Heading to Bill's Lighthouse

Ito Kuro said helplessly, "Getting someone else to enter a Pokémon Contest might work, but you entering one? None of your Pokémon besides Clefairy would stand a chance, right?"

Liu Xin inwardly flinched. This guy had just blurted it out. Couldn't he have been a little more tactful?

Hearing that, Mori Anka puffed up her cheeks. "Hmph! You're actually looking down on me!"

"Liu Xin, come help me settle this. Tell me whether I've still got a chance!"

How did I get dragged into this?

Liu Xin wanted no part in this argument. It had nothing to do with him to begin with.

Watching them, Misty's lips curled slightly. The scene felt so familiar and nostalgic.

But just then, a loud crash rang out.

Screams came from the gym entrance. Sakurako and the others hurried in. "Misty, Team Rocket is here!"

Team Rocket?

They actually came to cause trouble at the gym? Could it be Daichi and Kawami?

It had to be. Those two were the only Team Rocket members in this area.

"You're asking who we are?" "To protect the world from devastation! To safeguard the peace of the world! To champion the evils of love and truth! The lovable, charming villains: Daichi! Kawami! We're Team Rocket, streaking through the galaxy! A white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!"

They were piloting a small robot. It had more than two tentacles—in fact, it seemed to have an endless supply of them, stretching out in every direction.

"We're going to make a killing!"

"There are so many powerful Water-type Pokémon here! Seel, Starmie, Krabby—grab them all!"

"Useless, useless! It's no use! Our robot is waterproof. Water-type moves won't do a thing to us!"

They had come prepared, specifically to target Huanan City's Pokémon.

After all, the Pokémon in this area were all Water types. Clearly, these two weren't complete idiots.

"Starmie, I choose you!"

Misty sent out her Starmie and immediately had it fire a high-pressure Water Gun.

The incredibly powerful jet shot through the gym, retaining its strength for a full hundred meters.

But when it struck the robot, it only made it shake slightly. It had no effect at all.

"We told you, Water-type moves don't work on us! You're wasting your energy!"

Misty shook her head slightly and said coolly, "You actually dared to cause trouble in my gym? Do you really think I don't have any Pokémon that can deal with you?"

Liu Xin stepped forward. "Let us handle this."

"The last Pokémon I've got with me happens to be getting restless."

"Come out and have some fun, giant Onix."

The giant Onix, over ten meters long, radiated an overwhelming presence the moment it appeared.

Everyone nearby turned toward it. Even Team Rocket, far away at the entrance, widened their eyes.

"What a huge Onix! Now that's a prize. We've got to catch it!"

"We can't let it get away, no matter what!"

Liu Xin smiled faintly. "If you think you can, go ahead and try."

With a flick of its tail, water splashed everywhere, and chunks of stone rose into the air around it.

The ground surrounding the robot began to crack as an earthquake struck.

The robot could barely move, and the two people inside were caught in the tremors as well.

An attack that terrifying?

That huge Onix really was something.

Liu Xin hadn't expected a single day of special training in Huanan Cave to improve its control over its moves so much. Its future looked very promising.

"Charge straight at it! Hit it head-on!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the giant Onix used its massive body to its advantage and rushed toward the robot.

"Stay back! It feels like the whole place is shaking!"

"Attack! Hit it with the tentacles!"

Clang, clang, clang!

Every attack bounced off, fully activating the giant Onix's Gigantification ability.

Whenever it took a physical attack, its speed would keep increasing.

The giant Onix, normally slow-moving, grew faster and faster, reaching the robot in the blink of an eye.

Rock Slide.

Countless rocks rained down along with splashing waves.

The robot was only resistant to Water-type attacks. Against the giant Onix, it had no defenses whatsoever.

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted, blowing the robot apart before their eyes.

Amid the deafening blast, two figures were sent flying.

"We're blasting off again!"

The classic catchphrase.

"Onix!"

The big fellow even gloated, issuing a defiant cry with a look of utter disdain.

It still hadn't had enough and wanted to keep fighting.

It really was a battle maniac. In fact, all of Liu Xin's Pokémon were battle maniacs.

Misty and the three Huanan sisters gathered around, looking up at the giant Onix.

"Isn't this Onix even bigger than Brock's? No, actually, it's much more intimidating than any Onix I've ever seen, just in terms of size."

"Its fighting strength is nothing to scoff at, either. You really are a formidable Trainer. You've got all kinds of Pokémon."

"Misty could have dealt with Team Rocket, but it definitely would have cost her quite a bit. After all, she mainly uses Water-type Pokémon."

"So thank you very much for this."

So close, and they were surrounding him.

Liu Xin was at the pinnacle of his life, surrounded by four stunningly beautiful girls, their sweet breath brushing his ears as they spoke.

Who could handle that?

His face flushed bright red. As for what the four girls were saying, he couldn't have cared less.

Ito Kuro said enviously, "I wish I could be surrounded like that while chatting, too."

"What do I lack compared to Liu Xin? I'm not bad-looking either, and I'm such a smooth talker."

Mori Anka fumed. "Liu Xin is getting so close to girls other than me. This won't do."

"Huanan City is such a dangerous place. I've got to take him to our next stop."

"Liu Xin, the Pokémon Contest is next month. We need to set off early."

"Goodbye, ladies!"

Giving him no chance to respond, she dragged him away, much to Liu Xin's regret as he basked in the beautiful girls' company.

Sakurako sighed. "I was hoping to invite you all over to our house."

"But since little Mori is so unhappy, come visit another time. Take care on the road."

Ito Kuro leaned closer. "We've been traveling together all this time. Do you know why she's unhappy?"

"Let me give you a bit of wisdom about life: a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea."

"Don't try to figure out why a girl is unhappy, because I don't know either."

After they had walked for nearly half an hour, the angry Mori Anka finally turned around. "Where are we going?"

Where were they going?!

Liu Xin and Ito Kuro nearly fainted on the spot. She had been leading the way without knowing anything?

But considering why she was angry, Liu Xin patiently took out the map. "We're heading to Vermilion City now. The Pokémon Contest you're entering will be held there, too."

"It's quite a long journey, and there's an ancient ruin there, Bill's Lighthouse. We'll stop by and take a look on the way."

The moment she heard there was an ancient ruin to explore, Mori Anka brightened. "Yes, yes! We'll get to see something we've never seen before. Just thinking about it makes me happy!"