"Thank you."
Hearing him say this, Natsui no longer stood on ceremony. He took the Gyaradosite from Dr. Quackenpoker's hand and put it in his pocket.
Now, although he hadn't yet mastered how to use this power, including the Steelixite he had obtained earlier, he now possessed two Mega Stones.
This was a good start, putting him one step ahead of others right from the beginning.
"Alright, I need to rest. Let's hope our paths cross again."
Dr. Quackenpoker turned and lifted the flap of his tent.
Watching his back, Tracey couldn't help but take a step forward.
Pokémon Watchers were rare, and although their time together was short, he felt a natural affinity for Dr. Quackenpoker.
Although he said 'hope our paths cross again,' given his age and their different travel routes, it was unlikely they would ever meet again.
With this thought, Tracey said sincerely, "Mr. Quackenpoker, please take good care of yourself!"
Dr. Quackenpoker paused, didn't turn around, but just waved his hand with his back to them, and then ducked into the tent.
As the tent flap fell, the campsite became completely quiet.
Natsui and the others each took their luggage, followed the river back the way they came, and arrived at the seashore.
By now, the Gyarados and Magikarp were long gone.
And after having been through so much together again, it was now time for them to part ways.
But compared to their previous farewells, this time, Misty was even more reluctant to leave.
But there was nothing to be done. She had to continue her journey with Ash. Given their friendship, she couldn't just abandon him.
Looking at Natsui with tender eyes, Misty opened her mouth, about to say something, when Ash suddenly squeezed past her and stood in front of him.
"Natsui, I'm off to challenge the Trovita Gym now! You just wait, I'll catch up to you soon!"
Before Natsui could speak, Misty, who had nearly been knocked off balance, gritted her teeth and brought her fist down hard on Ash's head.
BONK!
"Ow! Misty, what did you hit me for!?"
Ash looked completely bewildered. Being as dense as he was, he naturally didn't understand what he had just interrupted.
Seeing Ash's innocent and clueless expression, Misty felt completely helpless against him. She could only curse him for being a blockhead under her breath, and then said through gritted teeth, "Nothing! My hand was just itchy. I just felt like hitting you!"
This barbaric and unreasonable attitude naturally drew a protest from Ash.
"Misty! You're so mean!"
Watching their cheerful squabble, Natsui felt a warmth in his heart. He said with a chuckle, "Ash, don't be in such a hurry. Since you're on a journey, you should take it one step at a time, building a solid foundation and growing slowly. You can't rush things."
"That may be so…" Ash clenched his fists, his eyes full of longing. "But you're a champion, Natsui! Of course, I have to aim to be like you!"
"You!?" As Natsui's most loyal supporter, Misty scoffed, "With your skills, you'll never be able to catch up to Natsui. You should just give up on that idea."
"A champion…" Natsui patted Misty's head, then looked up at the distant sea, his tone wistful. "The Indigo Conference wasn't that intense. I was just lucky not to have run into any decent opponents, that's how I managed to win. In fact, if you ask me, I should be the one aiming to be like you."
"Oh!?"
Hearing Natsui say this, everyone present looked at him in surprise.
"Aiming to be like me?" Ash pointed to himself, looking even more confused.
"That's right." Natsui nodded gravely. "I forget if I've told you this before, but although I will face countless strong enemies in the future, I have always believed that if there is anyone who can defeat me, that person will be you."
As soon as he said this, not only Ash, but also Sabrina, Misty, and Tracey looked at him in astonishment.
That was incredibly high praise.
After all, Ash's best result so far was Top 16 at the Indigo Conference, while Natsui was the undefeated champion who had steamrolled the Indigo Conference.
Sabrina, Misty, and Tracey were all a bit puzzled, not understanding why Natsui had such high regard for Ash.
Having known him for so long, anyone could see that there was a clear gap in skill between the two of them.
But being affirmed like this by Natsui, Ash trembled with excitement.
"Natsui! Don't you worry! I'll work even harder! I definitely won't let down your trust in me! One day, I will definitely grow to be what you expect!"
"Mhm, I believe in you. But to achieve that goal, you have to take every step seriously."
After speaking, Natsui patted his shoulder, then waved to the sky. A few seconds later, Charizard landed beside him.
He and Sabrina mounted Charizard, looked at Ash and the others, and finally smiled. "Alright, we should get going too. We wish you a safe journey. Let's meet again next time!"
With that, without waiting for them to reply, he gave a gentle kick with his heels, and Charizard flapped its wings, shooting off from Kinnow Island like an arrow from a bow.
On the beach, watching Charizard fly further and further away until it became a black dot, Ash and Misty still gazed reluctantly after it.
And in their hearts, although their feelings were different, a similar fiery passion was burning.
…
Pummelo Island is located in the northwest of the Orange Archipelago.
Its geographical location is a bit to the north, and because the island is small and not very populated, it is, at best, the size of a major town.
But despite this, its status in the hearts of the people of the Orange Archipelago is quite high, no less than that of the metropolitan areas.
Both the Orange League headquarters and the venue for the Winner's Cup make this place a focal point of attention.
After a few hours of flight, Charizard landed in a forest on Pummelo Island.
Natsui recalled Charizard, and he and Sabrina walked into the island's sports-stadium-themed town.
They didn't go directly to the Orange League headquarters to report. Instead, they first found an inn with a hot spring, ate their fill, soaked comfortably in the hot spring for a few hours, and then rested for the night, getting a good sleep to wash away the dust and fatigue.
The next day, feeling refreshed, Natsui finally went to the Orange League headquarters to handle the challenge registration.
It is worth mentioning that the Orange League competition is not held at a specific time of the year. Due to the unique nature of the Orange League, when a challenger has obtained four badges, they must first apply here. After confirming that the Head Trainer is available to accept the challenge, the Orange League will then, after a night of preparation, hold the Winner's Cup match the next day.
And because challengers arrive one after another, it is not uncommon to see a dozen Winner's Cup matches held in a single year, creating a spectacular sight.
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