The five of them looked at the bustling port of Canalave City, unable to suppress the growing sense of doubt in their hearts.
They had stayed cautious the entire journey, yet nothing had happened, and in the end, they arrived safely in Canalave City.
That should have been a good thing, but knowing there was still an organization keeping an eye on them, the feeling was far from comforting.
The most likely explanation was that the other party already knew about the legend of the Sea Temple's emergence, and once the solar eclipse had passed, they could only wait for the next time or the lunar eclipse.
It was beyond their control, so they gave up on their own. If that was truly the case, then they could finally travel without constantly being on edge.
After more than a month, Sato and the others finally set foot on solid ground again. Something that brought genuine peace of mind.
No doubt about it, after such an exhausting adventure, a proper rest was absolutely essential.
Before that, the trio also bid farewell to Meredith and Kyle.
"If you ever get the chance to visit Shadownight Town, I run the place. I'll treat you to all the best food and drinks!" Mark waved boldly, brimming with enthusiasm.
Meredith smiled lightly, not taking it seriously. After traveling together for so long, she already understood Mark's position within the trio.
No need to guess… once she and Kyle left, Mark would definitely be "punished" for being too cocky.
"To be honest, if you ever come to Shadownight Town, you'll be most welcome," Joseph added, speaking to Kyle.
When it really mattered, the normally quiet Kyle had proven quite reliable.
"Mm, we'll definitely come!"
After saying their goodbyes at the port, the trio naturally chose to rest at the local Pokémon Center.
"Nurse Joy, here are our Pokémon. We'll leave them in your care!"
"Leave it to me~ You can go rest in your rooms or feel free to explore. Canalave City's been pretty lively lately." Nurse Joy smiled cheerfully, but didn't give them a definitive answer.
Seeing this, the three of them decided to stay in the lobby and sent Mark to eavesdrop on nearby Trainers' conversations.
Five minutes later, Mark came back holding a few flyers, excitedly handing them to Sato and Joseph.
"Iron Island Exploration Competition?" Joseph read the title out loud, then looked up at Mark.
"Yeah, I already checked. This competition is organized by Canalave Gym Leader Byron. It's held once a year and is SUUUPER popular~"
"Gym Leader Byron?"
Sato was immediately interested. As expected, a Gym Leader without side jobs isn't a good Gym Leader…
This Byron clearly had talent; he had even organized a competition himself, and it looked like it was quite well-run.
"Are there any entry requirements?" Sato asked, clearly interested in experiencing it firsthand. Who knows, he might even get some inspiration for Shadownight Town.
"Uh…" Mark froze. He hadn't paid attention to that detail. Just hearing about the competition had him running back in excitement.
Ten minutes later, Mark came running back again, even more excited than before.
"Got it, got it~ There is an entry requirement. Only Trainers with Rock-, Ground-, or Steel-type Pokémon can enter, and you have to use those types throughout the whole event."
The moment Mark finished speaking, Joseph raised his hands nonchalantly. "Perfect, then I don't have to join."
"Or… you could just go catch one now," Sato offered a rather ordinary suggestion.
Joseph shook his head. He wasn't interested in the so-called competition to begin with. Now he had a solid reason not to join.
That was fine by him.
Seeing Joseph was firm in his decision, Mark didn't try to persuade him further. Instead, they shifted the discussion to how to register.
…Then, Mark ran off again.
"So, who are you planning to use, Pupitar or Krookodile? If you've decided, you'll need to transfer it over early," Joseph asked Sato with a smile.
"Why can't I bring both? No one said you can only use one Pokémon," Sato replied playfully, then even winked at Joseph.
Joseph froze for a second. He was about to say, "Why didn't you just ask Mark to check that while he was out?" but then he remembered Mark's cheeky behavior earlier at the port.
"Tch tch tch, Leader Sato, you sure hold a grudge. Still remembering something from that long ago?" Joseph clicked his tongue, teasing.
"Not at all. Young people should exercise more… it's good for their health," Sato replied seriously, not rising to the bait.
…Ten minutes later, Mark came running back, still excited. "Registration can only be done at the Canalave Gym~ Let's head there now!"
"You forgot something. Didn't you say only one qualifying-type Pokémon can be brought into the competition? Both Krookodile and Pupitar meet the requirement…" Joseph said with a deliberately troubled look, glancing at Mark.
Mark froze again. "Then should I… go ask again…?"
"Yes, please," Sato nodded and then looked at Joseph with a slightly raised eyebrow.
'What's with the sudden helpful attitude? You weren't involved this morning, were you?'
Joseph mimicked Sato's raised eyebrow expression.
'I just felt like it ╮(ω)╭'
…And with that, Mark ran off yet again.
---
Half an hour later, Sato and Joseph arrived at the counter, picking up their Poké Balls while waiting for Mark to return.
"Boss, I've gathered every single piece of intel on the Iron Island Exploration Competition. Ask away, there's no way I've missed anything!"
Mark spoke with absolute confidence, and at the same time turned to accept the Poké Ball Nurse Joy handed him.
"I just got all the details from Nurse Joy. Now there's only one question left," Sato said with mock seriousness.
"Boss, go ahead!" Mark looked like he'd just grabbed onto a lifeline, eyes full of certainty that he'd answer correctly this time.
"The question is… which way is the Canalave Gym?"
"…"
…?
In the end, after Sato finished switching out the Pokémon he was going to use, the three of them headed straight for the Canalave Gym.
After all, rest could come later. Registering was the priority.
On the way, Mark trailed behind like a soulless husk, only comforted by the Phione cradled in his arms, doing its best to soothe his shattered little heart.
…And then, Phione started getting even more annoyed at Sato, secretly wanting to draw circles and curse him.
Unfortunately, Phione wasn't Mark. It didn't have that ability.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the Canalave Gym and found the entrance buzzing with activity. However, there weren't many Trainers actually signing up, most of the crowd was just there for the spectacle.
"Go on, I'll wait for you two out here," Joseph said with a smile to Sato and Mark.
Then the two of them entered the Canalave Gym one after the other, and immediately people around them started whispering.
"Two more just went in to register. Never seen them before, must be Trainers drawn by the hype."
"Look at the one in the back, he looks totally out of it. That kind of person can participate too?"
"Keep it down! The more I look at those two, the more familiar they seem…"
"Geez, you've been chasing celebs too long. Who exactly looks familiar to you?"
"AHHH! I remember now! They're the infamous Dark King duo! They're not here to register… they're here to challenge the Gym!"