Chapter 214: Oranguru and Korrina

Including Luo Mu, many people holding number plates and waiting in line also cast puzzled glances toward one side of the dessert shop street.

There was a very high slope there; a blonde girl carrying a box, wearing roller skates, seemed unable to brake, screaming: "Lucario! Lucario! At least... at least protect the chocolate cream cake!"

But the Lucario called by the girl was also somewhat numb at this moment, momentarily unsure whether to save its Trainer or save the cake.

Loyalty to its Trainer and longing for the chocolate cream cake had sent Lucario completely to a crossroads in its dog life.

Chocolate cream cake?

Luo Mu's ears twitched, accurately capturing that sound; his gaze, sharpened by practicing throwing Poké Balls, landed on the exquisite cake box held in the blonde roller-skating girl's hand.

He could confirm that the logo on that box was the logo of this dessert shop.

Seeing that the girl could no longer maintain her balance, amidst a chorus of gasps, Luo Mu quickly shouted to the Oranguru behind him: "Oranguru!"

"Yare yare."

Oranguru's action was even a step faster than Luo Mu's voice; it made its own judgment, waved the fan in its hand, and turned its psychic power into a wave of telekinesis that spread out, accurately catching the girl who was about to fall and the cake box that was about to be flung away.

Oranguru's cool performance drew applause from the people queuing at the dessert shop and nearby passersby, while the girl floated in mid-air with a blank expression, staring wide-eyed at the Lucario below.

Although the Named Dessert shop was selling like hotcakes, most people chose to take their purchases home or to their hotels to enjoy; there were tables and chairs set up outside, and a few seats were still empty.

"Mawf... Mawf!"

Suppressing with one hand the Shuang Nai Xian that was staring with full longing at the cake box on the girl's legs, Luo Mu asked: "Are you two okay? Why did you suddenly rush down from such a high slope while wearing roller skates?"

The girl touched the helmet on her head with an embarrassed look, smiling somewhat foolishly: "It was a mistake; I forgot there was a slope there."

"Rio..."

The Lucario sitting nearby covered its face, as if unwilling to face the fact that someone who seemed to be missing a screw in their brain was its Trainer.

With a swift motion, the roller-skating girl placed the cake box on the table and bowed 90 degrees to Luo Mu and Oranguru, saying: "Thank you for saving me and this largest-sized chocolate cream cake!"

"I am Korrina, from Shalour City; this is my partner Lucario, and we have now embarked on a path of harsh training."

"A path of harsh training?"

Luo Mu and Oranguru's gazes fell upon the large cake wrapped in the box, hesitating to speak.

Young lady, are you sure you are currently undergoing harsh training?

Korrina's pretty face turned red, and she stammered: "This is... that thing... it's just that even on the path of training, one cannot forget the product of balancing work and rest!"

Luo Mu nodded: "Then let's consider it that way."

Although his expression was very calm, Luo Mu's inner thoughts were flooding.

What kind of luck was this? He had been saying Korrina's outfit seemed a little bit familiar; wasn't this the future Shalour City Gym Leader?

The struggle of the Shuang Nai Xian in his hand became increasingly intense; Luo Mu had no choice but to use his second hand to hold it, warning the Shuang Nai Xian with his gaze that this was a cake bought by Korrina, and to endure it—they could queue up to buy another one tomorrow.

The Shuang Nai Xian looked utterly unwilling; it could clearly smell that thick chocolate aroma, along with the faint sweet scent of the special cream.

Although it was so close to the chocolate cream cake, the gap between it and the cake seemed as distant as thousands of miles.

Luo Mu gave Oranguru another look; Oranguru received it, understanding that Luo Mu planned to leave.

Just as the two of them were preparing to stand up, Korrina suddenly said: "That Pokémon of yours seems very interested in my cake?"

Although the Shuang Nai Xian's appearance looked more like it was craving this chocolate cream cake, Korrina still used a slightly more tactful way of expressing it, after all, she needed a favor from Luo Mu.

Luo Mu thought Korrina was somewhat unhappy because of the Shuang Nai Xian's behavior and explained: "Ah, don't worry, we have no intention of demanding repayment for our kindness; you can just queue up to buy the cake tomorrow."

"You and your Lucario can enjoy this chocolate cream cake."

"That is not what I mean."

Korrina stood up again, her gaze looking straight at Luo Mu and Oranguru.

Oranguru's eyes narrowed slightly; could this girl be intending to...

"Please have you and the Pokémon beside you battle my Lucario; as mentioned before, I am undergoing training and have made up my mind to defeat one hundred people consecutively; you are the first opponent I wish to challenge after beginning my training!"

As a girl whose mind was full of nothing but battles, Korrina did not know how to get Luo Mu to agree to her request and could only bow clumsily to plead.

"Of course, even if you do not agree to my battle request, as a return gift for saving me, the cake can also be given to you to taste!"

The girl's sincerity and hot-bloodedness were displayed without reservation; Luo Mu did not know why Korrina was so insistent on battling him and Oranguru, but since Korrina had proposed it, this was nonetheless a good opportunity.

