Chapter 530: Treasure Hunting

【You parted ways with Tym, his words about wanting to resign still echoing in your mind】

Tym's words weren't exactly earth-shattering, but they seemed to point the Dancer toward a new direction.

So much so that she was still lost in thought while hurrying along, nearly tumbling down a long slope — fortunately, her accompanying Volcarona reacted quickly.

After a long climb, the Dancer finally found the Frostpoint Mountain Gym.

The ever-melting white snow made the building, far from any town, look rather lonely, but the moment she stepped inside, soft warm light and a comfortable temperature instantly changed the atmosphere.

【You feel an inexplicable sense of security】

The Gym Leader, Grusha — a boy whose clothing was unusually well-wrapped up and whose appearance was delicate — Baimu, seeing his pixel sprite portrait for the first time, mistook him for a girl.

The Dancer seemed to have made the same mistake.

【You feel exceptionally sorry for misidentifying the other's gender】

The Pokémon world always seems to have one or two characters who look female but insist they're male.

After registering, the Frostpoint Mountain Gym gave the Dancer a challenge — 【Ski along the designated route】 — and Baimu learned through an internet search that Grusha had been a professional snowboarder, winning quite a few awards.

But later, he suffered heavy injuries and was forced to retire.

Making Gym challengers ski — is that Grusha's way of commemorating?

Hard to say.

In any case, for the Dancer, simply learning the basics of skiing wasn't all that difficult.

Her strong physical flexibility and sense of balance meant she only fell once before successfully mastering the basic techniques of skiing, and passed the challenge in one clean run.

Even Grusha, who couldn't stop shivering as he spoke and whose every three sentences mentioned the cold, couldn't help but praise her.

The official battle began.

The Dancer had long heard that Grusha was the strongest among all Gym Leaders, so she prepared countermeasures as best she could, including but not limited to researching the Pokémon Grusha specialized in.

【You are very glad that the battleground is dry enough, and that it isn't snowing today】

Given that her team had no Ice-type Pokémon, a snowy Frostpoint Mountain would stack all sorts of debuffs on the challenger's Pokémon.

Even so, the Dancer and her Pokémon still had a thoroughly rough time against Grusha.

First, Frosmoth brought 【Snowscape】, which combined with 【Aurora Veil】 to forcibly turn what was originally fragile into something exceptionally sturdy.

And the massive Cetitan, thanks to its 【Snow Cloak】 Ability, became a phantom appearing and disappearing at will, full of disorienting tricks that gave the Dancer and Quaquaval headaches — not to mention it was even tankier than Frosmoth.

Just when they finally managed to defeat it, an even tankier Avalugg arrived.

【Thick Fat】 Ability plus the Defense boost from 【Snow】 weather plus the halved offensive power from 【Aurora Veil】…

Simply a monster!

Oricorio's Fire-type 【Revelation Dance】 became like a mere tickle, and in the end the Dancer had Volcarona bring out its trump card — 【Quiver Dance】 plus 【Fire Dance】, the Fire God's Dance.

Countless illusory "flame figures" surged toward Avalugg with unique steps and postures, and within them one could see the shadows of the Dancer, Quaquaval, and the other Pokémon.

The special effects could truly be called the pinnacle of pixel art.

Without a doubt, this was the "ultimate move" Volcarona had conceived after long observation of the Dancer, Quaquaval, and the other Pokémon, giving their essence form as flames.

"That's incredible." Baimu sucked in a breath of cold air.

This move was undoubtedly similar to Ash's 【Counter Shield】, a special innovative application of a technique, relying on the Pokémon's mastery of the move and the rapport built with its Trainer.

In Dr. Kukui's words, it was the result of the Pokémon and Trainer's hearts and minds becoming one.

The Gym battle drew to a close.

Grusha's final Pokémon was Altaria, which after Terastallizing into an Ice type engaged in fierce battle with Quaquaval, which after Terastallizing had become a pure Water type.

Fortunately, the snow weather and Aurora Veil stopped in succession.

This relieved enormous pressure on the Dancer and Quaquaval, and prompted them to burst forth with full power — a fast and vicious close-quarters fight that successfully took down the Ice-type Altaria.

One can only say Brother Duck never disappoints.

【You have defeated Frostpoint Mountain Gym Leader Grusha and obtained the Frostpoint Mountain Badge】

With the seventh badge in hand, the Dancer relaxed entirely.

The two Gyms at Frostpoint Mountain had undoubtedly put her under pressure — otherwise she wouldn't have gone back to school midway to train.

【You joyfully embrace Quaquaval, a deep sense of accomplishment making you immensely excited】

The Dancer had never imagined she could reach where she stood today.

Without Quaquaval, without Oricorio and the others, without every event and every person she had experienced, she might still be drowning in the resentment of being unable to defy her family's arrangements.

This experience and understanding, gained step by step through traveling alongside Pokémon, hard-won and treasured, was something she could never give up no matter what.

'Treasure Hunting.'

