Chapter 146: Reunion with Courtney
Speaking of Platinum Berlitz, most people probably don't know her. But if we talk about Dawn, everyone should know her. Dawn is the heroine of the Sinnoh region, and the girl who later accompanied Ash on his journey through that region.
But the Platinum Berlitz in front of you is also Dawn, but like Sapphire, she is the heroine of the Pokémon Adventures manga, and she is the eldest daughter of the Berlitz family.
The Berlitz family is the wealthiest family in the Sinnoh region, with a history of 200 years. The family's wealth includes a thriving business empire, many large hotels throughout the Sinnoh region, and a mansion in Celestic Town.
Several family members are also famous scholars in the field of Pokémon research. The Berlitz family not only provides funding, but also participates in various research projects, and has a certain connection with Ruby's family, because one of their plans was called the "Rayquaza Capture Plan." That's right, it was the plan that Ruby's father was involved in! In this project, the Berlitz family collaborated with the League to research various methods of understanding Rayquaza, including the Jade Orb. The technology was provided by Devon Corporation and other major companies.
Ryan looked at Ruby and Platinum, wondering if they would feel awkward knowing their connection. However, Platinum had no idea about this project. After all, the leaders were Norman and Platinum's mother Yanase. If Ryan hadn't told Ruby, she wouldn't have known about this, let alone Platinum.
"Hello, Platinum. You should be from Sinnoh, right? Why are you in Hoenn?" Ryan said.
"Well. I'll be ten in a few days, and although my starter Pokémon has already been chosen, I'd still like to visit your Breeding Center to see if I can find a compatible partner," Platinum said. "Plus, our family has a tradition of young members ascending Mount Coronet to collect minerals for the family crest, so I'm hoping for a stronger partner. I learned about your Breeding Center from my father, so I'm planning to visit. As for being here, I heard Wallace was participating in the Pokémon Contest, so I came to watch."
Ryan nodded, understanding Platinum's explanation. His Breeding Center's influence was growing, and the children of prominent families, including Platinum, were willing to come to him to select one or two Pokémon as their main team when they set off on their journeys.
Ryan thought for a moment, then pulled a notebook from his backpack, tore off a piece of paper, and wrote a message. He then handed it to Platinum, saying, "As an apology for bumping into you, take this note and try it out at my Safari Zone. There are Pokémon of the highest quality there."
"Thank you," Platinum accepted graciously.
Ryan smiled and left with Ruby. It wasn't that he was being overly generous, willing to give away top-tier Pokémon, but rather that he was slowly building connections.
Ryan generally tried to win over the protagonists he encountered. After all, each of them was treated like a protagonist, a chosen one, and their future achievements were practically limitless.
He invested a small amount now to cultivate their goodwill. If he ever had any trouble, he could reach out to these protagonists, and they could easily handle even a major organization's formidable strength.
Of course, they were still quite young, but Ryan was optimistic about their future. With Ryan's support, their achievements would definitely go far beyond what they had shown in the manga.
"Ryan, who is she?" Ruby couldn't help but ask after exiting the Pokémon Center.
"Right now, she's just a wealthy young lady. But she might become our ally in the future," Ryan said with a smile.
"Oh," Ruby nodded, understanding.
Ryan and Ruby found Lillie and Sapphire choosing swimsuits at the beachwear store, struggling with what to choose. Seeing Ryan and Ruby approaching, they instinctively hid the swimsuits in their hands behind their backs.
Ryan kept his thoughts to himself: "They're still young girls, nothing developed yet, what's there to be embarrassed about?"
Ryan could only think this; if he actually said it, he probably wouldn't be able to leave the store alive. He helped Lillie choose a pure white two-piece swimsuit, and for himself, he just picked out swim trunks and a rash guard.
After buying the swimsuits, the group went to the beach for a while. Ruby was then dragged away by Sapphire to train, and Lillie met an elderly man who was skilled in making Pokéblocks and went to ask him for advice.
Ryan could only find a beach chair, open the umbrella, and doze off peacefully.
Just as he was dozing off, Ryan felt a soft body leaning against him, and a kiss was placed on his forehead. Ryan was startled when a familiar voice rang out, "We meet again, innocent boy."
He instantly broke out in a cold sweat and opened his eyes, only to be greeted by Courtney's familiar face. Seeing her attire nearly made Ryan's nose bleed.
Her fiery red bikini exposed Courtney's voluptuous figure. Accustomed to Lillie's petite frame, seeing something so curvaceous made Ryan's blood pressure spike. But a sense of wariness washed over him, and Ryan said unhappily, "You from Team Magma are showing up so openly, aren't you going to get caught?"
"Haha, I usually never show my face during missions," Courtney said. "Only you and that other boy have seen my face during missions."
"So, you want to silence me?" Ryan stretched.
"Haha, I want to join you," Courtney said, "or rather, join the organization you're planning to start. How about that? I can be very useful."
Ryan's eyes turned cold. He now felt threatened by this woman: she was too perceptive!
"Oh. How did you figure that out?" Now that he had been exposed, Ryan wouldn't hide anything. After all, she was just an admin of a villain organization, and he was the Champion candidate favored by the League. Ryan was not at a disadvantage at all.
"Woman's intuition." Courtney said, "Though I know you won't believe that."
"Obviously not." Ryan rolled his eyes at her.
"I told you before, you're very special," Courtney smiled. "I can see that you won't be content with the status quo. And I've gathered some information about you. After analyzing it, I can roughly guess what you're planning. So, I'm very curious about what kind of strength you have to challenge the establishment."
Ryan remained silent. This woman was truly formidable, her analytical skills so sharp that if the information hadn't been incomplete, she would have been able to deduce Ryan's intentions perfectly.
"Let me guess. Could the one backing you be what our Team Magma is pursuing?" Courtney asked. "If that's the case, I'd be very interested."
"You're very clever," Ryan said. "I'm not sure if it will succeed, but there's a chance."
With that, he casually raised his right hand to the sky and then lowered it. Courtney, thoughtful, smiled, "Then I think there's potential, but it requires certain conditions."
"I have what's needed," Ryan said.
"Then let me meet my new boss properly," Courtney smiled.
"Wait. How can I trust you won't betray me?" Ryan frowned.
"That depends on your performance," Courtney said. "No matter what I say, it's just words. Only if you can demonstrate absolute strength, making it impossible for me to resist, will I remain loyal to you."
With that, Courtney stood up and left. Ryan looked at her back, shook his head and said, "What a shrewd woman."
(End of Chapter)
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