Larvitar chomped down in one bite, swallowing the remaining apple core in its hand whole. Its short little legs tapped rapidly against the ground, and its round body bounced up and down along with the motion, desperately expressing its strong desire to go along as well.
Max's attention was instantly drawn to the plump green little Pokémon.
"Wow! Big brother Theo, you caught another new Pokémon! This is… Larvitar?!"
Treecko, upon seeing Larvitar, which shared a similar color with itself, immediately jumped out of Max's arms and curiously moved closer to it.
Larvitar tilted its head as well, carefully sizing up this slender Treecko that looked somewhat similar in color to itself.
The two little Pokémon nearly touched noses as they circled around each other, observing one another closely, each examining the other from head to toe.
After staring at Treecko for a while, Larvitar puffed out its chest and deliberately revealed the red armor on its belly, as if proudly showing it off, like saying, "Look, I have this."
Treecko, on the other hand, tilted its head slightly and suddenly flicked its long tail, the tip even curling playfully, as if responding, "I have a long tail. Do you?"
Back and forth they compared, neither willing to admit defeat.
In the end, Larvitar turned to Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix nearby, asking them to act as judges and decide who looked better between it and Treecko.
The two Vulpix tilted their heads and carefully examined Larvitar and Treecko for a moment. In the very next second, they ran straight behind Treecko and stood firmly on its side without hesitation.
The reason was simple. Treecko had a long and impressive tail. Although it did not have as many tails as they did, it was flexible and looked cool.
As for Larvitar, its tail was short and forked, which was not particularly attractive.
This blunt "truth" instantly made Larvitar furious.
"Lar! Lar Lar!"
It shouted angrily, protesting the unfairness, waving its little claws as it tried to teach the two Vulpix a lesson.
Unfortunately, with its short legs and round body, Larvitar moved far too slowly and could not catch up with the nimble Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix.
In the end, it could only plop down onto the ground in frustration, puffing up its cheeks and refusing to speak.
"Alright, alright, do not be angry."
Theo walked over with a smile and took out two bright red apples from his bag, Larvitar's favorite fruit.
Sure enough, the little Pokémon's eyes lit up immediately, and it forgot all about its unhappiness. It rushed forward, grabbing one apple in each claw and began munching on them happily.
After finally calming Larvitar down, Theo and Max took their Pokémon and headed to the Berry Market, selecting berries while waiting for the ferry to arrive.
…
Close to eleven o'clock, sunlight filtered through the trees, casting scattered patches of light onto the ground.
Theo and Max sat on a bench, with several bulging bags of berries placed beside them.
Inside were Pecha Berries, Leppa Berries, and Oran Berries they had just purchased from the market, all favorites among Pokémon.
Larvitar's mouth had not stopped moving the entire time. Its round belly was already swollen like a ball, yet it still stared longingly at the berries in the bag.
It secretly stretched out a little claw and quickly hooked out an orange-red Leppa Berry. Just as it was about to stuff it into its mouth, Theo lightly tapped the back of its claw.
"Lar?"
The little Pokémon looked up in grievance, its obsidian-like eyes filled with a silent complaint of "Why will you not let me eat?"
"That is the last one. No more. Look at you, your belly is so round you cannot even see your feet anymore."
The two Vulpix and Treecko nearby burst into laughter, as if mocking Larvitar for being a little glutton.
At that moment, a loud rumbling sound came from the sea, accompanied by the long blast of a horn.
Theo and Max looked up at the same time and saw a massive white cruise ship slowly entering the harbor.
The ship was magnificent, its deck adorned with golden patterns. Thin white smoke drifted from its chimney, and at the bow, the four golden characters "S.S. St. Flower" gleamed brightly under the sunlight.
"It is here, it is here! The S.S. St. Flower!"
Max jumped up excitedly, waving while holding Treecko.
"My sister and the others must be on board!"
The cruise ship steadily docked at the port, and the gangway connecting the ship to the shore was slowly lowered as passengers began disembarking one after another.
There were travelers strolling with their Pokémon, as well as tourists carrying luggage. In an instant, the dock became lively and noisy.
Holding Max's hand, Theo carefully scanned the crowd.
Soon, three figures came into view.
A boy wearing a signature red cap, with a small yellow electric mouse perched on his shoulder.
A steady-looking young man with darker skin, dressed in green attire.
And a bright and cheerful girl wearing a red bandana.
They were none other than Ash, Brock, and May.
"Big Sis!"
Max spotted his sister at a glance and immediately ran toward her excitedly, lifting Treecko high into the air and shouting loudly.
"We are here! Big Sis!"
May recognized her brother immediately and ran over with a smile. The four of them quickly gathered together, chatting lively.
"Max, you have grown taller again."
Ash said with a grin.
"Mm! Brother Ash!"
Max proudly raised his chin and held Treecko out in front of them.
"Look, I have a Treecko now! In the future, can your Sceptile teach it a bit? I want Treecko to evolve quickly."
"Of course, leave it to me!"
Ash agreed without hesitation.
As they chatted and laughed, Theo also walked over, with three small figures following beside him like tiny guards.
May immediately crouched down, her eyes lighting up as she looked at them.
"Wow, Larvitar, and Alolan Ice type Vulpix and Fire type Vulpix too. They are so cute!"
Max quickly stepped aside and introduced Theo seriously to Ash, May, and Brock.
"This is Big brother Theo! The super amazing trainer and coordinator I told you about! His shiny Milotic is incredibly beautiful!"
Theo smiled and stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Hello, I am Theo."
"Hello! I am May, nice to meet you!"
May quickly stood up and shook his hand, her eyes sparkling.
"I have watched many of your Contest performances. Your Milotic is truly amazing! Especially that time when you made the rain stop in midair, it was absolutely stunning!"
"I am Brock, a Pokémon Breeder."
Brock also extended his hand, his smile gentle.
"I have heard about you from Max for a long time. He said you are very skilled at raising Pokémon. I would really like to exchange some breeding insights with you when we have time."
"I am Ash!"
Finally, Ash stepped forward. His grip was strong enough to make Theo's hand ache slightly.
Professor Oak told me about you. He said you are a very strong opponent. When we get the chance, we must have a battle! My Pikachu is very strong!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu chimed in, its tail sparking faintly with electricity.
(End of Chapter)