Chapter 201: The Difference in Energy Blocks

Chapter 201: The Difference in Energy Blocks

"I'm mainly here to challenge the gym. As for the Youth League, I don't have high hopes for it."

"Who knows, I might not even be able to win a single gym battle."

Hikaru played it off casually, not wanting to dwell on the topic.

"Mm."

The perceptive Emma immediately noticed that Hikaru was trying to steer the conversation away.

However, her mind was already analyzing the situation.

The Damnson Clan had already gathered Hikaru's basic information and shared it with her.

To be honest—

When she first saw the report,

Even she found it unbelievable.

Sixteen years old.

A high school sophomore,

And in just a single year since becoming a trainer, he had already reached the pinnacle of Advanced Trainers.

In just one year, he had accomplished what took others a lifetime,

And what had taken her nearly four years to achieve.

Throughout his journey—

Every competition he entered, he placed first.

His talent and strength—

Were absolutely terrifying.

Then, for some unknown reason, after the Lightwater City tournament, Hikaru suddenly acquired a Latias...

Because of this,

The Damnson Clan had even sent some personnel to investigate in Lightwater City.

The only information they managed to dig up was—

"Someone claimed to have seen Latias at the Sea Temple..."

From there, the rumors only grew more exaggerated.

The Sea Temple...

According to the Water Flow Gym Leader, the last time it appeared, it had already welcomed its rightful ruler.

If it were to appear again—

It would depend entirely on the mood of its King (Manaphy).

After all, the ocean was vast and boundless.

Trying to search for it was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

Wait—

Now that she thought about it...

There were still a few months left before the Youth League.

Could he actually be aiming for first place?

As Emma fell into silent thought, Hikaru observed her for a moment before speaking up.

"Uh, so... do you still need anything else? It's getting late."

Emma snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yes, actually, there's something else. The League is offering a 500,000 credit reward for resolving the Pokémon riot in Aura Town. You need to claim it. I've already sent you the necessary credentials through Green Bubble."

"The customer service reps mentioned that you haven't responded to any of their calls or messages."

Hikaru blinked.

He pulled out his phone, opened Green Bubble—

And was immediately flooded with tons of unread messages.

"...Ahem. I haven't checked Green Bubble in a while. I'll go claim it soon."

For the past month, he had been living in the World Tree, completely disconnected from the outside world.

He hadn't answered any calls either.

500,000 credits...

Not too much, not too little.

Either way, it was better than nothing.

At the very least, it was worth the trip.

And more importantly—

He didn't want to make the League staff chase after him any longer.

"One more thing..."

Emma shifted her gaze to Latias.

"Can you tell me—where exactly did you capture Latias?"

She finally couldn't resist asking.

There was no other way—

A Latias was simply too valuable.

Just as she finished speaking,

A familiar figure emerged from the dimly lit street, running toward them.

It was Leo, along with his Gallade.

"Sis? Hikaru?"

Leo, upon arriving, finally understood why his cousin had used Teleport earlier.

Hikaru didn't respond immediately.

Instead, he lightly stroked Latias's wing.

The dragon let out a crisp, chiming trill,

Then leaned closer to him.

Latias had once told him—

Her species wasn't particularly numerous.

As far as she knew, there were only about three hundred in existence.

Although Hikaru didn't know exactly what the Damnson Clan was after,

He had a pretty good idea.

"Latias... I met her in Alto Mare. As for how I captured her—"

"That's something I can't reveal. Let's just say it was fate."

The fact that Latias existed in Alto Mare was already public knowledge.

Especially after Hikaru had made a name for himself in the National College League,

This information had already spread.

So revealing this much wouldn't be a problem.

After a pause, Hikaru added,

"My Latias... chose to come with me."

Meaning—

He had no idea where her species resided.

Upon hearing this, Latias visibly blushed,

Quickly floating behind Hikaru and placing her hand on his shoulder.

"She came to you of her own free will?"

Emma was stunned.

How was she supposed to believe that?

A Legendary Pokémon?

Even though it wasn't a full-fledged deity—

It still wasn't something that would randomly seek out a trainer!

Next to her, Leo immediately understood the situation.

He stepped forward and clasped his hands together.

"Young man, our Damnson Clan specializes in Psychic-types. To a Pokémon like Latias or Latios, we are the perfect trainers. So, if you could teach us how to form a bond with one, we'd be more than willing to reward you handsomely."

After Emma's previous warning,

Leo was clearly much more polite this time.

Before Hikaru could respond, Emma turned her gaze toward Latias.

She knew—

To convince Hikaru,

She also needed to convince Latias.

She lifted her hand, revealing an Energy Block specifically tailored for Psychic Pokémon.

"Hikaru, if you don't mind, may I speak with your Latias for a moment?"

Hikaru shook his head and patted Latias's hand on his shoulder.

"If she's willing, I won't stop her."

Latias tilted her head,

Then slowly floated toward Emma, curiously scanning her psychic energy.

("So... this is the kind of ability Hikaru thought I had at first?")

Seeing Latias approach,

Emma let out a sigh of relief.

As she observed Latias up close, her heart pounded with excitement.

"Latias, would you like to try an Energy Block made by the Damnson Clan?"

For Pokémon, one of the biggest temptations humans could offer—

Was Energy Blocks.

Balanced in nutrients, full of flavor,

Far superior to the plain, raw berries found in the wild.

And given that the Damnson Clan specialized in Psychic-types,

Their Energy Blocks were undoubtedly the best of the best in terms of quality and taste.

The Energy Block in Emma's hand—

Was the same type her Gardevoir ate regularly.

It resembled a jelly cube,

But with faint pink fibers interwoven inside.

Emma was completely confident.

For any Psychic-type Pokémon,

This would be irresistible.

"Mm?"

Latias used her Psychic energy to lift the cube,

Sniffed it cautiously,

Then glanced at Hikaru.

She was seeking his approval—

Asking if she could eat it.

Once Hikaru gave a slight nod,

Latias finally placed the Energy Block into her mouth.

She chewed it carefully for a few moments—

Then swallowed.

"So? How is it?"

Emma eagerly asked.

"Mm..."

Latias blinked, then looked at Hikaru.

She pondered for a moment.

("Honestly... it's not that great.")

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