"Grey, let's go over there! I want the big crab!"
"Rio, rio~"
The moment Green and little Riolu set foot on the ship, all their attention went straight to food.
For them, good food was the only thing that mattered right now.
Before Grey could answer, Green already hauled Riolu off on her own.
"Sigh."
Helpless, Grey trailed after them.
"Mmm—so good!"
"Rio~" (Yummy, yummy~)
Girl and "pup" dug in with gusto.
By the time Grey walked up, the crab legs on the plate were almost gone.
"Looks like you two are quite fond of our crab legs," the server said with a faint smile, eyes flicking to Riolu again and again. "If you'd like, I can have the kitchen prepare another portion."
"No need, I'll try something else," Green waved him off, spared him a glance, and dabbed her mouth. "If possible, could I get a Berry Juice?"
"Of course."
The server headed to another table.
Grey brushed past him.
"Mm?"
One glance and Grey's eyes narrowed.
Didn't expect to bump into Team Rocket this fast...
"You caught it too, right?" Green mumbled around a mouthful.
"I did," Grey said, face setting a little.
"Hey, you're a trainer with a bit of a rep now—why the long face?" Green pinched his cheeks, then, spotting the server returning, changed the subject. "Come on, eat! Stop obsessing over that Dawn Stone. Fill your stomach first."
With that, she picked up a slice of ham and shoved it toward Grey's mouth.
"..."
Grey's eye twitched. He chewed it down in a few bites.
Just then, the server came back, tray topped with drinks.
"I couldn't help overhearing—someone's looking for a Dawn Stone?"
He asked with a pleasant smile and lifted the tray so they could grab a glass.
"Thanks~"
Green sipped her Berry Juice, then pointed at Grey. "My brother's great at everything, but he gets fixated. Lately he's obsessed with Dawn Stones and has no idea where to find one."
"In that case, how about visiting the Battle Ballroom?"
He stepped aside, revealing the event poster behind him.
[Battle Ballroom]
[3-Win Streak Reward: One dozen Moomoo Milk]
[5-Win Streak Reward: Evolution Stone Set]
[10-Win Streak Reward: Soothe Bell]
Pretty generous.
The Soothe Bell in particular—boosts friendship.
Give it to Riolu and evolution comes sooner.
"I'm in," Grey said, then slipped an arm around Green's shoulder. "Let's go, 'sis.' Time to show you what I can do."
"Yay—watch my big bro go wild again!"
The pair headed for the ballroom with Riolu.
"Tch."
Watching them leave, the server snorted through his nose. "Just a lucky kid with some cash to burn."
…
The Battle Ballroom was lavish.
On a luxury liner that could hold thousands, the floor space here was, of course, huge.
"Wow, the S.S. Anne is insanely extravagant. Who exactly is all this for?" Green clicked her tongue at the gold-and-glass gleam.
"But if it's really for the bigwigs, their Pokémon probably aren't that strong, right?"
She thought back over famous tycoons, trying to recall any truly powerful trainers among them.
Seemed like...
You could count them on one hand.
"Agreed," Grey nodded. In his memory, the set of genuine business magnates who were also powerhouse trainers barely filled two hands.
Giovanni, Steven Stone, Cyrus, Lusamine, Rose...
Beyond that, he couldn't name many.
"Alright, I'm going to battle. Ralts's evolution needs to hit the schedule—more combat power is always good."
Grey patted the Poké Balls at his waist.
Ralts could've evolved ages ago; it just wanted to stick by him in this form a bit longer.
If he got a Dawn Stone, it wouldn't need to hold back anymore.
Right now, aside from Primeape, he really only had two real battlers.
Ralts and Riolu hadn't reached their final forms yet—they were supports at best.
Thinking that, Grey palmed Blaziken's Poké Ball and stepped toward the stage.
At the same time, he checked in.
[Check-in successful!]
[Reward: Exp. Share; +100 system points]
[Enable Exp. Share?]
[Yes.]
Seeing Exp. Share drop as the daily reward, a smile tugged at Grey's lips.
Once Farfetch'd hatches, its growth will speed up nicely.
"Ding, ding, ding~"
The bell rang.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's battle floor!"
"Enough talk—enjoy the matches!"
The host kept it short, then opened the floor to free battles.
Grey found a spot and tossed his Poké Ball up and down.
"Young man, please take care of me," came a voice. A gentleman in a top hat, arm-in-arm with an elegant lady, stepped out of the crowd.
He tipped his cane to the floor as he spoke, then threw a Poké Ball.
It burst open to reveal a Raticate.
"This is my partner."
Grey answered with a throw of his own.
A Pokémon with bandaged arm, a crown of white feathers, and a V-shaped crest stood tall and proud.
Blaziken!
Combusken had evolved overnight.
Perfect time to let it stretch its legs.
Gentleman: ???
He looked from Blaziken to his Raticate.
This looked...
Rough.
"A Hoenn trainer, are you?" he asked, trying to stay composed. He glanced at the lady on his arm; his eyes hardened. "Doesn't matter! Raticate, Hyper Fang!"
Raticate's jaws yawned wide; its twin incisors gleamed white.
Its short legs churned; it charged headlong!
For Blaziken, though, this Raticate just wasn't much to look at.
"Blaze Kick."
"Cha—hock!"
Blaziken planted on one leg; the raised leg burst into roaring flame.
Raticate came streaking in, those big fangs aimed straight at Blaziken's shin for a crippling blow—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosive arcs of flame carved bright trails. In a second, Blaziken fired off multiple kicks; the flying embers caught in Raticate's fur!
Heat slammed in. Raticate clenched its teeth and kept the charge!
Its momentum only climbed!
Ability: Guts!
"So Hoenn trainers can—"
The gentleman's smile started to curl—
Then his pupils shrank.
Blaziken snapped a single kick.
Against the surging Raticate, one strike sent it slamming into the far wall.
"..."
The gentleman's words died halfway.
"Ahem. Hoenn trainers are quite formidable," he coughed, recalled Raticate, and beat a swift retreat.
Riding the momentum, Grey banged out nine straight wins.
One more to go and he'd call it.
…
On deck, someone switched the surveillance feed to Grey on a tablet and held it up to the bandaged "sailor."
"The kid looks pretty strong, boss. Want us to snipe him?"
"A Hoenn trainer? Forget it. Focus on finding the infiltrators."
Cold light flashed in the "sailor's" eyes. "There are quite a few sneaking around this time—especially that Grey. He's disrupted our ops more than once. He needs to pay."
…
Back to Grey.
"Your Blaziken is already a candle in the wind. Allow this young master to test you!"
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