This Time, I'm Not Going To Be A Trainer. Chapter 260: To Agree or Not? - Novel Cool

Chapter 260: To Agree or Not?

Chapter 260: To Agree or Not?

Naoki was deep in thought. His primary reason for coming here was to purchase a batch of Steelix feathers. But now, the man before him had offered not only to give him the feathers but also a genuine set of Come-to-Tea and Bruisemint tea sets if he agreed to participate in the competition.

While the regular Come-to-Tea and Bruisemint tea sets were not particularly rare, the genuine articles were exceedingly uncommon. Sometimes, one might search an entire region and still fail to come across the authentic tea sets.

As a Pokemon trainer, Naoki found it challenging to resist the temptation of such rare Pokemon-related items. The Come-to-Tea and Bruisemint sets had a unique move called "Tea Party," but he lacked suitable tea sets to host such an event at home.

Naoki's mind conjured an image of a group of Pokemon gathering in a sunny, flower-filled garden, sharing berries and enjoying a tea party.

Out of caution, Naoki asked for confirmation once more. "If I help you win this tournament, I will receive the Steelix feathers, as well as the Come-to-Tea and Bruisemint tea sets, correct?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I don't need you to win the championship. I just want you to eliminate the trainer supported by the rival company."

"I can give you the Steelix feathers if you agree to participate," the man continued. "But I will only give you the genuine Bruisemint tea set if we succeed."

Naoki's heart stirred, and he asked, "The genuine Come-to-Tea and Bruisemint tea sets must be quite valuable. Is it really worth it?"

The man waved his hand dismissively. "My grandfather collected those when he was young. After he passed away, he left me a bunch of antiques. I have no use for them. I've already sold quite a few while starting my business, and there are still some left."

Naoki was speechless. So this man was also honoring his grandfather's legacy.

The man then slammed his hand on the table, his temper flaring. "I just can't stand seeing them get away with it! Anyway, as long as they are humiliated, I'll do whatever it takes!"

Naoki remained silent.

The man didn't want the championship title; he just wanted to defeat his rival company. If successful, Naoki would receive the Steelix feathers, the Come-to-Tea, and the Bruisemint tea sets—all without any downside.

Thinking it over, Naoki nodded and said, "Alright, but I need to know the strength of my opponent."

The Galar region's championships were similar in nature to the League Conferences of other regions; participants needed to collect eight Gym badges to enter. Trainers who made it to the semi-finals of such competitions were bound to be formidable.

Seeing Naoki's agreement, the man was delighted. "That's simple; follow me, and I'll show you the information in my office!"

Naoki followed him.

Even while riding the elevator, the man didn't hold back on disparaging his rival. "Don't worry, that guy is a lucky semi-finalist. He kept drawing weak trainers along the way."

"What about the timing?" Naoki asked. "When does the tournament start?"

"The competition begins this afternoon," the man replied. "There will be eight trainers participating. Your first opponent is that guy; you won't need to battle anyone else."

"This afternoon?" Naoki was a bit taken aback. It was already ten in the morning, which meant the competition would start in just a few hours.

This was certainly rushing things.

The man spread his hands. "That's why, due to the tight schedule, I didn't have time to find anyone else, so I'm asking for your help."

Soon, the elevator reached the top floor.

Back in his office, the man pulled out a drawer and handed Naoki a document. "This is the list of trainers participating in the tournament, along with the Pokemon they've used in previous competitions."

Naoki took the document and immediately spotted the name "Leon" on it.

He asked tentatively, "Leon?"

"Yes, Leon is the champion, but he also takes on a lot of endorsements and often participates in these commercial tournaments," the man explained. Seeing Naoki's shocked expression, he added reassuringly, "Don't worry, you won't have to face Leon. Look at the sixth line—that trainer is called Horlick."

Leon... Naoki recalled that in the game, Leon was the strongest trainer in the Galar region before he met Sonia, and he had never lost a battle.

For Leon, this would probably be just another routine endorsement tournament. Naoki's thoughts raced as he lowered his head to examine the information about the trainer named Horlick.

[Name: Horlick (Representative of the Woolly Sheep Sweater Company)

]

[Gender: Male]

[Number of Gym Badges: 8]

[Championship Ranking: 4]

[Pokemon Used: Sirfetch'd, Greedent, Chewtle, Appletun, Eevee, Gossifleur, Cramorant]

They all seemed to be... Grass-type Pokemon?

