After finishing the gym battle and ending the livestream, Jin and Iono left the battlefield as the audience saw them off and made their way to the challenger's waiting room inside the Levincia Gym.
"Alright! Smile for the camera!"
Inside the room, Iono and Manectric were currently taking a two-shot commemorative photo. The original deal was to take the picture only if Iono won the battle, but since Manectric had agreed, they decided to go ahead and take the photo as a gesture of thanks for the battle.
"Hehehe! A two-shot with Manectric! Aaaah, I'm sooo happy!"
Iono gazed at the picture of herself with Manectric, her expression melting with joy. It was understandable. Manectric couldn't be found in Paldea, and as a Gym Leader, Iono couldn't easily travel to other regions to see one.
"Thanks so much for letting me take a photo, even though I lost the battle!"
"No problem at all. But are you sure the video turned out alright?"
Jin had given it his all in the battle, not holding back. As a result, it ended in his overwhelming victory. Jin couldn't help but wonder if that had caused any issues.
"It's totally fine! Sure, I'm bummed I lost, but check this out!"
Iono pulled out her Rotom Phone and opened the video from the livestream. The screen displayed an unprecedented number of views and comments.
"Look at that! The view count on today's 'What's That?! Iono Zone' is skyrocketing! Oh, I'm in heaven!"
It seemed Iono was more overjoyed by the results than upset about her loss, satisfied with the massive turnout.
(Well, at least we accomplished our goal.)
The comments section was full of reactions to the Mega Evolution and speculations about the mysterious power-up technique, "Energy Charge." Both of these were rare sights in Paldea, so the battle left a strong impression.
In the end, the purpose of diverting attention away from the unconfirmed rumors about the giant Arboliva was achieved.
"Jin, are you like a big deal in Hoenn or something? The Hoenn viewers are going wild!"
Apparently, there were viewers from Hoenn, and thanks to Jin's victory, the stream had gained major traction. The video was being shared widely, drawing in even people who didn't usually watch Iono's content, but tuned in out of curiosity since someone from their home region had appeared.
"Uh, well… something like that, I guess."
Jin, not particularly concerned with fame, wasn't fully aware, but he did have a fan club. Though smaller than those of figures like Iono or Nemona, a decent number of people had become his fans after watching his battles in the Ever Grande Conference.
"Wow, it's no wonder people are hyped about you! You've got serious star power. Let's collaborate again sometime! But just a heads-up—besides me and Nidothing, don't appear in any other streamers' videos, okay?"
Jin had no particular desire to appear on video streams. He would gladly participate if Nidothing, his old friend, asked him to guest on her channel, but beyond that, this recent experience was unlikely to be repeated.
"That's fine with me. I'm happy to."
Because of time constraints, neither Jin nor Iono had been able to properly research each other or strategize beforehand. But if they were to battle again in the future, both would come fully prepared. In that case, the outcome might be very different.
"Great! You said it! No take-backs!"
"…Isn't that a bit dramatic?"
"It is NOT dramatic! Do you know how valuable it is to almost exclusively have a Champion-rank collaborator?!"
Though Jin wasn't fully aware, there was fierce competition in the streaming world. Even a big name like Iono had to put in a lot of behind-the-scenes effort, something Jin could pick up on from her determined attitude.
"So! I was thinking about getting you to sign a contract right now… but I just ran out of forms, sooo… I guess I'll just give you a special gift instead! Wait here a sec!"
With that, Iono dashed out of the room, leaving Jin standing there.
(A gift, huh? I just hope it's not something weird…)
He had already received the Gym Badge after their battle, and he was happy with how fun the match had been, so Jin didn't feel like he needed anything else. However, he couldn't outright refuse Iono's kindness.
But if this gift was from a girl, explaining it to Liko was going to be tricky. She was already a little upset that he had left her behind on the ship, and he didn't want to risk worsening her mood.
"Sorry for the wait!"
Several minutes passed, and just as Jin was contemplating how to explain things to Liko, Iono re-entered the room.
"Alright then, once again! To commemorate Jin's first gym battle in Paldea and our long-lasting partnership going forward, here's a special gift!"
With those words, Iono extended her hands in front of Jin. Resting on her palms was an item he had seen twice before since arriving in Paldea — a black ball, reminiscent of a Poké Ball.
"Is this... could it be?"
"Yes! It's a Tera Orb!"
When activated, the energy inside the orb is released, and by throwing it above a Pokémon's head, it triggers Terastallization. This unique Paldean technique changes a Pokémon's type mid-battle, greatly expanding the range of strategies one can use.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to accept something so valuable?"
