunshine! Beach! Ocean! What beautiful things!
Beneath a beach umbrella, Kael sat bare-chested, his well-defined upper body exposed. The six-pack abs that had once resembled sculpted chocolate were now tanned into a sexy bronze after several days of vacation under the sun.
Lulu floated behind him, her small white hands pressed gently against his temples, her expression serious as she carefully massaged his head.
"Phew…"
Kael let out a contented sigh. The little girl's massage skills were getting better and better.
"Lulu, thirsty? Want some juice?" Kael asked with a grin.
Still massaging, Lulu rolled her eyes. With a small wave of her hand, the juice in the cup on the table began to boil lightly, then rose up like a tiny water dragon from the glass.
Opening her mouth, she let the ribbon of juice flow neatly inside.
Beep! Beep!
The computer on the table suddenly flashed with an incoming video call.
Kael lazily clicked to accept. The next second, Cole's exaggerated voice burst through.
"Boss—I'm really calling you boss now!" Cole wore a long-suffering expression. "It's been five days! When exactly are you setting out? If you don't come soon, I'm really going to end up sweeping streets!"
It had been five days since their last call at the Pokémon Center. During these five days, Cole had practically called once a day to urge him on.
Kael removed his black sunglasses and stretched lazily. "I booked a ten-day stay at a 6-star hotel. I've only stayed seven days. If I leave now, they won't refund the remaining three days…"
"How much? I'll pay you."
"58,888 a day. Three days is 176,664. I'll give you a discount—just 150,000."
Cole's confident expression instantly froze. Pitifully, he said, "Boss, don't mess with me. I'm only earning 500 a day now. And I've already contacted Nurse Joy in Celadon City—Chansey's breeding certification is ready. If you don't come soon, I'll give the certificate to someone else."
Kael lifted an eyebrow slightly. "Threatening me?"
"How would I dare? You're my lifeline!" Cole clasped his hands together. "Please, Kael. I'm not joking this time. I really can't find anyone. If the reservoir isn't finished on time, I'm done for."
"Give me one day." Kael stood up from the beach chair and rolled his neck. "I should reach Celadon City around 10 tomorrow morning."
"Great!" Cole beamed instantly. "Call me when you arrive—I'll arrange a welcome banquet for you."
...
On the beach stood a pull-up bar constructed from steel pipes three meters long and six meters high, each pipe as thick as an adult's arm.
Rhydon stood beneath it, one hand clasped behind its back, the other gripping the bar as it performed extremely difficult one-arm pull-ups. The big guy weighed over 1.2 tons, but his raw muscle strength was astonishing. From initial awkwardness to now—after two days of grueling training—he could perform the exercise with surprising variety.
After completing twenty reps with his right arm, he immediately switched to the left.
However, the left arm had to do five extra repetitions per set. As a naturally upright Pokémon, Rhydon, like humans, relied more on its right side in daily movement.
To ensure both arms remained balanced in size and strength—and that neither would lag too far behind—the left side's workload had to be increased by a quarter.
After finishing two sets of one-arm pull-ups, Rhydon jogged over to the large sandbag. With a heavy punch, he sent it soaring high. As it swung back toward him, he immediately began the boxer's signature tight footwork.
Whoosh!
The three-meter-tall sandbag came crashing back. Rhydon combined small steps with a shoulder shift, slipping within a narrow range and successfully dodging the impact.
At the same time, his massive tail lashed backward, striking the sandbag behind him and sending it flying as well. Without even turning to look—relying purely on sound and instinct—he shifted left with quick footwork and dodged the returning blow once more.
Straight punches thundered. The giant tail cracked through the air.
For a moment, the two towering sandbags flew back and forth like oversized roly-poly toys.
Standing between them, Rhydon seemed almost addicted to the rhythm. Though he was still occasionally struck, compared to five days ago, his improvement was enormous.
Rhydon wasn't stupid—his past life had simply limited what he'd seen. The beginning had been awkward, but under Kael's patient guidance, he had quickly grasped the fundamentals of boxing. What remained now was long-term refinement.
"Nice work, kid," Kael called out, giving a thumbs-up to the slightly panting Rhydon.
"Roar!"
Encouraged, Rhydon happily raised a finger in imitation. Unfortunately, with only three fingers, he lifted the middle one—making it look suspiciously like an obscene gesture, which left Kael unable to hold back his laughter.
...
Porta Vista was an island city. To leave, one had to board a passenger ferry.
Kael's beloved Godbird off-road motorcycle had sunk along with the S.S. Anne during the disaster. It had been stored in the lower cargo hold—who could have predicted the luxury cruise ship would suddenly go down?
The Godbird series was a major brand under Silph Co.'s heavy industries division, currently one of the best-selling motorcycle lines across Kanto and Johto.
During these 7 days in Porta Vista, Kael had spent nearly 1.5 million pokédollars—purchasing high-quality berries, medicinal herbs, training equipment, and replenishing top-tier wilderness survival gear. He was thoroughly prepared.
Outside the Ocean Grand Hotel, parked near the fountain plaza, stood a motorcycle as dark and lustrous as obsidian. Its flawless aerodynamic body attracted many passing tourists. Sharp-eyed enthusiasts immediately recognized its origin.
The iconic eagle-head emblem.
Silph Heavy Industries' newly released Godbird V series—market price: 400,000 Pokédollars.
Kael walked over calmly. Under the astonished gazes of onlookers, he picked up the black helmet resting on the seat, swung his leg over the Godbird V, secured the helmet, inserted the key, and twisted the throttle.
Vroooom—
An engine roar burst forth—the kind that could make any man's blood surge.
With a thunderous launch, the Godbird V shot forward like an untamed stallion, racing at high speed toward the main harbor…