After carefully reviewing the information, Naoki felt confident that he could handle it.

"Well?" the man asked.

Naoki nodded. "It should be fine unless something unexpected happens."

Gouliet could use Fire-type moves, which would be super effective against Sirfetch'd and Eevee, taking them out instantly.

Suddenly, Naoki remembered something. "Will the trainers be using Dynamax during the competition?"

Mike nodded. "Of course! It's a specialty of the Galar region! Oh, right, I forgot, you're not from Galar, so you probably can't Dynamax... That could be a problem."

Mike furrowed his brows, pacing back and forth in worry. In his opinion, Pokemon became much stronger when they Dynamaxed, and if his opponent's Pokemon could do so while his own trainer couldn't, they would be at a natural disadvantage.

The Dynamax Bands were controlled by the Galar League, and they were only given to gifted trainers. He had no way of getting his hands on one.

Seeing Mike's expression, Naoki was speechless. After a moment's thought, he said, "It should be fine."

After all, there were examples of regular Pokemon defeating Dynamaxed Pokemon.

Time was ticking, and Naoki decided to take Gourdet out for a meal.

After inquiring about the competition time, he left the place with Gourdet and Rayquaza-crown.

Fifteen minutes later, in a restaurant serving fried fish and chips.

Watching Gourdet devour his meal, Naoki felt a bit worried. "I hope there won't be any problems."

Gourdet's appearance often made it easy for others to overlook that he was a legendary Pokemon.

Sensing Naoki's concern, Gourdet confidently patted his chest. "Agas!" (No problem!)

No matter who his opponent was, he would emerge victorious!

But first, he had to fill his stomach because fighting on an empty stomach was not an option!

"Gaoh..." The Motostoke Ghastly was startled by Gourdet's voracious appetite.

Noticing this, Rayquaza-crown, seated by the window, gracefully sipping a cup of human sweet red tea, asked with interest, "Is this the battle between trainers and their Pokemon that you mentioned earlier?"

Naoki nodded. "Yes, in these battles, trainers give commands to their Pokemon based on the situation, whether to defend or attack, and they combine different strategies to achieve victory."

Rayquaza-crown now had a basic understanding, and thinking about the upcoming afternoon battle, she asked, "Do you have any strategy in mind for Gourdet?"

"Agas?" Hearing Rayquaza-crown address him, Gourdet paused from chewing and turned to Naoki.

Naoki thought for a moment and then said, "Probably just brute force."

"Brute force?" Rayquaza-crown was puzzled.

Naoki explained, "It means overwhelming the opponent with sheer power, without the need for tactics or strategies. Just using the strongest moves to defeat the enemy."

Rayquaza-crown: "...'

She had wanted to say that this might be a bit too reckless, but then she recalled her own direct use of Snow Spear and Star Shatter in battles, so she swallowed her words.

"Indeed, it is a good strategy," Rayquaza-crown commented. "It suits Gourdet well."

Naoki smiled happily. "Right?"

Gourdet also looked pleased. "Agas!" (Yes!)

As Naoki and Gourdet exchanged glances, Rayquaza-crown, who was observing them, asked, "Now, I and my steed are also considered your Pokemon, aren't we?"

Hearing this, Naoki was slightly taken aback.

To be honest, with Rayquaza-crown's high intelligence, he always felt that she was more like a human, and it was hard for him to view her as a Pokemon like Pikachu.

As for giving her commands to fight... Naoki couldn't even imagine that scenario.

Perhaps Rayquaza-crown understood battle strategies better than he did.

Sensing his thoughts, Rayquaza-crown gently spoke, "You don't have to overthink it. Previously, you rescued me from the depths of loneliness. Now, I just want to offer you some assistance."

"I understand," Naoki said, joking, "If Gourdet loses, I'll have to rely on you then."

Hearing this, Gourdet became a little unhappy.

He declared loudly and forcefully, "Agas!" (Impossible!)

There was no way he would lose!

"Hypothetically speaking, just as an example, not that I think it will happen," Naoki said helplessly.

Seeing that Gourdet had stopped eating, he handed him a few napkins. "Are you full? If so, wipe the ketchup from around your mouth."

Gourdet had eaten his fill, and he took the napkins, wiping his mouth haphazardly before letting out a satisfied burp.

1:00 PM. Palace Gate Arena.