Receiving telepathic communication indicating Oranguru's consent, Luo Mu released the Shuang Nai Xian and nodded without hesitation: "Alright, we accept your challenge; as the price, you share a part of your cake for us to taste, no problem?"

Korrina and Lucario exchanged a glance, faces showing joy, and answered with a vibrant voice: "No problem!"

Since it was just a casual spar, Luo Mu and the others chose a location on the wide roadside not far from the dessert shop and the road.

This place would neither obstruct passing vehicle traffic nor be insufficient for Lucario to stretch out its body.

Luo Mu had not expected that he would actually be the first commemorative person in Korrina's goal of defeating one hundred; to be honest, the thought of destroying the girl's sincere fighting spirit made him feel somewhat reluctant, but a Pokémon battle is ultimately a Pokémon battle, and with his personality, it was impossible for him to choose to throw the match and lose to Korrina.

"I will send out Lucario on my side; Mr. Luo, please also send out your Oranguru!"

Korrina's face was flushed; ever since learning Oranguru's name and that it was a Pokémon from another region, she had maintained an excited and joyful mood.

Luo Mu withdrew his gaze from the Shuang Nai Xian guarding the tables, chairs, and cake over by the street, only hoping that child would not be so gluttonous as to steal while on guard duty.

Luo Mu communicated telepathically with Oranguru once more, and they unanimously decided to hold back a little, at least not letting Lucario be instantly knocked out, and to prolong the battle slightly.

Under his observation, the current Korrina was still very immature, only slightly better than Hearing Nimo who had just become a Trainer for a while; Oranguru could even defeat true Gym Leaders, let alone Korrina who had not yet become the Shalour City Gym Leader.

"You go first."

Only after Oranguru slowly came to stand before him did Luo Mu signal Korrina to act.

Korrina let her heart beat rapidly, her gaze focused, recalling the battle methods her grandfather had taught her, and shouted: "Swords Dance!"

Lucario immediately intended to strengthen its attack capability; facing that Oranguru, it dared not be the slightest bit careless.

Without needing Luo Mu's command, Oranguru independently made the best judgment, the corners of its mouth rising slightly as it beckoned with a finger toward Lucario in a taunting manner.

The move "Taunt"!

Capable of temporarily blocking Lucario from using status moves!

Lucario felt as if a nameless fire was burning up from its chest, directly interrupting the Swords Dance that was halfway through, and charged straight toward Oranguru.

"Lucario!" Korrina was surprised that Lucario had suddenly abandoned Swords Dance and became somewhat flustered, but she still steadied her mind and said: "Bone Rush!"

"Lucario!"

Lucario roared as if to boost its own morale, and two bone clubs formed from Ground-type energy converged in its hands, carrying the sound of tearing air as they charged at Sigilyph.

"Yuta."

Sigilyph still waved its fan calmly; a strange wave of energy spread out, and Lucario felt as if something were suppressing it, its movements instantly stiffening for a moment.

Seizing this opportunity, Sigilyph calmly sidestepped Lucario's wild swings with the bone clubs, letting it crash to the ground.

Luo Mu, who had remained silent until now: "."

It seemed he was beginning to understand how Sigilyph had defeated that Gym Leader.

Not only did it possess powerful mental strength, but Sigilyph also mastered many rather dirty moves, such as the earlier "Taunt" and the just-used "Quash"; relying on its intelligent IQ and these trick moves, Sigilyph literally toyed with Lucario in the palm of its hand.

Dirty, too dirty.

Sigilyph calmly toyed with Lucario like this, using "Quash" to delay Lucario's movements, "Taunt" to lock down the trick moves it wanted to use to regroup, and occasionally "Command" to make Lucario freeze in place as if stuck on a bug, simply because Lucario had previously tried to use "Swords Dance."

After several attacks yielded no results, Lucario's movements and aura suddenly became chaotic; it panted heavily, staring tightly at Sigilyph's figure, wanting to chase down Sigilyph with its own fists.

Let alone Lucario, even Korraina was now plunged into confusion; her battles had always been straightforward, and where had she ever seen such bizarre moves from Sigilyph?

Moreover, Lucario's strength was completely overwhelmed by Sigilyph; the conditions that would normally allow a breakthrough against Sigilyph's chain control through sheer hard power were something neither Korraina nor Lucario possessed, resulting in this farcical scene.

Luo Mu's brows furrowed for an instant; it seemed a fighting method like Sigilyph's would strike Korraina even harder?

Unable to bear watching any longer, Luo Mu said helplessly: "Psychic."

Sigilyph also seemed to realize that this approach was no better than one-hit knocking out Lucario; it awkwardly waved out a wave of psychic power to bind Lucario, and no matter how Lucario struggled, it could not break through this formidable Psychic.

Korraina also knew the tide had turned; the two of them now could not possibly stand against Sigilyph. Lowering her head, she said softly: "I have lost..."

(End of this chapter)