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"Boom!!"
As soon as Riolu's energy sphere struck Smeargle, a loud explosion echoed above the battlefield, with thick black smoke quickly spreading through the air.
"Eh! What move is that? It looks really strong! Riolu, did you just learn this just now?"
Delia stared at Riolu in surprise, clearly astonished by the move it had just unleashed.
"Smeargle…"
Bang!
At that moment, the Smeargle—struck mid-air—let out a cry of pain before crashing heavily onto the ground. It struggled briefly before collapsing, fainting on the spot.
"Smeargle!"
Mr. Howard was dumbfounded. Just a moment ago, Smeargle had been holding the advantage. But in the blink of an eye, it was suddenly defeated. The turnaround was too abrupt.
"Beep! Smeargle is unable to battle! Riolu is the winner! The Gym Leader's Pokémon have both lost their ability to fight! Therefore—the victor of this Gym battle is the challenger!"
With the result decided, the young girl acting as referee quickly waved her flags and announced Delia's victory.
"Yay! We won! Hahaha~ Riolu, you're amazing!"
Upon hearing the referee's declaration, Delia leapt up with joy, her face brimming with the thrill of victory. She rushed into the arena toward Riolu.
"Rii… (We won, Master…)"
Riolu turned back happily at Delia's approach, but then its vision blurred. A deep fatigue spread throughout its body. Having exhausted all its strength, Riolu collapsed onto the ground.
"Ah! Riolu! Are you alright? Please be okay!"
Delia cried out in alarm, dashing faster to scoop Riolu into her arms with a heartbroken expression.
Clap, clap, clap…
Just then, the sound of applause came from behind her. She turned to see Liam walking over quickly, smiling as he clapped.
"That was a truly splendid battle. Both you and Riolu did very well. Here—this is Moomoo Milk. Riolu's only problem is overexertion. Don't worry. Give this to it and it'll recover."
Liam stepped up beside Delia, pulling out two bottles of Moomoo Milk and handing one to her with a look of approval.
This wasn't Delia's first time feeding Pokémon Moomoo Milk. Knowing its benefits, she didn't hesitate. She swiftly uncapped the bottle and carefully poured the milk into Riolu's mouth.
"Rii~"
With each sip, Riolu gradually regained its strength. Upon savoring the sweet taste of the milk, it eagerly wrapped its tiny paws around the bottle and drank in big gulps, looking quite happy.
Relieved, Delia finally relaxed.
Seeing Riolu could now drink by itself, Liam knew it was out of danger. He turned with a smile and offered the second bottle of milk to Mr. Howard.
"Mr. Howard, this milk restores a lot of stamina. Please give it to your Smeargle. If it's not enough, I still have more."
"..."
Mr. Howard glanced at the Moomoo Milk. After a short silence, he chuckled, gently pushed the bottle back, and instead pulled out a PokeBall.
"Come out, Miltank!"
"Mii~"
With a flash of light, a Pokémon resembling a large cow appeared, happily swaying its… formidable udders.
"You too, Aipom. Miltank, please help both Aipom and Smeargle to recover quickly."
Mr. Howard released Aipom, who had fainted earlier, and instructed Miltank give them some of her milk.
"Mii~"
Cheerfully, Miltank picked up Aipom, tucked it under its arm, then waddled over to Smeargle. Sitting down heavily beside it, Miltank grabbed both fainted Pokémon and pressed its "nipple" straight into their mouths… its face filled with satisfaction.
"..."
Liam's expression stiffened. Only now did he recall that the Goldenrod Gym also operated a Miltank Ranch that produced Moomoo Milk. In this situation, bringing out milk himself really was like "showing off in front of an expert."
"Rii~ (So full~)"
At that moment, Riolu finished the entire bottle, then lay back in Delia's arms, rubbing its round belly and letting out a burp before quickly falling asleep.
"Ahem. As this young man said, it truly was a wonderful match. Riolu's final outburst of strength exceeded even my expectations. To think such a small body could hold such power… Pokémon truly are mysterious creatures. Well then—this is proof of your victory. The Goldenrod Gym's Plain Badge. It now… belongs to you!"
Having tended to his own Pokémon, Mr. Howard turned with a cough and a smile of admiration. He walked up to Delia, then slowly took a golden square badge from his chest pocket and held it out to her.
Delia's eyes widened with joy. She quickly stood, bowed respectfully, and accepted the badge with shining eyes.
...…
After the Gym battle, the rest of the day was devoted to sightseeing. Goldenrod City had plenty of attractions, and Liam and Delia happily spent the entire day exploring.
"Wow~ It's so high! Look, Liam, look! The sea is right next to Goldenrod City! This is the closest I've ever been to such a vast ocean—it's amazing!"
Goldenrod's Radio Tower was one of the city's most famous landmarks. Built near the shore, its signal spread throughout the city.
In the free viewing area of the tower, Delia pressed excitedly against the glass, gazing out at the vast ocean with wonder.
"Yeah, I remember the next Gym after this one requires a boat ride across the waters. You'll definitely have the chance to enjoy the ocean then."
Liam, too, was stirred by the majestic view. He smiled as he replied to her.
"Mm! That's a promise! Oh, by the way, Liam, do you remember the move Riolu used at the very end of the Gym battle? What move was that? You told me the moves Riolu could learn, but was that one of them?"
Delia nodded happily at his reply, but her curiosity soon shifted to the mysterious move Riolu had unleashed. She looked at Liam expectantly.