After distributing the rewards, Roy felt the poké ball of his Bulbasaur on his waist vibrate slightly.
The sphere emitted a faint glow, then returned to calm.
Bulbasaur had leveled up to 47.
It was only 3 levels away from the Gym-level of 50.
Roy thought for a moment and opened his system inventory.
There were still 4 intermediate rare candy in his inventory.
Since Bulbasaur was already at level 47, he might as well push it directly to Gym-level.
This way, there would be a second Gym-level combatant in his team.
Roy took out three intermediate rare candy and held them in his palm.
The candies emitted a faint glow, containing pure energy within.
He brought the three candies close to Bulbasaur's poké ball.
The candies turned into three rays of light and merged into the poké ball.
[Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Level: lv47 → lv50]
[Candy Balance: Basic Rare Candy 1, intermediate rare candy 1, high-grade rare candy * 3]
Bulbasaur, Gym-level!
The poké ball began to shake violently.
Bulbasaur was incredibly excited inside.
It could feel its strength constantly increasing, and the energy in its body becoming more and more abundant.
The poké ball shook more and more violently, almost falling from Roy's waist.
Roy reached out to hold the poké ball, channeling his Aura through his palm into it.
"Don't be impatient, don't be impatient."
"There will be time for you to shine later."
The shaking of the poké ball slowly stopped.
But the sphere was still trembling slightly; one could feel that Bulbasaur was holding back a burst of energy inside.
It couldn't wait to come out and show off its new power.
Roy patted the poké ball, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
...
Koga watched Roy put away the badge and spoke.
"Roy, I have already had someone prepare a guest room."
"I will have someone prepare dinner tonight as an apology to you."
Roy nodded.
"Many thanks, Gym Leader Koga."
Koga waved his hand and turned to look at the door.
Two female ninjas were standing at the door.
They were wearing light red ninja outfits that were very form-fitting, outlining the curves of their bodies.
Koga beckoned to them.
"Take Roy and the others to the guest room."
"Yes."
The two female ninjas bowed simultaneously.
They straightened up, turned to the three of them, and made a gesture of invitation.
"Please come with me."
Their voices were very soft, with a hint of respect.
Roy nodded and followed the two female ninjas out of the hall.
Misty and Delia followed behind.
Delia was holding Eevee, who was nestled in her arms, still calling out at Pikachu by Roy's feet.
"Bui-bui!"
Pikachu walked by Roy's feet, pretending not to hear.
But its ears kept twitching.
...
Only Koga and Aya remained in the hall.
Aya walked slowly to Koga's side.
Her expression changed.
The previous carefree and heartless look had completely disappeared.
Replaced by a serious face.
"Brother..." Aya's voice was very low.
"Just now, that situation where Pikachu's Thunderbolt exploded in the Haze..."
She paused, hesitating.
Koga frowned.
"What about the situation?"
Aya took a deep breath.
And said it anyway.
"It was very similar... very similar to the last scene before the chaos when we were capturing Zapdos that day."
The words fell.
The atmosphere in the hall changed instantly.
The smile on Koga's face gradually dissipated.
He didn't speak, just slowly turned his head to look at Aya.
His eyes became sharp.
"What do you mean?"
The voice was flat, but Aya could hear the seriousness in her brother's tone.
Aya looked up toward the direction of the door.
That was the direction Roy had just left.
Roy's figure was no longer visible in the corridor, only dim lights shining on the empty hallway.
"Brother, this Roy is not simple."
Aya's voice became serious.
"Besides having those strange Pokémon..."
"His movement techniques, awareness, and observation skills are also remarkable."
Koga didn't speak, just listened.
Aya continued.
"He accurately avoided all the Gym traps."
"Every single one, he avoided every one."
Aya emphasized again.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Brother, you know about the traps in our Gym."
"Although they aren't top-tier, they aren't something a novice Trainer could avoid entirely."
"I have adjusted the positions and trigger methods of those traps."
"Even Trainers who have been to the Gym a few times couldn't avoid them all."
"But Roy..."
Aya paused.
"It's like he knew where the traps were in advance."
"Every step he took was in a safe position."
"Not a single trap was triggered."
"Not one."
Koga's brow furrowed tighter.
Aya wasn't finished.
"More importantly..."
Her voice lowered a bit more.
"He was actually able to go toe-to-toe with my Ninjutsu."
"He! Is not simple!"
After saying this, Aya nodded heavily.
As if confirming her own judgment.
The hall was quiet for a few seconds.
Koga looked at Aya with no expression on his face, then he spoke in a flat tone.
"Is the last point really the most critical one?"
Aya was stunned for a moment.
"Huh?"
Aya's serious expression broke instantly.
"Oh~ Brother!"
Her face flushed slightly.
"My Ninjutsu is already, already very powerful, okay!"
"I practice every day!"
Koga smiled faintly.
"Very powerful."
