LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Is Big Sister Dira Your Girlfriend?
Chapter 104: Is Big Sister Dira Your Girlfriend?
As Hikaru was about to instruct Gardevoir to take action, something unexpected happened—Misty stepped in front of Pancham.
"That's enough, Gyarados! You were once weak too. Now that you've become strong, do you really want to take out your anger on someone weaker than you?"
[Gardevoir, Latias, be ready to use Protect!]
Hikaru issued a silent command to his Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Gyarados roared, its Hyper Beam almost ready. The threatening energy pulsated ominously in its mouth, making the situation tense.
The Hyper Beam needed a moment to charge. In the meantime, Pangoro had already stood up and placed itself protectively in front of Pancham.
Using his Aura abilities, Hikaru sensed Gyarados' shifting emotions.
Misty's heartfelt words struck a chord in Gyarados' heart. The anger that had consumed it moments earlier began to dissipate, replaced by a deep sense of guilt.
She was right. Once upon a time, it had been weak and powerless. Why would it now seek to act as a bully, tormenting those weaker than itself?
But the Hyper Beam had already been charged, and there was no way to cancel it. Left with no other choice, Gyarados shifted its aim.
The massive beam shot into the sky, creating a deafening explosion that reverberated through the heavens.
High above, an invisible Mew flinched in surprise. It had been eavesdropping on the scene and narrowly avoided being hit.
"ROAR..."
As Gyarados descended, its fearsome face was etched with remorse.
"ROAR..." (I'm sorry...)
"It's okay," Misty said softly, tears sparkling in her eyes as she embraced the massive serpent.
The sight of the trainer and Pokémon reconciling was touching, but Hikaru couldn't help but feel exasperated.
This mess still needed to be cleaned up.
Hikaru and Gardevoir approached the shaken Pangoro and Pancham.
Utilizing his Verdant Aura, Hikaru worked to soothe their emotions, handing them a generous helping of Fighting-type energy cubes.
Pointing at Gyarados, he said, "Sorry about that. It just evolved, so its emotions are a bit unstable. Consider these as compensation."
"Pancham!"
The young Pancham's eyes lit up at the sight of the delicious cubes, its earlier fear already forgotten.
Seeing this, Pangoro relaxed as well, waving a paw to show it wasn't holding a grudge.
Hikaru could tell the energy cubes were particularly effective for Pancham.
---
"Thank you..."
Though Misty had initially resolved to handle Gyarados herself, she had ultimately relied on Hikaru's help once again.
"It's fine. Let's move on. We still have some tough training ahead," Hikaru said casually.
Misty nodded firmly. "Right. I'll make sure to strengthen my bond with Gyarados!"
For the first time, she felt closer to achieving her dream of becoming a Water-Type Pokémon Master.
---
May 24th
With Magikarp evolved, Hikaru's responsibilities lightened somewhat.
His routine now alternated between challenging gyms, exploring suitable dungeons for training, and gathering resources like rare treasures to fund their journey.
After all, maintaining a team of Pokémon with voracious appetites required significant financial resources.
Between feeding Larvitar's endless appetite for Sand Gems and crafting specialized energy cubes for the team, Hikaru often joked that he might need to sell himself to keep up.
Misty, too, had come to understand the sheer value of Hikaru's handmade energy cubes.
Not only had her Pokémon's power levels skyrocketed into Gym Leader-tier, but even their innate abilities had improved—a rare and invaluable development.
She was now acutely aware of just how much she owed him.
---
In the past two weeks, Hikaru had also refreshed his Traits System multiple times, yielding two Blue Traits among a slew of Whites and Greens.
The Whites were typically dismantled for resources, while only a select few Greens were worth keeping.
His two new Blue Traits were as follows:
[Endless Charm]: Enhances the user's charisma based on their confidence level, making it easier to gain others' favor.
[Rhythm Master (Upgradeable)]: When dealing rhythmic damage, increases damage over time by up to 50%.
Hikaru immediately saw the potential uses for these traits.
The first, Endless Charm, seemed tailor-made for a Pokémon like Feebas.
Similar to Magikarp, Feebas was often overlooked or ridiculed. However, its evolution into Milotic required either the Prism Scale or sufficiently high Beauty stats.
If he ever found a Feebas, this trait would be invaluable.
As for Rhythm Master, it was a natural fit for any Pokémon specializing in status effects—particularly Poison types. Consistent damage from poison aligned perfectly with the trait's mechanics.
Perhaps it was time to consider adding a Poison-type Pokémon to the team.
---
As they drew closer to the capital, Hikaru's thoughts turned to someone he hoped to see.
Would she participate in the National High School League as well?
---
Early morning near the outskirts of a dungeon, Misty noticed that Dira's tent was gone.
She searched briefly before asking Hikaru, "Where's Sister Dira?"
"She went ahead to the capital. Her home is there," Hikaru replied casually, offering a half-truth.
In reality, he had returned Latias to her Poké Ball. With the league matches approaching, he couldn't risk exposing her true identity.
"Oh..."
Accepting his explanation, Misty quickly packed her own tent.
Then, with a mischievous grin, she draped an arm over Hikaru's shoulder.
"Hey, is Sister Dira your girlfriend?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Hikaru replied sharply, brushing her hand away.
When they first met, Misty seemed reserved, but as they grew closer, her carefree and playful nature became more apparent.
His reaction only fueled her curiosity.
"If not, then who do you like? Dira's so pretty. How could you not like her?"
"You should focus on preparing for the qualifiers instead of gossiping!" Hikaru shot back, clearly flustered.
"Aw, come on, tell me!" Misty teased.
To be continued...
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