Chapter 332 - Iono's Great Battle Frontier Adventure
Asahi hadn't expected his exhibition match opponent to be Cynthia.
"I thought you were busy in Sinnoh, cleaning up the last of Team Galactic?"
Based on his own experience with Team Rocket, even dealing with remnants took a massive amount of time and effort.
Cynthia nodded. "All the Galactic executives have already been captured, thanks to you. I've handled most of the cleanup myself—the rest is with Bertha and Flint now."
"I came for the exhibition match... and to help promote Sinnoh's own Battle Frontier."
Asahi looked at her, squinting. Was it just him, or was there a hint of glee in her smile? Like she'd successfully snuck out of work.
He had a sneaking suspicion—promoting the Battle Frontier was just an excuse. She was totally here to slack off.
This isn't the Cynthia I remember—so dedicated and composed...
Now she was... one of them.
You've joined the Slacker Squad, huh, Cynthia...?
But since it was Cynthia, Asahi wasn't too worried. They'd fought before—they knew each other's strength.
Even without a rehearsal, they'd be able to strike the right balance. The match wouldn't go off the rails.
"Oh, by the way, I heard Iono got invited too?" Asahi asked Scott.
Scott looked surprised. "You watch Iono's streams too?"
Asahi: "Wait, don't tell me—"
The two locked eyes.
Confirmed. You too!?
---
With the Battle Frontier swamped by tourists, Scott had a mountain of things to take care of.
Once the exhibition match's time was confirmed for the next day, he left first.
After Scott left, Cynthia crouched down in front of Eevee and gave its head a gentle rub. "You're still as adorable as ever..."
"Vee~!"
Eevee nuzzled her hand, then looked up at her with big sparkling eyes.
Back in Sinnoh, Cynthia always shared ice cream with Eevee. So in that little furball's brain, Cynthia = Ice Cream Sister.
Under that gaze, Cynthia grew a bit flustered.
"I, uh... didn't bring any ice cream today..."
"Vee..." Eevee's expression turned visibly disappointed.
"Don't be like that." Asahi grabbed the little fluffball by the scruff and sighed, turning to Cynthia. "Sorry. Kid's just talking nonsense."
Cynthia shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. Actually, I've been meaning to try some of Hoenn's unique ice cream flavors. Let's go together!"
Hearing that, Eevee's previously disappointed face lit up with joy. It wriggled out of Asahi's arms and leapt straight into Cynthia's embrace, rubbing affectionately against her.
Mew and Celebi, having caught wind of the word "ice cream," also zipped over.
"Mew~?"
"Bii~!"
Asahi: "..."
Are all of you being influenced by Salamence and Snorlax?
Especially you, Mew...
Asahi glanced at Mew's tiny round belly.
Five tons of food a day... If this keeps up, you'll turn into a Poké Ball yourself.
...
Walking down the bustling streets, Asahi and Cynthia instantly drew a tide of attention.
Of course... most eyes were on Cynthia.
As the Champion of Sinnoh, one of the Masters Eight, and a top contender for this year's World Championship title, Cynthia's enormous poster hung proudly above the Battle Frontier entrance—making sure every single visitor laid eyes on her.
As for Asahi… the curiosity was more about who exactly is this man walking so closely with her?
They both have an Eevee—clearly, that's not just a coincidence!
Passersby were already drowning in gossip and speculation.
Cynthia was used to the attention—such was life for a regional champion. As long as she was in Sinnoh, this was routine.
Asahi, on the other hand, simply didn't care.
The two stepped into a dessert café that had pretty solid online reviews.
Just as they walked in, they ran right into Green, Sabrina, Zinnia, and Courtney—each of them carrying a mountain of shopping bags. The two parties came face to face.
"...?"
Green blinked in surprise as she saw Asahi with Cynthia.
Didn't he say he was going to meet Director Scott about tomorrow's exhibition match? Why is he here... with her?
More importantly...
Green's gaze dropped to the Eevee snuggled in Cynthia's arms.
