The 269th day after leaving the Orange Islands, evening.
The setting sun dyed the sea orange-red, and the rippling surface shimmered as the gentle breeze carried a faint salty scent.
He had come to Sweet Orange Island, intending to find Green River and have a few drinks with the Old Man to relax. Yet after searching every corner of the island, he found no trace of Green River.
Left with no choice, he could only abandon the idea and devote all his energy to preparing for the competition. It had now been more than a week since he began.
He crouched beside a makeshift stove, focused on preparing dinner for the Pokémon. The ingredients in the pot gave off an enticing aroma that mingled with the scent of the sea breeze and drifted across the shore.
Boom—
Suddenly, a tremendous blast shattered the tranquility. A powerful shockwave surged from the center of the island, sweeping across the entire island in an instant.
The sudden impact was astonishingly strong, scattering the pots, bowls, and utensils around him in every direction.
The neatly arranged tableware traced chaotic arcs through the air before crashing to the ground amid crisp clatters.
Yet rather than becoming angry at the sudden disruption, his eyes immediately lit up as he gazed excitedly toward the center of the island.
His heartbeat quickened sharply, and uncontrollable excitement welled up within him. How could he fail to sense such intense Confusion fluctuations? It had been a week since Starmie came into contact with the Great White Jade Orb Fragment.
He recalled every moment of Starmie's previous accumulation—its grueling training and Calm Mind sessions—all flashing through his mind.
Thanks to the enormous Confusion it had accumulated before its previous breakthrough, Starmie had emitted the powerful fluctuations of an Elite-class breakthrough after