453. Something Really Is Off

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After the award ceremony and blessing, Kai stepped away from the ceremonial stage and returned to the competitors' lounge.

Erika, Ash, and the others were already waiting for him. As soon as he walked in, they lit up.

Even Trinity, the trainer he had just defeated in the final round, hadn't left yet. Instead, she was there as well waiting with a surprisingly sincere expression on her face.

Pop! Pop!

Confetti guns fired as Brock and Ash showered him with streamers and sparkling glitter. Misty hung a vibrant flower lei around his neck, all of them beaming with pride.

"Congrats!" Erika smiled as she joined in, clapping gently.

Trinity approached next. Her expression was conflicted, but her voice was calm. "Congratulations. Your Pokémon were incredible. I have no regrets about losing this match."

Kai scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't expected her to take the loss this well.

'Maybe I should've switched out Gyarados midway' he thought guiltily. Would've spared her Pokémon from taking such a beating.

But from the look on her face, it was clear, just as he'd hoped before the match, Trinity wasn't angry like Aya had been. No thoughts of revenge, no resentment in her eyes.

She had been humbled. Thoroughly.

"I'm sorry your team took such a beating. My Gyarados has always fought that way… I wish I could rein it in, but that's just its nature."

His apology was genuine, and Trinity could feel it. Whatever lingering bitterness she'd felt melted away.

She smiled, shaking her head. "Don't be. Pokémon battles aren't some harmless game. They're dangerous. Brutal, even. That's what makes them real. Injuries are part of the process. If you had held back out of pity, that would've insulted me far more. In truth, I lost because my Pokémon weren't trained well enough. I overestimated myself thinking I could take down someone like you."

Kai rubbed his neck again, now even more embarrassed. "You're taking this better than I expected… but seriously, you should get to the Pokémon Center fast. Don't wait. Let Nurse Joy handle them before any long-term damage sets in."

She nodded. "Yeah, I will. I just… wanted to say this first. I didn't want people thinking I ran away from the loss."

Even in defeat, she held her dignity.

She turned to leave, but not before offering one last handshake.

"I wish you luck on your next journey. I assume your next stop is the Silver Conference, right? That's our region's ultimate stage. I hope you win that one, too, and claim your next title."

Kai grinned and shook her hand. "Appreciate it. Good luck to you too. Maybe we'll battle again someday."

As Trinity exited, the atmosphere in the lounge lightened. Kai, Erika, Misty, Ash, and Brock relaxed into conversation until eventually, they drifted back to the strange moment during the blessing ceremony.

"Hey," Erika asked, "what was that back there? It didn't look like it was supposed to happen."

"Yeah!" Misty added eagerly. "You were glowing and then whoosh, you just floated up into the air! What was that!?"

Kai laughed, tapping her on the forehead. "You make it sound like I blasted off. I barely floated a few inches above the platform. It's not like I flew into orbit or something."

They had seen the event from the stands, but the follow-up conversation between Kai and High Priestess Maya wasn't broadcast. So they were dying to know what had really happened.

Kai gave in and retold the whole story: how the Soul of the Sea had reacted, Maya's shock, and how she planned to research past records to see if it had ever happened before.

When he finished, Brock rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So in other words… unlike the previous champions, you might've actually received a real blessing?"

Kai hesitated. "Maybe. I'm not sure. Maya definitely seemed convinced that something had awakened in the artifact. She's going to look into it more."

Misty's eyes sparkled. "Wait! If you really got the Sea Guardian's blessing, that means you can swim through the ocean unhindered and telepathically bond with Water-types, right!? That's every Water-type Trainer's dream!"

She turned to Erika. "Let's test it!"

Erika nodded. "She's got a point. Try it out. See if anything's changed."

Before Kai could respond, Misty was already pulling a Poké Ball from her belt—intending to release her Politoed—but instead, a flash of light erupted from her pouch.

Poff!

Her Psyduck had somehow released itself again.

"You again!?" Misty's voice shot up an octave as she lunged. "Why do you always let yourself out! Speak! Say something!!"

"Psy?"

She grabbed Psyduck by the shoulders and shook it violently, its eyes spinning.

Kai chuckled and held up a hand. "It's fine. Psyduck is a Water-type after all. Let's use it."

Grumbling, Misty let go. The dizzy duck flopped to the floor, still dazed.

Kai walked over and crouched down, locking eyes with the vacant, clueless gaze of Psyduck.

Psyduck tilted its head, stared blankly at him, and then… waddled off to explore a corner of the lounge.

Kai stood back up, frowning.

The others immediately sensed it.

"What is it?" Erika asked. "Did something happen?"

Misty leaned in. "Well!? Kai!? Could you understand what it was thinking!?"

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