"Yep! No worries at all! It's not as rare as you think. This one's just a spare given to me by the League, so don't feel bad about it!"
"Are you sure it's really alright to take this?"
"It's totally fine! I've already gotten approval from the League. Normally, you'd have to take a special course to use it, but I pulled some strings and got you a pass thanks to my recommendation!"
Apparently, during the past several minutes, Iono had contacted the Pokémon League and other relevant authorities to secure permission for Jin to receive the Tera Orb. The League members had watched their livestreamed battle, and seeing Jin's skill, they were more than happy to grant him the orb.
"Jin! All the conditions are cleared! Now, why don't you make it official and become my business partner?"
A new possibility for Pokémon battles was now right in front of him. Even though he knew it might cause trouble with Liko later, Jin couldn't turn away from this opportunity as a Trainer.
---
After parting ways with Iono, Jin left Levincia City and returned to the Brave Olivine aboard his Salamence. By the time he arrived, preparations for the ship's departure were complete, and the group set sail, leaving Paldea behind and heading toward Galar.
"…Terastallization, huh."
In the end, Jin accepted the Tera Orb from Iono. There was no doubt it would expand his strategic options. Unlike Sceptile's Mega Evolution, this orb could be used on any of his Pokémon, which made it an even more attractive tool. Though he would need to investigate the changes in typing carefully, the opportunity to tap into new possibilities with his Pokémon filled him with satisfaction.
"…Glad you got your present."
As Jin stood on the wing deck, gazing at the Tera Orb, the door to the observation room behind him opened, and Liko, wearing a slight frown, came to sit beside him.
"…"
The air between them was tense. It was clear to Jin that the awkwardness was entirely his fault.
Originally, Jin had planned to keep receiving the Tera Orb from Iono a secret for a while, but Liko, with her uncanny intuition, had somehow picked up on the fact that he was hiding something.
What followed had been even more one-sided than his battle with Iono.
"…Are you going to forgive me yet?"
"…I don't really mind that you got a present. It's just… I didn't like that you tried to hide it."
Liko had known from the time she learned that Jin was somewhat famous in Hoenn that he would occasionally receive presents or fan mail. She had mentally prepared herself for it. What bothered her was that Jin had tried to keep it from her.
"…I won't hide things from you anymore, Liko."
"…Really?"
"Yeah, I promise."
(Though she'd probably figure it out even if I did try to hide something…)
Liko seemed to have an extraordinary sense for detecting anything related to Jin, especially when it involved other girls. It was almost like a special ability or a unique trait. With this realization, Jin figured it was better for both of them if he apologized right away rather than trying to hide things from her.
"…Hmm."
Liko, sitting next to him, turned her body toward Jin, closed her eyes, and slightly puckered her lips. Seeing her expression, Jin could immediately tell what she wanted.
"…You're being unusually bold."
Usually, moments like this only happened in private, when they were alone in their rooms. Moreover, Liko was typically too shy to initiate, so Jin would take the lead. That was their usual dynamic.
"Mm!"
Blushing deeply, Liko urged him again. Jin placed his left hand on her head and his right on her cheek, slowly leaning in. Just as their lips were about to meet, only centimeters apart…
"Liko, I need to talk to you about—oh…"
The door to the observation room suddenly opened, and a figure appeared. Startled, Liko glanced toward the voice, only to see Dot and Quaxly standing there, faces bright red in shock as they stared at Jin and Liko.
"S-Sorry!?"
"D-Dot!? Wait!?"
Liko, showing an unexpected burst of athleticism, shook off Jin and stood up, quickly catching Dot before she could escape.
"I-I wasn't trying to interrupt..."
"Wh-What do you mean!? I just got something in my eye, and Jin was helping me get it out! Right, Jin? That's what happened, right?"
With her face flushed and desperate for Jin's agreement, Liko's frantic attitude nearly made Jin laugh. But sensing the situation might spiral further out of control, he nodded to show his agreement.
"Uh... sorry, really..."
"I told you, there's nothing to apologize for..."
"Alright, alright, enough. Dot, don't worry about it. Come sit here; you said you had something to talk about, right?"
"...Y-Yeah."
With both Liko and Dot starting to calm down a little, Jin moved to give Dot the seat he had been using. He could only think of one topic that Dot would want to bring up with Liko at this moment.
"Liko... there's actually something... I need to apologize for."
"Huh?"
"Well, it's just..."
"Quaaaa! Quawawawa!"
"I-I get it!"
As Dot had mentioned earlier to Jin, before they left Paldea, she intended to reveal her secret to Liko. But now, face-to-face with her, Dot was struggling to find the courage. It wasn't until her partner Quaxly nudged her forward that she finally steeled herself.
