Dario's actions had thoroughly humiliated the Laramie Village in front of the visiting outsiders.
Even if Lara didn't demand justice for Kazuki, the tribal elders wouldn't have let Dario off easily.
"Don't worry, Lara! We'll make sure you two get the justice you deserve!" The chief never missed a chance to play matchmaker for Lara.
"Thank you, Chief! Wait—no, Chief, we're not…" Flustered, Lara quickly pulled Misty over. "She… her name is Misty! She's Kazuki's girlfriend!"
"Huh? Hahaha! Isn't today supposed to be your big moment? I was already looking forward to the victory feast! Chief, are we having roasted lamb tonight?" Misty, ever the wingwoman, smoothly nudged things along.
"Of course! Absolutely!"
"A strong trainer like Kazuki, with such a supportive partner by his side—success in both career and family is guaranteed!" The chief chuckled warmly, praising Misty.
"Hahaha! Thank you for the kind words, Chief. Lara is a wonderful girl too! I'd be happy to have her as a sister!" Misty replied politely.
Hearing Misty's approval, Lara's heart skipped a beat, and a daring thought began to take root in her mind.
Kazuki, meanwhile, finally understood why Lara had been so bold around him.
Turns out, the entire Laramie Village encouraged their women to pursue love fearlessly.
While Kazuki and the others were enjoying themselves, Dario stood off to the side, grinding his teeth in frustration.
"Hmph! A bunch of old fools and that bitch!"
"That Lara knew she couldn't beat me fair and square, so she brought in an outsider!"
"This is unbelievable!"
"Whatever! It's not like she's the chief yet—just a candidate!"
"I still have chances later!"
"First, I'll take the silver medal and the prize money. Then I'll hire some real help!"
After venting his rage in a secluded corner, Dario turned to leave—only to find his wrists suddenly cuffed.
He stared in shock at the officers beside him. "What?! What are you doing?!"
"Dario! You're under arrest for colluding with Team Rocket, intentional harm, and poisoning protected Pokémon! You're coming with us!"
"Lies! These are lies!" Dario refused to believe his flawless plan had been exposed.
"You're just framing me because I'm Laramie! Call the chief—he'll vouch for me!"
Hearing Dario's shouts, Kazuki and the others turned their heads. The festive mood soured instantly.
Lara's expression darkened the moment she saw Dario. The cheerful smile she'd shared with Kazuki vanished, replaced by fury.
Storming over, she delivered a brutal kick straight to Dario—her years of riding Rapidash lending terrifying force to the blow.
Dario crumpled, howling in agony. Whether he'd ever recover was anyone's guess.
"Miss, please calm down! The law will handle this criminal!" The officers, who'd been monitoring the event, had overheard Dario's earlier boasts. They waited until Lara finished her… correction before stepping in.
Dario, still doubled over, spat out curses. "Lara! You bitch! What the hell was that for?!"
Lara's rage flared anew at the memory of how Dario had nearly gotten Kazuki killed.
"Dario, I always thought you were just arrogant and competitive!"
"I never imagined you'd stoop this low!"
"Colluding with Team Rocket to sabotage Kazuki in the race?!"
"I—I don't know what you're talking about, you whore!" Dario, confident there'd been no cameras in the mountain pass, kept denying everything.
"You're the one who brought in an outsider!"
"You traitor! Betraying the Laramie Village for some outsider!"
"You handed our glory to him!"
"You're a disgrace to the Laramie name!"
Dario twisted the narrative, trying to paint Lara as a traitor to rally the chief to his side.
"Enough!" The chief slammed his cane down, silencing Dario.
"Dario, how dare you speak of the Laramie's honor?!"
"You've shamed us all!"
"Conspiring with Team Rocket to harm others—unforgivable!"
Seeing even the chief side with Lara and Kazuki, Dario panicked.
"Chief! I—I didn't! You—"
"Don't listen to Kazuki's lies!"
"He'slept with Lara!"
"They're framing me to secure her position as chief!"
Still, he clung to his last shreds of denial.
"Frame you? I wouldn't waste the effort."
"Hey, birdbrain. See that?" Kazuki pointed to the large screen.
"W-What? What's there to—" Dario's voice died as footage from the mountain pass played.
"Th-That's… the high-altitude route!"
"H-How?! There weren't any cameras there!"
"W-Wait… that bird!"
"Yep! That's my Pidgeot, recording everything from above." Kazuki smirked.
With all his crimes exposed, Dario's mind snapped.
"Chief! Chief! I—I did nothing wrong!"
"Kazuki's an outsider! Lara siding with him will ruin the Laramie!"
"Chief, the candidacy should be mine!"
"I'm the true Laramie bloodline!"
As the officers dragged him away, Dario descended into hysterics.
"Kazuki, I'm so sorry!" The chief bowed deeply. "For our tribe to produce such a disgrace… you could've been—"
"You chose Lara as your candidate. That proves your judgment is sound."
"The fault lies entirely with Dario. No need for guilt, Chief." With Dario headed to prison, Kazuki reassured him warmly.
