A few seconds later, the dust and sand gradually settled, and the people around finally saw what had happened on the field.
Hariyama's massive body was half kneeling on the beach. Its thick shoulders rose and fell slightly as several small flames still flickered on its body, scorching its skin and releasing faint wisps of smoke.
It tried to push itself up.
But the moment it stood, the burning pain made it grunt, and it dropped heavily back onto one knee. Its face was filled with pain, and the brightness in its eyes had dimmed noticeably.
"Alright, Hariyama, no need to continue."
Brawly hurried forward and pressed a hand on his partner's shoulder, his voice filled with concern.
"You've already done well."
He looked at Theo and said sincerely:
"Theo, you've won this match. There's no need to go on. Hariyama and I concede."
The moment Larvesta heard that it had won, it seemed to explode like a firework. The five antennae on its head puffed out five slender streams of flame.
It lifted its head high and strutted to the center of the battlefield on its six tiny legs, its face full of pride, looking exactly like a victorious general returning from battle.
But pride aside, when Larvesta noticed that the flames were still burning on Hariyama's body, it immediately ran over. It gently touched the flames with its antennae.
A surprising scene followed.
Those flames seemed to respond to its call, flowing back along its antennae and returning into its body, leaving only a few charred marks behind on Hariyama.
Milotic also glided over from behind Theo.
With a gentle flick of its tail, several glowing blue droplets drifted forward and landed on Hariyama's body. The moment the droplets touched its skin, they transformed into a soft, soothing mist.
The burns caused by the flames visibly eased, and the pain on Hariyama's face gradually faded.
It let out a low cry toward Larvesta and Milotic, as if thanking them.
Seeing this, Brawly withdrew the hand he had been about to use to recall Hariyama into its Poké Ball. A faint, helpless smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you, Larvesta, Milotic. You're really incredible…"
At that moment, the gym trainee acting as referee ran over with a black badge in hand and handed it to Brawly.
Brawly took the badge and personally presented it to Theo.
"This is the Knuckle Badge. Take it."
He looked at Theo with a proud expression.
"For Dewford Town to produce a trainer like you is something we're proud of. I hope you can carry this honor forward on your journey."
"I definitely will."
Theo accepted the badge. A cool sensation spread through his fingertips as he placed it into his badge case, lining it up neatly with the other gym badges he had already earned.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat had completely exploded:
"That was insane! Larvesta wins in one move!"
"That Flame Meteor attack was ridiculously cool!"
"Larvesta: Calm down, just basic skills."
After the battle, Theo intended to take his leave, but Brawly stopped him.
"Don't rush off. The weather's great today. Why not stay and try surfing with us? I see from your streams that you're always by the sea, but don't tell me all you do is cook for your Pokémon?"
Theo could not help but laugh. He did not refuse.
He had indeed spent a long time by the sea, but he had never actually tried surfing.
Brawly brought over two surfboards, handing one to Theo while stepping onto the other himself. Hariyama stood nearby, ready to generate waves.
"Keep your center low, bend your knees slightly, and feel the rhythm of the wave…"
Brawly demonstrated smoothly atop the water, moving as naturally as a fish.
To be honest, surfing looked simple, but in practice it was anything but easy.
Theo stepped onto the surfboard, and as soon as a wave from Hariyama lifted him up, he felt like the board beneath his feet had been coated in oil.
His body swayed uncontrollably. He could not even last three seconds before he fell straight into the water with a loud splash.
"Laaaar~!"
Larvesta rolled on the beach laughing uncontrollably, its five antennae bending from laughter. It even deliberately spat out a small puff of flame toward Theo, openly mocking him.
Theo wiped the seawater from his face and said irritably:
"If you're so good, you try it."
Unexpectedly, that comment really got to Larvesta.
It ran over to Hariyama and chirped at it, asking for surfing tips.
Hariyama did not hold a grudge over the earlier loss. Seeing Larvesta ask for advice, it scratched its head with its large fan-like hand and patiently explained the basics.
Soon, Larvesta began its own attempt at surfing.
To everyone's surprise, this chubby little bug actually had talent.
Following Hariyama's instructions and mimicking Brawly's earlier movements, Larvesta lowered its body and used its six legs to grip the edges of the board tightly.
Hariyama cooperated by creating a gentle wave.
As the board lifted slightly, Larvesta straightened its body. It wobbled a little at first, but quickly stabilized its center of gravity and rode the wave forward.
"Wow! That Larvesta is amazing!"
"It learned it in one try? That's ridiculously smart!"
The trainees nearby began applauding, and Larvesta grew even more pleased, surfing with increasing enthusiasm.
After just a few attempts, it looked like a seasoned surfer, completely at ease.
It even used its silk-spinning ability to produce two thin threads, carefully tying up the Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix, placing them on the back of the surfboard, and carrying them along the waves.
At first, the two little ones were a bit scared, clinging tightly to the edges of the board. But as the waves rose and fell, the thrilling sensation quickly excited them.
Fire Vulpix cried out happily, while the bells on Ice Vulpix's tail jingled continuously.
The crisp sound of bells mixed with the roar of the ocean, creating a wonderfully lively atmosphere.
This experience was completely different from the steady ride on Metagross across the sea. Every rise and fall of the wave brought a surge of adrenaline.
The excited cries of the two little Vulpix never stopped.
Meanwhile, Theo watched Larvesta surfing skillfully while he himself could not even stand steadily. Feeling a bit unwilling to accept it, he could only turn to Metagross for help.
"Can you stabilize me a bit?"
Metagross nodded without hesitation, a faint blue glow of psychic power flashing in its eyes.
With the support of its telekinesis, the surfboard beneath Theo's feet instantly became obedient. Not only could he stand steadily on it, but he was even able to ride the waves and carve out a few decent arcs, finally recovering a bit of his dignity in front of Larvesta.
Not far away, Milotic swam leisurely, occasionally flicking its tail to replace Hariyama in generating perfectly sized waves for both Theo and Larvesta.
Sunlight poured down onto its golden tail fin, refracting into dazzling rays of light that drew quite a few people to pull out their phones and start taking pictures.
The livestream audience was just as entertained:
"Hahaha the streamer is so bad, he actually needs Metagross to surf!"
"Larvesta: Didn't expect that, huh? I can battle and surf!"
"Suddenly I feel like Dewford's beach is amazing, I want to visit!"
…
After quite a bit of commotion, the surfing session finally came to an end.
Theo was completely soaked, collapsing onto the sand in exhaustion, while Larvesta was still full of energy. It continued to carry the two little Vulpix back and forth on the surfboard, playing around under Milotic's guidance.
By the time Larvesta and the two Vulpix returned to shore, a crowd had already gathered around the beach.
Some were spectators from the earlier battle, while others had been drawn in by the adorable sight of Larvesta and the two little foxes.
Many people were holding beautifully packaged Pokémon treats, enthusiastically offering them to the little ones.
"Larvesta, can we take a photo? I brought you something tasty!"
A boy wearing glasses held up his camera, his voice full of anticipation.
"Ice Vulpix, Fire Vulpix, look at this! It's a double-flavored cookie made from Pecha Berries and Cheri Berries!"
A girl held out a small box, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the two Vulpix.
Larvesta and the two little foxes all turned to look at Theo, their eyes filled with longing. Theo smiled and nodded.
"Photos are fine, but don't eat too many snacks. We're going back to eat a proper meal later."
Larvesta immediately bit into a cookie, munching happily as it was quickly surrounded by people. Even with food in its mouth, it did not forget to strike various "cool" poses.
After a while, when it looked at the finished photos, Larvesta suddenly felt something was off.
It immediately hurried over to its companions, snatching back all of its accessories and putting them back on itself in a flurry.
This vain little display made everyone around burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, the two Vulpix were being held by several cute girls. The bells tied to their tails jingled softly as they moved, and they nuzzled against the cookie boxes with their little heads, looking extremely well behaved and adorable.
Metagross and Milotic were not left out either.
Someone specifically offered dried fish to Milotic, praising its beauty.
Others noticed the "Fighting King" badge accessory stuck at the center of Metagross's facial cross and tried to add more decorations to it.
But Metagross expressionlessly pushed them away with its psychic power. Its serious demeanor only made it seem even more charming.
After going back and forth like this and fulfilling everyone's requests for photos, the sun had already climbed high into the sky.
