Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
Let's set aside the Moltres that had been wandering aimlessly through the cave for quite a while due to getting lost. By the time Liam finally exited the cave, it was already the middle of the night.
He made his way quickly back to the contestant village hotel. After being screened by the security police at the entrance, he was finally allowed inside.
He walked through the deathly quiet hallway and returned to his room. Swiping his ID card to unlock the door, he stepped in and casually tossed his backpack onto the bed. Seeing that it was already 1 a.m., he stretched with a groan, then took out Aerodactyl's PokéBall and opened it gently.
A flash of light leapt out from the PokéBall and landed in the room—Aerodactyl's massive body appeared inside. Maybe it was because it was still injured, but this time Aerodactyl didn't roar upon being released.
Instead, it shifted awkwardly in the relatively cramped space before settling quietly onto the floor. It turned to look at Liam, seemingly unsure why it had been called out.
"Hehe, still hurting, huh? Come, have a bit more of a Full Res–… Hahaha… ahem… right, I used up all my points… I only have a few bottles of Moomoo Milk left in my inventory. Aerodactyl, just make do with that for now—it's good for healing, and it tastes pretty nice too!"
Liam grinned and habitually pulled up the exchange list, ready to redeem a Full Restore—only to see a very conspicuous "0 Points" flashing on his screen. That's when he remembered he had used all his points to pay off debt.
He used to always carry a few points around for on-the-spot redemptions, so he hadn't stocked up on anything. Now, his only reserves were a few bottles of Moomoo Milk stored in his portable space, mostly kept for quenching thirst.
With no other option, Liam took out all the Moomoo Milk he had and poured it all at once into Aerodactyl's gaping mouth.
Watching Aerodactyl gulp down several bottles' worth of Moomoo Milk in one go, Liam came to a clear realization:
"I have to stock up next time."
After drinking the milk, Aerodactyl's spirit clearly perked up. Even its normally fierce expression softened a little under the comforting taste. Liam stepped forward, gently rubbing the Pokémon's snout and smiled.
"You worked hard today, Aerodactyl. You did great. You've proven your strength to me completely—I'm seriously impressed."
"Raaawr…"
Aerodactyl twitched a little under Liam's hand, as if it was ticklish. A playful gleam flashed in its eyes. Suddenly, it jerked its head up, launching Liam straight into the air.
Liam didn't manage to keep his balance and landed on the floor with a loud thud, sending a jolt of pain through his butt as he winced and gritted his teeth.
"Raaawr raaawr raaawr~~"
Seeing Liam's pained reaction, Aerodactyl let out a series of delighted, triumphant growls.
"You little jerk! That hurt, you know! You think I'll let you off for that?!"
Liam stood up while clutching his rear, then lunged forward and flipped onto Aerodactyl's neck. Wrapping both arms tightly around it, he refused to let go.
Feeling someone suddenly clinging to its neck, Aerodactyl squirmed uncomfortably and began shaking its head, trying to throw Liam off. But Liam held on with a death grip, and since Aerodactyl hadn't fully recovered yet, it quickly ran out of energy.
After a few attempts, it gave up, collapsing to the floor with a blank expression and closing its eyes, ignoring Liam completely.
"Heh! Now you know not to mess with me! Hahaha!"
"Raaawrr…"
Seeing Aerodactyl give up, Liam cackled smugly. Aerodactyl merely responded with a low grunt, nothing more.
"Alright, Aerodactyl, we're partners now, right? I mean, we've fought side-by-side, after all. So how about I give the customary nickname like the rest of my team? Let's see… hmm… got it! How about Amberl? Sounds nice, doesn't it? Do you like it?"
Liam had thought it over for a bit and come up with the name because, in the games, Aerodactyl is revived from an Old Aerodactyl fossil. It felt like a fitting name. And honestly, it just sounded cool.
"Raaawr?"
Aerodactyl cracked one eye open to glance at Liam still hanging around its neck, then closed it again.
"Haha! No objections? That means you agree! Aerodactyl, welcome to the team, partner! Hehe, soon I'll be joining the League Tournament. There'll be tons of powerful opponents waiting. Aerodactyl, how about it? Wanna team up and beat them all, and stand at the top of the competition?"
Liam thought of Lorelei, and of Bruno—each a formidable opponent. And apparently, Lance was planning to enter the League Tournament too. Another monster to deal with. Just thinking about it sent Liam's blood racing. He couldn't wait to clash with these powerhouses in an all-out battle.
Aerodactyl clearly got hyped at Liam's words. Its eyes snapped open, and it inhaled deeply before unleashing a powerful, warlike roar.
"RAAAWWRR!!!"
And right after that, Liam heard…
"Are you insane?! Who the heck lets out a Pokémon to yell its head off in the middle of the night?! Do you even know what time it is?! Don't you people have work in the morning?!"
"Drag 'em out! Beat 'em up! Let's gooo!"
"Have some public decency, will you?!"
In a split second, most of the guests in the hotel had jumped out of bed. One by one, they appeared on their balconies, furiously yelling in the direction of that sudden roar.
Liam: "...Good night."
With a deadpan face, Liam returned Aerodactyl to its PokéBall, turned off the main lights, left only a small lamp on, and quickly stripped down for a shower and bed.
As for the ruckus outside… eh, not his problem!
—
After another beautiful, restful morning, Liam got up, freshened up, and stepped outside. Along the way, he passed by several trainers with obvious dark circles under their eyes. Judging by their exhausted expressions, Liam wisely chose not to strike up a conversation.
His goal for today: finally complete his "Thousand Wins" achievement. He'd added twenty-six more victories yesterday—only seventy-four to go.
Once he hit a thousand, not only would he be debt-free, but he'd also earn a chance at a special Pokémon lottery. Just thinking about it gave him a flutter of excitement.
Since it was already past noon, Liam planned to eat lunch first before heading to Victory Road. But this time, he had a different plan.
Instead of going into Victory Road, he was going to set up a challenge platform just outside. He'd act as the boss of the ring, accepting challenges from anyone who dared face him.
While scarfing down lunch in the contestant village dining hall, he overheard a lively conversation from the table next to him.
"Hey, did you hear what happened last night on Victory Road?" said Person A, sounding mysterious.
"Huh? What happened? I didn't hear anything," replied Person B, clearly curious.
"You know Moltres, right? The legendary bird! I heard the sacred flame used in the Kanto League comes from Moltres! Someone saw it flying out of Victory Road last night!" Person A was practically shaking with excitement.
"No way! Sounds like a rumor. How would anyone just randomly spot a legendary Pokemon like that?" Person B looked skeptical.
"Everyone's talking about it! Why would I lie?! Believe it or not, whatever!" Person A snapped, getting annoyed by the disbelief.
"Alright, alright, don't get mad, I believe you! Let me tell you something too then—about last night." Trying to appease his friend, Person B grinned.
"What?"
"Remember that huge roar from the contestant village last night? It woke up a ton of strong trainers. I heard they've formed an alliance and are planning to track down the prankster who made that racket and teach him a lesson!" Person B said darkly, clearly pleased at the thought.
Liam gulped nervously, still silently shoveling food into his mouth…