The battle ended with Lucas and Arcanine's overwhelming victory.
Nemona's talent was extraordinary, but she hadn't matured yet. Based on Lucas's estimate, with just Pawmot, she could reach the fourth gym.
But his Arcanine had not only been trained by top mentors, but also evolved after absorbing huge amounts of magma energy with the help of Moltres.
Lucas figured Arcanine could sweep through Reggie's team.
Of course, unlike Moltres and Dragonite, Arcanine would have a harder time.
"Extreme Speed is so fast! Even my Pawmot can't keep up with Arcanine's charge. It's a total defeat for me."
Nemona wasn't discouraged by her loss. To her, every battle is a chance to grow. As long as she keeps learning, she, Pawmot, Ursaring, and Goomy will all get stronger.
Strong enough to make Teacher Lucas go all-out—or even surpass him.
Plus, during the battle, even before Arcanine used Extreme Speed, Pawmot's Double Shock still landed a strong hit—even if it only made Arcanine stumble for a moment, it was enough for the optimistic Nemona.
This time, she only made Arcanine stumble. Next time, she'd make it defend against her attacks.
Iono hugged her camera like a treasure. The footage of Arcanine's cool moves would make a fantastic commentary video and surely bring in tons of fans.
After a while, Iono noticed the sky darkening and saw Nemona staring after Lucas as he left. She thought the girl was feeling down.
Iono skipped over to cheer her up, "Don't be discouraged, Nemona He's the first new Champion in years. Losing to your teacher isn't shameful"
"If you ask me, you're even more talented~ He just has more experience, that's all. It's hard to say who'll win next time."
"When he gets back from Kalos, just challenge him again~"
But as Iono circled around to face Nemona, she was stunned.
There was none of the reluctance or frustration she'd expected—only an overwhelming fighting spirit so intense even Iono felt pressured by Nemona's resolve.
Iono was shocked to realize just how pure a battle maniac Nemona was.
…
Meanwhile, at the Airport—
Lucas, having checked in, was already seated in first class on a flight to the Kalos region. The seat was spacious, and the attendants were attentive.
Anyway, this trip was all on Geeta's tab.
Alcremie looked around like a curious child, fascinated by everything.
After a noticeable jolt, the engines roared, and the plane took off as night finally fell over Paldea.
Lucas poked the Alcremie, who was fiddling with the seat controls, and raised his phone. "Look outside."
"Alcremie~?"
Alcremie pressed close to the window and was stunned by the dreamlike, dazzling night view.
Levincia City's skyscrapers rose in a tangle of neon lights that shot into the sky, dazzlingly colorful. The city was a sea of lights, making Alcremie feel like she was in a fairy tale.
Lucas explained, "This is Levincia City's famous sight—one of Paldea's top ten views, called the 'Million Volt Skyline.'"
"Mafu!"
Alcremie watched the view until they left the city and the lights faded from sight, then reluctantly turned away, happily curling up in Lucas's arms and locking the memory away in her most treasured box.
…
Kalos Region
A place full of romance and freedom.
Unlike Kanto or Sinnoh, which are practically on the other side of the world from Paldea, Kalos is actually quite close.
Leaving from Levincia City, Lucas arrived at the heart of Kalos—the bustling Lumiose City—the very next morning.
Lumiose is a massive metropolis and the most populated city in Kalos.
Stepping out of the airport, one can immediately see the city's iconic Prism Tower.
Lucas recalled all the stories around this tower.
It was not only the location of Clemont's gym, but also the famous place where Ash's Pikachu made that fateful leap of faith.
But Lucas didn't go sightseeing; after handling his business at the Pokémon Butler Academy, he'd have plenty of time to look around.
For now, he had only one goal: head to Electric Bath Town, home of the academy, and pick out a suitable butler Pokémon.
He left Lumiose, released Dragonite, and used his phone's navigation, setting off for Electric Bath Town.
In his memory, there was no Electric Bath Town in the games; it'd never been mentioned.
But a big region can't have just a few cities—just like in the anime, there are all sorts of towns. Electric Bath is one of them.
Lucas had already read up on Electric Bath Town. As its name suggests, it's very friendly to Electric-type Pokémon.
All over the city, there are publicly accessible charging stations invented by a famous scientist. They emit electric showers that Electric Pokémon find very comfortable.
These showers not only recharge Electric Pokémon, but also relieve their fatigue.
So, the city attracts many Electric Pokémon and their trainers.
Landing outside Electric Bath Town and recalling Dragonite, Lucas carried Alcremie to the city entrance.
As he walked through the streets, he saw charging stations every so often, with trainers letting their Pokémon recharge. Judging by those Pokémon's expressions, it was clearly very pleasant.
Unfortunately, he'd realized too late—otherwise, he'd have brought Luxray to enjoy it.
Lucas sighed and cursed his oversight, asking locals for directions as he made his way to his destination: the Pokémon Butler Academy.