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As soon as the exquisite little box was opened, Liam's eyes were immediately drawn to the feather inside, which emitted a faint, rainbow-colored glow.
In Liam's understanding, many Pokémon had feathers, but ones this dazzling and elegant? He pondered for a long while, and aside from that legendary Pokémon, he couldn't think of any others that matched.
Carrying a sense of uncertainty, Liam slowly reached out and placed his hand on the feather. He activated an appraisal skill—and the results confirmed what he had suspected.
[Ding!]
[Rainbow Wing: A mysterious feather that radiates the brilliance of a rainbow. Said to possess incredible power and is believed to be closely linked to a certain legendary Pokémon.]
As expected… the Rainbow Wing.
Liam felt his hands tremble slightly as he gently lifted the box, bringing it closer to examine the beautiful feather in detail.
His heart was racing. He knew he had stumbled upon a treasure. In his memory, the Rainbow Wing was said to be capable of summoning the legendary Ho-Oh.
It was absurdly rare and precious—something with an exchange value in the system that was off the charts.
And now, such a priceless item had appeared before him, just like that. Liam felt like he was in a dream.
"Uh… to be honest, Mr. Muramasa, if we're talking value, this feather is worth countless times more than my Metal Coat. If you're offering this as a thank-you gift, you're seriously taking a loss…"
After some hesitation, Liam finally couldn't bring himself to accept such a bargain. Though reluctant, he closed the lid and pushed the box back toward Muramasa with his eyes shut.
"Oh? It's that valuable, huh? Hahaha! I honestly had no idea... But I'm a pretty stubborn guy. Once I give something away, I never take it back. If you don't want it, feel free to toss it somewhere after you leave—but I won't be reclaiming it."
Muramasa raised his brows slightly, then burst into laughter. His eyes were full of admiration for Liam.
"…Then I suppose I'll keep it. Turning it down again would make me look ungrateful. Thank you once more, Mr. Muramasa. I'll always treasure this gift."
Liam let out a sigh, somewhat helpless at Muramasa's insistence. He finally accepted the box—after all, he couldn't actually throw it away.
That night, Liam and Delia stayed the night at Muramasa's Gym. The next morning, they set off toward Union Cave, not far from the gym, accompanied by the cheers of Muramasa and his disciples.
Muramasa and his students stood at the gym's entrance, watching until Liam and Delia had completely disappeared from view before turning back inside.
Just then, a bald youth—the same one who had a Hitmonchan earlier—came running over in a panic.
"...Ado? What are you doing just getting here now?! Why the rush? Did something happen?"
Muramasa looked at the panting, flustered boy in confusion.
"M-Master! Look at this! The headline!"
Ado gasped for breath as he pulled several newspapers from his coat and handed them over.
"Hm? What's the big news? Let me see… 'Indigo League Conference Comes to an End! Champion Crowned from Pallet Town—Liam!' Hm? Liam?! So that's why he was so strong... he won the Indigo League Conference! Hahaha! What a talented young man! Impressive, impressive…"
Muramasa chuckled as he scanned the front page, which featured a large photo of Liam accepting his trophy.
"Huh? Indigo League Champion? No no, not that one, Master! I meant this other headline!"
Ado blinked, then hurriedly flipped through the papers to show the correct article.
"…Let's see… 'Cycle of Old and New—The Birth of a New Kanto Champion'… Following recognition from League President Charles Goodshow, the former Champion, and current Elite Four members, a new Kanto Champion has officially been crowned: the winner of this year's League Conference—Liam! From today onwards, he shall be known as Champion Liam, acknowledged by the League for his undeniable and overwhelming strength…"
Muramasa read every word carefully. He re-read the headline a few times, then slowly looked in the direction Liam and Delia had departed.
"…What the fuck…."
.....
Meanwhile, ignoring Muramasa and his disciples who were now frozen in shock, Liam and Delia had crossed the forest and arrived at the edge of a steep, winding mountain range.
"…Is something wrong with this terrain? Why has it changed so much?"
Liam mumbled as he stared at a sheer cliff wall that was nearly a 90-degree incline.
"Exactly! First it was grassland, then a massive forest, and now we're facing mountains? Ugh, if I'd known, I wouldn't have chosen this route—it's such a pain..."
Delia pouted in agreement.
"Heh, thankfully there's a tunnel here called Union Cave. It leads straight to Azalea Town. If we can get through it, we'll be set."
Liam had already pulled up the navigation map and was now guiding Delia while scanning for the cave entrance. Eventually, they found it beneath a large boulder.
Without hesitation, Liam led Delia into the cave. Having explored numerous caverns before, he moved with practiced ease.
Inside the tunnel, pale white crystals of various shapes lined the rock walls. Their soft glow illuminated the dark cave, so Liam and Delia didn't need to worry about visibility—they simply kept walking forward.
Union Cave was a strange place. It wasn't just a rocky tunnel—it also contained several large underground lakes, where many Water-type Pokémon lived peacefully. Because of how secluded it was, the wild Pokémon here were rarely disturbed and lived in tranquility.
After walking for quite a while, Liam and Delia came to a stop at the edge of one such lake, which blocked their path forward. The lake shimmered under the soft glow of the crystals, and a few Goldeen swam playfully near the shore, completely unfazed by the two humans.
"This lake's too wide. Guess we'll need Aerodactyl to fly us over… Come on out, Aerodactyl."
Liam knew he had no other options. With Garchomp not around, Surf wasn't an option either. He summoned Aerodactyl.
"Raaah!"
With a loud roar, Aerodactyl emerged from its PokeBall, startling the Goldeen, who scattered in every direction.
Once Liam helped Delia up onto Aerodactyl's back, the massive Pokémon slowly flapped its wings, lifting off the ground. Its huge shadow passed over the lake as it glided low toward the far side.
But just then—
"Preeee~!"
A crisp cry echoed from somewhere nearby, followed by a high-pressure Water Gun attack, tearing through the air as it shot straight at Aerodactyl!