Machoke ultimately couldn't defeat Golduck. Just as the battle was about to end, Lopunny suddenly jumped in and blocked Golduck's path.
Golduck halted its charging Water Pulse, staring at Lopunny in disbelief.
On the other side, Machoke -half kneeling on the ground- was still trying to resist, signaling for Lopunny to move aside. It still wanted to fight Golduck for another three hundred rounds.
But unfortunately, stories like this are always melodramatic and predictable…
Golduck, disheartened, knew full well it was stronger and more handsome, and yet… still couldn't win the girl.
Watching this stupid couple in front of him, Golduck let out a "furious" quack, then turned and disappeared into the bushes.
Having watched everything, Umbreon was deeply shaken. It glanced at Glaceon nearby.
'So becoming stronger means… losing your mate!'
At that moment, Umbreon fell into deep internal conflict. On one hand, it didn't want to let down its handsome Trainer Sato and wished to become his trusted partner.
…But on the other hand, it couldn't bear to give up the partner it had just managed to win over. Just now, Glaceon had even proposed to go moon-gazing with it tonight!
Fortunately, Umbreon wouldn't have to struggle for long, because another Pokémon suddenly appeared on the scene. An Electabuzz swaggered in from the other side, smirking and curling its finger toward Lopunny.
Lopunny seemed to recognize Electabuzz. Her face filled with fear and panic, and she instinctively retreated behind Machoke.
Machoke also sensed danger. It forced itself back to its feet and stood protectively in front of Lopunny.
Electabuzz looked on with disdain, electric sparks crackling between its hands as it stepped forward and delivered a vicious blow toward Machoke.
Smack! Smack!
Machoke was already spent. Judging by Lopunny's reaction, Electabuzz was clearly the stronger one. After two solid Thunder Punches, Machoke fell without surprise.
Lopunny trembled as she backed away, crying out to Machoke, desperately hoping it would wake up.
Electabuzz grinned wickedly, approaching Lopunny step by step, its tail swaying.
…Clearly delighted.
"Roserade, Petal Dance!"
Without warning, Cynthia made her move.
…And what a terrifying move it was.
The sky filled with swirling petals, beautiful yet deadly.
There wasn't even time for a scream. Electabuzz was swept into the air by Petal Dance and then slammed hard into the ground.
One-shot knockout!
Electabuzz, as expected, lost consciousness, its body covered in countless tiny cuts. It looked absolutely pitiful.
Roserade calmly leapt back onto a nearby tree, as if the devastating Petal Dance hadn't even come from it.
Cynthia didn't even blink. She didn't care in the slightest whether it was too harsh to beat Electabuzz that badly.
Lopunny, only now realizing the others' presence, trembled as she looked at them. Despite witnessing Electabuzz's terrible defeat, she didn't abandon Machoke or run away.
"Let's go," Cynthia said coldly, turning and walking away without hesitation. Sato and the others silently followed behind her.
You don't mess with a raging monster… especially when that monster is female.
"Glaa~"
Glaceon nudged the stunned Umbreon, unsure what was wrong with its little partner. Had it been scared stiff?
Umbreon snapped out of it at the nudge. When it turned and locked eyes with Glaceon, staring at its beautiful partner, a deep sense of urgency surged within it like never before.
It desperately wanted to become stronger!
----
Sato suddenly realized that his Umbreon, which usually acted spoiled and seemed detached from the world, had changed. Whether in training or in battle, it had become extremely driven and determined.
Even the time it spent glued to Glaceon had gradually decreased. It often ran off on its own to look for opponents, usually returning only after being completely exhausted.
Sato actually welcomed the change. He figured Umbreon had likely been affected by that overly dramatic scene earlier, so he didn't interfere.
But every time it went out, Sato would instruct Gengar to follow and protect it from the shadows.
After all, Umbreon still hadn't reached Ace level. While Elite Pokémon weren't that common in the wild, they certainly weren't rare either.
Cynthia also noticed the change in Umbreon. For the first time, she felt a little goodwill toward the girl who had stolen her Glaceon's heart.
Ambition… was never something to dislike.
---
Two days later in the afternoon, the group of four arrived at a small town. Due to the high frequency of battles between Sato and Cynthia along the way, they had consumed a lot of resources.
After a brief discussion, they decided to take a short break in a town called Helvetia to replenish their supplies.
Helvetia Town wasn't big, but because it wasn't too far from the bustling Jubilife City, it was decently developed and had all the basic infrastructure.
Of course, there wasn't a Pokémon Center, but there were plenty of inns. After asking around, the group chose one that was relatively well-furnished.
"Joseph, I'm starving. When do we eat?" Mark flopped onto the bed the moment they entered the room and whined weakly.
"I asked the owner. There's a local specialty restaurant nearby with great reviews. Let's pack up and head out to eat," Joseph said as he entered, setting his bag down.
"Yesss! I'm all packed~ Let's go now!"
The moment he heard they were eating out, Mark was instantly revived. As much as he loved Joseph's cooking, it was nice to try something different now and then.
The four of them quickly got ready and headed straight for the restaurant recommended by the innkeeper.
Just wandering a bit, it was already 6 PM. Many people were out for dinner around that time, so the streets were quite lively.
"Helvetia Town's actually pretty bustling. And maaan~ The smell of food is everywhere."
Oddly enough, Mark wasn't rushing to the restaurant anymore, he was already being lured away by the variety of street food.
Buy what you want, eat what you crave. Soon, all four of them had their hands full of local snacks, eating as they walked.
And to be fair, despite Helvetia Town's small size, the street food was actually excellent. Each bite unique, every flavor satisfying.
By the time they were near the restaurant, they were already almost full.
Just as they were about to call it a night and return to rest, chaos suddenly broke out in the street. Three Piloswine had come charging out of nowhere, rushing onto the sidewalk and ramming into everyone in sight without the slightest sense of reason!
Cynthia was the first to approach the scene. She sent out her ace…
Garchomp!
"Stop them, use Brick Break!"
"Gaaaarch!"
Garchomp pushed off with a light motion from its legs, and its entire body shot forward like a missile. In the blink of an eye, it was standing before the three Piloswine.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three heavy crashes followed. In front of Garchomp, the burly Piloswine were like children, completely powerless.
Sato and the others quickly approached the collapsed Piloswine, but after a while, no one came forward to claim them.
"This is the central street of Helvetia Town. There's no way wild Piloswine would show up here, right?" Mark asked aloud, and the others clearly had the same thought.
Just then, the sound of police sirens began to wail in the distance…
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150 PS = Extra Chapter