Chapter 252: Tournament Reform, Setting Off Again
The next day.
The Top 32 matches were held in the morning.
Will and his group were on the bus to Pallet Town by the afternoon.
The battle against Agatha wasn't much to speak of. Three Elite Four-level Ghost-type Pokémon, all over Lv. 70... it was like beating up babies.
After arriving in Pallet Town, they traveled south to the port and boarded a ship back to Four Island.
On the boat.
"Sigh, we didn't win the championship. Are those brats going to laugh at me when we get back?" Lorelei sighed dramatically.
But in reality, her smugness was practically overflowing.
She knew perfectly well that her results were impressive. Even for an eighteen-year-old, reaching the Top 32 was something to brag about, let alone for a ten-year-old.
"Whatever. Let's just get back. I want Mom's cooking," Will said, lying in Lucario's arms like a little king, crossing his legs.
"Lucario! You spoil him too much! Look at him!" Lorelei glared at Will. She walked over, snatched Will back, and pinched his cheek.
"Hmph, you're just jealous!" Will lifted his chin, wagging his chubby little tail.
"Where to next?"
"Let's rest for a couple of days. Didn't Mom say she wanted you to go to the Pokémon Academy?" Will sighed.
Kids really did have too much energy. He, on the other hand, was exhausted after traveling with Lorelei for six months. Not physically tired. Mentally tired. The kind of tired you get from babysitting.
He just wanted to rest for a while.
Fortunately, when they contacted Lorelei's mom from the Pokémon Center a few days ago, she said she was sending Lorelei to the Pokémon Academy when she got back. That meant Will could finally relax.
"Does Lucario have to go to school with me?" Lorelei suddenly had an idea and looked at the standing dog-Pokémon.
Lucario looked helpless. He couldn't understand what was going on inside this human child's head. He turned to Will, hoping the "Eternal Aura Guardian" could talk some sense into her.
"You should go too," Will yawned.
"Rargh?" (Are you serious?) Lucario looked shocked.
"Haven't you realized you're out of touch with this world? You're a Pokémon from the past, but your future is in this new era. You probably know less about the modern world than Lorelei does."
Will shook his head and patted Lucario's arm. "Don't underestimate the Pokémon Academy. There's a lot of knowledge there even I don't know."
"Okay." Lucario nodded. Although he was reluctant to go to school with a kid, he trusted Will's words.
"Hehe! See, Piplup? Once Lucario leaves with me, no one's going to wait on you anymore. Mad?" Lorelei poked Will's butt.
"...Mom will take care of me instead of Lucario," Will gave her a deadpan look.
Lorelei's mom took care of him way better than the dog ever could. After all, there were lots of things a dog couldn't do. Back when Will was first brought home as a baby, Lorelei's mom had even changed his diapers.
"Pft!" Lorelei pouted and ignored him.
Time passed slowly. After a few hours of sea breeze, they arrived at Four Island.
"We'll probably be staying here for a while. How does it feel?" Will turned to Lucario.
"...The sound of the sea is loud." Lucario instinctively closed his eyes, using his Aura to sense his surroundings.
"Don't use Aura. Use your eyes. Look at the scenery. Is it comfortable?"
"...The air is humid."
"Mm, that's just how it is here." Will nodded.
For a Pokémon with thick fur like Lucario, humidity wasn't great. But for a Water-type like Will, it was paradise.
They chatted as they walked home.
When they arrived, Lorelei's mom had already prepared delicious desserts.
"Mom~" Seeing her mother after so long, Lorelei threw her arms up and lunged.
"Piplup~ Long time no see~" Her mom sidestepped Lorelei, scooped Will up, and gave his tail a squeeze.
"Mom!" Lorelei shouted angrily.
"What?" Her mom glanced at her, patted her face perfunctorily, and then extended a hand to the dog. "Ah, this must be Lucario. You look like such a good boy. Come in, come in. You're part of the family now."
"Rargh." Lucario froze as she patted his head. It had been a long time since he was treated so gently.
Will sensed the emotions in Lucario's Aura and snickered. Gentle, friendly humans were super effective against Pokémon. It was easy to capture their hearts. Treecko, Chimchar, Torkoal, Gligar... they were all captured by Ash's kindness. Ash might be dense with girls, but he was a master at romancing Pokémon.
