Danny's bravado faltered, and the smile on his face froze, looking a bit stiff.
Before today, whether in the Orange League or on Navel Island, his status as a Gym Leader and his own charm had made him successful in wooing girls.
Although he had been rejected occasionally, this was the first time he had been completely ignored!
He had thought it was his lucky day to meet such a beautiful girl, but he never expected this kind of attitude from her.
He turned to look at Natsui and saw that the young man was not only more handsome than him but also several years younger.
In terms of charisma and appearance, he really did fall a bit short.
Could it be that she likes this man?
Or are they already in a relationship?
But he had been observing them for so long and hadn't seen any intimate gestures between them!
But it doesn't matter. She doesn't know that I'm the Navel Gym Leader yet. Once she finds out my identity, she'll definitely be surprised and change her attitude immediately!
With Danny joining them, the trio continued along the path towards the Navel Gym.
Along the way, Danny led from the front, telling them about the history of Navel Island and stories of things that had happened there, seemingly trying his best to showcase his wit and humor.
Unfortunately, his words failed to arouse any interest in Sabrina. Even Natsui was yawning constantly, only occasionally responding with a word or two to make him feel like he wasn't just talking to himself.
But... I wonder if it's just my imagination.
Relying on a sudden sixth sense, Danny kept feeling a mysterious force directed at him!
This force felt like psychic power, like thorns pricking his back, and it seemed to strongly resent his presence!
Hmph, it must be that guy Natsui. He must feel threatened, which is why he doesn't want me getting too close to his female companion!
He scratched an itch uncomfortably and, taking the opportunity, glanced back quickly. But he found Natsui looking completely bored, occasionally looking at the distant scenery or turning back to talk quietly with the woman, showing no strange behavior.
Huh? Strange, it's not him?
Could I be imagining things?
Inadvertently, his gaze met Sabrina's eyes, and he happened to see a cold glint flash through them.
Somehow, even in the middle of such a hot summer, Danny suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Sabrina again, but she seemed perfectly normal.
What's going on?
Did I see that wrong just now?
He was puzzled but couldn't figure it out.
After walking for a long time, they finally arrived at an arched mountain gate at the foot of the mountain.
The arch was made of iron, and on both sides, two long stone walls extended, completely obscuring the world behind the gate.
Danny turned back and smiled, his tone carrying a sense of relief. "We're here. This is the main gate of the Navel Gym."
Working together, they pushed open the heavy iron gates. Natsui looked inside and saw that the view suddenly opened up to a wide clearing. There was a wooden cabin, a stationary cable car behind it, and to the side, a steep mountain path with a guardrail leading up to Mt. Navel behind it.
Natsui glanced around and found that apart from the three of them, the place was completely empty.
It seemed that besides Danny, this Gym had no other staff. He wondered how he usually managed to maintain such a large facility.
Under Danny's guidance, Natsui walked over to a notice board next to the guardrail.
'To all challengers: Welcome to the Navel Gym. At this Gym, the first requirement for all challengers is to climb the mountain. Please comply. In addition, this climb must be done using your own strength. If you use the power of a Pokémon during the ascent, you will be immediately disqualified from the challenge. Please keep this in mind.'
Natsui read it once and then saw a line of small text at the very bottom.
'Accompanying personnel may use the cable car at will.'
"What now?" Sabrina walked up to him and asked softly.
Natsui first glanced at Danny, who was standing with his arms crossed, saying nothing, as if waiting for him to make a decision.
After a moment's thought, he joked, "Why worry so much? Since there's no one else here and no security cameras, I think I'll just take the cable car with you to the top."
"You definitely shouldn't do that!"
Sure enough, hearing his words, Danny quickly spoke up to stop him. Seeing that both Natsui and Sabrina were now focused on him, he cleared his throat and explained, "Mountain climbing is an important part of the Navel Gym's challenge. Although there's no one else here, the Gym Leader is actually watching you from somewhere. If you take the cable car, he will definitely find out!"
Originally, Natsui was just trying to get Danny to admit his identity so they could talk openly about the Gym challenge. But seeing that Danny was still hiding his identity, he couldn't help but shake his head.
I should cooperate with your performance and pretend not to see...
Sigh, we're already here. I really don't know what he has to hide...
"I see." Feigning a sigh, Natsui said, "In that case, I have no choice but to follow the rules. By the way, Mr. Danny, didn't you say you were just showing us the way because you were heading in the same direction? Since we're here now, I don't think you need to worry about us anymore. Please, go about your business."
Danny obviously couldn't leave, and because of his own goal, he didn't dare to reveal his identity just yet.
Moreover, he was genuinely afraid that without supervision, Natsui would take the cable car and choose the easy route to the summit!
Therefore, he pretended to be generous and said, "Actually, I have to go to the summit too. Since you have to climb, I think we should go up together. That way, we can look out for each other!"
Natsui handed his extra gear to Sabrina. After seeing her get on the cable car, he tightened his shoelaces, and then, along with Danny, he stepped onto the mountain path and arrived at the base of a steep rock face.
Looking up, Mt. Navel was at least several hundred meters high. Without any safety measures, it was a huge test of a challenger's mentality and courage.
Fortunately, this cliff face was not as dangerous as it seemed. A closer look revealed that it had many protrusions that could be used as handholds and footholds. Furthermore, the slope was not perfectly vertical but slightly inclined, which would allow a climber to maintain a stable center of gravity.
Just then, Danny glanced at him and had already begun to climb.
Natsui watched his movements. Every step was very skillful. It seemed the innkeeper's words were true. Although this person seemed a bit frivolous, he was indeed very good at this kind of outdoor sport!
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