"Meow~"
"What did you say?"
"Meow..."
Well, Xin Mu hadn't understood a single word. In the past, he had always grasped exactly what Meownei wanted to say, as though his brain came equipped with a Pokémon language translator specifically for her.
But now, all Xin Mu was getting was gibberish.
Even if that translation ability had stopped working, he shouldn't have been unable to understand anything at all.
That left only one answer: Meownei was speaking gibberish.
Even another Meowscarada wouldn't have understood her in Xin Mu's place.
Taking advantage of the fundamental difference between their languages, Meownei played dumb and avoided answering Xin Mu's earlier question.
And that also showed that the root of the problem wasn't the "secret photo."
These days, taking a photo and posting it in a group chat was common enough. Sometimes, pictures went viral for no apparent reason.
It wasn't good behavior in principle, but as long as you weren't shoving a camera in someone's face and nothing came of it, nobody cared.
After all, if it didn't go viral, nobody would even find out.
As for how Meownei had caught on, he could only chalk it up to something like battle instincts.
"Forget it. You didn't do anything weird, did you?"
"Meow! (No!)"
She had merely defended her claim. How could that count as weird? It was perfectly reasonable behavior.
So Meownei answered without a shred of guilt. Since the other person was still lining up nearby, Xin Mu didn't think much of it either. He picked up a slip of paper and handed it to her.
He had drawn it when he collected his contestant number. Written inside was the means of transport they would use in the race.
"Take a look. I haven't opened it yet, so I don't know what we got."
"Meow. (A wheelchair.)"
Meownei didn't bother building suspense and simply opened the slip. Although it wasn't one of the smaller pieces of equipment she had wanted most, like roller skates, it was acceptable overall.
Someone nearby had even drawn something without wheels-a pogo stick-and was trying to figure out how to get their Pokémon to use it.
"A wheelchair... sorry for the trouble. Running while pushing one of these probably won't be very comfortable."
"Meow meow, meowscarada~ (No, you're the one who'll have to put up with it. Sitting in this definitely won't be very comfortable.)"
Meownei scratched her chin, looking as though she had come up with a few unusual ideas.
Before Meownei could explain her tactics, a familiar voice rang out nearby.
"Mr. Xin Mu! Are you entering the race too?"
"Pika pika!"
Team Rocket knew Ash well after pursuing him for so long, and their prediction of his plans had been correct. Sure enough, he had shown up at the race.
But looking at Pikachu, who had come along with Ash, Xin Mu was a little confused.
"You... are entering with Pikachu?"
"No, I borrowed Brock's Onix. Pikachu is entering too, though, teamed up with Misty's Staryu."
Ash knew perfectly well that having Pikachu pull him along wasn't realistic. So Pikachu wasn't entering as the Pokémon, but as the participating "person."
The rules really didn't prohibit two Pokémon from entering together. Besides, Ash was just a member of the public entering for fun, so the restrictions were a little looser.
Still, Xin Mu remembered that Pikachu actually had racing experience. Pikachu had once entered a race riding Squirtle, though the results had been fairly unremarkable.
"What did you draw?"
"A bicycle. Pikachu got a scooter."
Xin Mu had no idea how Onix was supposed to operate a bicycle, or how Pikachu and Staryu would handle a scooter, and he didn't have time to discuss it.
The referee in charge had already started directing the contestants to the starting line.
"Meow... meow meow. (Make sure you stay seated firmly. Trust me, and whatever you do, don't let go.)"
"I trust you, but what exactly are you planning? Tell me first."
"Meow."
"Oh, I see. Got it. Go full speed. I definitely won't fall out."
Meownei didn't stand behind the wheelchair. Instead, she turned it around so that Xin Mu faced backward.
On top of the wheelchair's seat belt, Meownei secured Xin Mu with her vine stems as an extra precaution. The other Pokémon also made their preparations according to the transport their trainers had drawn.
For example, "Brother Han," who had drawn the pogo stick, went by the screen name "What Did Mom Machamp Do Wrong," and her Pokémon really was a Machamp.
The pogo stick looked fairly well made. Machamp was using the lower pair of hands to control it while the upper pair held the trainer securely.
"Let me repeat this! You must follow the designated route, and the transport you drew must stay in contact with the road! Contestants, make sure your Pokémon are ready. The race is about to begin!"
At the ready signal, Meownei heaved the wheelchair up.
Then she tipped it sideways onto the road, taking it from resting on all four wheels to just one main wheel. That reduced friction while also making it easier for her to apply force.
Bang!
The starting pistol fired, and the contestants streamed out. The surrounding screens began broadcasting an overhead view.
[This year's race is just as intense as ever! The contestants are already spreading out right off the starting line. Leading the pack are Ponyta pulling a unicycle and... uh...
Meowscarada pulling a wheelchair! This Pokémon comes from the Paldea region, and it's the first time one has appeared in this race!]
The commentator seemed a little underprepared and hadn't immediately recognized Meownei's species, but that minor slip didn't draw any criticism from the audience.
Live broadcasts had plenty of mishaps these days. Not getting someone's name wrong was already good enough.
[Machamp is also showing off the power of a Fighting-type Pokémon, pushing that pogo stick to its limits and following close behind! Oh no! That was too much force-the pogo stick snapped! It's a shame, but we have our first contestant out of the race!]
Machamp were immensely strong, and with their four arms, they were proficient in all kinds of martial arts-but only martial arts.
Having more hands hadn't made this species any more dexterous. In fact, they were terribly clumsy, and their brute strength often caused mistakes when they tried to do delicate work.
Looking at the pogo stick that had accidentally snapped, Machamp looked embarrassed. The trainer didn't scold Machamp, instead offering comfort.
The ones really sweating now were the sporting equipment sponsors.
People followed the crowd. They wouldn't care how your pogo stick had broken; all they knew was that it had broken.
If a couple of people started stirring things up now, that would mean big trouble. Those watching the broadcast were already notifying the PR department to prepare a response.
[Meowscarada has pulled off a drift while towing the wheelchair! The leading pack has put some distance between themselves and the rest, but how much longer can their stamina hold out?
Now let's take a look at the contestants farther back...
Currently trailing is the bicycle being pulled by Onix! Perhaps after what happened to Machamp, Onix is a little afraid to use too much force!
Alongside Onix are Pikachu and Staryu. Their body shapes seem to make using a scooter a little difficult, but we still wish them a good result!]
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