Chapter 468: It's All Good Luck
Starlight and Frost Wins the Professional League Championship!
The news completely blew up online that night. It instantly dominated the trending topics on Star Boro, no question.
The match had a few long intermissions—especially that one round where it took a full hour to repair the field—so by the time the finals were over, it was already evening. After that came the interviews, the award ceremony, and all the other formalities. Once everything was done and the adrenaline from the victory began to fade, the first thing Arthur and his teammates felt was hunger.
Pokémon battling might seem like it's all on the Pokémon, but commanding them and analyzing the flow of a match is incredibly mentally taxing. Once the initial rush wore off, everyone was suddenly starving.
Fortunately, one of the team's managers, Ivy, spoke up. "Let's go, celebratory dinner's on me tonight! Order whatever you want!"
"Yeah!"
But as the team pulled out their phones to book a restaurant, they realized something.
"Hey, where's Arthur?"
"Yeah, where'd he go?"
"This is our victory dinner! Our number one MVP has to be here!"
Then, Aaron remembered. "I think he said he was going to meet up with someone from the Blaze Team. He said he'd be right back."
This piqued everyone's curiosity.
"Why would he meet with someone from the Blaze Team? Does he know anyone over there?"
Bella's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, she thought, don't tell me Chloe and her thing for cute younger guys finally made a move?!
In reality, Arthur's meeting had nothing to do with romance, and it wasn't with Chloe—though she had, in fact, asked for his WeChirp ID.
He was there to see Forrest.
"So, you're a descendant of Champion Forrest Sr."
In a quiet corner backstage, Arthur and Forrest stood leaning against the hallway wall, a respectful distance between them. Each held a can of coffee from a vending machine, chatting casually.
"Yeah," Forrest said. "Actually, I started following you at the end of last year. A big reason I even accepted the team's offer to go pro was to meet you."
"The end of last year?" Arthur was a bit surprised. He hadn't used Old Flame or Specter in any professional matches back then.
"You were in the news in the second half of last year. The incident at the Charicific Valley. I have clearance to see information that wasn't reported in the news."
"Oh, so that's how it was." Arthur nodded, then asked, "But why were you so focused on me? Just because I might be a descendant of that famous historical figure?"
Forrest tilted his head back slightly, his expression momentarily distant. "Confirming what happened to Champion Arthur was my ancestor's greatest wish and deepest regret. I want to fulfill that wish for him. At the same time, I want to write a biography for my ancestor. I've always believed he was a hero who shouldn't be so easily forgotten. If I can find out what happened to Champion Arthur, I think my book might have a better selling point."
"Uh." Arthur hadn't expected that to be the reason.
But one thing Forrest said had struck a chord with him. Finding out whether Champion Arthur was alive or dead... that was Forrest Sr.'s greatest regret?
Honestly, hearing those words felt like a gentle tap on his heart. Being remembered by someone is always a heart-warming feeling. His relationship with Forrest Sr. had been one of both a mentor and a friend. Arthur had never involved himself in the political disputes of the time, focusing solely on the arts of battling and Pokémon training. It was this purity of purpose that Forrest Sr. had greatly admired. But back then, the Kubfu Alliance was fighting on too many fronts, and the Champions were always scattered, rarely getting the chance to meet. Arthur never imagined that Forrest Sr. had cared so much about him.
The feeling of being missed… it was actually very moving.
"Thank you," Arthur said suddenly, which seemed to come out of nowhere and left Forrest a bit confused. He didn't know what he'd said to deserve thanks and could only nod, momentarily stunned.
After a moment, he restarted the conversation. "So you really did know about your heritage all along, didn't you?!" He turned to stare at Arthur, his eyes wider than they had been the entire match. He seemed more excited now than when he had won a round in the finals.
"Uh, you could say that," Arthur said vaguely, trying to buy some time. Okay, hold on, let me think of how to spin this.
But then, an idea came to him. "Actually, speaking of heritage, could you do me a favor first?"
"What is it?"
"You have military clearance, right? Could you help me look up which of Champion Arthur's old Pokémon are still around, and where they are now?" This wasn't just a way to change the subject; it was something Arthur genuinely wanted to know.
Forrest agreed without hesitation. "No problem. I can look that up for you when I get back. It's no trouble at all. Besides, after winning the championship, the Alliance will be awarding you meritorious honors soon. You'll have the clearance to access that information yourself before long."
Hearing Forrest's promise, Arthur felt a wave of relief. At the same time, however, Forrest gave him a strange look.
"You're not… planning on trying to capture Champion Arthur's other Pokémon, are you? I'd advise you not to waste your time. The success rate is incredibly low. The blood connection between humans isn't always recognized by Pokémon, especially after so many generations. You getting one Charizard to acknowledge you was already a massive stroke of luck. That kind of good fortune only happens once in a lifetime."
It was a good thing the Dragon "senior" had already been sent for treatment. Otherwise, the aged Salamence would have probably tried to clamp Forrest's mouth shut. Just stop talking!
Arthur just smiled. "It's fine. Even if I just get to see them, that would be enough. Besides, my luck has always been pretty good."
Doublade, the only one of his Pokémon not sent for treatment and still with him, waggled its tassels, as if to call out Arthur's shamelessness. But when Arthur discreetly reached out and gripped its hilt, it immediately went silent.
Master is right! Master's luck has always been excellent! Capturing us before was absolutely all luck! Pure good fortune! Master is definitely not lying! So... Master, can you let go of my hilt now, please?
Arthur nodded silently and discreetly released his grip.
Forrest felt a flicker of suspicion. There was something odd about the boy's smile. But in the end, he failed to spot the crucial detail.
"Well, you can give it a try if you want," he conceded. "But I'd advise you not to get your hopes up. Inheriting someone else's Pokémon is very rare, especially with proud, Champion-level Pokémon like those."
"I will," Arthur replied with a polite smile, not saying anything more.
Forrest then asked many more questions about "that" Champion Arthur, and Arthur answered as vaguely as he could. They exchanged WeChirp IDs and agreed to talk in more detail later, with Forrest deciding not to interrupt Arthur's victory celebration any further.
Arthur had successfully bought himself a little more time to come up with a story.
Hooray for that.
After saying a temporary goodbye to Forrest, Arthur followed his phone's GPS to meet up with his teammates. Some things didn't need to be rushed.
Tonight was a time for celebration.
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