"So comfortable~."
Gu Yuan was submerged in the hot spring with a look of complete relaxation on his face.
"Enjoy yourselves. We will be leaving tomorrow."
Gu Yuan spoke slowly as he looked at Charizard and the others. Before leaving, Gu Yuan had specifically rented out a hot spring area to let his Pokémon thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Besides Gu Yuan, Sylveon was also starting to relax, forgetting the misery of having its fur blow-dried later. Right next to Sylveon was Ditto, which had completely transformed itself into a puddle of goo, floating on the surface of the hot spring. Alakazam was on the side, using its psychic power to control a bath towel to scrub its own back.
Charizard, meanwhile, imitated Gu Yuan by fully submerging itself in the hot spring, though it kept its fiercely burning tail out of the water.
Annihilape was treating the hot spring bath as endurance training, attempting to break through its limits.
In contrast, the 'three little ones' (Fuecoco, Crocalor, and Charcadet) were having a blast, adding a few layers of cheer to the scene.
When Gu Yuan had soaked long enough, Sylveon attentively scrubbed his back. Crocalor and Charcadet also started trying to scrub him in a serious manner, a sight that made Gastly feel somewhat helpless.
"It's alright, don't be sad. I will prepare a luxurious lunch for you later to make up for it," Gu Yuan said, smiling and comforting Gastly while stroking it. He was simultaneously amazed that Gastly, as a Ghost-type Pokémon, still felt cool even after being soaked in the hot spring for so long.
Seeing that Charizard and Annihilape had no intention of scrubbing, Alakazam shook its head helplessly. It then used its psychic power to control the bath towel to scrub their backs instead.
After the hot spring, Gu Yuan made good on his promise and prepared a sumptuous dinner for Charizard and the others. Watching them all eat their fill with massive appetites, Gu Yuan could almost hear his wallet weeping. However, seeing the satisfied expressions on their faces, he still felt that the money was well spent.
"Alright, no training tonight. Everyone, get a good rest. We will be heading back tomorrow morning."
Returning to his room, Gu Yuan stretched and lay lazily on the bed. Charizard and Annihilape quietly found a corner. One simply lay down, and the other sat cross-legged on the floor. For these two battle maniacs, whenever there was no battle or training, they completely resembled two 'salted fish' (slackers).
Alakazam silently cultivated its psychic power. This was what Charizard and Annihilape envied the most: Alakazam could always cultivate and get stronger this way. Sylveon and Ditto played with the three little ones while Gu Yuan lay in bed, either cultivating his psychic power or studying Trainer-related subjects.
Relying on his excellent memory, Gu Yuan currently possessed an astonishing reserve of knowledge, and his strength was already far superior to that of an average Trainer. Aside from his age, there was no difference between him and a Trainer who had been honing their skills for several years.
After spending one last leisurely evening, Gu Yuan boarded the returning vessel the next morning. Coincidentally, the ship Gu Yuan boarded was the exact same one captained by Riley.
"Ah ha ha ha!"
"I truly didn't expect us to be so fated to meet again."
"Last time, you left in a hurry. This time, I will definitely treat you well."
Riley said, patting Gu Yuan's shoulder and laughing. Facing the high regard of an Ace Rank Trainer, this was the first time Gu Yuan had felt so resistant.
Unfortunately, one doesn't hit a smiling person, and the other party was an Ace Rank Trainer after all.
"You don't need to be so polite. I only did what I should have done before."
"Oh, you are too humble. If you hadn't reported the anomaly beforehand, we don't know how many people and Pokémon we would have lost."
"Since you are with us this time, I hope you can keep an eye out again. I just have a feeling that the sea is not very peaceful right now."
This time, Riley did not pat Gu Yuan's shoulder. Instead, he spoke with a slightly serious tone.
"Yes, it is my bounden duty!"
"Good. Then you go on board first. I'll patrol one more round."
"Please go ahead."
Bidding farewell to Riley, Gu Yuan started searching for his room. Watching Gu Yuan's retreating back, Riley's eyes were filled with appreciation.
If Riley had only seen Gu Yuan as a genius worth investing in before, he now felt a sense of slight deference after learning of Gu Yuan's true identity. After all, not everyone gets accepted as an apprentice by Agatha. With the Elite Four Agatha as his backing, coupled with the talent Gu Yuan had already displayed, surpassing him would likely be simple in the future. Riley knew, in particular, that Gu Yuan had only been traveling for less than a year! This meant Gu Yuan completed the transformation from a novice Trainer and reached a level of strength that was in no way inferior to Trainers who had been traveling for two or three years, all in less than a year.
Combining the two factors, Riley felt as if he had spotted a new star appearing above the League, just waiting for the moment to shine brightly.
"Alakazam, we can't let our guard down on this trip either. Remember to frequently use your psychic power to scan the surroundings."
Walking into the room, Gu Yuan did not completely trust the system's detection function and reminded Alakazam, who nodded and agreed, resolving that if anything happened, it must discover it before Sylveon. Otherwise, it would damage its reputation as a Psychic-type Pokémon.
Coming out of their Poké Balls, Charizard and Annihilape had lost their curiosity about the sea and reverted to being 'salted fish.' Their previous experience told them that they would be unable to train for the next few days, unless there was a battle activity or an attack to get some exercise.
Compared to these two slackers, Sylveon, Ditto, and the three little ones were still very excited to experience the voyage again, despite having sailed once before. Left with no choice, Gu Yuan took them up to the deck to play.
Strength determines confidence. With Gu Yuan's current strength, even if he showed off Pokémon as rare in the Kanto region as Charcadet, he had the absolute confidence to handle any potential trouble!
Soon, the ship began its journey, gradually sailing away from Cinnabar Island. Perhaps because of the last attack or Riley's intuition, the sailors maintained a high level of vigilance during the voyage. Gu Yuan was the same, constantly using the system's detection function in conjunction with Alakazam to scan the surroundings, ensuring they would notice any attack like the last one immediately.
However, the facts proved that Gu Yuan and the others seemed to have been overthinking it. No incidents occurred during the voyage. It wasn't until they were nearing the land that Charizard and the others showed some abnormality. Seeing the uncomfortable expressions on Charizard and the others, Gu Yuan quickly used telepathy to ask what was wrong.