"Chief! The biggest scum is dealt with. Let's focus on celebrating! I can't wait to see tonight's feast!" Misty's cheer instantly revived the festive atmosphere.
"Right! Let's put this ugliness behind us and begin the victory celebration!"
The chief declared the festivities underway.
---
Night fell, the victory banquet began, and an endless stream of delicacies piled onto tables around the bonfire.
After a sip of fine wine, Kazuki checked his mission rewards.
[Congratulations, Host!]
[Assisted Lara's Rapidash in winning the race and brought Dario for colluding with Team Rocket.]
[Reward: Minor Champion Aura (Friendly) — All Pokémon in party gain +10% EXP for 7 days! (Activation timing at Host's discretion.)]
[Justice Reputation +1]
Since both the Pokémon Dam and the upcoming Safari Zone prohibited battling wild Pokémon, Kazuki stored the aura for later use.
"Kazuki! Try this! It's amazing!" Misty appeared with a plate of local delicacies, feeding him a bite with a grin.
Kazuki winced. "Spicy! This is what you picked after all that deliberation?"
"Well, maybe the Laramie just love this flavor?" Misty feigned innocence, barely suppressing laughter.
Suzie arrived with another dish, giggling. "That dish is supposed to taste like that—but it needs wasabi to balance it."
"Misty just added extra wasabi to yours."
"Hey! Whose side are you on, Suzie?!" Misty backed away, grinning.
Kazuki yanked her back, pinching her cheeks. "Oh no, you're trying this too!"
"Nooo! It's way too—"
"Too much? Then you definitely need a taste!"
Laughing, the trio enjoyed the feast.
Lara watched from afar, hesitation in her eyes.
"Lara, if you keep hesitating, you'll regret it." An elder approached, offering advice.
Lara sighed. "I know I'll regret it."
"But as the chief candidate—once I'm chief, I can't just leave with Kazuki!"
"And I don't want to burden him with the Laramie's responsibilities!"
"Who said the chief can't leave?" The elder blinked. "The chief just needs to draft the annual pasture migration plan. After that, they're free!"
"You'll need time to learn the ropes, of course."
"And Kazuki's training for the Indigo Conference, right?"
"It's just a short separation. After that, you can be together!"
"Wait—the chief doesn't handle Pokémon care or disputes? But the current chief is always doing that!" Lara's eyes widened.
"Pokémon care is their families' job. Medical stations handle treatment. Police handle disputes!"
"The current chief does it because he's bored!"
"And, as you youngsters say—he's a homebody!"
The elder chuckled. "He just likes sticking around Laramie territory."
"Really?! That's wonderful!" Lara's excitement bubbled over.
After a moment, she steadied herself, watching Kazuki sip his wine. Gathering her courage, she finally approached.
"Kazuki, I… wanted to ask you about Rapidash care!" She fumbled for an excuse to be alone with him.
"Oh! Kazuki's great with Pokémon knowledge! Go on, Kazuki!" Misty nudged him playfully.
Reading Lara's expression, Kazuki grinned. Is it time for the Poké Ball?
"Sure. You two enjoy the feast. I'll go check on Rapidash with Lara."
Lara's heart raced as Kazuki stood.
Walking away from the fire, neither spoke. Kazuki let Lara gather her thoughts.
Only when they were truly alone did Lara finally speak.
"Kazuki… thank you. For showing everyone how much Rapidash has grown."
"That's all your training." Kazuki smiled.
"No. It was you who brought out its full potential. You and Rapidash… you connected."
Lara's voice trembled with emotion.
"And we connected too!"
Her confession was as wild and unrestrained as her spirit.
"We connected?" Kazuki turned, teasing.
In the dim light, Lara's flushed face went unseen.
"Kazuki, I want to be like Misty and the others—I want to be your woman! I love you! From the moment I saw you!"
"I… Do you… could you ever love someone like me?"
Most of Kazuki's past conquests had been shy or hesitant. Lara's directness was a refreshing surprise.
"Not just good—you're natural." Kazuki brushed her hair aside, pulling out a Poké Ball.
"Your natural beauty—"
With her affection at the right level, Kazuki planned to use the ball to deepen their bond.
But before he could finish, Lara leapt into his arms, kissing him fiercely.
Caught off guard, Kazuki stumbled backward into a haystack, the Poké Ball rolling away.
He'd been reverse-pinned!
Lara's boldness left no room for hesitation.
"I… I might not be the best at this. Don't mind me, Kazuki!" She gasped between kisses.
"No, you're amazing. I love it."
"You do? Then—" Lara yanked off her outerwear.
"Very nice!" Kazuki hadn't expected to skip the Poké Ball step entirely. He eagerly reciprocated.
Lara suddenly grabbed his wrist. "The haystack's hollow inside. Let's move there!"
Kazuki assumed she was shy—until she pushed him straight into the hay.
Moments later, a pair of light-blue lace panties flew out of the stack.
"Mmm~ Kazuki!! I love you!"
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