She gradually came to understand the meaning of this extracurricular activity — it didn't need to be some object or even some event; what mattered was — "the harvest."

The enlightened Dancer seemed to have been wholly elevated.

【You have left the Frostpoint Mountain Gym and head toward North District Three】

The Dancer hadn't forgotten there was still someone she absolutely had to meet —

Meloetta.

She skied down the snowy slope on Frostpoint Mountain's north side.

The Dancer could finally encounter wild classmates again — Frostpoint Mountain's environment was harsh, and unless one was challenging the Gym or living in Icerdale, few people went up there to wander.

Habit drove her to begin gathering information on Team Star.

【You have made a small discovery】

Perhaps because the students who could travel near Frostpoint Mountain were all fairly capable, when they talked about Team Star they didn't harbor the same reservations as students near the school.

They wouldn't go out of their way to provoke them, but neither did they fear them like snakes or scorpions.

This also made information gathering easier for the Dancer.

【You heard that recently many Team Star members have indeed been staying near the coast of North District Three, and hurried in the direction they pointed】

The scene shifted.

The Dancer arrived at a lowland where water and grass interweaved in every direction.

Revelry Dance Duck loved this kind of environment, and for once cast aside its duck-brother dignity to play the splashing game that only little kids play.

The racket made the Dancer—who had been in a hurry to move on—unable to hold back, and she joined it in play, calling over the other Pokémon too.

The festive atmosphere instead drew over Star Team members who were patrolling the area.

【You hold your shoes in hand, watching the two Star Team members not far off; seeing them turn and flee on their Motorbikes, you hurriedly reach out to stop them】

But as things stood, she still couldn't outrun a Motorbike, and could only watch helplessly as they rode off into the distance.

However.

It wasn't long before those two Star Team members came back.

Not only that, they also brought along a pink-haired little boy who dressed quite fastidiously and held a long staff like a magician, only a few years older than the Dancer.

【You hear the other party greet you】

The arrival was none other than the leader of Squad Three of the Stairway, the designer of the Star Team car—Ordiga.

The Dancer had heard his family handled the design and supply of Orange Academy uniforms, filthy rich in the bargain, and that in person he was also very cute; she couldn't understand why someone like him would be bullied.

【You explain your background to him and ask whether Meloetta is over there】

Hearing the affirmative answer, the Dancer breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately after, she learned from Ordiga that because of what she had said to Pina earlier—"If I don't join the Star Team, does that mean we can't be friends?"—her name had spread throughout the entire Star Team.

Everyone was very interested in her, Meloetta included.

It's just that the latter outwardly had a rough and cold temperament, but was actually someone inarticulate; this also led to her being bullied by other classmates despite her quite cute appearance, which in turn changed her disposition drastically.

【Hearing this, you suddenly realize why Meloetta helped you—turns out everyone's reasons for being bullied are pretty much the same】

Similar experiences made her reach out a helping hand from afar.

Unlike the hostile reception outside Squad Two of the Stairway's base, this time the Dancer was ushered in by a crowd of people, and successfully met Meloetta, whose expression was a bit unnatural but who did not walk away.

【You look at the crowd pressing in around you and think that a few months ago, you probably wouldn't have been able to say a single word】

The Dancer took a deep breath and blurted out everything she wanted to say in one go.

The her of now no longer needed to draw courage from Revelry Dance Duck.

But as she spoke, for some reason Meloetta's face turned red, and then the surrounding Star Team members began to jeer and egg them on.

【You realize belatedly that the scene before your eyes looks a bit like a confession scene】

The Dancer and Meloetta met each other's eyes.

A huge exclamation mark popped up over both their heads at once; then Meloetta turned and ran off, her panicked flight once again drawing laughter from the Star Team members.

Afterwards, under Ordiga's hospitality, the Dancer learned many things about the Star Team.

Including that Star Team car.

"Heh heh… one Plonky as the engine, two Plonky as rear-wheel drive, plus two Crimson Blaze Knights as power… five ganging up on one, no wonder this war-car is so fierce."

All Baimu genuinely thought Ordiga was impressive.

Five Pokémon driving one Ultra war-car or whatever—that counts as black technology, right? Though the black isn't very thorough.

That evening.

The Dancer held a bonfire party on the beach with the Star Team; her dance with Revelry Dance Duck and the other Pokémon received unanimous praise from everyone.

She even dragged Meloetta along; the latter was reluctant at first, but in the end stuck it out.

【You listen to their laughter and chatter, and really can't quite believe that the Star Team that the teachers and classmates kept calling a bunch of troublemakers are the people before you】

【You also learn from Ordiga that it's been a long time since everyone had this much fun】

The Star Team, unrecognized by the school and their classmates, actually had a rather tough situation; if not for everyone sharing similar experiences, it would probably be hard to keep going.

【Hearing this, you ask Ordiga whether he's aware that someone in the team is doing bad things】

Ordiga naturally knew, otherwise the bosses wouldn't have had Pina set up rules to restrain people; it's just a pity that sometimes they really couldn't reach that far.