"Then you wouldn't have needed Uncle to save you last time."
Aya's face turned even redder.
"That... that was an accident!"
Her voice raised by half a degree, with a hint of Charm.
"Zapdos is naturally powerful!"
"Those organization people were attacking indiscriminately, holding us back a lot..."
"If it weren't for them messing around, I wouldn't have..."
Koga looked at his sister's stubborn appearance and shook his head with a smile.
He waved his hand, interrupting Aya's complaining.
"Alright."
"The capture of Legendary Pokémon is inherently about chasing individual interests."
"Chaos is normal in that level of competition."
"Let's just let the Zapdos matter pass."
Koga's tone became serious.
"Currently, the main business of our Gym isn't about replenishing powerful combat strength anyway."
"Fuchsia Gym has been passed down for so many years, and it doesn't rely on one or two powerful Pokémon."
"It relies on the training system for Poison-type Pokémon and the inheritance of Ninjutsu."
Koga paused.
"As for what you said about Roy..."
He shook his head.
"He is indeed very powerful."
"But he can only be considered an outstanding novice Trainer."
Koga began to analyze.
"His Pidgeot is indeed special in size."
"It's a size larger than a normal Pidgeot."
"But the level is just quasi-Gym-level, which is in the normal range."
"Some gifted Pokémon are indeed larger than their peers."
"This is not strange."
Koga continued.
"As for his Pikachu..."
"It is indeed at Gym-level."
"For a novice Trainer, this level is indeed a bit too high."
Koga's tone carried a hint of contemplation.
"However, ordinary Pokémon like Pikachu..."
"To be honest, it's not a good choice for a Kanto starter."
"Evolution requires a Thunder Stone; if it doesn't evolve, the base stat limit is right there."
"Truly established Trainer families wouldn't cultivate Pikachu as core combat strength."
Koga paused and gave his judgment.
"It's likely a powerful companion prepared for him by his family."
"It must have been at a high level when he started his journey."
"Or perhaps it was raised from a young age, with deep bonds, so he keeps it with him."
"This situation is not rare in those families with heritage."
Koga finished speaking and looked at Aya.
"But even so..."
"With this setup, it's impossible for him to catch Zapdos."
"What's more, how many powerful organizations participated in the Zapdos capture?"
"You went that day, you should have seen it, right?"
Koga's tone was very firm.
"Team Rockets, the Hunter's Guild, wealthy organizations, and those lone experts..."
"Which one is easy to deal with?"
"In that level of competition, how could a novice kid take away Zapdos?"
Aya listened to her brother's analysis and pondered.
She tilted her head and thought about it.
It seemed that was indeed the case.
She had seen the battle formation that night with her own eyes.
Team Rockets alone dispatched over a dozen people, all Superior.
The Hunter's Guild also sent experts.
There were also several Trainers whose origins she couldn't identify, but they clearly weren't ordinary people.
In such a scene, how could a novice Trainer possibly intervene?
Let alone snatching Zapdos from under so many people's noses.
It was simply impossible.
Aya nodded.
"Yeah, that's true."
Her expression relaxed.
"This hateful Roy couldn't possibly be that lucky!"
"At most, he'd get shocked by Zapdos!"
When she mentioned "getting shocked by Zapdos," the corners of Aya's mouth curled up slightly.
An image of Roy being shocked until he was charred black with his hair standing up flashed in her mind.
For some reason, thinking of this scene, she felt a little bit of satisfaction.
Koga looked at his sister, who was competing with Roy, and smiled.
This girl, she's been like this since she was little.
If she suffers a loss, she wants to get it back.
She doesn't forgive with her words, but she isn't actually that vengeful.
Koga spoke up to instruct.
"Alright, although Roy doesn't have Zapdos, he is still a Trainer with very high potential, we can try to befriend him."
"Go tidy yourself up."
"Have dinner with me and Roy tonight."
Aya was stunned for a moment.
"Huh?"
"Do I have to go and befriend him?"
Her hand subconsciously touched her own butt.
It still hurt.
The few times she was hit by Roy, even thinking about it now made her butt feel burning.
Make her go eat with the person who hit her butt?
And befriend him?
Aya's brow furrowed.
Koga glanced at his sister.
"Of course."
"You teased him."
"How can you not come to the apology dinner?"
Koga's tone became a bit stricter.
"You must come!"
Aya opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
But seeing her brother's expression, she swallowed her words back.
She lowered her head and mumbled softly.
"Got it..."
Koga nodded and turned to leave the hall.
He went down to prepare for the dinner.
Only Aya was left in the hall.
She stood in place, her hand still on her butt.
Through her clothes, she could feel a lingering, faint pain on her butt.
"Damn it!"
"Why do I have to go and apologize to him!"
"He was the one who hit me!"
She stomped her feet and walked out of the hall angrily.
She went back to change her clothes.
...
