At the peak of the giant waves, the man's agile figure seemed to merge with the sea as he soared through the towering wall of water raised by five Gyarados.
As the final spray fell, Brawly steadily glided onto the beach on his surfboard, kicking up a cloud of white foam.
"Whoosh—!"
Thunderous applause and cheers instantly drowned out the entire beach.
The festival's atmosphere reached its climax.
With the finale over, the bonfires on the beach were all lit, their warm orange glow reflecting off every excited face.
Melodic and cheerful music played as people spontaneously danced around the bonfires; the air was thick with the aroma of grilled meat and the saltiness of the sea, blending into the unique scent of Slateport City's Ocean Festival.
Ariel leaned against a coconut tree with a glass of juice, watching it all with cold indifference.
His heart, however, was not as calm as his appearance suggested.
He was waiting.
Waiting for a chaos he had long foreseen.
"Ariel!"
A hearty voice cut through the noisy crowd as Brawly, shirtless with a towel around his neck, walked toward him with a laugh.
He still carried the dampness of the sea, his bronze skin glistening with a healthy sheen under the firelight.
Before Brawly could even get close, a small figure darted out from behind him like a fired cannonball, lunging straight into Ariel's arms.
"Big Brother Ariel!"
Shauna's crisp voice was filled with undisguised joy as she clung tightly to Ariel's arm, looking up with bright, sparkling eyes full of admiration.
Ariel's body stiffened for a moment; this sudden, unguarded intimacy made him somewhat uncomfortable.
But the feeling was fleeting. He quickly relaxed, put on a gentle smile, and reached out to rub Shauna's head.
"You little girl, what are you doing here?"
"I followed my brother, of course!" Shauna said with a giggle. "Big Brother Ariel, you have no idea how cool my brother looked up there just now!"
Brawly walked over and playfully punched Ariel. "You kid, you didn't even tell me you were coming to Slateport City. Are you here for the Ocean Festival?"
"Just passing through, taking in the festival atmosphere," Ariel answered succinctly, then added, "And to prepare for my upcoming Gym challenges."
He naturally glossed over his experiences of killing, looting, and mingling with dark organizations, leaving only the image of a positive, hardworking Trainer traveling for his dreams.
"Oh? Got a target in mind?" Brawly became interested.
"Not yet. The Hoenn region's Gyms are all very unique, so I want to explore a bit more," Ariel replied flawlessly.
Brawly nodded in agreement.
He was here not only as a special guest but also to promote Dewford Town.
As a small island in southwest Hoenn, Dewford Town already had countless ties to Slateport City—the largest port city in the south—in terms of shipping and trade.
Just then, a well-dressed Middle-aged Man walked over with a glass of red wine.
"Gym Leader Brawly, tonight's performance was truly magnificent and eye-opening."
The newcomer was none other than Curator Stern.
Ariel glanced at him from the corner of his eye, his heart unmoved.
Curator Stern was not just the curator of the Ocean Science Museum.
He was also the owner of Slateport City's largest shipyard, Stern Shipyard, a powerful entrepreneur in the business world whose company often collaborated with large conglomerates like the Devon Corporation.
At this moment, he wore a businessman's characteristic warm smile as he raised his glass to Brawly.
"Curator Stern, you flatter me. It was just a few tricks to liven up the atmosphere," Brawly replied modestly, also raising his drink.
Stern's gaze swept between Brawly and Ariel. When he realized the person beside Brawly was Ariel, a flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes.
The young man he had been secretly wary of in the museum a few days ago was actually this close to the famous Gym Leader of Dewford Town?
Curator Stern instantly had an idea.
Although Dewford Town's development was currently far behind Slateport City's, its rich mineral resources and beautiful island environment made it a prime location for future tourism development.
His keen business sense told him that building a good relationship with this young Gym Leader would bring nothing but benefits.
And this young man named Ariel seemed like a good bridge.
"And this is...?" Curator Stern asked as if casually, though his gaze was locked onto Ariel.
"My friend, Ariel," Brawly introduced.
"So it's little brother Ariel."
Curator Stern's smile became a bit more sincere as he proactively extended his hand to Ariel.
"Please forgive my lack of hospitality at the museum the other day. Let me reintroduce myself: I am Stern, the curator of the Slateport City Ocean Science Museum."
Ariel looked at the extended hand and sneered inwardly.
Lack of hospitality? It was clearly scrutiny and wariness.
Now that he saw his good relationship with Brawly, he immediately changed his tune.
A pure businessman indeed.
Ariel's expression remained unchanged as he smiled and shook hands. "Curator Stern, you are too kind."
The handshake was brief.
Curator Stern's attitude toward Ariel became significantly warmer. He inquired about the relationship between Ariel and Brawly with great interest, his words filled with flattery and goodwill.
Ariel responded half-heartedly, while mentally counting down the time.
Those idiots from Team Aqua should be making their move soon.
Just as Curator Stern was warmly inviting Brawly and Ariel to visit his shipyard when they had time...
"Boom—!!!"
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the nearby crowd!
This sound was definitely not festival fireworks; it was dull, violent, and carried a destructive aura that tore through everything.
The entire beach seemed to tremble.
The cheerful music came to an abrupt halt.
The crowd's noise froze instantly. Everyone stared in shock toward the source of the explosion, where a massive ball of orange-red fire surged into the sky, turning the night as pale as death.
After a brief silence came heart-wrenching screams and total chaos!
"Ah! An explosion!"
"People are dead!"
"Run!"
The crowd was like a school of startled fish, scattering in total disorder. Cries, screams, and the sound of crashing tables and chairs mixed together; the once-joyous festival grounds instantly turned into a living hell.
Brawly's expression changed. He tightly covered Shauna's eyes, his gaze sharp as he looked toward the fire.
The wine glass in Curator Stern's hand fell to the sand with a "clink," spilling red wine everywhere. His face was deathly pale, clearly terrified by the sudden turn of events.
Ariel also wore an expression of being frightened by the sudden scene.
But looking at the blood flowing and the scattered flesh at the explosion site, his heart remained unmoved.
It has finally begun.
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