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Kai stretched out his hand and gently shook Chloe awake.
"Hey, Chloe, it's dawn. Wake up already!"
"Eh? It's morning?" Chloe rubbed her eyes sleepily. "How strange. Why am I sleeping here? I clearly remember watching your battle with them yesterday..."
As she fully woke up, she suddenly noticed Kai's face, now covered in ridiculous graffiti.
"Kai? You're usually so serious! Why would you paint something like that on your face? Aren't you too old to be this childish?"
"...Childish?! You've got to be kidding me!"
Kai pulled out a mirror and handed it to her. "Take a look. It's not just me. You have it too."
"What!?"
Chloe gasped as she saw her reflection, her face covered in similar doodles.
"Ahhhhhh!!"
She let out a cry of surprise and quickly grabbed a wet wipe from her bag, furiously scrubbing at the marks.
"What in the world happened?"
Kai sighed and recounted the antics of a mischievous Jigglypuff they had encountered the previous night.
Afterwards, he began waking his Pokémon one by one before turning his attention to Aya and the young samurai accompanying them.
The two were still fast asleep. To avoid any potential fuss, Kai decided to leave them be. He returned his Pokémon to their Poké Balls, called Chloe over, and the two quietly left the area.
Not long after their departure, Aya stirred awake. She sat up groggily, her memory of the previous day slowly returning.
As her eyes adjusted, she looked around for Kai but didn't see him. Instead, her gaze fell on her Venomoth and the warrior boy beside it both of whom had their faces covered in absurd graffiti.
She blinked in disbelief before hurriedly pulling out a mirror from her belongings. Upon seeing her own face, Aya froze. Her normally confident expression had been marred by crude doodles: thick dark circles around her eyes and a large, cartoonish nose. She looked like a mischievous panda!
'This... Could this be Kai's doing?!' She clenched her fists, shocked that someone who usually appeared so composed could pull such a childish prank.
'And...why paint on people's faces? What kind of strange habit is this?!'
A cool breeze blew by.
Aya suddenly shivered and glanced down. Her dishevelled collar made her pause. At that moment, a terrifying thought crossed her mind: 'Had Kai done anything else while she was asleep?'
Though her last clear memory involved the antics of the mischievous boy, she found it hard to believe a child could have been responsible for all this.
'Kai, you scoundrel! How dare you mess with me!'
Aya's expression darkened as she considered her next steps. While she knew she couldn't match Kai's strength yet, she resolved to train harder than ever.
Straightening her clothes and fuming quietly, Aya muttered, "Just you wait, Kai. One day, I'll get my revenge with interest!"
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Meanwhile, Kai and Chloe were heading west, having left the Viridian Forest behind. Kai suddenly sneezed.
"Bless you!" Chloe said, glancing at him. "Could it be you caught a cold from sleeping outdoors?"
Kai rubbed his nose and shook his head. "Me? Catch a cold? No way. Someone's probably talking about me."
"You're so full of yourself! Who'd be thinking about you for no reason?" Chloe chuckled.
The two soon passed through Viridian City and finally arrived at the Indigo Plateau just before noon.
Though called a plateau, the elevation wasn't particularly high. It was more a geographical contrast to the surrounding lowlands.
The climate was pleasant, with fresh air and beautiful scenery. While the area was sparsely populated most of the year, it came alive during the annual Pokémon League Conference.
As they entered the small town near the plateau, they noticed the streets bustling with tourists and trainers from all over.
"Wow, so many people..." Chloe murmured, hurrying to keep up with Kai in the crowd.
Kai could feel the excitement in the air. Banners, posters, and the chatter of trainers all pointed to the upcoming Indigo Plateau Conference.
This was the only time of year when the town experienced such vibrant energy.
Navigating through the throngs of people, they made their way to the athletes' village a facility prepared specifically for conference participants.
Despite its name, the "village" was more of a modern complex of buildings surrounding a serene lake.
The area boasted a range of amenities, including restaurants, gyms, cinemas, and a Pokémon Center, catering to every trainer's needs.
At the reception desk, a friendly staff member greeted them. "Welcome! Are you here to participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference?"
Kai nodded, presenting his Pokédex and badge case.
The staff member carefully inspected the eight badges and confirmed their authenticity before entering Kai's information into the system.
"Welcome, Mr. Kai, to the Indigo Plateau Conference. Here is the rulebook, which includes information about battles and related events. Please keep it safe."
After returning the badge case and handing over a booklet, the staff continued, "The opening ceremony will take place the day after tomorrow, but there's a torch relay tomorrow. If you're interested, you can sign up to participate."
Kai gave a noncommittal shrug, and the staff member moved on. "All right, now let me confirm there's only one companion with you, correct?"
Glancing at Chloe, Kai nodded. "Yes, just the two of us."
The staff typed some details into the computer and handed them a pair of keys.
Because of their small group, they were assigned a modest two-story dormitory near the lake.
Upon finding their accommodations, they were impressed by the cosy space and the picturesque view of the Indigo Stadium in the distance.
Kai looked out toward the stadium, the anticipation building in his chest. The Indigo Plateau Conference was just around the corner.
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