The heavy rain only lasted for a short while before quickly stopping.
Once the sky cleared, Natsui invited Ash and the others to a nearby restaurant for a luxurious lunch, as a treat for their stomachs, which had endured the hardships of their journey.
"Thish ish sho good!" Ash held a fork in his left hand and chopsticks in his right, eating in the most exaggerated manner possible. His mouth was so full of food that he couldn't even speak clearly. "I haven't eaten anyfing thish good in sho long!"
But as he said this, his gaze shifted from Pikachu, who was devouring its food like a whirlwind, to Gardevoir, who was chewing slowly and gracefully like a lady. He suddenly remembered something, quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, and proposed, "Oh, speaking of which, Natsui, we've known each other for so long, but we've never battled! How about it? Want to have a match with me in a bit?"
Before Natsui could speak, Brock also became interested, "Oh? You two are going to battle? That's bound to be exciting!"
"Will it really be exciting!?" Misty shot Ash a look. Both emotionally and rationally, she was already firmly on Natsui's side. "At your level, how could you possibly beat Natsui!"
"Hey, Misty, don't say that," Natsui waved his hand to stop Misty and mused, "In Pokémon battles, there's no such thing as a guaranteed victory. It really depends on one's condition during the battle and on-the-spot performance. It's hard to say who will win or lose."
Seeing Ash still staring at him with an expectant look, Natsui reluctantly agreed, "As for the match you mentioned, of course, it's no problem! I've always believed in your strength, you know. Besides, a proper battle after a meal is great for digestion."
"That's great!" Ash's eyes widened with excitement as he urged, "Then let's get going! By the way, is there a battlefield nearby?"
Natsui chuckled, "What's the rush? The nearest field... let me think... it should be the backyard of the Sakuragi Laboratory. There's a simple field there that's almost never used, perfect for a battle!"
After everyone had eaten their fill, Natsui paid the bill and led them through the city to the back of the Sakuragi Laboratory.
As soon as they arrived, Ash's attention was captured by the pleasant scenery under the glass dome of the huge Sakuragi Park next to them.
"Wow! What a huge greenhouse park! It even has a small river inside!?"
"This is the Sakuragi Laboratory, where I'm staying temporarily." Natsui pointed to a few nearby spots, introducing them one by one. Then, his tone changed as he said apologetically, "Unfortunately, I'm only staying here for a short time, so it's not really convenient for me to invite you in for a tour."
"It's okay, we can just look from the outside."
Fortunately, Ash and the others didn't mind. They chatted around the park for a while before quickly refocusing their attention on the battle.
The field here was overgrown with weeds from long disuse, but Natsui and Ash didn't choose to clear them. Instead, they decided to use it as a grass field!
As he and Ash stood on opposite sides, Natsui said, "I'm not very good at making rules. How about we just have a simple one-on-one, winner-take-all match? What do you think?"
Ash naturally had no objections. He nodded and then looked down at his feet.
"Go, Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu responded and ran to the center of the field, its tail held high, seeming just as excited as Ash.
Natsui stroked his chin.
So he sent out Pikachu, his most trusted partner...
After a thought, he gave a slight wave, and in the next second, Gardevoir understood and slowly walked to the center of the field.
Both of these Pokémon were their respective starter partners, so they held a special meaning for them.
Although Gardevoir had evolved to its final stage, as Natsui had said before, there were no truly weak Pokémon in this world, nor was there an absolute peak of strength. Every Pokémon contained a formidable power that couldn't be underestimated. The strong preying on the weak, the weak overcoming the strong, nothing was certain in this world. Even a Wishiwashi could create a miracle!
Just then, perhaps the noise from their side had disturbed someone in the laboratory. With the sound of footsteps, Koharu slowly walked over.
When she got closer and saw Natsui, she smiled lightly.
"Natsui, did you bring friends over?"
Natsui waved at her in greeting and then began to introduce everyone.
"These are friends I met on my journey. They're all very reliable partners!"
Ash, with a bright smile, was the first to speak, "Hi, my name is Ash, from Pallet Town, and my goal is to become a Pokémon Master!"
"Pika-pi!"
"Idiot, you don't need to introduce your dream," Brock sighed helplessly, then turned to Koharu with a smile, "Hello, my name is Brock. I'm traveling with Ash."
Misty also smiled, "My name is Misty. It's nice to meet you."
Koharu's personality was actually on the quiet side, and she wasn't very willing to initiate conversations. However, upon hearing that these were all Natsui's friends, she still gave them a friendly nod.
"Hello, I'm Koharu Sakuragi."
Knowing her personality, Natsui introduced her, "Koharu is still in school. Her father is the famous Professor Sakuragi. This laboratory behind us, and Sakuragi Park next to it, were founded by her father!"
"A famous professor?" Ash said, only half-understanding. "Like Professor Oak?"
Natsui smiled, "Of course, he can't be as knowledgeable and renowned as Professor Oak, but among other professors, he's still an outstanding figure!"
Koharu stood beside Natsui, listening quietly.
But for some reason, when her eyes met Misty's, both of them seemed to sense something.
Subconsciously, they both glanced at Natsui at the same time, and at the same time, they felt the other's gaze.
This girl... could she also...?
Although they had just met, both of them had keenly noticed that the other seemed to hold a special kind of affection for Natsui, just like themselves.
Oh no!!
Both of their hearts tightened. Even in this warm early summer, they both felt a biting chill!
In the space of a breath, their gazes suddenly changed. It was as if a bolt of lightning shot out from each, clashing in mid-air, neither willing to back down!
And Natsui, the male lead of this emotional drama, naturally didn't notice the subtle change between the two. At this moment, his attention was completely focused on the impending battle!
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