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"Ruu!!"
Liam and Delia had just left Azalea Town, heading down the road toward their next Gym challenge in Goldenrod City. They hadn't gone very far when Riolu, who had run ahead saying it was "scouting the way," suddenly let out a warning cry from the distance.
"Hm? Ru-ru! Did you find something?!"
Hearing the warning, Delia's eyes immediately lit up. She rushed forward in excitement, practically glowing with energy.
Seeing Delia take off, Liam naturally followed close behind, though he wore a puzzled look. Catching up, he asked:
"Ru-ru? You mean Riolu? Since when did you give it a nickname?"
"Ah? Just now! Well? Sounds good, right~?"
Delia replied without hesitation, her face brimming with pride.
"Uh… good, very good. As long as you're happy…" Liam said, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead.
"Ruu!!"
Another cry from Riolu rang out—this time followed by the sound of commotion.
"Ha! What are you people doing here?!"
Delia rushed toward the source of the cry and saw Riolu standing in front of a group of people, body tense in a battle stance, eyes sharp with vigilance. Without a second thought, Delia leapt forward, snatched all her PokeBalls into her hands, and shouted at the strangers fiercely.
"Uh…"
The group Riolu had stopped looked at Delia in confusion, unsure what was happening. Liam, standing just behind her, didn't say anything—he just watched quietly, letting Delia take the lead.
"Who are you people? Bad guys, right? Hmph! Not talking, huh! Riolu! Are they up to something evil?!"
When the silent group remained expressionless, Delia huffed and bent down to ask Riolu directly.
That simple action suddenly made the group "wake up." The confusion on their faces faded—replaced by an expression of pity and fondness as they looked at Delia.
"Ruu! I don't know! I just discovered them! But they're so many! And their faces looked dark and dangerous! They might hurt you, so I blocked them right away!"
As Riolu's paw spikes gave off a faint glow, a serious voice resonated directly in Delia's mind.
"Ah? Uh… this…"
Delia's fierce expression faltered into awkwardness. Looking again at the group, she realized they were all wearing archaeological outfits, dirt-stained and weary. Clearly, they were from the same organization, and given their current state, they were likely returning to Azalea Town for rest. Riolu had simply misunderstood, thinking they were dangerous because they looked rough and numerous. What a blunder.
"Ahem… ehehe~ Sorry about that~ my Pokémon seems to have made a mistake. Please don't hold it against her! She just hatched this morning, so she doesn't know much yet and misunderstood. Ehehe… really sorry about that! Come back, Riolu!"
Delia quickly scooped Riolu into her arms, bowed apologetically to the group, and then stepped aside to clear the road. She pulled out the Friend Ball gifted by Kurt and recalled Riolu, who was still wearing a confused look.
"Ahaha, no harm done, no harm done! The young lady and that unfamiliar Pokémon are so full of youthful energy. Just seeing you both brightened my spirits. These past few days we've found nothing at all—it was discouraging. But now, my mood feels so much lighter! Hahaha! Thank you, young lady. As a token of appreciation, allow us to give you a small gift. Nothing valuable, so please don't mind."
The leader of the group, a slightly overweight middle-aged man, laughed heartily as he spoke. Then he turned back toward his team and shouted:
"Shuli! Bring the rock box here and let the young lady choose one!"
From the crowd squeezed out a thin boy carrying a small box on his shoulder—the so-called "rock box."
"This… this! How could I! I already caused you so much trouble, and now you're offering me something in return? No way! I absolutely won't accept it!"
Delia frantically waved her hands, refusing loudly.
"Eh! Wait a second—Delia?! Hahaha! Long time no see!"
The boy holding the box suddenly cried out joyfully when he got a closer look at her face.
"Eh?"
"Shuli? You know this young lady?" the middle-aged man asked in surprise.
"Haha, yeah, we're old acquaintances."
The boy named Shuli scratched his head shyly, but though his smile was modest, his eyes never left Delia.
"Shuli! Wow! It really is you! I never thought I'd run into you here!"
Delia also recognized him despite the dirt smeared across his face. Laughing happily, she ran over and slapped his shoulder hard—sending a cloud of dust into the air.
"Cough cough… uh, can someone explain who this is?"
At this point, Liam decided he really had to speak. If he stayed silent, who knew where this was headed.
"Ehehe~ Liam! Let me introduce you!"
Delia skipped back to his side, slipped her arm through his, and pulled him forward with a smile.
"This is Shuli! He's one of Professor Oak's students. He spent a while at the lab working on papers, and that's when we met. You happened to be away traveling at the time, so you two never crossed paths."
After introducing Shuli, Delia turned back toward him, gesturing to Liam.
"Shuli! This is Liam! The one I told you about! He used to be my boyfriend, and now he's my fiancé! Ehehe~ you didn't come to our engagement, which is such a pity!"
Clinging sweetly to Liam's arm, Delia wiggled her hand to show off the ring on her finger, looking genuinely regretful as she said it.
And at that very moment—whether it was an illusion or not—the middle-aged man standing behind Shuli swore he heard the sound of glass shattering.