Evening time.
The afterglow of the sunset shone through the windows of the Gym, casting orange-red shadows on the floor.
Lights were turned on in the Gym.
The warm yellow light illuminated the corridor softly.
Aya changed into a new outfit, a light pink yukata.
The color of the yukata was very light, like the color of cherry blossom petals.
The collar was neither too high nor too low, just enough to reveal a section of fair collarbone.
The belt at her waist was tied loosely, outlining her slender waist.
The hem of the yukata reached just to her calves, revealing a section of fair, tender lower legs.
She was wearing a pair of wooden clogs on her feet, making a crisp clacking sound as she walked.
She had let her hair down.
It was no longer the tightly tied ninja hairstyle from the day.
Her long green hair fell over her shoulders, with the ends slightly curled.
A few strands of hair hung on both sides of her cheeks, making her face look even smaller.
Aya stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in the mirror.
She turned around and looked at the lines on her side.
The yukata clung to her body, outlining the curves of her body.
The curve of her chest wasn't exaggerated, but it was very obvious.
Her waist was very thin.
Her butt...
Aya turned to the side and glanced at her buttocks in the mirror.
The hem of the yukata wrapped around her rounded buttocks, and the curves were very obvious.
She remembered the scene of Roy hitting her butt again.
The feeling of that hand landing on her butt.
Through the yukata, she seemed to be able to feel that burning pain.
"Damn it..."
Aya mumbled softly.
Her face turned red again.
She adjusted her collar in the mirror.
Pulled it up a bit, then lowered it a bit.
After repeating it several times, she finally stopped at a position that was neither too conservative nor too revealing.
Just enough to reveal her collarbone, but not more.
Aya looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath.
"It's just having a meal."
"What's the big deal."
She patted her face to calm herself down.
Then she walked out of the room and headed to the dining room.
Her wooden clogs stepped on the floor, making a clacking sound.
With every step, her butt would sway slightly.
It wasn't that she was swaying it on purpose; it was the rhythm of walking in wooden clogs.
Aya walked to the door of the dining room and stopped.
She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
...
In the dining room.
A rectangular table was placed in the center.
A white tablecloth was spread on the table, and several dishes were placed on it.
They were all specialty dishes of the Fuchsia Gym.
There were sushi, sashimi, tempura, and several boiled dishes made with local ingredients.
Steaming hot.
The aroma filled the air.
Koga sat at the head of the table.
He had changed into a dark blue kimono, looking very much like a Gym Leader.
Roy sat opposite Koga.
He was still wearing the same clothes from the day, but he had taken off his jacket and was only wearing a dark shirt.
His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his sturdy forearms.
Misty sat next to Roy, curiously looking at the dishes on the table.
Delia sat next to Misty, holding Eevee in her arms.
Eevee lay on Delia's lap, its little nose twitching, smelling the aroma on the table.
Pikachu sat on the chair next to Roy, its two little paws resting on the edge of the table.
Its ears were standing straight up, looking at the food on the table.
Aya pushed the door open and came in.
Everyone's eyes turned to her.
Koga nodded.
"You're here."
"Sit down."
Aya responded and walked to the table.
She glanced at the seats.
Only the seat opposite Roy was left.
She hesitated for a moment, then sat down.
The moment she sat down, her butt touched the cushion.
Aya's expression changed slightly.
Pain.
Although there were several layers of cushions, as soon as her butt touched the hard object, she could still feel a faint pain.
She adjusted her sitting posture, shifting her center of gravity to one side.
But no matter how she sat, it was a bit uncomfortable.
Every time it hurt, Roy's hand flashed in her mind.
She subconsciously looked up at Roy.
Roy was talking to Pikachu and didn't look at her.
Aya breathed a sigh of relief.
Koga raised his wine glass.
"Roy, for today's matter, I apologize to you on behalf of my sister."
"This girl has been spoiled by me since she was little, she has no manners."
"I apologize for the offense, please don't take it to heart."
Roy also raised his wine glass.
"Gym Leader Koga is too kind."
"It's just a small matter."
The two clinked glasses and took a sip.
Koga put down his glass and looked at Aya.
"Aya, you say something too."
Aya bit her lip.
She picked up the juice glass in front of her and looked at Roy.
"Um..."
"About what happened during the day, it was my fault."
"I shouldn't have teased you."
Her voice was very small, like a different person from the arrogant one during the day.
Roy glanced at her.
"It's okay."
"I was a bit heavy-handed too."
Aya's face turned bright red.
A bit heavy-handed.
This sentence was like a needle, precisely pricking her butt.
She felt her butt hurt again.
Aya lowered her head, not daring to look at Roy.
Even the tips of her ears were red.
Koga looked at his sister's appearance and felt a bit strange.
This girl isn't usually like this.
Why is she like a different person in front of Roy?
However, he didn't think much about it and invited everyone to start eating.