"Alright, when Dad gets home tonight, we'll invite the neighbors over for dinner in the yard. Everyone saw how well you and Piplup did. The kids on the island really look up to you."
"Really? Hehe..." Praised, Lorelei instantly forgot her grudge. She scratched the back of her head sheepishly, then bolted into her room.
Will knew exactly what she was doing. She was definitely going to dress up and prepare a speech so she could brag at dinner.
Ordinary days arrived in an ordinary way.
After resting at home for a week, Lorelei and Lucario were sent to school on Five Island.
Five Island was the most developed of the Sevii Islands, home to the Pokémon Academy, a luxury resort, the Lost Cave, the Water Labyrinth, the Memorial Pillar, and more. It was known as the "Island of Time's Passage."
Five Island wasn't far from Four Island, but it wasn't close, either. A round trip took one or two hours. But the Academy sent a special yacht to pick up students from the other islands, so it wasn't a hassle for parents.
The Pokémon Academy had a rule: each student could only bring one Pokémon to school.
Lorelei had tried to drag Will along by his tail. But Will refused. He just wanted to stay home, watch dramas with Mom, and rest. And if he went, Lucario couldn't go.
In the end, Lorelei's mom made the call, sending Lorelei and Lucario to school together.
"When can I travel with Piplup again?"
"When you graduate."
"Ugh~"
"Lorelei is a trainer who made the Top 32 in the Kanto Conference. Graduating should be easy for you, right?"
With a few words, her mom had Lorelei wrapped around her finger, and the girl went off to school happily.
In the blink of an eye, two and a half years passed.
It was now League Year 180.
Lorelei was 13 and had graduated from the Pokémon Academy.
It's worth mentioning that on the first day of the year before last, the League officially launched the "Gym Leader Selection Tournament."
However, the prerequisite for registration was having won at least one regional conference championship.
Because of this, the intensity of the regional conferences didn't drop; it skyrocketed. Many hidden experts emerged to participate, aiming to qualify for the Gym Leader tournament.
This was all within the League's calculations.
This was why the Gym system hadn't started yet.
One: The League didn't have enough Gym Leaders. They had to be selected.
Two: These last three years allowed the older generation of trainers to fight for their qualifications, potentially allowing the League to harvest a crop of powerful trainers. Otherwise, once the Gym system started, they might be too lazy to travel around challenging Gyms.
It wasn't until the beginning of this year that the League officially implemented the Gym system.
Eight Gyms went online in every region simultaneously. Adults over twenty sighed, while young people cheered.
It was almost certain that the next few years would see a surge of new and old trainers. New trainers following the trend, and old trainers fighting for the right to participate in the Gym Leader selection.
The competition would still be fierce. But at least it wouldn't be like the 177 Kanto Conference, where a bunch of Gym Leader and Elite Four-level trainers popped up out of nowhere.
In another two years, the League would undergo internal reforms, organizing special units like the International Police and ruins exploration teams, recruiting powerful trainers en masse. Once the Elite Four and Champion positions were established, the regional conferences would truly become the "baby cup."
One day, at the dinner table.
"Piplup~ Are you ready to travel with Lorelei? Are you happy?"
"No, I still want to stay with Mom."
"Stinky Piplup! I don't like you anymore!" The teenage Lorelei sitting next to him snatched Will's rice bowl.
The little loli from back then had grown into a graceful young lady. Will had to admit, kids these days grew fast. At only thirteen, she was pushing 1.7 meters. She was clearly aiming for 1.8 meters.
"...If you don't like him, you don't like him. Why snatch his bowl?!"
Smack!
Her mom rolled her eyes at Lorelei, snatched the bowl back, and continued to feed Will with a small spoon.
For the past two and a half years, Will had been perfecting the art of acting cute, wrapping Lorelei's mom around his little flipper. She doted on him endlessly.
"Hehe." Will shot Lorelei a smug look.
But he was just teasing her mom. In reality, Will did want to travel with Lorelei.
He'd been lazing around the house for two and a half years. The furthest he'd gone was the other islands. He was getting bored. It was time to go out and see the world.
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