Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
Looking at the gentleman before him, Liam's lips twitched slightly.
Juan—Liam knew this man well. A top-tier Coordinator, Wallace's mentor, the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, and also an extremely powerful trainer. Like Wallace, he mainly used Water-type Pokémon.
A quintessential aristocrat—every movement and gesture of his exuded elegance. A truly refined man.
"Ahem… hello, it's a pleasure to meet you as well."
Liam coughed lightly and extended his hand.
Juan politely shook his hand, then turned to Wallace, who was still standing awkwardly nearby.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry and thank the Champion."
"Ah! Oh! Thank you, senior! I'll definitely treasure this Feebas! I'll make it become incomparably beautiful!"
Wallace snapped back to his senses and quickly made his promise.
Liam simply waved his hand dismissively, signaling him not to worry about it.
Then—
"Mr. Juan, I know this might be a bit abrupt, but since we've met here by fate, could we have a battle? I like collecting Gym Badges from different regions, so if I win, could you give me a Sootopolis Gym Badge? Don't worry—I won't use it for anything else, just as a keepsake."
Sootopolis City was located on an isolated island in the sea, making it quite inconvenient to reach. Now that its Gym Leader stood right before him, Liam had no reason to let this opportunity slip.
"Uh…"
After Liam finished speaking, Juan fell silent.
But after a few seconds, his smile returned. He reached into his pocket and took out a semi-transparent, raindrop-shaped badge, holding it out toward Liam.
"I don't have the confidence to lose beautifully against the Champion. I was invited here as a special guest and didn't prepare any Pokémon for battle. And just now, the Champion gave my disciple such a fine gift. Since you also said this badge is only for collection and remembrance… then giving you a mere Rain Badge—what harm could there be?"
Liam: "…"
What should he do… that actually made perfect sense.
"Uh… then thank you very much, Mr. Juan."
After a brief hesitation, Liam accepted the Rain Badge. Clutching it firmly in his hand, he expressed his sincere thanks.
"Haha~ it's nothing at all. I'm glad the Champion is satisfied. Oh right—in a little while, the finals of the Longevity Conference will begin. I still need to return as a judge, so I won't take up more of your time. If you're interested, you can come watch—the quality of this year's competition is quite good. I'm sure it won't disappoint you. Here's an entry ticket."
Juan laughed heartily, then handed Liam a ticket before taking his leave. Wallace nodded to Liam before following after him.
Watching the master and disciple depart, Liam glanced at the ticket in his hand, lightly flicking it as a curious smile appeared on his lips.
.....
That afternoon, the finals of the Longevity Conference began, and Liam entered to watch.
During the noon break, Liam transferred all of his Water-type Pokémon to Delia via the transfer machine. There were quite a few of them—if they couldn't be kept in rivers, Delia probably wouldn't have been able to handle caring for them all.
After the transfer, Liam chatted with Delia for quite some time before the two reluctantly ended the call. Then Liam made his way to the competition venue.
The event had already reached its final stage. Two contestants who had made it through the preliminaries were now engaged in a Contest Battle on stage, both giving it their all as dazzling moves were unleashed one after another.
From Liam's perspective, both Pokémon showed clear signs of lacking power and agility—whether in their moves or evasive actions.
However, what stood out was the indescribable coordination between each Pokémon and its trainer. It was precisely this harmony that made the performance pleasing to watch. In short—it was highly entertaining.
In the end, a girl using Beautifly won the match and received a Ribbon from Juan himself. Liam applauded her performance with genuine praise.
....
The next day, the Longevity Conference had officially concluded.
Yet the excitement still lingered—the town remained crowded, and it would likely take some time before things calmed down.
Liam, however, had already departed early that morning, heading toward his next destination—Fortree City.
After traveling for some time, he released Aman to continue its training.
The journey between Longevity Town and Fortree City was not short. Liam traveled for two full days before finally reaching the edge of the forest surrounding Fortree by the evening of the second day.
With night approaching, Liam decided to camp outdoors once more and rest before entering the city.
He set up camp at the forest's edge, pitched his tent, and set down his luggage. Then he headed into the forest to gather firewood.
There were plenty of dry branches scattered around. Before long, Liam had gathered an armful and was just about to head back—
Rustle… rustle…
A series of hurried footsteps and the sound of leaves brushing against bodies echoed from nearby.
Liam quickly looked up—and saw!
Two men dressed in blue-and-white pirate-like uniforms, with skull bandanas on their heads, rushing anxiously toward some destination.
"Hm? Team Aqua? What are they doing here…?"
Their distinctive outfits made Liam recognize them instantly—these were members of Team Aqua, the very group he had been planning to deal with.
He immediately crouched down, hiding his presence. Watching them move farther away, he muttered thoughtfully. Then he set down the firewood and reached into his personal space—pulling out a black mask.
"Let's follow them and see what they're up to."
With the Vortex Mask on, a cold smile curled at the corner of Liam's lips as he gave chase.
.....
Keeping his distance, Liam followed the two Team Aqua members through the forest.
Eventually, they exited the woods, crossed a bridge, and sneakily entered a large white building.
After they went inside, Liam quickly crossed the bridge as well and arrived at the building's entrance. Looking up at the sign, he couldn't help but read it aloud—
"Weather Institute? Hm… what are those guys doing here at a time like this?"
Standing at the entrance, Liam stroked his chin, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.