Chapter 80

On the fourth morning after Kukui arrived at Luo Mu’s farm, all the seeds and saplings in the farming zone had been sown and planted. Though tight on funds, Luo Mu still held a feast to reward the Pokémon, who had worked hard for nearly a week.

Life is short; seize the joy while you can.

Money lost can be earned again, but life must be lived comfortably.

At the nighttime feast, Kukui finally tasted the dish prepared by Incineroar.

He took a hearty bite of a steaming skewer of meat, too hot to care, grease dripping from his lips as he mumbled, “Mmm... this is so good! This meat skewer is incredible!”

Kukui’s Pokémon, too, devoured their food like they hadn’t eaten in centuries.

If you had to pick the most flamboyant eaters, it would be the rivalry between Kukui’s Incineroar, skewer in hand, and Luo Mu’s Gyarados, gnawing on grilled fish.

Both starter Pokémon possessed robust bodies and bold personalities; when their eyes met, sparks of battle intent flickered in the air.

Their muscular, straightforward minds shared the same thought: after finishing their skewers, they marched to an open spot nearby and began wrestling.

Kukui’s Incineroar clearly had skill—his fighting technique was refined.

Noticing Luo Mu’s curious gaze, Kukui swallowed a large piece of pork belly, its fat rendered crisp, and grinned: “Incineroar is my starter Pokémon. In our Alola region, there’s a competition called ‘Royal Battle’—basically, a one-vs-three fight inside a stadium called the Royal Dome.”

“The money for my travels and Incineroar’s fighting skills were both honed and gained through the brutal Royal Battles.”

“Sounds interesting,” Luo Mu nodded thoughtfully. He was familiar with Alola’s Royal Battles—Kukui’s alter ego, the Royal Masked Man, was a star of the circuit, his undefeated record adored by the people of Alola.

Unlike the hyper-martial Galar region, most Alola residents lived in harmony with abundant nature and had little desire for Pokémon battles.

With Kukui possessing the strength to challenge the Elite Four of Kanto, wasn’t he among the top contenders in Royal Battles?

Sensing Luo Mu’s growing interest in Alola, Kukui was delighted and prepared to press further—when a sudden commotion from the Pokémon crowd pulled both their attention away.

There, Kukui’s Talonflame and Luo Mu’s Dragonite, surrounded by other Pokémon, stared up at the sky, fists clenched, eager to take off.

Luo Mu froze, murmuring: “Are they about to... hold a flying race?”

“Hah! Talonflame’s still as competitive as ever,” Kukui laughed heartily, then turned apologetically to Luo Mu. “He probably feels ashamed that his flying was saved by Dragonite—he wants to prove his speed in full condition.”

Luo Mu had no objection. He wasn’t a controlling person; Pokémon socializing among themselves was no reason to interfere.

But before the Pokémon cleared a space for Dragonite and Talonflame to take off, Luo Mu patted the sturdy back of the Charizard, who was buried in his meat: “Charizard, fly with them.”

Charizard froze, then shook his head violently.

Why should he join this pointless competition? He’d rather eat more skewers!

He plopped down on the ground, determined to stay put all day.

Kukui watched all this, stunned. Charizard’s demeanor and actions left him speechless—he’d often heard legends of Charizard during his travels in Kanto.

Legends said Charizard was a divine bird that could be reborn from lava; with a single flap of its wings, its feathers glowed with colors that stirred the soul. Its blazing wings could light up the night, guide lost travelers through dark mountain paths, and even turn a snowy land into spring within moments.

Charizard’s flame was revered as the sacred fire honored at the Indigo and Silver Conferences, worshipped by countless people.

But... this lazy, sluggish Pokémon—could it truly be the legendary bird described?

If Kukui’s thoughts reached Luo Mu, he’d answer: yes.

At least when Charizard was first brought back by Luxray, it had matched the legends fairly closely.

Luo Mu’s temples throbbed from the frustration of Charizard’s laziness. He snatched the food from the divine bird’s mouth and said pointedly: “Your kid’s over there. Don’t make things hard for us. Understand?”

Charizard glanced sideways. Though his eyes were hidden, the clear, innocent gaze of his kid, Cottonee, stared back at them. After a pause, Charizard slowly rose and shuffled over to stand behind Dragonite and Talonflame.

Luo Mu sat back satisfied. He’d already given Charizard face in front of the Pokémon and Cottonee—he’d refrained from saying, “You’ve gotten fat. Fly more to lose weight.”

Kukui’s Lucario took charge of the starting pistol. As a round, azure Psi-ball exploded, a gust of wind swept the ground—Talonflame and Dragonite shot forward like arrows.

Whether in takeoff posture, ascent height, or mid-air acceleration, both Pokémon performed flawlessly—no surprise, given flight was instinct to them.

Charizard’s takeoff, by contrast, was clumsy. After lying around too long, his motion was stiff—he needed a short sprint to lift off.

His belly, visibly padded with fat, rippled like waves during the sprint, wobbling unsteadily into the sky as he flapped his wings awkwardly.

Luo Mu covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight.

What had happened to that once-arrogant, fiery Charizard to turn him into this?

Kukui’s mouth hung open wide enough to swallow an egg—he was utterly bewildered. What was going on with this Charizard?

All three Pokémon were strong; their speed was naturally impressive. Within minutes, they completed one round-trip within the designated area and returned.

Dragonite landed first at the finish line. Talonflame trailed behind by over a dozen body lengths, landing reluctantly, clearly disgruntled.

As for Charizard... Luo Mu refused to recall it.