"Totally satisfied~ Satoshi~ bye-bye~"
"Mm, see you tomorrow."
After finishing her elegant matcha parfait, Kaname Raana patted her round little belly, a smile of pure contentment on her face. She waved goodbye to Satoshi, skipping off cheerfully from the cozy little café.
They'd already exchanged contact info, so Satoshi didn't bother asking her to sign anything official for the team registry. After all, it's not like Raana would ghost him just to scam two parfaits, right?
[Host, I'm telling you, that girl's just trying to fleece you for sweets.]
"I really don't think that's it. We had a heart-to-heart through our Pokémon battle, so I'm not worried. Raana would never trick me."
Satoshi had total faith in Raana. If there wasn't a bond forged through Pokémon battling, then there wasn't trust—that was his creed.
And besides, trust didn't need a reason!
More importantly… Incineroar. If he got close to Raana, maybe he'd learn where to catch one—the undisputed king of Pokémon. He definitely wanted one for himself.
Strangely enough, Satoshi had a hunch Raana was going easy on him earlier. That battle? She didn't go all-out. She could've just kept using [Shadow Claw], but instead she went for [Flame Charge].
Sure, he'd held back too—Froakie wasn't exactly a heavy hitter. But that was more about training than anything.
Yesterday's battle had already confirmed that Raichu was plenty strong. So now, his plan for the High School League was to raise all his Pokémon's levels, keeping the team well-rounded.
But why did Raana hold back?
No matter how he tried, Satoshi couldn't figure it out.
[Host, if you really want an Incineroar, isn't it super simple?]
"Oh? You've got a trick up your sleeve?"
[Just have Raichu and Torracat make an egg. Problem solved! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
"…Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's not how this works. And Raichu would need to agree first anyway."
Satoshi sweatdropped. Furiko is totally unreliable.
Though, technically speaking… the typing didn't matter. Raichu and Torracat were both in the Field Egg Group. So breeding them was possible.
But a cat and a mouse laying an egg? That sounded like something straight out of a horror comedy.
They'd probably start fighting the moment they met.
"Whatever. I should head back. I've already finished my quota for today."
He turned around, planning to regroup with Anon.
"Satoshi~!"
"Anon? …And Soyo?"
Just as he took a step forward, he spotted Anon waving—and saw Soyo standing beside her.
He couldn't quite explain it, but it felt like he was constantly running into Soyo. The RiNG training facility was huge, and yet somehow she always managed to appear.
[Host, I'm telling you, that chick's got it bad for you. She's totally stalking you.]
Impossible. Absolutely not. Furiko, stop looking at people like that. Soyo clearly just wants to have a Pokémon battle with me—that's why she's been seeking me out.
[...Satoshi really is an idiot.]
As the two girls approached, Satoshi stopped replying to Furiko's commentary.
"What's your relationship with her?"
That was the first thing out of Soyo's mouth. She raised her chin slightly, eyes locked onto him with an intensity that made the air freeze.
It was the kind of question a girlfriend might ask during an interrogation. Anon shivered beside them, suddenly very aware of the vibe between Soyo and Satoshi.
Soyo's stare was like [Mean Look]—locking Satoshi in place, no escape.
Wait, am I allowed to use [Roar] as a Trainer?
"I just met her. Raana said she'd join our team if I won, so we had a Pokémon battle."
Satoshi answered plainly, not giving it much thought.
"I see~ That's great~" Soyo's tone brightened instantly. A gentle smile spread across her face, though Anon looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel.
Soyo-san, how can you change your expression that fast?!
Why are you so shameless about your feelings?!
Wait... is it because she's crazy?
Satoshi had learned about Soyo's team status during their time together—he'd found out she was now officially part of the squad and had heard the story of how it happened.
"Well, since the team's pretty much assembled, why don't we go check out the Rainbow Gym?"
With the core members in place, Anon proposed visiting Tamaki Rainbow Gym for a look around.
Neither Satoshi nor Soyo had any objections. As they approached the gym, Soyo began explaining its background in detail.
Tamaki Rainbow Gym — the official Kanto-region Grass-type gym, currently overseen by Wakaba Mutsumi. Trainers who successfully challenge the gym receive the Rainbow Badge.
Previously, the Gym Leader had been Erika, but she stepped down to focus on her perfume shop. The role had been temporarily passed to actress Mori Minami, but with her work schedule full, she delegated the job to her daughter—Wakaba Mutsumi.
Naturally, tons of Trainers had started flocking to challenge her. I mean, just a student? How hard could that be?
That's when Soyo—trying to help her friend Mutsumi—offered a little advice:
"Just crush the challengers. No mercy. And make the battles public. Once word gets out, fewer people will bother showing up."
"So that's how Gym Leaders work, huh? Just casually assigned like that?" Anon looked stunned.
Soyo's explanation had her utterly floored.
Satoshi, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all. Even if it was still weird seeing the real world mixed with Pokémon logic, hearing the name Tamaki Rainbow Gym made his thoughts wander.
"Wait... do I have to wear a dress to get in?"
He suddenly remembered the anime episode where Erika banned him from the Gym for insulting perfume. He'd had to disguise himself as a girl just to sneak in. For a moment, he seriously wondered if he'd need to pull the same move again.
As for the whole "Gym Leaders who don't care about their jobs" thing—he'd already seen that firsthand in Paldea.
There, every Gym Leader had a side hustle they cared more about than their gym—except for one poor soul.
One miserable salaryman named Larry—a Gym Leader and a member of the Elite Four. The man was so overworked that even his voice sounded like it was barely hanging on. His signature move? [Endure]. The ultimate corporate slave special.
Clearly, being a Gym Leader came with massive emotional burnout.
And now, with more and more Trainers showing up—and even the High School League kicking off—this system was supposed to ease the burden on Gym Leaders.
Otherwise? Having to face dozens of challengers a day? No one could survive that.
Even the Pokémon League wouldn't hold up!
"No way... you're telling me ten people have tried and none have won?"
"Oi oi, is Wakaba Mutsumi just crazy strong? Maybe we should pass on this..."
"Ugh... this isn't even Gym Leader level anymore. This is elite-tier combat..."
By the time they arrived inside, most of the viewing seats were already full. Satoshi, Anon, and Soyo could only stand and watch.
From the whispers around them, they gathered that Wakaba Mutsumi hadn't lost once since school let out. Just her presence was starting to have a psychological effect on challengers.
Normally, Gym Leaders scaled their difficulty based on how many badges the challenger had—but Wakaba didn't care.
Interesting. A Gym Leader who fights at full strength all the time? Now that's worth seeing.
Satoshi's fighting spirit flared.
At that moment, a black-haired girl stepped into the arena to face Mutsumi.
"Mind battling me?"
"And you are?"
Wakaba Mutsumi asked flatly.
"Hachiman Umi, Elite Trainer. I have five badges. You'll be my sixth."
The girl—Hachiman Umi—spoke confidently as she pulled a Poké Ball from her pocket.
Satoshi had heard of her before. She was a well-known name at Rainbow Wing Academy. Just a first-year, yet already ranked in the school's top ten.
There was even a rumor she was racking up points for thirty different teams.
"Very well. Let's begin."
"Go—Drapion!"
With a sharp flick of her wrist, Umi hurled the Poké Ball. It traced a perfect arc through the air before landing on the battlefield.
"Roooar—!"
Drapion emerged in a flash, its massive, armored body looming like a fortress. Its claws gleamed coldly under the lights, emanating sheer menace.
Satoshi had only one thought:
Oh crap, that's Paul-tier!