"Hey hey hey, do you think No. 66 will show up for the match today?"
"Who knows? I hope he does, but it's already the fifth day. Maybe he already disembarked."
In the noisy spectator stands, two young men were shouting over the crowd talking about Sato, who hadn't appeared in five straight days.
As the youngest Trainer to achieve a five-win streak, Sato's popularity had skyrocketed after his fifth match.
Some even speculated that the odds for Sato's sixth match might be set at 10:1. His performance had been so dazzling that many people had started blindly following the hype.
But just as everyone was eagerly waiting for contestant No. 66's sixth battle… he vanished. He simply stopped showing up.
Even now, many were still holding out hope that he might appear, which was quite rare.
And as they discussed him, "No. 66" himself was in his room, packing his things. After nearly half a month on the cruise, they were finally about to reach their destination.
"Don't mess with that. Go play somewhere else."
Sato picked up the black Ralts with one hand and dropped it onto the edge of the bed, keeping it away from his bag.
Just like Gardevoir had explained, each of its forms had subtle personality differences.
Gardevoir was gentle and composed, while Ralts was a bit more lively… and slightly spoiled.
Flipping its head to neaten its bangs, Ralts hopped down from the bed again and gleefully ran off to rummage through something else.
"The snacks aren't in there. Just tell me what you want and I'll get it for you," Sato said, setting down his folded clothes with a sigh.
As soon as Ralts heard that, it stopped misbehaving and bounced back over, lifting its head to make a big gulping gesture. Even though it hadn't eaten anything yet, it licked its lips dramatically.
"Here. Last one."
Sato dug into a small packed pouch and pulled out a bottle of Sweet Milk, handing it to Ralts.
---
Made from Beedrill's Honey and Gogoat's Grass Milk…
Sweet Milk wasn't just incredibly nutritious!
It had a flavor that instantly won over every Pokémon!
#AD #SweetMilk
----
But Ralts, in particular, seemed obsessed. Every few days, it would run over to Joseph's place to beg for more, always carrying a tiny bottle around like a baby.
The first time Ralts tasted Sweet Milk, it had nearly burst into tears from excitement. After who-knows-how-long alive, it had finally discovered something so delicious in the world.
Ralts even began to seriously wonder if it should defect to Joseph's side, so it could have an unlimited supply of Sweet Milk…
"Tun tun tun tun tun~"
With one huge gulp, Ralts downed the entire bottle, then flopped on the floor with the empty container in its arms finally at peace.
"Anyone want a late-night snack?"
Just then, Joseph's voice came from outside the room. Before Sato could respond, Ralts -who had just collapsed- sprang right back to its feet and darted out.
"…"
After so many days together, Sato and Ralts had learned to coexist peacefully, and even developed a bit of mutual understanding.
The one who deserved the most credit for that was Joseph.
…Because Ralts was a total glutton.
Most Pokémon had very different tastes from humans. Their preferences varied wildly.
But not Ralts. It liked everything: human food, Pokémon food, you name it.
At first, Joseph had worried that he hadn't found the right flavor profile for Ralts. But eventually, he realized… it just liked to eat!
And its digestion was ridiculously fast. With a stomach barely the size of a fist, it somehow felt like a bottomless pit: never full.
Like right now. Ralts had just chugged down a whole bottle of Sweet Milk, and yet the moment it heard food was coming, it bolted off as if Sato had been starving it.
The late-night snack was a bowl of warm, sweet fermented rice dumplings. The three of them ate while chatting casually, making plans for their arrival at Dewford Island.
Dewford Island wasn't very big, but it did have both a west and east port. The western port was largely deserted and lacked any notable exploration sites.
The eastern port, on the other hand, was bustling. It had the Dewford Gym and a well-known exploration spot: Granite Cave, where many strong Aron resided.
Aron's base stats were nearly on par with starter Pokémon. Thanks to their great resistances and incredibly high Defense, they were very popular among Trainers.
Sato wasn't particularly interested in catching one, but if he encountered a Clan Leader, he'd definitely be up for a battle.
After finishing the snack, Sato shooed Ralts onto its small bed, then went to his room to rest.
The next morning, the three of them cashed in their Betting Tickets, and miraculously, no one gave them any trouble.
Even Sato found it hard to believe that Dafu would let them off this easily without pursuing anything further.
By midday, Dewford Island finally appeared on the horizon. The trio had already packed up their belongings and stood silently in line on the deck. And they weren't the only ones getting off here.
"Hey, it's the captain!"
"Good day, Captain Dafu!"
"Hello, Mr. Dafu!"
"…"
A wave of chatter and excitement rippled through the crowd behind them. Sato turned toward the sound and saw Dafu smiling and greeting familiar faces warmly.
He's pretty popular…
"Sato..." Joseph leaned over and whispered, sensing that Dafu showing up at this moment could only mean one thing: trouble.
Joseph's instincts were spot on. Although Dafu was cheerfully greeting everyone around him, his steps never slowed, and he was walking straight toward Sato.
There was no dodging this. Watching Dafu draw closer step by step, Sato's eyes flickered. Countless thoughts swirled through his mind.
"We meet again, Sato," Dafu said as he arrived, smiling warmly. He gestured politely, asking if they could speak privately.
"Captain Dafu, what can I do for you?" Sato asked first once they reached a quieter spot. Technically speaking, they had never openly fallen out.
"I've been too busy these past few days and didn't get the chance to properly chat with you. Back when we spoke, Juan specifically asked me to look out for you."
"This trip has been fascinating. I've learned a lot from the many battles that took place…"
As Dafu continued speaking, people around them started whispering and murmuring. Before long, someone finally recognized Sato as the famous contestant No. 66 from the tournament.
The chatter quickly grew louder.
Sato frowned slightly at the rising noise. "Captain Dafu, if there's nothing urgent, I'd like to return. The ship's docking soon."
"No rush. I actually came to apologize. My subordinates, and yes, myself included, have gotten so used to doing certain things that we've forgotten our original intent."
Sato said nothing, quietly watching as Captain Dafu looked off into the distance. Clearly, he wasn't finished.
"I'm a businessman, but I've always admired and yearned for the freedom of Trainers. That's why I've funded many young Trainers with potential who struggled under the weight of reality."