Beside her, Sabrina's eyes sparkled with mischief—but she quickly concealed it, her gaze drifting curiously between Green, Asahi, and Cynthia.
Asahi immediately realized: She's totally misunderstood this.
But he knew full well this wasn't the kind of situation where an explanation would clear things up.
So instead, he put on a perfectly-timed surprised smile. "Oh? You guys are here too? Want to grab some ice cream together?"
"We..." Zinnia had just opened her mouth to say they'd already eaten...
When Sabrina pinched her arm.
"Ouch—Sabrina, what was that for? That really hurt..." Zinnia turned to glare at her.
Sabrina: "..."
Is your brain entirely located in your chest or what.
At last, Green spoke up. "Sure!"
A cheerful answer.
Without missing a beat, she slid in right beside Asahi, joining him and Cynthia as they entered the shop.
Watching the trio's backs, Sabrina's eyes glimmered with intrigue. Courtney smirked a little.
Only Zinnia was still fussing about the pinch. "Seriously, why did you do that? It hurt!"
Sabrina: "..."
With social sense like yours, no wonder Rayquaza won't pick you.
...
Inside the Café
Green and Cynthia sat together.
Green was eagerly introducing the store's signature ice cream flavors to Cynthia.
The disaster Sabrina had been hoping for—some dramatic love triangle mess—never came.
This surprised her greatly. Unable to resist, she reached out telepathically.
[Psychic Girl Extraordinaire]: Asahi, what did you do? How come Green isn't even reacting to you showing up with Cynthia?!
Asahi raised a brow when he heard the message.
[Gardevoir's Number One Fan]: What are you even talking about? Cynthia and I were just discussing work-related stuff...
Seeing how innocent Asahi looked, Sabrina only replied with a single, pointed:
"Heh."
That one syllable carried her doubt, mockery, and total disbelief.
Asahi: "..."
What is wrong with this world? I tell the truth and no one believes me!
Still, Sabrina didn't press further. She was more interested in something else.
"Asahi, what Pokémon are you planning to use in your match tomorrow?" she asked.
Knowing his flair for the dramatic, she figured he was bound to put on a show.
At her words, everyone—including Cynthia—turned to look at him.
Asahi gave a helpless laugh. "You're asking me that right in front of tomorrow's opponent—how am I supposed to answer?"
It took Sabrina a second to realize that Cynthia was the opponent in question.
So when Asahi said earlier that he was discussing business with her... he wasn't lying?
Did I really misjudge him...?
...
Wearing her signature oversized outfit with two little Magnemite perched on her head, streamer Iono strolled down the street, her Rotom Phone drone soaring above her as she livestreamed the journey.
"Good morn-aft-evening, hellooo~! Welcome back to Iono Zone, your one-stop sparkle shop!"
"Iono has officially arrived at the Battle Frontier in Hoenn!"
"There are so many Trainers around! Let's swing the camera over—here at the Battle Frontier, you can spot Pokémon from all over the world!"
"A Furret from Johto, a Glameow from Hoenn, a Pancham from Kalos, and—oh no, that's a Garganacl from Paldea being escorted away by security!"
"Guys, seriously—don't release giant Pokémon in the middle of crowded shopping areas, okay~?"
...
As she walked and streamed, her viewership surged thanks to the World Championship hype. Any lingering nervousness about carrying the show disappeared.
After taking a few pictures and signing autographs for passing fans, Iono felt a bit worn out.
After all, she'd been livestreaming for hours with two Magnemite accessories on her head. She wasn't made of steel, okay?
Glancing around, her eyes sparkled. She turned to the stream.
"Bet everyone's wondering—what kinda treats does the Battle Frontier have? For those of you planning to visit, you probably wanna know what places are worth the PokéDollars—and which ones are a total trap."
"So Iono's launching a brand-new segment—Iono's Snack Attack!"
She spun the camera to a dessert café just up ahead.
[Be honest, Iono. You just want sweets!]
[I just geo-tagged your location—let's go find her IRL!]
