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The four trainers preparing for the Lily of the Valley Conference naturally fell into conversation about battles, Pokémon breeding, and their travel experiences.
Ash shared the embarrassing story of how he had once tied Pikachu with a rope and dragged him around when they first set out.
Etorre chimed in with the humiliating tale of how a Mankey had torn his clothes during its capture, forcing him to cover his face and run all the way home in shame.
'Got it,' Luther thought. 'This topic, sparked by travel experiences, has turned into a "dark history" session.'
Seeing the gossipy expressions on Mao, Dawn, and Mai's faces, Luther knew he couldn't escape his turn.
So he recounted how, before meeting Mismagius, he had been teased by Misdreavus, which provoked Mismagius into chasing after him in a rage.
This revelation surprised everyone. After all, Mismagius was now so devoted to Luther that it was hard to imagine her ever being so volatile.
Dakota remained silent at first, showing no inclination to speak even as the conversation circled back to him.
The self-deprecating atmosphere made Dakota hesitate, but seeing that everyone else was laughing it off so easily, he eventually joined in, filling the gap left by Luther's remarks.
Froslass's embarrassing prank of freezing Dakota's backpack to the ground drew frequent nods from Ash, and Dawn suddenly recalled something similar.
Froslass was indeed a formidable foe in snowy mountain regions. Ash and his friends had even been kidnapped by one before.
Once the conversation started flowing, it was hard to stop. The four friends grew increasingly animated, roasting each other with gusto.
Kihara watched from the side, jaw agape. He already knew Luther and his group were confident, their sights set on the main tournament. But after hearing their banter, Kihara realized he had completely underestimated their confidence.
All four of them declared they would become Champion.
Ash, brimming with his usual confidence, vowed to give it his all this time to secure the answer from Luther and claim the Champion title.
Etorre pointed to himself, implying he was the rightful Champion. With the title secured, he could devote more energy to finding Mewtwo.
Luther casually mentioned he would be waiting for them in the finals.
After hearing this, Dakota chimed in, "I'll be waiting for you in the finals too."
'Are they just confident or outright arrogant?'
The Lily of the Valley Conference hadn't even started, yet they seemed to have already divvied up the top four spots.
What was even more astonishing was that their companions nodded in agreement, showing no doubt whatsoever in the group's bold claims.
In the end, they settled on a unified stance: "Just don't lose to any weirdos along the way. That would be too embarrassing."
The group, engrossed in their lively conversation, turned their attention to Wakaba and the five Pokémon beside her.
Three mud-caked Spoink, a vibrantly energetic Bellossom, and a somewhat shy Lilligant.
"Where did you find these Pokémon?" Kihara asked, stepping forward to examine the Spoink's physical condition.
As if they had experienced some trauma, the Spoink flinched at Kihara's outstretched hand, retreating behind Wakaba.
"Honestly, Dad, you're scaring them," Wakaba scolded gently.
Wakaba crouched down and explained to the Spoink, who slowly approached Kihara.
Luther and the others also walked over.
That morning, Wakaba had claimed she had a way to find suitable Pokémon. To everyone's surprise, she had indeed found three psychic-type Spoink, along with the stunning Bellossom and Lilligant, who were considered the group's "face" due to their exceptional beauty.
"Where did you find them?"
Mao and Mai froze at the sight of Lilligant, immediately throwing their arms around her with their usual directness.
Lilligant froze, flustered by Mao's enthusiastic embrace. But when she realized Mao was gently stroking her, she calmed down, blushing as she glanced at Bellossom beside her.
Bellossom, who had been about to dance, was held back by Etorre, Luther, and Dakota.
Etorre analyzed Bellossom's condition from a battle perspective, while Dakota noted that her care was average and the floral scent from her head was faint. Ash hummed for a while, realizing that Etorre and Dakota had already said everything he wanted to say.
Luther, however, had no such analytical thoughts. He was simply kneading Bellossom's cheeks, his first instinct when encountering a cute Pokémon always being to test its texture.
Bellossom felt trapped, surrounded by these four peculiar humans, yet unable to escape their attention.
Brock, who was busy wiping down a grimy Spoink, couldn't help but ask, "Does Spoink seem like a stray Pokémon?"
Wakaba replied with a cheerful smile, "I just happened to meet them at the Day Care and Pokémon Center today."
"Spoink had wandered into town and was roaming around when Pokémon League personnel brought him to the Pokémon Center for temporary care. I simply adopted him while I was there."
"Bellossom and Lilligant were abandoned by their previous owner because they were deemed too weak in battle," Wakaba explained.
'To abandon such beautiful Pokémon for their combat abilities?' Luther couldn't help but scoff. 'That's such a gamer move.'
Stray Pokémon often lingered around Pokémon Centers and Day Care facilities. These Pokémon, accustomed to wandering towns, knew these places could offer them assistance.
Some even took up residence near the Pokémon Centers, where staff would occasionally ask passing trainers if they were willing to adopt them. The Day Care operated similarly.
In truth, Wakaba still wanted an Espurr. After seeing Luther's Espurr's versatility throughout the day, she realized how incredibly useful it could be.
Attracting and serving customers, comforting Milcery during breaks, and even helping in the restaurant kitchen, Espurr's versatility far surpassed Chansey's, who was exceptionally active only in the kitchen.
However, after Luther explained the extensive training involved, Wakaba reluctantly gave up.
After all, it had taken Luther's Espurr half a year of rigorous training to reach its current impressive level.
Luther's group would eventually leave, and once their goodwill and assistance ended, Wakaba's own Pokémon would need to stand on their own.
Luther and his companions naturally understood Wakaba's concerns. They immediately decided that starting tomorrow, Espurr would begin familiarizing Spoink and Lilligant with their work duties.
"I want to visit the Pokémon Center and Day Care tomorrow," Etorre announced.
Mao immediately agreed. "I want to go too! Wakaba said there are a lot of stray Pokémon hanging around those places because of the Lily of the Valley Conference. If possible, I'd like to bring one home."
Dakota pondered for a moment, then surprisingly decided to join them. "If there's a suitable Pokémon, I wouldn't mind taking one back."
Seeing Mai watching him, Luther felt he should go too. After all, aside from Darkrai, his entire team had been built by picking up strays along the way.
'When it comes to picking up strays... I might even have better luck than Mai?'
(End of Chapter)