Chapter 101: Whirl Islands, Lugia's Summon

Chapter 101: Whirl Islands, Lugia's Summon

Early the next morning, Ron and Chuck were sparring on the beach. Ron hooked his right arm and struck towards Chuck while simultaneously sweeping his right foot back, directly pinning Chuck down onto the sand.

"Stop, stop!" Chuck called out, sitting up and panting heavily. "Ah, I really can't deny getting old. While I can still outclass you in technique by a long shot, your physical fitness is already at the level I had back in my prime."

Ron nodded. After Chuck got up, he seriously taught Ron some grappling techniques, all of which were highly practical moves.

After practicing all morning, Ron and Chuck returned to the Gym. After breakfast, Chuck asked, "Ron, where are you planning to go now?"

"I already have six badges, just two more to go. I think we'll head back to Olivine City first, then return to Ecruteak City, and from there go to Mahogany Town, and finally to Blackthorn City. That way, I'll have all eight badges." Ron thought for a moment and answered.

Ruby and Rosa nodded in agreement, as this had been their plan all along.

Chuck took a sip of tea and said, "That route involves some unnecessary detours. I suggest you head to the Whirl Islands first. The Whirl Cup will be held there soon, and you can give it a shot. Then, from the Whirl Islands, you can take a plane directly back to Ecruteak City."

After saying that, Chuck handed Ron and the others some ferry tickets. "These are tickets to the Whirl Islands. You should go check it out."

Noticing Chuck's meaningful gaze, Ron nodded and said, "Got it. I'll make the trip."

Bidding farewell to Chuck, Ron pulled along a bewildered Ruby and Rosa as they left the Cianwood Gym. As Ron recalled his memories, he seemed to remember that Team Rocket had captured Lugia's offspring to threaten Lugia.

However, the Pokémon League was likely unaware of this. They probably just discovered that Team Rocket had a base in the Whirl Islands, which was why they wanted Ron to investigate. He flipped over the back of the ferry ticket and, as expected, found a small line of text: "Can't go myself, need a favor."

Judging by the handwriting, it was from Lorelei. To Ron, Lorelei was like a big sister, so as long as the request didn't go against his principles or harm his interests, he would always try to help her.

After boarding the ferry to the Whirl Islands, Ruby finally spoke up. "This is League business, isn't it?"

"Yeah. A friend asked for help, so I have no choice." Ron leaned against the railing, letting the sea breeze blow through his hair while his thoughts drifted far away.

Rosa looked at Ruby, then at Ron, confused. "What are you two talking about?"

Ron and Ruby just smiled without answering, leaving Rosa feeling slightly frustrated.

After several hours at sea, they finally arrived at Blue Rock Island, one of the Whirl Islands, by evening. Upon disembarking at the island's largest port city, Kuga City, Ron and the others were met with a bustling scene at the harbor.

The trio headed to the Pokémon Center to restore their Pokémon and register for the Whirl Cup. Ron then turned to Rosa and asked, "Rosa, aren't you joining? It seems like you only brought your Serperior for this trip. We haven't seen your other main Pokémon yet."

"Uh… I do have a Swanna, but as for a main Water-type… I don't think I have one." Rosa admitted awkwardly.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something, Ron," Ruby said.

"What is it?" Ron asked curiously.

"How do your Pokémon grow so fast?" Ruby asked seriously. "Rosa and I have both noticed that your Pokémon level up incredibly quickly. Even though we battle frequently, it's not always enough to gain significant experience. But your Pokémon seem to level up extremely fast. Do you have a secret?"

Ron was speechless. Should he tell them he had a cheat code? Instead, he carefully chose his words. "I just battle often, so the experience accumulates quickly. After all, even the weakest Pokémon can still provide some experience."

That wasn't a lie. In reality, Ron's Pokémon only gained a forced single experience point from defeating Pokémon below level 30, and that was with an eightfold experience multiplier activated.

"Even weak Pokémon give experience?!" Ruby and Rosa exclaimed in shock.

Ron was confused. Ruby excitedly asked, "Even if they're ten levels below yours, they still give experience?"

Ron nodded, and Ruby and Rosa gasped. Rosa then explained that their Pokémon only gained experience when battling equal or higher-level opponents. If the level difference exceeded five, the experience gain was negligible. If it was over ten, there was no experience at all.

Ron was stunned. Even without his cheat system, his Pokémon had always gained at least a small amount of experience from every battle. After some thought, he deduced that it must be due to his system. Of course, Ruby and Rosa could only assume it was due to his psychic abilities.

This made them both envious, but there was nothing they could do about it.

After registering, Ron and the others planned to rest at the Pokémon Center for the night. The next day, they would head to Chinna Town, another port city on Blue Rock Island, and take a boat to Yellow Rock Island. The Whirl Cup's main venue was on Red Rock Island, the third of the four Whirl Islands, so they still needed to pass through Yellow Rock Island.

Their ultimate destination, however, was Silver Rock Island, which meant they still had several days of travel ahead.

Just as they had finished allocating their rooms, Celebi called out to Ron and chirped a few times. Ron's expression turned serious as he nodded. "Alright. Since it's calling us, we'll go."

Telling Ruby and Rosa to rest, Ron headed to the harbor, where he summoned his Gyarados. Jumping onto Gyarados' head, he followed Celebi's directions towards a small reef formation in the distance.

By the time they arrived, the sky was completely dark. It was summer, so the sun set later than usual, but checking the time, Ron saw it was already 9 PM. He asked, "Why did it call us here?"

Celebi shook its head, indicating it didn't know. It had only received a message asking it to bring Ron here.

Ron sighed, recalling Gyarados, then sat on a rock to wait patiently.

Time passed slowly. Just as Ron was starting to lose patience, an enormous shadow, darker than the pitch-black ocean, swam towards him.

Ron tensed. "It's here."

The shadow gradually surfaced, revealing a silver-white body. Ron muttered, "So this is Lugia."

Lugia, the Pokémon hailed as the Guardian of the Seas! Legend has it that due to its overwhelming power, it can only reside deep beneath the ocean's surface in solitude.

Seeing this legendary Pokémon up close and sensing its immense aura, Ron couldn't help but feel awe. The majesty of an ancient legendary Pokémon was truly beyond what ordinary people could withstand.

Moreover, compared to other legendary Pokémon he had encountered, this Lugia seemed much stronger—even surpassing Mewtwo, Primal Groudon, and Celebi.

Before Ron could process his thoughts further, Lugia let out a few low calls. As he listened, Ron's expression darkened instantly. Gritting his teeth, he muttered through clenched teeth, "The League!!!"