"I've been keeping this secret for a long time. Honestly, it was partly because I felt it was a pain, but also because I thought it should come from me directly..."
Dot slowly began to reveal her secret, but Liko, having no idea what she was talking about, stared at her in confusion.
"That look... you really don't know?"
"U-Um... no..."
"S-So, about... Nidothing!"
"Huh? If that's what this is about—"
"You knew!?"
"Yeah! You're a big fan of Nidothing, right?"
"No! Ugh, how do you not get it!? Jin figured it out so quickly!"
Frustrated by Liko's inability to understand what she was trying to say, Dot finally decided to tell the full truth.
"I'm Nidothing! It's me!"
"Wha—... …... ...Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!"
After a long pause, Liko finally grasped the meaning of Dot's words. Her face turned bright red as she processed the truth, while Dot, her own face flushed, nervously awaited her reaction.
Meanwhile, Jin watched their predictable yet entertaining reactions with amusement.
Though Jin couldn't predict how Liko and Dot's friendship would change after this revelation, there was one thing he was certain of.
(Just watching these two will keep things interesting for a while...)
---
Around the same time Liko learned Dot's secret...
"..."
On a ship owned by the Explorers, in one of its rooms, Spinel was reporting on the outcome of his recent mission. Present were his fellow executives—Sidian, Coral, Chalce—and their butler, Hambel, with Amethio being the only one absent.
"Hahahahaha! You, the guy who's always so prepared, actually failed? That's hilarious!"
"This isn't like you. You got lost in your own schemes."
"I have no excuse."
As much as Spinel regretted it, having failed his mission, he had no choice but to report it. After ridiculing Amethio for his own failure, Spinel now found himself in the same situation. Reactions like these were to be expected.
"How do you view the power of the pendant, Spinel?"
"...Everything is in the report."
"You're being cautious... or is it just cowardice?"
"Come on, if you've got an excuse, we're all ears~."
"I have no excuses. As I mentioned earlier, I underestimated that boy. That was the biggest reason for my failure."
"The boy... Jin, right?"
Spinel had deliberately left out some uncertain details regarding the pendant in his report.
However, when it came to Jin, the main reason for the mission's failure, he reported everything without holding back. Jin's Champion-rank skills, his sharp insight that saw through Spinel's strategies, and his presence as the biggest obstacle to seizing the pendant were undeniable.
"Based on Spinel's report, I have completed an investigation into the boy, Jin. I will now send the data for your review."
Before the meeting started, Hambel had received a preliminary report from Spinel and conducted a thorough investigation into Jin. He then transferred the compiled data to the smartphones of all the executives present. The data included official battle records of Jin, media reactions to him, and the latest footage from his battle with the massive Arboliva and his recent full battle against Iono.
"...I see. He's strong. It's no surprise he defeated both Amethio and Spinel."
"To be this strong at such a young age... we can't afford to underestimate him."
Even from their experienced eyes as top-tier Trainers, Jin's strength was exceptional. Especially notable was the Mega Evolution and the "Energy Charge" power-up method he used with his Sceptile in the final moments of his full battle with Iono. It didn't seem like something that could be easily overcome.
"This is amazing! This looks so fun! I want to go next! Let me take him on!"
While Chalce and Sidian expressed their concerns, only Coral watched Jin's battle footage with sparkling eyes. Excited, she quickly volunteered for the next mission, eager to face Jin.
"Coral! This isn't some game!"
"Huh? Don't act like I don't know that already!"
"Both of you, that's enough."
Just as Sidian and Coral were about to argue, Hambel shot them a sharp glare. Reluctantly, the two backed down.
"Let's conclude for today. I will contact everyone again once the next steps are decided."
With those words, Hambel's holographic image disappeared. Following him, Sidian, Chalce, and Coral also logged off, leaving Spinel alone in the room. Once everyone was gone, Spinel left the room, heading to the deck with his partner, Umbreon.
"I can't report uncertain information. But at least I've shared the details about Jin with everyone."
Now that the threat Jin posed was clearly conveyed to everyone within the Explorers, there would be no underestimating him in the future.
Moreover, something unexpected had happened for Spinel—Coral had taken an interest in Jin. Depending on Coral's actions going forward, there was hope that she might cause some trouble for Jin.
Just imagining Jin struggling with Coral's antics made it hard for Spinel to suppress a grin.
"Heh... With the pendant and everything else, things are starting to get a bit more interesting."
// END
Finally managed to wrap up the Paldea arc. Thanks for your continued support!
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