"Let's start round two, Kuan!"
Marshtomp had grown tremendously stronger after evolving, giving Yong even more confidence.
" Marshtomp, Surf!"
"Marsh!"
The river began to churn. Powerful Water-type energy gathered the water into a towering wave that swept toward Milotic, blotting out the sky!
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me! Tear it apart! Use Twister!"
"Milo~!"
Once again, purple Dragon-type energy surged through the air! An enormous waterspout seemed to connect heaven and earth, as though the two Pokémon were about to drain the vast river dry!
The massive blue wave finally collided with the blue-and-purple tornado! The two surges of energy exploded with a deafening crash!
They clashed and canceled each other out. Scattered river water fell like a torrential downpour, drenching the spectators nearby.
"That boy's pretty strong too!"
"Yeah, he's so lucky his Pokémon evolved into Marshtomp."
"It's hard to say who'll win. Can Young Master Kuan's Milotic really pull this off?"
Hearing the murmurs around him bruised Kuan's pride. I'm the strongest rookie! How could I lose to someone like him?
"Milotic, Disarming Voice!"
Its song once again filled the battlefield.
"Marshtomp, dive underwater!"
"Now! Aqua Ring!"
"What?"
A blue ring of water flowed around Milotic's body, hazy and particularly beautiful in the light reflected from its scales.
As the ring completed one circuit, the somewhat exhausted Milotic looked a little better, and the water kept flowing.
Yong was a little surprised.
Was Disarming Voice just a diversion?
"Mudkip, ride the wave over there and interrupt it with Rock Smash!"
"Marsh!"
Riding the lingering waves from Surf, Marshtomp surged toward Milotic. Familiar white energy once again enveloped its arms, fighting energy pouring forth!
Kuan spoke just in time.
"Attract!"
"Marshtomp, dive underwater and charge over!"
Not to be outdone, Yong reacted quickly.
"Hmph! Milotic, center a full-power Twister on yourself and drain the river! Let's see how it hides now!"
Kuan wanted to end this battle!
An enormous column of water appeared for the third time, even more imposing than before! Centered on Milotic, the tremendous suction dragged the river water into the air.
"You're hurting yourself almost as much as your opponent!"
Yong shook his head. Has he lost his judgment? Milotic will take heavy damage inside that Twister too! Even with Aqua Ring healing it...
Marshtomp, on the other hand, had far greater stamina and defense!
"Break through! Full-power Rock Smash! Finish it!"
"Marsh!!"
With a roar, Marshtomp leaped out of the waterspout beside Milotic!
Its arms looked even thicker under the energy enveloping them. Using the momentum gained from Twister's rotation, Marshtomp swung a mighty punch and slammed it squarely into Milotic's neck!
Strike a snake where it was most vulnerable!
"Milo~!!"
Amid its anguished cry, the waterspout gradually lost the energy sustaining it and dissipated into the air.
The river slowly calmed as well... Marshtomp floated belly-down on the surface, panting heavily. Twister had clearly inflicted considerable damage.
Beside it, Milotic also floated on the water, but it had already lost consciousness.
The butler observed for a while, then decisively announced the result after confirming that Milotic was unconscious.
"Milotic is unable to battle! The winner is Mr. Yong!"
"Phew, it's over. Come back, Marshtomp. Thanks for all your hard work!"
Yong recalled Marshtomp and breathed a sigh of relief.
If his opponent hadn't lost his composure and given him an opening, winning this battle wouldn't have been so easy. A control-based strategy was still a real pain to deal with.
"Ding! Marshtomp won the battle and earned 10 training points! First evolution reward: 10 training points! Gained a large amount of experience!" "Ding! Proficiency increased for Rock Smash, Surf, Rock Slide, Supersonic, and Protect!"
"Young Master Kuan actually lost!"
"Oh my, is this his first defeat?"
"So that whole 'best rookie' thing was just bragging, huh?"
"Exactly!"
The crowd whispered as they watched Kuan recall Milotic and stand silently in place.
Some felt sorry for him, some mocked him, and some were delighted... After thinking it over, Yong walked up and extended his right hand.
"Your control-based strategy is really impressive!"
"You..."
