"Riku, are you crazy?!"
"Hurry back!"
Riku's actions made May frantic, her palms sweating nervously.
"Who is that person?" The audience finally reacted.
"I don't recognize him. Is he one of the Orange League's Trainers?"
"He looks more like a staff member—probably someone who cleans the arena."
"No, judging by that little girl shouting below, it seems like this young man is going to challenge him."
"No way! Even Drake lost! Is this guy just throwing himself into the fire?"
"Forget it, I can't watch—this is too embarrassing."
"Wait... we'll know soon enough."
The audience grew increasingly curious.
Meanwhile, Bruno, who had just taken a seat, slowly stood up.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time."
"Waiting for me?" Riku was taken aback.
"You knew I would come challenge you today?"
"That's right," Bruno replied with a smile. "That day, I saw the look in your eyes and knew—you'd definitely come today."
"When I didn't see you earlier, I felt slightly disappointed... for a few seconds."
"What are you talking about!" Drake, who hadn't officially left the field yet, snapped.
"Riku, why did you come down? Even I couldn't beat Bruno! You're even more—"
"It's not just that you couldn't beat me," Bruno interrupted bluntly, "you couldn't even fight back. You're not worthy of being my opponent."
"Get lost. You're boring now. Don't disturb my duel with this young man."
"You...!" Drake was furious. Just as he was about to curse Bruno, the nearby Hitmonchan suddenly leapt forward, shadowboxing rapidly, ready to strike.
Drake had witnessed Hitmonchan's strength firsthand.
Even Elite- and Champion-level Pokémon couldn't withstand a single punch—let alone a human.
Gritting his teeth, Drake didn't dare utter another word and retreated to the spectator seats.
The moment he returned, the four Seafoam Islands Gym Leaders surrounded him.
"Crazy!" Only after Bruno and Hitmonchan left did Drake finally curse aloud.
"What the hell is wrong with that Riku?!"
"Just because he got lucky catching a Lapras, he thinks he's stronger than me?"
"Exactly!" The Seafoam Gym Leaders hadn't dared say a word in front of Riku, but now that he was gone and Drake had started venting, they all unleashed their jealousy and frustration.
"Isn't he just an unregistered resident? And now he dares to act all high and mighty in front of us?"
"If he didn't have Lapras, I'd beat him black and blue by myself!"
"Drake, let's just enjoy the show."
"Don't waste your anger on someone so insignificant."
"Just watch—Bruno is going to teach him a harsh lesson."
---
"Are you guys even human?!" May was already on edge with worry for Riku. Hearing her teammates—temporary as they were—speak such heartless words, she exploded.
"Who is Riku challenging Bruno for right now?!"
"Isn't it for the Orange League?!"
"You call him an unregistered resident, but he's already done so much! Have you natives of the Orange Archipelago had your consciences eaten by dogs?"
"You're all adults—can't you even tell the difference between duty and your own selfishness, envy, and jealousy?!"
May's words were merciless.
The four Seafoam Gym Leaders knew they had gone too far and fell silent.
Drake just snorted coldly. He was eager to see how badly Riku would lose.
As for whether Riku could defeat Bruno? Not even May had any confidence in that.
Everyone in the temporary guard team had gotten a pretty good grasp of Riku's strength over time. He had only one Pokémon. Though it was a Champion-level Lapras, he was now up against Bruno—an experienced member of the Elite Four.
Defeating even just Hitmonchan would be a miracle, let alone six Champion-level Pokémon.
---
"Bruno, does your Pokémon need to rest?"
Amid the rising chatter of the crowd, Riku suddenly asked a question no one expected.
"...What did you say?" Even Bruno, who had been somewhat optimistic about Riku, now questioned his ears.
"I'm asking if you need to rest," Riku said seriously. "Didn't your Pokémon just fight Drake? If you need a break, I can wait..."
"Hahahaha!" Bruno burst into loud laughter, confirming he hadn't misheard.
"Interesting."
"You, young man, are very interesting."
"Tell me your name. A young man this bold deserves to be known."
"My name is Riku," he replied firmly. "A Pokémon Trainer... who will defeat you today."
"More than ten thousand islanders are watching right now. So, are you going to rest or not?"
"No need," Bruno shook his head.
"That kid's Pokémon barely gave Hitmonchan a warm-up."
"Putting everything else aside, I sincerely hope you can at least force me to switch Pokémon."
"Even inside their Poké Balls, I can feel them itching for battle..."
"As you wish!" Riku nodded.
He reached for his belt, pulled out a Poké Ball, and threw it to the ground with determination.
"Come on out—Lapras!"
"Let the audience... let Bruno... witness your strength!"
-----------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter