Chapter 667: Victory Banquet and Benefactor Steven

January 26th, night.

Half a day had passed since the clash between the two sea and land deities erupted, through the fierce battles fought by numerous trainers, to the final successful averting of the crisis.

At noon today, Phoebe, the Ghost-type Elite Four member, had arrived at Mossdeep Island.

With utmost solemnity, she accepted the Indigo Orb and the Jade Orb from Luo Mu's hands, then immediately departed for Mt. Pyre alongside the Hoenn League elite trainers who had arrived with her, to ensure the Orbs were properly secured.

The disaster caused by the theft of the Orbs had left the Hoenn League utterly heartbroken; just as Steven and Wallace had said, it was believed that for a very long time to come, the security measures guarding the Orbs would be unprecedentedly tight.

Also at noon today, the Mauville City radio station had broadcast the good news of the disaster's resolution across all of Hoenn.

As expected, the station provided a detailed report of their efforts from start to finish in stopping Groudon and Kyogre's rampages and thwarting the schemes of Team Aqua and Team Magma.

From Hearing Nimo's trio and Ash's quartet joining Lance to confront the two evil organizations, to the relayed struggles of Lance, Hearing Nimo, Steven, Wallace, and Luo Mu.

Powerful figures from different regions and leagues had successfully prevented the disaster from expanding further; on the radio, the host referred to them as "Hoenn's Great Heroes."

Especially Luo Mu, who had played the decisive role in "settling the outcome" at the very end.

Although, to protect Luo Mu's personal privacy, the broadcast did not mention how he had achieved this.

Yet from the moment the news was revealed, Luo Mu's reputation in the Hoenn region had soared to an unsurpassable height.

Even though most people did not know what he looked like.

They did know, however, that this Mr. Luo Mu from the Paldea region had first repelled the two Rayquaza "rampaging" in Mossdeep City, and then, in less than a week's time, had once again suppressed two rampaging ancient Pokémon.

The weight of such deeds and achievements was simply that of a living legend!

Mossdeep City, Steven's private residence.

"Fortunately, thanks to the active efforts of you all, the collision between Groudon and Kyogre did not even last half a day."

"This also limited the disasters they caused to climatic anomalies and earthquakes affecting some coastal cities."

"On this point, I wish to express my most sincere respect to all of you who came to our aid."

Steven bowed deeply and with great solemnity to the few people present, and Wallace did the same.

Hearing Nimo, Ash, and the others, looking utterly surprised, hurriedly urged Steven and Wallace that such gestures were unnecessary, given that Steven and Wallace had also fought desperately to stop Groudon and Kyogre.

Watching this scene, Luo Mu raised the wine glass filled with freshly squeezed juice in his hand and drained it in one gulp.

Not bad; it was actually quite delicious—he was only just short of smacking his lips.

One had to say, was this the standard of food and drink provided by the tycoon Steven?

They were currently at Steven's private residence in Mossdeep City, or rather, it would be more accurate to call it a manor.

After all, the grounds were extremely vast; upon first entering, Luo Mu had been quite startled.

The area of this manor alone was probably about as large as his own farm before its expansion!

It was a pity he had always assumed Steven's home in Mossdeep City was just like in the game: a small house built in a corner of the city, containing a Poké Ball holding a Metang.

Owning such a vast private domain within Mossdeep City was sufficient proof of the Steven family's wealth.

This gathering was a victory banquet hosted privately by Steven and Wallace, inviting only those who had been active on the front lines.

In fact, the Hoenn League had also proposed hosting a grander victory banquet.

Luo Mu had politely declined on the grounds that he did not wish to draw too much attention; rather than holding a banquet for him, it would be better to establish a stronger cooperative relationship with the Paldea League.

Who could have known that after his refusal, Hearing Nimo's trio, Ash's quartet, and even Lance had successively suggested that there was no need for such a large-scale affair.

Consequently, it ultimately evolved into a private victory banquet invited and organized by Steven and Wallace in their personal capacities.

The attendees were simply Ash's quartet, Hearing Nimo, Paul, and Dawn's trio, plus Lance and Luo Mu.

After a brief opening speech of gratitude, Steven wasted no more words and directly signaled with his eyes to the butler waiting aside to begin the feast—oh no, to serve the meal!

Various delicacies were brought to the long table in a steady stream; Ash and Pikachu's eyes sparkled, tears inadvertently flowing from the corners of their mouths as they pounced forward and immediately began to gorge themselves.

Hearing Nimo, whose personality was similar to his, was fine, after all, her family was also one of the wealthiest in the Paldea region, so her education in etiquette was quite thorough.

Although her appetite and food consumption were equally astonishing, Hearing Nimo's dining manners were much more "aesthetic" than Ash's.

Besides the delicious food prepared for the trainers, the food prepared for the Pokémon who had personally fought was the highlight of the evening.

The trainer area, totaling no more than eleven people, was clearly much smaller than the area arranged and prepared for the Pokémon.

Victini barely gave a perfunctory response to the greeting from its good friend Ceruledge before turning its head to immerse itself in the joy of shuttling through an ocean of delicacies.

Luo Mu also high-fived the Shelgon that had specially run over to greet him—or more accurately, Shelgon collided its shell with his palm.

After breaking free from its past psychological trauma, Shelgon's personality had obviously become much livelier.

Even though it was still enclosed within its shell, waiting for the moment of evolution, it had already become the existence in Ash's team second only to that hyperactive Corphish in terms of "vitality."

It was foreseeable that once Shelgon eventually broke free from the constraints of its "cocoon," it would become another major general in Ash's team.

Looking at it, and at Lance nearby maintaining a cool pose with his back against the wall.

Luo Mu inexplicably recalled the Larvitar he had encountered previously on Mt. Silver in the Johto region.

Judging by the time elapsed and the amount of Energy Cubes he had left behind, it was probably close to evolving into a Shelgon by now?

It was also possible it had already evolved.

If there was a chance in the future, he could go take another look when passing by that area.

Besides the ever-unchanging Pikachu, along with Ceruledge and Shelgon.

Ash's other Pokémon were mostly consistent with Luo Mu's impressions, basically being the batch of members from Hoenn.

Pidgeot was likely rotated back to Professor Oak's backyard.

Plus, Ash strictly adhered to the limit of six Pokémon.

Currently, the Pokémon he had with him that were caught in the Hoenn region were only Grovyle, Swellow, and Corphish.

Considering he hadn't yet had time to challenge the Mossdeep Gym, that Snorunt, which was caught in the latter part of the journey through Hoenn, should not have joined the team yet.

Coincidentally, Paul had also caught a Snorunt; in a certain sense, the two were truly fate-bound rivals and enemies.

While pondering these miscellaneous thoughts, Luo Mu also chatted about some relaxed topics with Steven and Wallace.

Watching Steven smile and state that his next plan was to go to Paldea to dig for stones, Luo Mu exchanged a glance with Wallace; both saw a meaningful expression in each other's eyes, everything understood without words.

As I said before, it will likely be quite difficult for Daigo to run so far this time.

Before long, Wataru also joined the conversation of the "my lords."

He smiled and said that the moment he saw Luo Mu appear alongside Lugia, the giant Dragonite, and the giant Tentacruel, his heart nearly stopped beating.

That was a fluctuation of emotion that could absolutely not be described by such pale words as fright, surprise, or pleasant surprise.

Then, Wataru indirectly questioned Luo Mu about the origins of the giant Dragonite.

Knowing Wataru's preferences, Luo Mu did not hide anything and freely shared this information with him.

"I see... So those research reports of Masaki were actually true?"

After listening, Wataru stroked his chin and said with a sigh of emotion.

Masaki Sonezaki, this researcher, was famously an eccentric in the Kanto region.

Even with the precedent of the giant Tentacruel, most people within the League still did not take his research reports seriously.

Until personally witnessing the giant Dragonite, Wataru had considered the idea of an unknown dragon-shaped silhouette of a Pokémon to be sheer fantasy.

But now, he believed it.

Furthermore, he had developed a considerable interest in the giant Dragonite.

Just as Wataru was about to ask for more information, a noisy clamor suddenly arose from the other side.

The four looked over and discovered that Satoshi had started arguing with Shinji.

No one knew what had happened between them, but in short, after Shinji turned his head away and coldly and disdainfully shouted the two words "idiot," Satoshi boiled over with rage.

"If you have the guts, then battle me with Pokémon!"

Under Takeshi's helpless expression, Satoshi, whose arms were being held back by him, was attempting to engage Shinji in a real-life PK first.

Annoyed by Satoshi's noise, Shinji simply looked up and sparingly said: "Fine."

If speaking of before setting out on their journey, Shinji might not have been able to defeat Satoshi, who possessed richer travel and battle experience.

But ever since Shinji followed Luo Mu's advice and went out to engage in various forms of actual combat,

he could clearly perceive that he was becoming stronger and stronger; compared to himself a few months ago, he had already undergone a transformative change.

Since Satoshi wanted to fight, then let him fight.

—Who's afraid of whom?

Actually, it was fine if these two clashed; Takeshi and the others were used to it, after all, since whenever the few of them met at some place during their travels, this sort of scene mostly occurred.

But this time, ignoring Shizuka's attempts to dissuade her, Hearing Hearing Nimo, as if not fearing trouble, declared with glowing eyes that she also wanted to participate in the battle.

"I'll send out this child to battle you!"

Holding her own Orthworm, Hearing Hearing Nimo's eyes were full of fighting spirit.

"Ooooh—"

"It's an Orthworm!"

Satoshi immediately abandoned Shinji, whom he had just been trying to threaten with harsh words, and instead began circling around Hearing Hearing Nimo and the Orthworm.

Having experienced related events, Takeshi helplessly explained in a low voice to the confused crowd about why Satoshi was so excited: "Satoshi has always harbored a rather profound obsession with catching an Orthworm."

Just as Takeshi finished speaking, another unexpected change occurred over where Satoshi and Hearing Hearing Nimo were.

When Satoshi heard Hearing Hearing Nimo say that her Orthworm had hatched from a Pokémon Egg given by an old lady in Fuyan Town, and that both Shinji and Shizuka had also received Pokémon Eggs gifted by elders, he turned entirely ashen from disappointment.

Didn't this mean he had once again missed out on an Orthworm?

Luo Mu could only step forward to resolve the situation, saying: "They all gifted Pokémon Eggs containing Orthworms; the egg in Shinji's hand hatched a Aron, and the egg in Shizuka's hand hatched a Wooper."

"I have one in my hand too."

Luo Mu took out the Pokémon Egg quietly resting in an incubator within his backpack and showed it to everyone.

Mikuri also chimed in, saying: "Come to think of it, there is indeed such a custom over there; perhaps you, Satoshi-kun and the others, were simply unlucky and did not encounter those elders."

"Otherwise, given your love for Pokémon, you should all have been entrusted with a Pokémon Egg."

Hearing Luo Mu's face-saving words and Mikuri's remarks, Satoshi finally regained his spirits and turned to become curious about other matters.

"Does that mean no one knows what kind of Pokémon will hatch from a Pokémon Egg?"

He looked at the Pokémon Egg in Luo Mu's arms, his eyes full of curiosity.

What kind of Pokémon would actually hatch?

Since several people wanted to engage in Pokémon battles,

Daigo smiled and said to treat it as digesting after a meal, then turned and led everyone to a standard battle field built within the manor.

Satoshi and Shinji almost immediately faced off.

The impatient Hearing Hearing Nimo, under Luo Mu's persuasion, gave up on her plan to "fish blasting" and instead moved to the side to spar with Mikuri, who had voluntarily stepped forward.

Both Hearing Hearing Nimo and Mikuri were indisputably Champion-level trainers; although there were gaps in experience and foundation, the battle was still a back-and-forth exchange.

But compared to their battle, Luo Mu was actually more concerned with the fight between this pair of arch-rivals, Shinji and Satoshi.

Neither side had agreed on any battle rules; basically, whoever lost would switch out two Pokémon, with no factor of rotation involved.

Shinji sent out Aron as his first Pokémon, while Satoshi's choice somewhat surprised Luo Mu.

He had no intention of sending out Pupitar; instead, he sent out Kayak—oh no, he sent out Pikachu.

One could only say that Pikachu still possessed some acting ability; even when facing an Aron that had recently evolved, they fought to a draw.

It truly fulfilled that saying: down below, it could be brutally beaten by a Level 5 Grass Snake, yet up above, it could electrotherapy Arceus.

This was the true value of the fifty-fifty split in the Pokémon world.