Naoki arrived at the arena with Gourdet and Rayquaza-crown to meet up with Mike.

"Are you all set?" Mike asked anxiously. After all, Naoki was a random trainer he had found, and he wasn't sure of his actual strength.

Naoki nodded cautiously.

Mike breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. The competition is about to start. Head to the contestants' hall and wait for your turn. Your match is first."

Here, many trainers and their Pokemon had already gathered.

Initially, Naoki had been worried that someone might recognize Rayquaza-crown. But upon arriving, he realized that not a single person present knew Rayquaza-crown.

The competing trainers were gathered in the hall, scattered around, each tending to their Pokemon who would soon be battling.

Naoki's eyes swept across the diverse array of Pokemon—Dreadnaw, Centiskorch, Coalossal, Boltund, Falinks, and Indeedee, to name a few. There were Pokemon of all shapes and sizes, from furry to hairless, docile to ferocious. Amongst them, Gourdet and Rayquaza-crown blended in without a hint of awkwardness.

Scanning the crowd, Naoki didn't spot Dan's figure, but he did notice another familiar face.

A tanned, amiable youth with a warm smile.

It was... Kiawe!

Naoki was quite surprised.

Then he realized that as Dan's rival, Kiawe had probably come specifically to battle Dan.

After all, this guy considered defeating Dan to be the most important thing in his life.

Kiawe also noticed Naoki and looked in his direction, flashing him a cheerful smile.

"Are you also here to participate in the Rising Star tournament?" Kiawe walked over, his eyes falling on Gourdet and Rayquaza-crown beside Naoki.

Naoki greeted him warmly, "Hello."

Kiawe's gaze lingered on Gourdet.

As a trainer specializing in Dragon-type Pokemon, he instantly recognized that the unfamiliar Pokemon before him was a powerful Dragon-type.

At that moment, the broadcast for the start of the competition sounded from outside.

Upon hearing his name, Naoki apologized to Kiawe and walked past him into the entrance passage for contestants.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Regional Rising Star Tournament! I'm Vivian, your host for this exciting event!"

"Please settle down as we're about to begin. Let's give a warm welcome to the two trainers who will be battling it out in our first match!"

"First up, we have Trainer Oken, sponsored by Woolly Sheep Sweater Company!"

A cheer went up from the audience.

Amidst the enthusiastic shouts, a youth with a composed expression and an air of aloofness strode out from the dimly lit entrance passage and onto the dazzling stage, capturing the attention of the entire arena.

Vivian exclaimed, "Ah, it's none other than Trainer Oken! As a semifinalist in the Champion's Cup for three consecutive years, I'm sure everyone is familiar with Oken's unwavering and resilient spirit!"

"Oken! Oken! Oken!"

A group of fans in the audience enthusiastically cheered for their favorite trainer.

Hearing the commotion, Mike, seated in the front row, scoffed, "Keep it down."

"Hahaha!" A portly middle-aged man sitting not far away burst into laughter. "Didn't get enough sleep last night, Mike? Why don't you take a break? Today's Rising Star tournament has nothing to do with you guys anyway."

With a sour expression, Mike retorted, "Who knows who will win or lose? Don't be so sure your contestant will emerge victorious. Just you wait and see, Roby."

After that, Mike closed his mouth and fell silent.

Vivian's voice continued over the broadcast.

"And now, let's welcome Trainer Naoki, sponsored by Steelix Flight Taxi Company!"

"Hmm? Trainer Naoki, is he a newcomer? I've never heard of this name before!"

The audience echoed her confusion, their gazes collectively shifting to the other entrance passage.

Then, they saw a black-haired, robust youth stride out, accompanied by two Pokemon.

One was a crimson behemoth with a commanding presence, its golden irises exuding an oppressive aura.

The other Pokemon exuded elegance, floating in the air with its psychic powers instead of walking. Its head was large compared to its slender limbs, and its eyes held an intangible dignity.

These two mysterious Pokemon immediately captured the attention of the audience.

The entire arena fell silent as not a single person present had ever seen these two Pokemon before.

After a brief moment of stupefaction, Vivian, the host, quickly recovered:

"Wow! Trainer Naoki is truly a mysterious figure! I wonder what kind of battle these two enigmatic Pokemon will bring us. Let's look forward to it!"

"The first match of the Regional Rising Star Tournament is about to begin!"

(End of Chapter)

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