Chapter 135: The Higaki Tournament, An Encounter Along the Way

When Cheng Cheng emerged, he was surrounded by seawater. The temple had already sunk to the ocean floor, and it was nearly a thousand meters from there to the surface. It seemed this part of the sea was not exceptionally deep.

Soon, Gardevoir carried Cheng Cheng up and broke through the surface of the water, then brought him back to the shore.

Once they reached the beach, Gardevoir was utterly exhausted. Between its battle with the Forces of Nature and the immense energy spent at the temple and on the seafloor, it was completely drained.

"Return, Gardevoir. You’ve truly worked hard this time."

Cheng Cheng recalled Gardevoir and sent out Alakazam.

"Alakazam, please take me back to Miss Cynthia’s villa."

"Alakazam!"

Alakazam activated Teleport, and in a flash, Cheng Cheng was back at the villa. Muzi had been waiting outside; seeing him return, she immediately rushed over and hugged him.

"Cheng Cheng, I'm so glad you're okay."

"It's alright, don't worry. Didn't I tell you I would come back safely?" He patted her gently. "Let's go inside and greet everyone so they don't worry."

"Okay."

The two entered the villa and reassured Ash, his friends, and Miss Cynthia.

"Cheng Cheng, did you find anything inside?" Ash asked.

"Nothing special, just some inscriptions on the walls."

"So, did you find what you were looking for?"

Cheng Cheng shook his head.

"Alright, everyone has had a long day. Let’s have something to eat."

They gathered in the dining room for a meal. Exhausted from the day’s events, Cheng Cheng went straight to his room to rest once he finished eating.

By then, Meloetta and Larry had already left for their new residence. Ash and his friends were preparing to head to the League Conference, though they were not yet sure where it would be held.

The next morning, Miss Cynthia brought news that the location had been decided.

"Miss Cynthia, has the site for the conference been determined?"

"Yes, it has been decided that this year's conference will be held in Vertress City."

"Vertress City?"

"Let me take a look." Cilan opened a map to check the location. "To get there from here, we have to pass through Opelucid City."

"Opelucid City? In that case, could we stop by the Village of Dragons first?" Iris suddenly suggested.

"That sounds great! Let's head to the Village of Dragons first, then make our way to Vertress City," Ash decided.

"Cheng Cheng, will you and Muzi come with us?"

"Of course. I’ve been wanting to visit the Village of Dragons myself."

"Then it's settled. Let’s head out together."

After breakfast, the group prepared to bid Miss Cynthia farewell.

"Miss Cynthia, we are taking our leave. Thank you for your hospitality during our stay."

"You're very welcome. I wish you all a safe journey. I look forward to watching your battles at the conference."

"See you there."

"Miss Cynthia?" Cheng Cheng called out.

"Yes, Cheng Cheng?"

"I hope you will seriously consider what I spoke to you about."

"I will, I promise."

"Goodbye then, Miss Cynthia."

"Goodbye."

Cheng Cheng reminded her once more to return to the Sinnoh region early. As his psychic powers grew stronger, he could feel a mounting sense of crisis. The more powerful he became, the more uneasy he felt, though he couldn't pinpoint the source of this anxiety. He couldn't help but feel it was connected to the appearance of the Dark Orbs.

The five of them left the villa and set off toward the Village of Dragons.

"There’s an open space here. Why don't we rest and have lunch?"

After traveling all morning, the group found a wide, open area and decided to stop.

"We have food from Miss Cynthia’s villa, so we can use that for lunch."

Thanks to the supplies from the villa, they didn't need to cook. Their Pokémon’s food was also ready, allowing everyone a chance to relax.

However, as they were enjoying their meal, chaos broke out among the Pokémon. Oshawott stole some of Pignite’s food, and the two started fighting. The scuffle spilled over to the other Pokémon, turning into a full-blown mess.

By the time they quelled the chaos, Emolga had been accidentally blasted away by Slowpoke’s Water Gun. Cheng Cheng sighed, realizing he shouldn't have let Slowpoke out, or at least not with the others.

