Chapter 86: Going to Alola?

The Incineroar felt utterly frustrated; whenever it lunged forward to attack the Mimikyu, it was invariably blocked by the Mimikyu's Protect, Substitute, or offensive moves, leaving it completely unable to make contact.

In terms of strength, the Incineroar was confident it held a slight edge over the Mimikyu, but this margin was too narrow to create a significant gap, making any hope of finding an opportunity to one-shot the Mimikyu nothing more than a delusion.

Kukui's right wrist, hidden beneath his sleeve, raised and lowered several times.

He was deeply conflicted.

Even if the Incineroar unleashed its Z-Move, the best possible outcome would merely be trading blows to take down the Mimikyu; his defeat would remain unchanged, and using the Z-Move would only make the loss look slightly more presentable.

Sighing, Kukui raised his hand and said, "Let's stop here; there's no need to continue the match."

The combination of Curse and Pain Split had caught his eye, yet this combo was not without flaws; it might only prove effective when the Pokémon involved were closely matched in strength, and while using it to overcome a stronger opponent wasn't impossible, the difficulty would likely exceed that of exploding with power to defeat the foe directly.

Luo Mu's pairing of moves with different effects had caught his eye, even granting him considerable inspiration; the myriad moves of Pokémon held infinite mysteries waiting for him to explore, and just this alone made the battle thoroughly rewarding.

Luo Mu and the Mimikyu froze mid-action, blinking in confusion—was that really it?

They still had many tricks left unused; Luo Mu had even considered the possibility of Kukui having the Incineroar use its exclusive Z-Move and had devised several countermeasures.

Are you kidding me with this stoppage right at the climax?

Geeta stepped forward, clapping and smiling as she exclaimed, "What a splendid battle; it truly dazzled me! This reminds me of the recent match where Luo Mu also combined moves to easily defeat my Espathra."

Kukui's eyes widened, strangely feeling a hint of comfort.

So I'm not the only one who has been dirty-dogged by Luo Mu; that's wonderful.

"How about it? Isn't the collection at Naranja Academy impressive?"

Geeta led Kukui and Luo Mu on a tour through the Naranja Academy library, finally stopping at the academy's front desk.

Kukui nodded vigorously: "It's truly a treasure trove of knowledge brimming with riches! Especially this entrance surrounded by books; it feels like sinking into the embrace of knowledge, absolutely Tao Zui."

Geeta's smile broadened: "I'm so glad to hear that; I personally designed and supervised its renovation, which was completed less than half a year ago."

Kukui praised, "That is truly remarkable!"

"Ahem." Luo Mu, forced to tag along for half a day, cleared his throat lightly, interrupting their mutual flattery, and looked at Geeta: "President, didn't you say you were busy with official duties? Perhaps we should...?"

If the two of them kept chatting like this, the sun would soon set.

Geeta looked at Luo Mu with a peculiar expression and replied, "It's rare to have such a distinguished guest from another region; I've already assigned Brother Brother Qingmu to handle the urgent matters, and the remaining work can wait until tomorrow. Is there a problem?"

"... No problem."

Luo Mu's eyes widened, secretly feeling a chill of fear in his heart.

Fortunately, he hadn't accepted Geeta's offer to join the League back then; otherwise, the one being exploited today would have been him, Luo Mu.

Keep it up, big brother office worker who pushes himself to the limit!

Kukui stole a glance at Luo Mu; knowing him as he did, he guessed Luo Mu probably wanted to go home, and while feeling a bit apologetic, he was nonetheless extremely pleased with today's gains.

Mere words about being unable to establish a Pokémon League in Alola meant little; the mature operational policies and experience of the Paldea League were invaluable to him.

After chatting with Geeta for so long, the blueprint in his mind had begun to vaguely take shape.

Thinking of this, Kukui took the initiative to say, "It's about time; President Geeta, we are preparing to leave. Thank you for your hospitality."

Geeta nodded in surprise: "Indeed, it is about time; then I should also return to the Pokémon League."

Hearing this, Luo Mu felt as if he had been granted a great pardon; it was finally over.

"Then, I shall take my leave first." Geeta turned gracefully and walked toward the main gate of Naranja Academy; after a few steps, she stopped as if remembering something, turned sideways, and looked at Luo Mu.

Just as Kukui and Luo Mu wondered what else Geeta had left unsaid, she spoke to Luo Mu: "That previous agreement still stands, correct?"

"Huh?" Luo Mu paused for a moment, then recalled the agreement made with Geeta at the Pokémon League not long ago, and nodded: "Naturally, it still stands."

Geeta nodded slightly and smiled: "In some time, I will likely have a private commission here; it would be excellent if you were willing to accept it. We can discuss the detailed content and remuneration then."

Luo Mu nodded, watching Geeta's departing figure leave Naranja Academy without pausing this time, then turned to Kukui and said, "Let's head back too; after such a high-intensity battle, the Pokémon must be tired."

Kukui smiled: "We'll have to give them an extra meal tonight."

Early the next morning, in the farming district.

Four beautiful arcs composed of water landed on the soil around the saplings; this was the watering operation led by Wen Xiang Jun alongside three Wenxiang Wenxiang Kedou, a task performed basically every day.

Once the moisture was absorbed by the soil, while the ground was still damp, Bai Bai Pengpeng led its companions in shaking their bodies, causing patches of cotton seeds rich in nutrients to fall onto the soil, rapidly transforming into pure nourishment absorbed by the earth, which then nourished the saplings through the root systems in contact with the soil.

This was a necessary daily task for tending the crops; in reality, there were other matters as well, such as checking for signs of insect infestation and pulling up weeds that grew lushly due to the soil's rich nutrients.

Once all tasks were completed, the Serperior, acting as the "supervisor" nearby, finally slithered forward to make the final confirmation using the green vines extending from its sides.

Crouching nearby, Kukui felt shocked by Luo Mu's bold approach, even though he had actually witnessed it many times before.

He employed no human staff whatsoever; aside from moments requiring his own hands-on involvement, the daily care was entirely entrusted to the Pokémon.

However, that one issue remained glaringly obvious.

Kukui stood up, muttering, "Since using the Grassy Terrain move would save so much trouble, why doesn't that Serperior use it?"

The Bai Bai Pengpeng scattering nutrient seeds place by place was not only tiring but also inefficient; surely it wasn't because that Serperior didn't know Grassy Terrain?

"What are you thinking about?"

Luo Mu, moving silently, suddenly stood behind the focused Kukui, holding a fishing rod and a bucket.

"I was wondering why the Serperior doesn't use Grassy Terrain... When did you get here!?"

Kukui nearly jumped out of his skin from Luo Mu's sudden appearance.

Luo Mu set down the fishing rod and the bucket filled with river fish, smiling: "I was wondering why you've been staring blankly at the Serperior occasionally lately; so it turns out you were torn over this matter."

"The reason it doesn't use Grassy Terrain is simple: I've taken the Serperior to learn it many times, but whether it was the Grass-type Gym Leaders of Paldea or other experts, no one could teach it this move."

"As for Bai Bai Pengpeng and the others, it's simply that I haven't had the time to take them to learn it yet."

Kukui paused, a smile spreading across his face, and the words he had been brewing in his heart for a long time slipped out: "Would you like to take the Serperior and Bai Bai Pengpeng to learn it?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I know an entity extremely proficient in Grassy Terrain; would you like to take them there to study?"

"... Where to?"

"To Alola!"