Leaving the Pummelo Stadium and descending the small mountain, Natsui took Ash and his friends to the inn where he was staying.
By this time, it was already past four in the afternoon. The crowd on the street had begun to slowly disperse, but many people still lingered, savoring and discussing the recent match. To avoid being recognized, Natsui had to put on his hat and sunglasses again, completely disguising himself.
This was the price of being in the spotlight. To avoid being disturbed, he had no choice but to do this.
After the group entered the inn's courtyard, Natsui spent a lot of money to order a large table full of food and drinks from the landlady.
The most important thing after winning a championship is the celebration, and nothing is more rewarding than a sumptuous feast.
By evening, it was pitch black outside. Natsui and the others let their larger Pokémon out in the courtyard, preparing separate food for them, while the smaller Pokémon sat with them at a low tatami table.
Under the bright lights, the room was packed, but it was extremely lively.
The landlady had clearly seen Natsui win on TV and was naturally very happy to have such a famous guest. She even threw in some extra sushi and a few bottles of sake.
A dazzling array of dishes covered the entire table, exuding an alluring luster and aroma.
With the food ready, it was time to feast.
"Let's toast!!!"
Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together, downing the contents in one go. Except for Natsui and Sabrina, everyone else—Ash, Misty, and even Tracey—stuck out their tongues after drinking. Tracey even frowned slightly, clearly unable to handle the taste of alcohol.
"Cough, cough… that's strong!" Ash clutched his stomach, his expression pained, feeling as if every blood vessel in his body was on fire.
"You guys…" Seeing them like this, Natsui couldn't help but laugh out loud. "This sake is already very low in alcohol, and you still can't handle it. Why didn't you just stick to juice? You insisted on drinking. How is it now? Can't take it, can you?"
"What does it matter?" Misty said, unconcerned by Natsui's slightly gloating tone. "It's because we can't handle it that we wanted to try it. And since we're so happy today, of course we have to have a drink!"
Because everyone was so familiar with each other, once dinner began, the atmosphere was pushed to its peak.
Ash ate as he always did, like he hadn't had food in years, gobbling everything down without any regard for his image. In contrast, Sabrina ate slowly and delicately, looking extremely ladylike.
Gengar made funny faces and performed to liven things up, while Tracey told humorous little stories in a low voice on the other side. The Pokémon played and laughed, and even Natsui, emboldened by the alcohol, teased Misty a few times, making her blush. For a moment, the room was filled with joyous laughter.
Halfway through dinner, once everyone had some food in their stomachs, the pace finally slowed down.
"By the way, Ash," Natsui said, looking at him. "Since you're also going to challenge for the Winner's Cup, don't forget to register tomorrow. The rule here is that you can't challenge Drake without making an appointment in advance."
Ash, chewing on a chicken leg, said indistinctly, "Got it. I'll go tomorrow!"
Natsui's eyes twinkled, and he said with a mischievous smile, "I've already put in a good word for you with the Head Trainer, told him all about you. He'll definitely give you a proper welcome. All you have to do is enjoy the battle!"
"Is that so…" Ash, of course, had no idea that Natsui, for the sake of his growth, had dug another pit for him. He still said gratefully with a naive expression, "Thank you, Natsui! I'll definitely work even harder!"
On the other side of the table, Misty also asked, "Natsui, what are your plans now?"
Natsui said without thinking, "Of course, I'm setting off for the next region."
"The next region?" Ash's eyes lit up with interest. "Where are you going next?"
"It should be Johto to challenge the Silver Conference. After all, it's the closest."
"Huh? You're not staying to watch my match?"
"I'd better not," Natsui shook his head. "I'm sure you'll be victorious. And you're catching up too fast, growing too quickly. I have to leave ahead of you to maintain my advantage."
At Natsui's sudden affirmation, a fire was lit in Ash's heart, and he was filled with emotion.
After dinner, Natsui borrowed a karaoke machine from the landlady. Except for Sabrina, who went to soak in the hot spring alone, the group sang their hearts out late into the night.
They sang until after eleven o'clock. And after Natsui had washed up, still unable to quell his excitement, he ended up exhausting himself with Sabrina again until the wee hours of the morning.
The next morning, Ash had to go and register early.
Before leaving, he said his final farewell to Natsui. "Natsui, after I finish the Winner's Cup, I'm going back to Pallet Town first to give the GS Ball to Professor Oak. Once that's all done, I'll come find you in Johto!"
"Then I wish you success in your challenge. We'll meet again next time," Natsui said, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "And remember to say hello to Aunt Delia and Professor Oak for me!"
Ash and Tracey left. Misty, as usual, kept looking back, her eyes full of reluctance.
After watching them disappear, Natsui went back to his room and slept in for a while. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that he finally packed up, checked out of the inn with Sabrina, and left.
But before heading to the next region, he had one last thing to do: visit the fruit stall of the man he had made a bet with.
Following the street, he walked to the beach they had visited before.
When Natsui and Sabrina arrived at the stall again and saw the owner, they found that he had already packed up all the oranges.
Seeing Natsui, the stall owner couldn't help but look a bit embarrassed.
After all, he had previously claimed that Drake was unbeatable, but now he had been easily eliminated 6-0 by the young man before him. How could he not feel awkward?
Natsui was the first to greet him, breaking the silence. "Hey, boss, remember me? As we agreed, I'm here to collect the oranges!"
"Of course, of course. I've already prepared them."
The stall owner pointed to the side, where Natsui saw over a dozen packed boxes of oranges.
"Haha, I was just kidding. There's no way I can eat that many," Natsui quickly waved his hand. "I'll just take three boxes. You can keep the rest for yourself."
"But…"
According to their bet, the stall owner was ready to admit defeat and had prepared accordingly, but he never expected Natsui to change his mind.
Seeing the stall owner hesitate, Natsui smiled. "It's fine. I can't eat too many anyway, it would be a waste. Just do as I say."
"Alright then."
Seeing Natsui insist, the stall owner nodded, then asked tentatively, "Uh… could you please give me an autograph? My grandson is a big fan of yours!"
"Of course."
Natsui took the pen and, with a few strokes on the autograph board, wrote his name, then asked, "What's your grandson's name?"
"His name is Achi."
Natsui's pen didn't stop. He continued to write: To Achi, may you become an outstanding trainer!
Taking the autograph board with both hands, the stall owner put it away carefully, then picked up three boxes of oranges and handed them to Natsui.
Such physical labor naturally wasn't for Natsui. As a red Pokémon descended from the sky, Charizard easily took the three boxes in its arms.
After bidding farewell to the stall owner, Natsui soon found a courier company.
He handed the oranges to the courier, paying them to mail one box to the Sakuragi Institute to share with everyone. He also sent the Winner's Cup trophy and the group photo of him and his Pokémon along with it.
Since he didn't have a fixed residence yet, his room at the Sakuragi Institute had become the place to store these trophies. His personal belongings and the Indigo Conference trophy were all piled up there.
With Koharu helping to look after them, he didn't have to worry about them being lost.
Finally, Natsui mailed another box of oranges to Erika.
He remembered from a previous chat that Erika loved plants, and since the oranges here were so delicious, he wondered if they could be grown in her greenhouse.
After all this was done, he and Sabrina finally mounted Charizard and headed for the metropolis of the Orange Archipelago.
From there, they could take a cruise ship directly to the Johto region, which would save them a lot of detours.
With that, Natsui's adventures in the Sevii Islands and the Orange Archipelago had officially come to an end. Along the way, besides wonderful memories, he had also reaped a bountiful harvest.
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