The sun was setting in the west.
The twilight glow at the edge of the horizon gradually faded into darkness.
It was time to close the shop for the night again.
Gardevoir hadn't mentioned the registration at all, and the stone hanging over Leo's heart could finally settle.
He flipped the sign outside the shop door to the "Closed" side, the metal hook clanging crisply against the wooden door.
Leo stretched, looked at Gardevoir, and said, "You worked hard today. Go back and rest early."
So the Shop Owner really was doing it on purpose.
Gardevoir nodded.
It was a good thing she had the foresight to act earlier.
Simply running away won't let you achieve your dream, Shop Owner!
For some reason, Leo suddenly shivered. The sweet smile on Gardevoir's face had somehow become rather unsettling.
"Shop Owner, the Battle Zone has already opened. It's time for us to participate."
Just as expected.
What had to come had finally arrived.
Leo chuckled inwardly. He had specifically checked that morning: the registration deadline was 18:00 sharp, and it was already 19:00 now.
He slapped his thigh "regretfully" and blamed himself.
"Oh no! I was too busy today—I completely forgot!"
"Registration probably isn't allowed now, right? Sorry... Gardevoir."
No.
I still can't laugh.
Right now, his face showed deep regret and sorrow, but if someone looked closely, they would see that he was barely suppressing the corners of his mouth from curling upward.
Gardevoir's lips curved slightly, and her blue eyes sparkled with a hint of cunning under the light.
"It's alright. I already registered the Shop Owner for you."
Leo's expression instantly froze.
The smile he had been suppressing stiffened mid-air as if flash-frozen.
He slowly turned his head, his voice trembling slightly.
"...W-what did you say?"
"I saw that the Shop Owner was very busy this afternoon, so I registered for you," Gardevoir said, blinking her bright eyes.
Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
Leo took it out and saw the message that appeared on the screen.
[You have successfully registered for the ZA Summit Battle]
[Level Z]
[Trainer: Leo]
[1000 points are still required to obtain the Upgrade Voucher]
Anger flared in his heart, and Leo shot a sharp glance at Gardevoir.
What met his gaze was her gentle smile. She held her hands behind her back and swayed slightly from side to side, looking exactly like a child waiting for praise.
So cute.
The fire that had just flared up instantly went out before it could spread.
Leo forced a wry smile and praised her.
"You were a great help. Thank you."
"Hee hee (*≧▽≦)~"
I'm so awesome.JPG.
---
The night sky of Lumiose City was dyed a brilliant purple by the neon lights of Prism Tower.
Red protective barriers stood at the entrances between the Battle Zone and the normal districts, supposedly separating the chaos of battle from the tranquility of the city streets.
But… was that really effective?
The Battle Zone was still inside the city, after all, surrounded by residences and shops.
Wouldn't battles here still affect the people living nearby?
Following the map, Leo and Gardevoir headed toward the Battle Zone closest to LeBlanc Café.
Even from a distance, they could already hear the sounds of Pokémon battling.
"Even though it's only Level Z, we still need to be careful," Leo reminded her before entering.
Logically speaking, bringing a fully evolved Gardevoir into a Level Z Ascension Battle was absolute overkill.
But what if—just what if—a bored Champion or Elite Trainer came down to bully beginners?
It was better to stay cautious.
Since they couldn't avoid it, they might as well face it seriously.
"Understood, Shop Owner."
Stepping through the crimson gate marked with the Prism Tower emblem, they officially entered the Battle Zone.
The moment they stepped inside, something sliced through the air beside them.
Sharp leaves flew straight toward Leo and Gardevoir.
Gardevoir frowned slightly and raised her hand, instantly forming a Psychic barrier in front of them.
The leaves struck the barrier and were effortlessly blocked.
Soon, a young girl walked out from the shadow of a nearby street corner.
Beside her stood a Chikorita, its leaf swaying slightly.
The girl stared directly into Leo's eyes.
In the Battle Zone, eye contact between Trainers usually meant only one thing—
A battle had begun.
The opponent attacked first.
"Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!"
The leaf on Chikorita's head glowed emerald green, and several razor-sharp leaves shot forward like knives.
Gardevoir didn't move at all.
She merely lifted a finger.
Invisible waves of Confusion formed a shield in midair, and every leaf dropped harmlessly to the ground as if hitting an invisible wall.
Inside the ZA Battle Zone, there were usually no strict rules.
Sneak attacks, fleeing, or even targeting the Trainer directly were all common.
This girl was still fairly respectful of battle etiquette.
Leo stretched lazily, planning to play along for a bit.
If Gardevoir used Mystical Fire seriously, Chikorita would probably turn to ashes instantly.
More importantly, Leo felt like he had seen this girl somewhere before.
Green jacket. White vest. Wide-leg jeans...
Wait a second.
Could she be the heroine from the ZA game?
The default female player character seemed to wear something like this.
The girl frowned slightly, confused that her opponent wasn't giving commands.
But that worked in her favor.
"Chikorita, Razor Leaf again!"
She took advantage of Leo's distraction and attacked once more.
At that moment, Gardevoir gently tugged on Leo's sleeve.
Her Telepathy carried a hint of helplessness.
「Shop Owner, being distracted during battle is a serious taboo.」
"Oh—right! Mystical Fire, but please use a little less power."
Gardevoir crossed her hands lightly over her chest.
Her bluish-green hair floated without any wind.
A brilliant orange flame burst from her palm, instantly incinerating the incoming leaves before continuing toward Chikorita.
"Quick, dodge!" the girl shouted.
Chikorita leapt aside in panic, but the flame still grazed its hind leg.
It cried out in pain and rolled across the ground several times before stopping.
"Didn't I tell you to hold back?" Leo said.
Gardevoir blinked innocently.
「I already lowered the power to the level of Ember…」
Fine.
Pure level suppression.
Chikorita struggled back to its feet. Part of the fur on its hind leg had been scorched, but it still bared its teeth stubbornly at Gardevoir.
The girl hurried over and took out a Potion, spraying it on the injured spot.
"Are you okay?"
Chikorita nodded slightly, though its gaze remained locked on Gardevoir.
Leo sighed softly and walked over.
"I'm sorry. I didn't control the power well. Do you need me to take you to the Pokémon Center?"
The girl looked up, the hostility in her eyes fading a little.
"N-no, thank you."
She hesitated before asking,
"If you're this strong… why are you still Level Z?"
"We only registered today."
"I see..."
She lowered her head, looking somewhat discouraged.
She had registered today as well, and her very first battle had already run into a brick wall.
"My name is Sheng Cai," the girl said, standing up and brushing dust off her pants.
"It's nice to meet you."
Leo pulled a LeBlanc Café flyer from his pocket and handed it to her.
Smiling, he introduced himself.
"Leo, owner of LeBlanc Café. You're welcome to visit anytime."