[LOL bro I can't even afford a plane ticket to Hoenn.]
Reading the chat, Iono stuck her tongue out playfully.
Then, to a flurry of "awsl" comments, she pushed open the café door.
"Good morn-aft-evening, hellooo~" she greeted the stunned staff with her trademark intro.
While they were still processing, her eyes scanned the menu.
Instantly lighting up, she pointed. "I'll take one Pikachu Zappy-Zap Ice Cream, please!"
While paying, she turned back to the stream. "As an Electric-type Gym Leader, I've gotta keep the zap-zap vibe going strong! This one's perfect for me!"
But just after saying that, she noticed the chat wasn't reacting.
Instead, the comments were... strange.
[Iono! Look over there!]
[Second table to your back right.]
[There's a VIP sitting right there!!]
Chat had trolled her before—but she still trusted them.
She looked up, confused—then froze.
There, sitting at one of the tables, was a figure she instantly recognized.
"C-Cynthia?!"
Iono's golden eyes sparkled like stars.
A few others in chat had just realized it too and the stream went wild.
[How'd you guys even spot that from this angle?!]
[It's the championship favorite herself!!]
[Iono! Go get an interview! Exclusive content!!]
"But... isn't that a bit too forward?" Iono hesitated.
Cynthia's her idol!
[Don't be shy—you're the sparkly streamer queen, Iono-chan!]
[Use Thunder Wave and paralyze her with charm!]
Seeing her own phrases used back at her made Iono blush furiously.
Still... they were right.
She was Iono, star of the Iono Zone!
Nothing to be afraid of!
Even if she got rejected, she'd survive!
Steeling herself, she abandoned her Pikachu Zappy-Zap Ice Cream and quickly made her way to Cynthia.
With great care, she asked, "Excuse me... are you Miss Cynthia?"
Cynthia, who had just been about to reveal her own team choice to Asahi, paused in surprise. Turning her head, she immediately recognized the person standing there: the streamer Director Scott had brought in for commentary.
"You're Iono?"
Iono, who had just been about to introduce herself, froze in shock.
"Miss Cynthia... knows who I am?!"
"Mr. Scott mentioned you..." Cynthia replied, then glanced at Asahi.
Both Scott and Asahi had watched Iono's streams, after all.
But before Asahi could even say anything, the Eevee sitting on the table in front of him perked up.
The moment it laid eyes on Iono, stars sparkled in its gaze—it had spotted its idol.
"Buiii~!"
With a sudden leap, Eevee launched itself at Iono like a facehugger in love.
Caught completely off guard, Iono was tackled right in the face.
"I can't see!"
"Let go—get it off me!"
Blinded by the Eevee latched onto her face, Iono staggered back, waving her arms frantically. Her head tilted upward, completely disoriented.
The two Magnemite accessories on her head still kept spinning dutifully, their eyes now turned into dizzy spirals, matching her chaos.
All of this was faithfully captured by her Rotom Phone, broadcasting live to the world.
[What the heck? Facehugger Eevee?!]
[LMAO! The streamer just got stealth-assassinated by an Eevee!]
[Is this part of the show? This is comedy gold!]
Back at the table, Green and the others looked at Asahi with increasingly odd expressions.
"..."
Asahi covered his face, not even wanting to look at Eevee anymore. "Gardevoir, please get that embarrassing thing off her."
Blue psychic light flickered in Gardevoir's eyes. With a graceful wave of her hand, Eevee was plucked off Iono's face like a sticky plush toy.
Finally able to breathe again, Iono gasped, her chest rising and falling dramatically before she finally settled down.
When she looked up and saw Eevee still staring at her with that starry-eyed idol-worshiping gaze, she instinctively took a step back. With her oversized sleeves held up defensively, she warned, "Stay back! I-I'm powerful, you know!"
"Ahem... Sorry about that," Asahi said apologetically. "My Eevee's actually a huge fan of yours. It just got a little too excited."
"E-Eh!?"
....
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