But this fifty-fifty situation came to a complete end the instant a Delibird, having eaten and drunk its fill, flew to Luo Mu's feet.

Pikachu, who was currently exchanging blows with Aron in a stalemate, trembled as if an electric current had passed through its entire body, and simultaneously its strength surged greatly.

Before long, under Satoshi's straightforward commands, Pikachu defeated Shinji's Aron.

In Luo Mu's view, Shinji's commands actually had no major flaws and could basically be considered the optimal solution.

But Aggron is relatively young and still needs time to settle down; that is one aspect.

On the other hand, the main reason is that the arrival of Delibird has pumped Pikachu full of adrenaline.

Only upon seeing this scene did Luo Mu remember that Delibird seemed to have been rubbing Pikachu the wrong way ever since their first meeting with Ash and his companions.

This also gave birth to some competitive desire in Pikachu, who was unwilling to lose face in front of Delibird.

After all, it was a general that accompanied Ash on travels across three regions; even if it hadn't yet displayed absolute dominance, as long as it stopped holding back, handling an Aggron was no problem at all.

Taking advantage of the gap while both sides left the field to switch Pokémon, Steven stroked his chin and commented with interest beside Luo Mu: "This Aggron is raised quite well; whether it's the sturdiness of its body shell or the speed of its response to the trainer's commands, both are very fast. Is he also your student?"

"Mm, he specifically came to the Paldea region to enroll in school."

Luo Mu briefly explained the matter concerning the two brothers, Paul and Lei Si, to Steven.

"The several Brain leaders of the Battle Frontier are indeed quite powerful trainers as well."

"That Frontier Brain, Mr. Brandon, is said to possess strength comparable to an Elite Four member or a Champion."

Feeling inexplicably "itchy-handed," Steven looked at Paul with several extra degrees of appreciation in his eyes.

At this moment, Paul and Ash had already begun their second match: Skeledirge versus Ceruledge.

Unlike the earlier "warm-up spar," both sides could now be said to be fighting in earnest.

It was precisely because of this that Steven could more clearly discern the abilities and potential of Paul and Ash as trainers.

As for Ash's somewhat impressionistic fighting style, let us set that aside for now.

Let it be clear first that this is not Steven boasting; although, to be honest, he already considers himself strong and formidable.

Looking only at Paul, who was commanding Skeledirge to calmly deal with attacks, Steven was surprised to discover that the other's command style actually shared certain similarities with his own.

His thinking was calm and meticulous, never falling into the opponent's rhythm; his execution of tactics was precise and efficient, yet he did not lack the spirit to go all out.

Coupled with the fact that Paul had also raised Aggron quite well, this made Steven feel even more "itchy-handed."

Do not misunderstand; this was not Steven wanting to go down to the field to crush weaker opponents, but simply his old habit as an "angel investor" acting up.

Throughout the entire Hoenn region, it was circulated that if one encountered this Devon nobleman, the Hoenn Champion, and displayed merits that earned his appreciation,

there was an extremely high probability of receiving Steven's guidance.

If one performed exceptionally well, one would even receive gifts from Steven.

Valuable items worth ten thousand gold, Pokémon brimming with potential... these were all numerous, verified examples.

Seeing Steven in this state, how could Luo Mu not guess what he was thinking?

Before his transmigration, in Pokémon fan fiction novels, this person was recognized as a major benefactor who spent gold coins without a shred of regret.

In the anime, Alain's Metagross and Sawyer's Sceptilite Evolution Stone were both gifts from him.

When traveling in the Paldea region previously, Luo Mu had more than once entertained the thought of whether he should run off to Hoenn and find Steven to sponsor him.

It seems this kid Paul has caught Steven's eye.

When thinking of this point, a scene suddenly floated up in Luo Mu's mind.

He vaguely remembered that in the Journeys anime, Paul seemed to have a Metagross.

Could that Metagross also have been a gift from Steven?

Before Luo Mu could figure this matter out, the battles between Paul and Ash, and between Hearing Hearing Nimo and Wallace, also concluded.

Although Hearing Hearing Nimo and Ash were clamoring for another round, Steven suddenly spoke up at this moment with a suggestion: "Would everyone like to go see the mountain behind my house?"

"The Pokémon I have raised all live there."

(End of Chapter)