"Haha, if you'd stayed a little calmer, I would've been the one who lost. Milotic really suits you!"
Taking Kuan's hand himself, Yong said earnestly, "As a Trainer, you have to keep your emotions under control. You're strong. I look forward to facing you again at the Pokémon League tournament!"
Looking at him, Kuan suddenly felt that losing wasn't such a big deal. He seemed to have rediscovered why he'd wanted to become a Trainer in the first place: to battle different opponents and experience the joy of battling!
He remembered how carefully he had tended to Feebas after getting it, until one day it finally evolved into Milotic. He had been so happy that day!
What made me so arrogant? My uninterrupted winning streak?
All I beat were other rookies. What was there to be so happy about?
How long has it been since I trained properly with Milotic? Since I had a meal with my family?
"Thank you, Yong!"
Kuan replied just as earnestly, "Next time, Milotic and I will definitely win. See you at the Pokémon League tournament!"
Seeing that Kuan had realized something, Yong nodded and smiled.
"I'll definitely be the one who wins!"
The two exchanged a smile.
"Well then, I'll be going!"
Kuan waved, called his butler over, and got into the car with him before speeding away.
Another rival!
Kong, Kuan... Heh! This is getting interesting!
Yong remembered the boy he'd met in Petalburg Woods not long ago and smiled to himself.
Now this is what makes a journey worthwhile!
"Thank you very much, Mr. Yong!"
Yong turned and saw the middle-aged man from earlier standing beside him with a smile.
"It was nothing. I feel like I've improved a lot too!"
Mudkip had evolved, and that was the greatest reward of all.
"Still, thank you very much! Here's the reward we agreed on. Please accept it!"
The middle-aged man took out the cash card and forced training device again and handed them to Yong.
"Then I'll gladly accept!"
Yong took the reward. They had agreed on it beforehand, so there was no reason to feel awkward.
"All right, I'll be taking my leave! Mr. Yong, have a pleasant journey! If you visit Slateport City someday, stop by here. The master and young master will certainly welcome you!"
After handing Yong a business card as well, the middle-aged man quickly walked away.
"Hmm... Kusukiki Shipping Company... Haven't I heard that somewhere before?"
Unable to remember, Yong put the business card away.
"Slateport City, huh? I'll think about it when the time comes!"
Turning down challenges from the Trainers nearby on the grounds that Marshtomp needed treatment, Yong quickly left the riverbank and continued toward Rustboro City.
He was already eager to reach the Pokémon Center, get some proper rest, take a bath, and enjoy a big meal!
Sitting in the luxury car, Kuan gazed out the window and quietly reflected on today's battle.
After a while, he took out Milotic's Luxury Ball.
"I'm sorry, Milotic! Next time, let's get our revenge together, on the battlefield at the Pokémon League tournament."
"Light! When we get back, register me for this year's Ever Grande Conference. Then tell Father I'm planning a trip to Sootopolis City."
"Certainly, young master. As you wish!"
Saying nothing more, Kuan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. The car grew quiet again, with only the roar of its engine trailing farther and farther down the road.
Rustboro City was a beautiful seaside city. The mountain nearby had an observation deck, and the city itself was filled with large buildings and skyscrapers.
Centered around the Devon Corporation, many of the Hoenn Region's important industries were based here!
These included the Devon Corporation headquarters, the Trainer School, the Rock-type Rustboro Gym, a martial arts school that taught Cut, and Abyss Shipping, the largest shipping company in northwestern Hoenn.
Travelers coming from Petalburg Woods had to cross the Rustboro River Bridge to enter this city, known as "the city pursuing harmony between nature and science."
Like Shanghai in Yong's previous life, it had skyscrapers, high-rise buildings, and a full range of modern facilities!
As one of the Hoenn Region's major cities, Rustboro City had long served as the northwest's center of commerce, industry, and shipping.
Many people came from all over Hoenn to travel or work here. There were even travelers from the Kanto Region and Sinnoh Region who came to sightsee and challenge the Gym. As a result, the entire city was lively, its streets bustling with people.
Following the crowds, Yong finally reached the first stop on his journey: Rustboro City, the major city home to a Rock-type Gym!