As the referee's voice fell, the entire arena once again fell silent.
"Great!!!"
Dawn was the first to jump up, her cheers echoing through the Gym, her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, the pink pleats of her cheerleader skirt swaying lightly with her movement: "Shinji won, Lairon was amazing!"
Piplup and Buneary also happily chirped along, miniature ribbons swaying above their heads, adding a touch of cuteness to this moment of victory.
Ash looked at the tired but still standing Lairon on the field, then at the Cranidos lying on the ground. His lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing, his gaze only growing more complex.
The Pikachu on his shoulder keenly sensed Ash's emotions and gently nuzzled his cheek, its "Pika~" cry soft yet firm, as if offering comfort and encouragement.
In the center of the arena, Shinji took out a Poké Ball. A red light flashed as he recalled Lairon.
On the other side, Roark let out a soft sigh, stepped forward, and recalled Cranidos into its Poké Ball, soothing it gently: "You worked hard, Cranidos. You performed very well."
Then, he turned to face Shinji, his expression already restored to calm, carrying the composed demeanor befitting a Gym Leader.
He walked up to Shinji, took out an exquisite box from his chest, inside which was a dark gray badge shaped like a fusion of coal and rock—the coal badge.
"Shinji, you and your Pokémon have demonstrated formidable strength and unwavering willpower," Roark said, presenting the badge case to Shinji with a solemn tone. "This coal badge is what you deserve. Congratulations."
Shinji's gaze fell upon the coal badge. An extremely faint ripple finally passed through his dark purple eyes.
He reached out and took it, his fingertips touching the cool metallic texture of the badge, then carefully placed it into the badge case.
"Thank you for the lesson, Mr. Roark," he said with a slight nod, his voice still cool but slightly gentler than usual.
The first badge in the Sinnoh region was his.
Shinji properly stored the badge case, then nodded to Roark once more in farewell before turning and walking toward the spectator seats.
Dawn had already jumped down from her seat, holding her cheerleader pom-poms in her arms, her face radiant with a brilliant smile.
Shinji stopped in front of her. Looking at the girl still wearing her cheerleader outfit, her cheeks flushed with excitement, his expression grew uncharacteristically serious: "Thank you for the cheers just now."
His words were still concise, but his voice carried a bit more warmth than usual.
In his past travels, Shinji had always been alone. No one had ever prepared such a thoughtful surprise for him, nor cheered for him with such passion.
Dawn's vitality and sincerity were like a ray of sunlight, quietly piercing into his world accustomed to coldness, bringing a different kind of warmth.
Dawn clearly hadn't expected Shinji to thank her so formally. She froze for a moment, her cheeks instantly tinged with a faint pink.
She rarely saw Shinji looking so serious. Usually, he always wore an icy expression, as if he didn't care about anything.
But she quickly snapped out of it, scratched her head, and her smile brightened again: "It's nothing, it's what I should do! We're travel partners, right, Piplup, Buneary?"
"Pocha!"
"Mee~"
Piplup and Buneary also nodded as if it were the most natural thing, as if to say: what's there to thank us for?
Seeing Dawn's straightforward and sincere manner, the seriousness in Shinji's eyes gradually faded, returning to his usual coolness.
He didn't say anything more, only stating flatly, "Let's go."
With that, he turned and walked toward the Gym exit first.
As he passed by Ash, Shinji's steps didn't hesitate in the slightest. His gaze didn't even shift an inch to the side, as if Ash and Pikachu were merely inconsequential decorations in the Gym.
Watching Shinji walk straight out, completely ignoring his existence, Ash immediately clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly.
"Just you wait, Shinji..." He stared at Shinji's retreating back, his eyes burning with the flames of frustration. "We will definitely defeat you, won't we, Pikachu?"
"Pika!"
Pikachu also gritted its teeth, the electric sacs on its cheeks crackling, clearly angered by Shinji's dismissive attitude.
Brock stood to the side, shaking his head helplessly, and patted Ash's shoulder: "Alright, Ash. Instead of getting angry here, think about how to improve your strength. You saw Shinji's battle just now. His tactical planning and his ability to draw out his Pokémon's potential are indeed things worth learning from."
"I know..." Ash took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. "I won't lose to him. Next time we meet, I will definitely defeat him."
Seeing that Shinji had already left, Dawn hurriedly bid farewell to Ash and Brock: "Ash, Brock, we're heading out now. See you next time!"
Ash and Brock also waved goodbye to Dawn.
Then, Dawn recalled Piplup and Buneary into their Poké Balls and jogged out of the Gym.
Sunlight bathed the streets of Iron Island City. Shinji was already some distance ahead, his purple silhouette elongated by the midday sun.
"Shinji, wait for me!" Dawn quickened her pace to catch up and soon walked side by side with him.
Shinji glanced at her sideways, said nothing, but subtly slowed his pace a little.
"The Gym battle just now was really amazing!" Dawn's voice remained cheerful as she walked and spoke excitedly. "When Monferno evolved, I was stunned! And Lairon, the power of Earthquake was huge! The whole Gym was shaking..."
Shinji listened quietly, occasionally responding with an "Mm" from his nose.
The two of them walked all the way back to the Pokémon Center.
Upon returning to the Pokémon Center, Shinji went straight to the front desk and handed the Poké Balls containing Monferno and Lairon to Nurse Joy: "Please restore their stamina."
"Please leave it to me," Nurse Joy said gently as she took the Poké Balls and turned to enter the treatment room.
After taking care of the Pokémon's recovery, Shinji and Dawn went to the restaurant together. It was mealtime, and the restaurant was packed with Trainers from all over, bustling with activity.
The two found a relatively quiet corner, sat down, and ordered their meals. In the lull while waiting for the food, the atmosphere grew momentarily quiet.
Dawn was pondering whether to discuss the upcoming itinerary with Shinji when he spoke first, breaking the silence: "Where is the next Contest being held?"
Hearing Shinji take the initiative to ask about her Contest-related matters, Dawn was taken aback, her eyes full of surprise.
Previously, she was always the one chasing Shinji to ask about the itinerary. She had never imagined Shinji would take the initiative to care about her competition schedule.
After recovering, a brilliant smile immediately bloomed on her face as she answered excitedly: "The next Contest is being held in Floaroma Town! To get to Floaroma Town, we need to return to Jubilife City first, then take a detour there."
At this point, Dawn paused. Her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled with a serious light as she continued: "But after I participate in the Contest in Floaroma Town, we can head straight to Eterna City. Then you can challenge the Eterna Gym!"
Clearly, Dawn had already neatly planned out the next leg of the journey.
Listening to Dawn's plan, Shinji gave a slight nod, evidently approving of the arrangement.
He picked up the glass of water on the table, took a small sip, and said flatly, "Fine. Then we'll depart tomorrow."
The Gym battle had just ended today. The Pokémon needed to recover, and he also needed time to organize his upcoming training plan.
Dawn nodded vigorously, her face full of anticipation: "Okay!"
Just then, the server brought their food.
Looking at the steaming plate of curry rice in front of her, Dawn took a satisfied deep breath: "Let's eat!"
Shinji picked up his sandwich, his movements still unhurried, took a bite, and chewed slowly.
The aroma of food filled the restaurant. Outside the window was the industrial landscape unique to Iron Island City, with towering chimneys standing out prominently against the blue sky.
Sunlight streamed through the glass window onto the dining table, casting the silhouettes of the two onto the polished tabletop.
Dawn continued talking about her hopes for the Floaroma Town Contest between bites, while Shinji occasionally responded. The atmosphere was peaceful and natural.
For Shinji, this pace of travel didn't seem as difficult to accept as he had initially thought.