The Pokémon belonging to Ash and his friends were already rowdy, and adding his own had created a disaster. It seemed he would have to let them eat in shifts in the future.

They stopped eating to search for Emolga, only to run into three individuals dressed in flamboyant, exaggerated outfits.

"Hahaha, what hideous Pokémon." The woman in the middle suddenly sneered at Emolga.

"Hey, who are you calling hideous?"

"That ugly Emolga of yours. It’s a complete eyesore. How can you bear to keep it out?"

"You jerk! My Pokémon is not an eyesore!"

"Oh my, and this Snivy is just as hideous. Hmm, this Gardevoir isn't bad, I suppose, but nothing special."

"Oh? Do you fancy yourself an expert on Pokémon?" Cheng Cheng, offended that she had insulted Gardevoir’s appearance, felt his anger rising.

"Of course. I have the world's most beautiful Minccino, the second-most beautiful Lilligant, and the third-most beautiful Roserade. Compared to ours, yours are absolute monsters."

"How dare you call my Gardevoir ugly? My Gardevoir is the most beautiful Pokémon in existence!"

"Gardevoir!"

"Alright, alright, I know, the most handsome—the most handsome Gardevoir." The elegant and dashing appearance always made Cheng Cheng forget that Gardevoir was male.

"Hmph, no matter how you look at it, our Pokémon are the most beautiful."

"Oh, really? I disagree. Gardevoir, show them what you’ve got."

"Gardevoir!"

Gardevoir used Psychic, lifting all three of their Pokémon high into the air.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"You said they were beautiful, right? Well, I’m about to make them a lot less so. Gardevoir, it's all yours."

"Gardevoir!"

Gardevoir spun the three Pokémon in the air relentlessly. Under its powerful control, they had no way to break free.

"You said they were beautiful—take a look at them now."

"Gardevoir, let them down."

Gardevoir released its grip, and the three Pokémon crashed to the ground. Once clean and pristine, they were now covered in dust and their fur was in complete disarray. They no longer had anything to do with beauty.

"You claimed your Pokémon were the most beautiful, but I don't see any beauty left at all."

"You jerk! We’ll get you for this!" The trio quickly fled with their Pokémon.

Watching them scramble away, Cheng Cheng felt a strange sense of satisfaction. He hadn't wanted to get involved, but he couldn't tolerate anyone insulting Gardevoir.

"Great job, Cheng Cheng! If you hadn't stepped in, I would have," Iris cheered.

"Gardevoir is such a beautiful Pokémon, isn't it?" Muzi added.

"Gardevoir..." Gardevoir shook its head shyly and ran back to the camp.

"Oh, why did it run off?"

"Never mind, let's just consider it a small distraction. Lunch isn't finished yet, let’s go back before it gets cold."

It was just a minor incident, and Cheng Cheng didn't dwell on it. They returned to the camp and finished their meal before continuing their journey.

Before long, they arrived at a small town to restock their supplies.

"Hey, look at this poster."

They noticed a poster on a wall featuring the same three people they had encountered earlier.

"So they’re from the Garden Opera Troupe. They seem quite popular."

"So what? It has nothing to do with us. Let’s keep moving."

"True. Seeing them look so pathetic earlier made me feel better, though I wish I’d dealt with them myself."

"We need to get to the Village of Dragons. Let’s not waste time on trivial matters." Cheng Cheng urged them forward.

"Fine, let’s go."

They left the town and headed toward the village. They soon reached a rural area with crops planted on both sides of the road, the fresh, clean air making everyone feel at ease.

"We’re almost at the Village of Dragons."

Suddenly, a Pokémon appeared in the sky, circling above them as if watching them closely.

"It’s a Braviary." Ash checked his Pokédex.

Just then, another Pokémon emerged from the ground.

"And a Drilbur."

Drilbur was the pre-evolution of Excadrill and not particularly strong. Cheng Cheng noticed that besides these two Pokémon, two boys stood in their path.

"Hey there!"

The two boys were twins.

"How about a double battle with us?"