Pomelo Island, located in the southern part of the Orange Archipelago, is one of the few major islands in the region.
Since its formation, the waters north of Pomelo Island have been affected by turbulent and treacherous undercurrents, making the sea conditions here extremely complex and dangerous.
For thousands of years, it has claimed the lives of countless poor souls and shattered innumerable families.
It wasn't until over a hundred years ago that, to prevent too many ships from sinking, the island's residents inserted sixty to seventy huge stone pillars deep into the seabed. Standing in the sea, these pillars formed dozens of whirlpools of various sizes, completely altering the direction of the water and slowing the undercurrents. At the same time, these towering stone pillars became a unique spectacle of Pomelo Island.
Because they had departed at noon, it was already dusk when Natsui and Sabrina arrived on Pomelo Island.
The setting sun cast a golden glow over the small island.
After landing outside the town, Natsui didn't waste any time and, following his navigation, went directly to the Pomelo Gym.
The Pomelo Gym was located far from the town, a four-story building that, from the outside, didn't look like a gym at all, but more like an ordinary Pokémon Center.
And just like the two gyms he had challenged before, the entrance to the Pomelo Gym was deserted. It seemed that not many trainers challenged this place either.
Climbing the high steps, Natsui walked into the gym.
After asking a staff member to announce him, it wasn't long before a red-haired man wearing a black shirt and a white vest, followed by a group of uniformly dressed subordinates, walked over from inside the gym.
Judging by his confident demeanor and expression, the red-haired man in the lead had to be the Gym Leader.
But how to put it… the man's attire made Natsui feel he wasn't so much a Gym Leader as a Latin dancer!
Natsui took a step forward, about to state his purpose, but the man merely glanced at him before walking right past him to stand in front of Sabrina.
"My beautiful lady, might I ask for your lovely name?"
As he spoke, he even gave a slight, dashing bow, as if welcoming a dance partner!
Natsui was speechless. First Danny, and now the Pomelo Gym Leader. Why were all the male Gym Leaders in the Orange League so frivolous, unable to take their eyes off a beautiful woman?
Seeing Sabrina frown, her displeasure already evident, Natsui quickly stepped in front of the man, shielding her, just before she could make a move.
"Judging by your outfit, you must be a waiter, right?" Natsui said with a cheerful smile. "I'm here to challenge the gym. Is the Gym Leader in? Also, could you please not harass my companion? If you make her unhappy, I think the situation could get very ugly."
"Waiter!?" Recognizing the mockery in Natsui's tone, the man took a step back and studied him carefully, as if only just now noticing him. "Ah, my apologies. Seeing such a beautiful lady made me forget myself for a moment. But make no mistake, I am no waiter. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Rudy, and I am the Gym Leader here, as well as the Southern Star of The Southern Cross!"
To conclude, he even showed off a few dance moves, which clearly indicated how proud he was of his title.
Unexpectedly, Natsui just waved his hand and said flatly, "I'm sorry, I'm from the Kanto region. I'm not very familiar with the titles of a small place like this. So, can we get started soon?"
A… a small place's title!?
Rudy felt his blood pressure skyrocket!
Natsui's nonchalant tone seemed to shatter all his pride!
In the Orange League, they were the center of attention, their every move drawing public interest. When had they ever been looked down upon like this?
Especially with a beautiful woman by Natsui's side, it made him even more irritated!
Taking a deep breath, Rudy calmed himself.
Normally, he considered himself quite handsome, but now he had to admit that the man in front of him was indeed a 'tiny bit' better-looking.
What an annoying guy!
Pouting, Rudy crossed his arms and said coldly, "It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of it. But my time is very precious. I don't just battle with anyone who comes from who-knows-where. If you want to challenge me, you must first prove that you are worthy of being my opponent!"
"Oh? Proof?"
Natsui thought for a moment, then took out his badge case from his bag, opened it, and showed Rudy the two Orange League badges inside.
"I've successfully challenged two gyms before you. Do these two badges count as proof?"
Rudy glanced at the case and snorted dismissively. "Even among Gym Leaders, there are differences in skill. Those two don't understand battling at all. Don't compare me to them!"
"Is that so?" Natsui said with feigned surprise. "That's great to hear! To be honest, I was worried that the matches here would be as childish as the last two gyms. Hearing you say that is a real relief. It's been a while since I had a proper gym battle; I've almost forgotten what it feels like!"
Nearby, Sabrina could clearly feel the war of words between them, their conversation thick with tension.
Usually, when she was approached like this, she would handle it herself, using her psychic powers to 'warn' these people to stay away. But now, she never expected Natsui to get jealous and competitive with someone else for her sake.
And after last night, she could distinctly feel that Natsui seemed to regard her as his 'private property,' not to be touched by outsiders.
This was a feeling she had never experienced before. It was strange—even though she was being treated as a possession, it wasn't unpleasant at all. Instead, her heart felt enveloped in a wave of warmth.
Just then, led by Rudy, they arrived at a river behind the gym.
The river was flanked by cliffs covered in dense bushes. A small dock had been built on the bank, where a speedboat was moored.
Rudy pointed at the speedboat and said, "Proving yourself is simple. You just need to ride this speedboat down the river and have your Pokémon use its moves to hit all the targets you encounter along the way. If you succeed, you'll have proven yourself and earned the right to battle me!"
At this point, his tone shifted, and he added with a humorless smile, "By the way, it's getting dark now. I normally wouldn't conduct a test at this time, but since you're in such a hurry, I assume you won't mind the darkness, right?"
"Of course not." Natsui glanced at him, knowing full well he was increasing the difficulty, but still maintained a nonchalant expression. "Day or night, it's all the same to me."
"Very confident, aren't you," Rudy chuckled. "Well then, I'll be looking forward to it."
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