Chapter 217:
"Jirachi~" (Do you like them?)
Watching the released Pokémon receive their gifts, Jirachi asked expectantly.
"Alcremie~" (Mmhmm...)
"Eevee, Eevee!" (Wow, we all got one...)
"Vulpix..." (Hehehe, I'm gonna put a little red scarf on it too. That'll be the mark of the Vulpix Hero!)
...
Clearly, everyone loved Jirachi's gifts.
The only one struggling was Goodra, who wasn't sure how to take its plushie because its hands were covered in mucus. If it touched the toy, it would get dirty.
In the end, Mew secretly applied a thin layer of Psychic energy around the plushie, preventing any mucus from sticking to it.
"Eevee, Eevee~" (Thank you, Jirachi.)
"Alcremie~" (Love it!)
"Jirachi, Jirachi~" (I'm glad everyone likes them... It's just a shame there wasn't a plushie of Brother Kaede) Jirachi said regretfully.
Hayashi Kaede: "..."
He wasn't famous enough to have personal merchandise made yet.
But if something ever was made, wouldn't figurines come first?
"Alright, the matches are about to start. I'll come back after finishing this one..."
Checking the time and seeing the spectator stands filling up, Hayashi Kaede gathered his Pokémon and moved to the front of the contestant seating.
By now, with only eight contestants left, everyone had a decent grasp of each other's strength.
They all knew what Pokémon the others had.
At this stage, no contestant was truly weak—the differences were small.
Now, type matchups, move choices, the Trainer's commands, and the Pokémon's performance in battle would determine victory.
With the matchmaking already set, some Trainers who were paired against opponents with a type advantage looked grim, while their opponents seemed far more relaxed.
Hayashi Kaede didn't mind.
At this point, the Eevees no longer had a chance to participate.
He might as well let Blaziken speedrun the round.
After Alolan Vulpix understood the meaning of why a hero doesn't need to leave their name, it no longer cared about winning the championship.
Thinking about this, Hayashi Kaede couldn't help but smile.
Just then, a girl walked over, causing him to put away his smile.
"Um... Hello... Mr. Hayashi..."
"Mmhm, what is it?"
Hearing the familiar form of address, Hayashi Kaede instinctively looked up.
The girl in front of him was quite short, around 155 cm tall, her hair tied in a bun. Her face showed a mix of timidity and the awkwardness of not knowing how to start.
Hayashi Kaede remembered this contestant clearly.
Her Pokémon was a Delphox, and it was fairly strong.
Why was his impression of her so deep?
Because from the first round until now, the only Pokémon she had ever used was Delphox. Unlike the other Trainers who had made it this far, she hadn't revealed a second Pokémon.
The girl seemed to muster all her courage. "I'm your opponent for this round..."
"Mm..." Hayashi Kaede's heart stirred slightly, but he said nothing yet.
"It's just... I was wondering if you could... not use Goodra against me."
Rosalie forced down her shame to get the words out, even bowing to Hayashi Kaede.
Asking an opponent not to use their strongest Pokémon in battle was something that went against etiquette among Trainers of the same age—especially in a tournament like this.
But she truly wanted to see if she could give it her all in this match.
"Oh? Why?"
Hayashi Kaede's interest was piqued.
He could see her embarrassment, but even so, she had still come to make such a request. There had to be a reason.
"Because... I can't beat it..."
Rosalie lifted her head, her voice awkward.
Hayashi Kaede pressed further. "Mm... And then?"
That reason alone wasn't enough.
"I... I want the prize money, to raise my other Pokémon..."
"It... it eats a lot..."
By the time Rosalie admitted this, her face was flushed red with embarrassment.
Doing something like this for a Pokémon's meals was indeed awkward.
"Eats a lot?"
Hayashi Kaede raised an eyebrow, curiosity sparking.
Pokémon with big appetites weren't uncommon.
The most obvious example was his Blaziken.
Then there was Akira's Snorlax—those things ate endlessly.
But usually, even Pokémon with big appetites didn't actually cost that much money.
Besides... even if she asked him not to use Goodra, could she really defeat his other Pokémon?
Maybe she just wanted to try.
"What Pokémon is it that eats so much? More than my Blaziken?"
Seeing that she was still nervous, Hayashi Kaede deliberately used his Blaziken as an example.
What ordinary Pokémon could possibly eat more than his Blaziken?
"Blaziken?"
Blaziken also tilted its head curiously at the girl, clearly wondering what kind of Pokémon could match its eating habits.
"It's... this one..."
The girl had clearly watched Hayashi Kaede's channel and knew about Blaziken. Seeing it in person, she couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
Realizing it might be impolite, she quickly composed herself and released her second Pokémon.
This Pokémon had a prominent, sharp horn on its head. Though small, its eyes held a fierce glint. Its skin was mostly brown, with little hands and feet, and a belly covered in red scales.
"Larvitar?"
As soon as it appeared, it nuzzled close to its Trainer.
"Larvitar?"
Hayashi Kaede's eyes widened slightly the moment he saw it.
"Yes... it's him..." Rosalie nodded.
"This... how did you get it?"
"From a gacha egg..."
Looking at the small, round-headed Larvitar, Hayashi Kaede finally understood what kind of Pokémon could eat even more than Blaziken.