Guardian Deities of Water City

"Empoleon is unable to battle. Carbink wins!"

"Since Gym Leader Jie Wei has lost all her Pokémon, the winner is—challenger Su Hao!"

Clap clap clap clap clap—

Thunderous applause erupted from the stands. Today, they had witnessed a miracle!

Some applauded Incineroar, some applauded Su Hao for defeating a Gym Leader just two months after starting his journey, and some applauded Carbink.

After handing Empoleon over to the nurse, Jie Wei walked toward Su Hao with a smile, applauding as she went.

A staff member waiting nearby approached Jie Wei with a tray. Jie Wei picked up the exquisite water-drop-shaped Badge resting on it and handed it to Su Hao.

"This is the Beginner Water Boat Badge. Your performance has proven that you deserve it!"

Su Hao accepted it solemnly.

"Oh my, I never expected you to really defeat me today. Once the recording of this battle gets out, you'll probably become famous~"

"I've even thought of the title the media will give you. Something like the Divine Land Alliance's New Generation Strongest Genius."

Jie Wei covered one cheek with her hand and teased him with a smile.

"Uh, I actually don't want to become famous." Su Hao sighed.

A tree that rises above the forest will be destroyed by the wind.

Su Hao's father had told him that many Criminal Organizations operated within the Divine Land Alliance's borders. No matter how hard they were cracked down on, those rats always resurfaced.

Those evil organizations had carried out quite a few attacks against talented members of the younger generation. They were truly detestable.

"If you want, at least the official full recording won't be released." Seeing that Su Hao was genuinely troubled and knowing why, Jie Wei composed herself and said seriously.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Auntie Xie." Su Hao nodded gratefully.

"It's nothing. Ensuring that your generation can grow up safely is also what us older Trainers ought to do."

Back in the lounge, Jie Wei's eyes gleamed as she looked over the report handed to her by her secretary.

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands!

Watching the usually graceful and dignified Jie Wei practically radiate the stink of money, Su Hao felt rather speechless.

As if she had Frisked Su Hao's thoughts, Jie Wei looked up from the report and explained, "You young people don't understand. Keeping such a large Water Boat Gym running is extremely expensive, even with financial support from the Pokémon League."

"That's when Gym Leaders like us have to make money~"

"How much did you make today?" Su Hao asked curiously.

"Thirty million."

?

"Tickets make that much money?" Su Hao asked in shock.

"No, that includes merchandise and all sorts of other miscellaneous income. Ticket sales only brought in ten million."

"Ten million is still a lot, okay?" Su Hao complained.

"After all, today's Intermediate Gym Challenge was a rare sight, and it came just two months after a high school senior received his Starter Pokémon."

"That kind of situation is incredibly rare, so it had plenty of hype! Hardly anyone watches the Intermediate Gym Challenges that college students take for graduation."

"After all, too many students graduate every year. The public got tired of watching them long ago."

"Besides, this time, the ticket prices were just a tiny bit higher~"

That was the real point, wasn't it? Su Hao felt like he was about to become the designated straight man.

Still, he had earned two million just from taking the Gym Challenge. Su Hao only hoped there would be more opportunities like this!

After their chat ended, Su Hao was about to get up and say goodbye.

Jie Wei stopped him and asked, "Do you have any plans for where you're going?"

"I plan to look around Shuizhou City for the next few days, do some sightseeing, and see whether I can meet any Pokémon that catch my eye," Su Hao replied.

"Then I recommend a place for you."

"Where?" Su Hao asked curiously.

"It's a place that most tourists visiting Shuizhou City go to. Let me tell you a story first."

Long, long ago, an old man and an old woman lived in an unnamed town on the water.

One day, they rescued a pair of injured young siblings from the seashore. Under the elderly couple's careful care, the children's injuries gradually healed.

But then one day, evil monsters attacked the island. Just as the island was about to be swallowed by the monsters, the young siblings transformed before the old man and old woman's eyes.

They were actually Infinite Pokémon: Latios and Latias.

The two Pokémon flew into the sky and brought forth a power that drove away darkness and evil.

It was a gem called the Heart's Drop Gem. Peace returned to the town, and from then on, Latios and Latias often visited the town where the Heart's Drop Gem rested. Never again did evil monsters attack the town.

Afterward, the unnamed town gradually became the present-day Water City—Shuizhou City.

"Today, people have built statues of those two Guardian Deities, Latios and Latias, and enshrined them in the center of Shuizhou City."

"For young Trainers like you, Guardian Deities should be quite appealing, right?"

"Although Latios and Latias have never shown themselves again, I think their statues are still worth visiting."

"One more thing: although the full recording won't be released, videos recorded by people in the audience may still spread on a small scale. That could draw the attention of evil organizations, so you must be careful while traveling outside," Jie Wei warned him concernedly.

Accepting Jie Wei's suggestion and warning, Su Hao bid her farewell and left the Water Boat Gym.

It was already late at night. He should go back and get some sleep first!

Water City's Guardian Deity Statues