After all, they're just a group of students.

【You fall into thought, considering what you can do】

The scene shifted.

The Dancer left Squad Three of the Stairway's base, bidding farewell to Ordiga, Meloetta, and the others.

At parting.

Meloetta, who had been passively accepting the Dancer's smiling face all along, suddenly handed her a Ceruledge to look after, saying the latter had fallen for the Dancer at first sight during the bonfire party.

【You look at the Ceruledge, outwardly calm like Meloetta but inwardly nervous and uneasy, and laugh as you tell it to look forward to working together from now on】

The Dancer regarded it as a symbol of friendship with Meloetta.

The latter immediately turned shy and ran off into the distance.

All Baimu watched from outside the screen, clicking his tongue in admiration.

But counting the Ceruledge and the previously caught Young Lady, the Dancer's team of six was finally complete—this person had truly taken the 【Elite Four】 system to its absolute extreme.

The seventh Gym was cleared using only four Pokémon.

【You continue on your journey; the next stop is the location of the final Gym, Roaring Rock Town】

—

Roaring Rock Town.

Located atop a giant rock mountain in the southwest of Paldea.

The Dancer went through a great deal of effort, squeezing through who knows how many caves, before finally reaching her destination.

【You arrive at Roaring Rock Town, a small town famous throughout Paldea for its ceramics】

Along the way, the Dancer had properly raised and trained her new companions Young Lady and Ceruledge—both in combat ability and in dancing—through wild classmates.

【You watch the two Pokémon gradually grow stronger, and nod with satisfaction】

The most suitable dance for Skirt Lady is undoubtedly ballet, and the move she excels at is the Grass-type 【Petal Dance】, the petals released during the spin carrying tremendous power.

As for Ceruledge's dance, it gave All Baimu quite a surprise—

Sword Dance.

A 【Sword Dance】 in the truest sense.

Not the ordinary Pokémon kind of spinning in circles to gain an Attack boost, but genuinely swinging the arms that have become twin swords. Under the guidance of Wuzhe Sect and other Pokémon like Quaquaval, the initially stiff movements gradually grew quite graceful.

It just looked a little forlorn…

Was it because of the Pokémon's personality?

All Baimu, not knowing what to make of it, watched Wuzhe Sect enter the Artazon Gym building.

The Artazon Gym Leader is named Lipe, a fashion magazine model who owns her own cosmetics brand.

【You look at the strikingly beautiful lady before you, and suddenly recall having seen her on a billboard in the center of Montenevera City】

But what Wuzhe Sect didn't expect was that the Artazon Gym's trial would be led by the battle studies teacher she respects most, Kofu, as lead dancer — all she had to do was perform a routine of "Joyful Emotion Gymnastics."

Is this deliberately letting her pass?

Wuzhe Sect never imagined the final Gym trial would be this simple — simpler than any trial she had experienced before.

A breeze on the first try.

【You paid attention to the Gym Challenge】

Clearly she did not let her guard down because of it; instead she felt it was a trap — a trap orchestrated by the battle studies teacher Kofu to keep her from growing proud and complacent.

【When you took Kofu's classes, you experienced similar situations more than once】

Lipe, as one of the top-ranked strong Gym Leaders, also warranted Wuzhe Sect's wariness of her strength.

Wuzhe Sect had also made considerable preparations for this battle — from Oricorio's style to the Pokémon's moves, everything had reached the current limit of her and Quaquaval.

The final Gym battle began.

Volcarona against the Normal/Psychic-type Indeedee, under the type disadvantage, 【Quiver Dance】 plus 【Bug Buzz】 broke through perfectly.

Having won one round, Wuzhe Sect did not dare to linger, and switched in the lightweight Oricorio to face Lipe's Gardevoir, the Ghost-type's Revelation Dance taking it down smoothly.

The third switch.

Ceruledge against Farigiraf, still trending toward type disadvantage, but perhaps because it joined the team later and its strength hadn't caught up, the fight was rather grueling.

Still, she won.

The fourth switch, Skirt Lady versus Gallade — at first it went very smoothly, the combination of ballet and 【Petal Dance】 blending quite well.

But no one expected Gallade's slender frame to be so deceptively tough, stubbornly dragging things out until Petal Dance ended, then seizing Skirt Lady's moment of confusion to turn the tables with 【X-Scissor】, forcing Wuzhe Sect to send out Tsareena to take it down with Trop Kick.

Finally.

Wuzhe Sect sent out her ace, Quaquaval, against Lipe's Florges.

The only Pokémon on her team that had truly and completely fused battle dance into one whole, and also the Pokémon she trusted most — in the invincible form of Tera Water, wielding the outstanding signature move 【Aqua Step】.

It brought her the final Badge representing the eight Gym Challenge, the concluding chapter of her journey through the Paldea region—

The Artazon Badge!

【You defeated Artazon Gym Leader Lipe and obtained the Artazon Badge】

The road of 'Treasure Hunt' — Wuzhe Sect has already written its final line!