With some time to spare before his match, Natsui and Koharu went to a gift shop on the pedestrian street to browse.
Since Koharu rarely got to go out, especially to such a bustling place, she definitely wanted to buy some gifts for her parents and younger brother.
Previously, after seeing Natsui's match against Giselle on TV, Koharu's brother, Sota, had specifically asked her to get more than a dozen autographs from Natsui.
His popularity at school had skyrocketed when his classmates heard that Sota not only knew Natsui but that his sister was traveling with him. Every day during break time, students from his class and others would crowd around him, listening tirelessly to the story of Maiden's Peak, which he had already told countless times.
These autographs were the 'social debt' he owed after all his bragging!
Koharu had been a bit embarrassed when she told Natsui about it, but to her surprise, Natsui had generously agreed.
"He's your brother, after all. And this is Sota's moment to shine, of course I have to help him out!"
Those words, spoken by Natsui the previous night, had imprinted themselves on her heart. Even now, whenever she recalled them, a warm feeling spread through her.
In the midst of the crowded street, Natsui wore a baseball cap and large sunglasses. None of the passing tourists would have connected him with the recently popular tournament competitor.
In fact, after Alexa's interview was over, Natsui had the biker gang spread the word that he had already done an exclusive interview and would not be accepting any others from the media.
When the other reporters heard this, they lost interest, seeing that they had missed out on the initial scoop, and stopped pestering him.
But this was only a temporary reprieve. If Natsui continued to achieve better results, it was inevitable that he would be targeted by them again!
In front of a glass display case, Koharu looked up and asked with a smile, "Natsui, what do you think of this Squirtle plushie? Would it be a good gift for Sota?"
Natsui glanced at it and shook his head. "Sota is a cool little kid. I don't think he'd like a cute plushie like this. Why don't you check out that Charizard next to it?"
Just as he was speaking, his phone suddenly rang.
When Natsui looked at the screen, he saw it was a call from Looker!
Stepping to the side, Natsui had just answered the call when Looker's cheerful voice came through the phone.
"I saw it on TV! You made it to the Top 32, that's amazing! But I know what you're really capable of, so your goal must be the championship, right?"
"Isn't that obvious? If I didn't have that dream, why would I bother entering a tournament like this?" Natsui took a step back as the crowd pushed against him. Noticing he was now some distance from Koharu, he quickly said, "Alright, this isn't a good place to talk. If you called for something specific, get to the point!"
Looker didn't speak immediately. Instead, he listened for a moment before asking in surprise, "Is it that noisy where you are? Don't tell me you're out shopping with a girl in some crowded place!?"
Natsui glanced around. His guess is so accurate, could Looker be watching me from somewhere nearby?
"Since you know, then make it quick!"
"You..." On the other end of the line, Looker shook his head with a wry smile. "Not only are you on good terms with Sabrina and Erika, but now you even have a girl with you while competing. I'm so envious!"
With that, he changed his tone and finally got to the main point.
"Alright, I won't waste your time. I'm actually calling to tell you that after our pursuit during this period, we've captured most of the Team Rocket members in the Kanto region. There are only a few stragglers left causing trouble here and there, but we're in hot pursuit and believe we can mostly clean them up in a little while!"
Can they really be cleaned up?
Given Giovanni's meticulous nature and Team Rocket's deep-rooted foundation, there were surely many secrets yet to be uncovered. Unless they were voluntarily exposed, it would be impossible to find any traces for now.
Even in the Sun & Moon arc of the anime, Giovanni was still perfectly fine, with enough free time to dispatch the Team Rocket trio to expand operations in other regions!
However, Natsui didn't say anything to dampen Looker's spirits. After all, whether it was stealing other people's Pokémon or their other criminal activities, Team Rocket was an evil organization that had to be stopped, no matter how long it took!
"Let me guess, since you're calling me at this time, it's obviously not just to share this good news, right?"
"See, this is why I love talking to smart people like you!" Looker said flatteringly, then continued, "Of course that's not the only reason. The fact is, after the assassination attempt, all of Team Rocket's executives fled to the Johto region! I wanted to ask if you're planning to head to Johto to challenge their league after the Indigo Conference is over?"
Natsui wasn't surprised that Team Rocket had fled to Johto. Their strength there was also formidable. Even if their facilities and bases in Kanto were devastated, Team Rocket could still make a comeback there.
"That's right, I'm going to the Johto region. Why? You want me to continue helping you fight Team Rocket there?"
Hearing this, Looker laughed. "Of course! To wipe out Team Rocket, we'll need to borrow your strength!"
"Hey, hey, you don't even milk a Miltank on a farm this much!" Natsui joked. "And even if you International Police have to milk a cow, don't just pick on me!"
"Don't say that!" Looker chuckled sheepishly. "You're my most trusted friend! And I believe in your luck. I'm sure you'll help us destroy a few more Team Rocket bases!"
Considering he was already being hunted by Team Rocket and would have to deal with this problem sooner or later, Natsui readily agreed.
"Alright, fine. But let me be clear, the Indigo League will still take a few more days, and after that, I plan to take a trip to the Orange Islands. I probably won't be able to get to the Johto region for a little while."
"No problem," Looker said happily. "Our cleanup operations here will also take some time to complete, and mobilizing personnel to Johto will also take a while. So, let's get in touch in Johto after you've finished your business! For now, I won't disturb your leisure time. And finally, I wish you success in winning the championship!"
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