Being bumped on the shoulder by those two reckless fools, Shinji's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but it soon smoothed out.
He didn't care to waste energy on such pointless matters; with only a cold glance at them, he intended to continue walking into the research lab.
"Hey! Look what you did, Meihui! You bumped into someone! That's a fine!" the lively-voiced youth with prominent, spiky golden hair shouted, pointing at his companion.
"Bullshit! I didn't bump into him, you were running too fast to brake!" The boy called Meihui immediately retorted, and the two began passing the buck right in front of Shinji.
However, bickering aside, the two didn't shirk their responsibility.
Complaining to each other, they walked up to Shinji, both showing a hint of apology on their faces.
"Sorry about that, we were in too much of a hurry just now," a boy wearing a red baseball cap with a Poké Ball pattern scratched his head and said sincerely.
"It's our fault for not watching the road. Are you hurt?" the other spiky-haired boy added. Though his tone was still flighty, his apology seemed genuine enough.
Shinji looked at them expressionlessly. From their conversation and appearance just now, he had already guessed their identities—Meihui and A-Xun.
Both were Rookie Trainers from the Sinnoh region; one would be Ash's rival, and the other was the counterpart to the game's protagonist.
"Mm." Shinji just let out a short nasal sound as an acceptance of the apology, then ignored them.
The slight collision just now was trivial, and he didn't plan to dwell on it.
He then walked straight past them toward the interior of the lab without saying an extra word.
The interior of the lab was spacious and bright, with several Research Assistants in white coats busy at work.
Shinji walked up to the nearest assistant and asked in a steady tone, "Excuse me, is Professor Rowan in? I'm Shinji from Veilstone City, here to visit Professor Rowan and upgrade my Pokédex while I'm at it."
The Research Assistant looked up and gave a polite smile upon seeing Shinji. "Hello. I'm sorry to inform you that Professor Rowan is currently away on business and hasn't returned yet."
"If it's urgent, you can leave your contact information, and I'll let the Professor know when he returns."
"No need," Shinji said without the slightest hesitation. "I'll come back to visit tomorrow."
Having said that, he turned to leave.
Since his goal couldn't be achieved, there was no point in staying. He might as well go train his Pokémon in the wild.
His utterly indifferent attitude, completely ignoring the presence of Meihui and A-Xun, made the impulsive A-Xun unable to hold back.
"Hey! You!" A-Xun shouted at Shinji's back. "We apologized properly, and you accepted, right? How can you not say a single word? That's so rude! I'm gonna fine you!"
Meihui also shouted along, "Yeah, yeah! Let's have a Pokemon Battle!"
Shinji's pace didn't falter for a second, as if he hadn't heard Meihui's challenge at all, continuing toward the door expressionlessly.
The feeling of being completely ignored made Meihui lose his temper instantly. He rushed forward a few steps, spreading his arms to block Shinji, glaring at him with a stubborn face. "I'm challenging you! As a Trainer, you won't refuse a legitimate battle, will you?"
Shinji finally stopped. His dark purple eyes indifferently swept over Meihui's face, which was slightly flushed with excitement, then glanced at the nearby A-Xun who looked like he wanted to say something. His tone was flat without a ripple, yet carried a bone-chilling coldness: "What right does a rookie who hasn't even gotten their starter Pokémon have to challenge me? You're too weak. I'm not interested in wasting time."
With that, Shinji bypassed Meihui and walked out of the lab's main entrance without looking back.
Choked by Shinji's words, Meihui stood frozen in place, his face filled with embarrassment and defiance.
"...Damn it, what's with that guy's attitude!" After a long while, Meihui stamped his foot indignantly.
"Alright Meihui, we did bump into him first... and he looks like he's really strong." A-Xun pulled on Meihui's arm.
The two then completed their procedures at the lab. As per their prior agreement, Meihui chose Chimchar, while A-Xun received a Piplup.
Just having received the Poké Ball, Meihui looked at the ball containing the Chimchar in his hand, but the cold figure and words of that purple-haired boy from earlier involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
"No way! I can't let myself be looked down upon like that!" Meihui suddenly said, then turned and ran out of the lab.
"Hey! Meihui! Where are you going? You haven't taken your pokédex and the rest of your Poké Balls yet!" A-Xun shouted anxiously from behind, but Meihui had already run far away.
A-Xun had no choice but to quickly thank the Research Assistant, hurriedly grab Meihui's pokédex and five empty Poké Balls, and rush out after him.
When A-Xun ran out of the lab panting and reached the downhill intersection, the scene he saw made him stop in his tracks instantly.
He saw that purple-haired boy, Shinji, standing not far away, while Meihui stood opposite him, having already released the newly acquired Chimchar whose eyes still held a hint of confusion.
Seeing Meihui's Chimchar panting, it was likely the two had already begun their battle.
But didn't that guy Shinji look down on Meihui? Why did they start battling? A-Xun shook his head, his gaze once again drawn to their battle.
"Flame Wheel." Shinji's voice had no emotional fluctuation, as if the battle before him had nothing to do with him.
The Chimchar beside him moved upon command, its eyes instantly becoming sharp. Intense flames erupted around it as its body quickly curled up, transforming into a burning, spinning wheel. With the sound of whistling wind, it charged toward Meihui's Chimchar at extreme speed.
Meihui's Chimchar was clearly stunned by this sudden and violent attack, having no time to make any reaction.
Moreover, even Meihui himself was at a loss in the face of this situation, staring blankly without knowing how to give an order.
*Thud!*
A dull impact sounded. Meihui's Chimchar had no time to react before being slammed hard by the Flame Wheel. Its body flew back like a broken kite, crashing heavily onto the ground. Its eyes turned into swirls, and it lost the ability to battle.
The entire process was incredibly fast; the winner was decided in almost the blink of an eye.
Shinji didn't even look at the result. He simply took out a Poké Ball to recall his Chimchar and turned to leave, leaving behind only a fleeting yet piercingly sharp evaluation: "Waste of time."
Meihui stared blankly at his fainted Chimchar on the ground, then at Shinji's departing back. His face was filled with defeat, sadness, and disbelief.
He crouched down, carefully picking up his Chimchar, his lips pressed tightly together.
A-Xun ran over then. Seeing Meihui's state, he stuffed the pokédex and Poké Balls into his hands and comforted him, "Meihui, don't be too sad... that guy really seems to be very strong..."
"And his Chimchar has clearly undergone rigorous training. We just got our starter Pokémon; it's normal that we can't beat him. Once we train our Chimchar well, we'll definitely be able to win it back later!"
As A-Xun spoke, his gaze involuntarily followed Shinji's receding back. In his eyes, besides concern for his friend, a sliver of indescribable admiration and shock quietly flashed.
That powerful, cold, and efficiency-driven fighting style had left a deep impression on his heart.
He gripped the Poké Ball containing his Piplup and secretly made a resolution: One day, I will become strong enough to have a proper battle with him!
Shinji didn't care about the emotions of the two behind him. To him, the little episode just now didn't even count as a warm-up. He needed stronger opponents to hone himself and his partners.
Meihui and A-Xun were just rookies who had just set foot on their journey. Their future path was still long, while Shinji's goal was always somewhere higher and further away.