Theo politely declined their invitations to stay for a meal and returned to the seaside house with his companions, who still had crumbs of snacks stuck around their mouths.
Back at the beach house, Theo prepared a full table of dishes, and the Pokémon ate with great enjoyment.
Larvesta, while eating, kept gesturing animatedly at Metagross, reenacting its surfing moves and showing off its "achievements."
After a short rest, Theo packed up his belongings and announced to everyone:
"Time to go. Our destination is Slateport City and Pacifidlog Town!"
To travel from Dewford Town to Slateport City, they needed to cross the sea. Metagross had already unfolded its body, activating both Gravity and Magnet Rise once more as it transformed into its flying form.
At the same time, it used its psychic power to lift Larvesta and the two Vulpix onto its back, gliding smoothly just above the surface of the sea.
Milotic carried Theo ahead, swimming gracefully across the water like a nimble guide.
At the beginning, the journey across the sea was full of novelty.
Sunlight shimmered across the ocean surface, and occasionally groups of Tentacool drifted past, leaving behind strings of colorful bubbles.
The two little Vulpix leaned over the side of the "Metagross boat," staring intently at the water below.
Ice Vulpix would occasionally release a small puff of cold air, freezing a tiny patch of the sea, only for Vulpix to melt it again with its flames. The two played endlessly, completely absorbed in their fun.
But after traveling for some time, with nothing but endless blue stretching as far as the eye could see and the salty scent of the sea filling the air, things gradually became a bit monotonous.
Seeing the two little Vulpix growing a little listless, Theo spoke to Milotic beneath him.
"Milotic, take them underwater to have some fun. They haven't seen what it looks like beneath the sea yet."
Milotic immediately understood. It opened its mouth and released a large water bubble.
Larvesta jumped in first, and the two Vulpix followed closely behind their little "babysitter" into the bubble.
With a gentle push of its tail fin, Milotic sent the bubble drifting across the surface, and at that moment, Theo jumped from Milotic's back onto Metagross.
Once Theo had safely landed, Milotic began guiding the bubble downward, slowly submerging into the sea.
Inside the bubble, the two Vulpix widened their eyes in curiosity as they looked at the colorful coral reefs, the schools of fish weaving between them, and the Shellder opening their shells and blowing out bubbles.
They let out bursts of amazed cries as they gazed at this completely different underwater world.
Watching everything through the transparent bubble, their tails spun so fast they were almost like little propellers.
Larvesta fully embraced its role as their caretaker, enthusiastically explaining what each thing was to the two little ones.
Milotic, understanding their curiosity, deliberately guided the bubble through vibrant coral clusters, occasionally using its tail to pick up beautiful shells and bring them close for the little ones to admire.
The two Vulpix quickly regained their energy.
Not only that, later on, when they grew tired of the underwater scenery, Metagross also used its own methods to give them new experiences.
It increased its psychic output, lifting Larvesta and the two Vulpix higher and higher into the sky.
At first, Fire Vulpix was startled, squeezing its eyes shut tightly.
But when it felt the wind brushing past its ears and saw the ocean shrinking below, it could not help but peek one eye open. Then it let out an excited cry, stretching its limbs wide like a little bird soaring through the sky.
Ice Vulpix was no different. At first, it curled its tail shyly.
But when Metagross carried it past a cloud that looked like cotton candy, it reached out with its paw and poked it, discovering that it was soft like cotton. Immediately, it joined in the fun.
Seeing this, Larvesta hurriedly spun out silk threads, carefully tying them around the two little ones like kites, afraid they might get into danger.
But Fire Vulpix had already grown bold and did not like being restrained. It secretly let out a few sparks, burning a small hole in the silk thread before suddenly breaking free.
It even spun around in midair and made a playful face at Larvesta, causing Larvesta to chirp angrily as it chased after it.
Ice Vulpix followed suit, using a small ice spike to cut through its thread and joining the aerial chase.
Larvesta darted back and forth, chasing one moment and trying to catch the other the next, its six legs kicking rapidly in midair, worrying endlessly. The sight of it was so amusing that even Milotic could not help but laugh.
And so, between diving underwater, soaring through the sky, and playful chases, time passed quickly.
What should have been a dull journey across the sea was turned by this lively group into a full blown ocean amusement park.
…
(End of Chapter)