The fragrant dishes were served on the dining table, snapping Ryuuske out of his thoughts as he sat on the sofa. Watching Lilac in a simple apron, carefully carrying the plates to the table, he suddenly had a strange sense of belonging as if he were back at home?
Lilac was like a sister there or a daughter. But then again, considering he himself was only a fifteen-year-old boy, the thought just felt weird no matter how he framed it.
"Thanks, Lilac. Making you cook and do the laundry feels like too much. As someone older than you by a few years, I'm honestly a little ashamed."
Even someone thick-skinned would probably feel embarrassed being taken care of by a little girl. It was like being a total deadbeat. Ryuuske, despite his sharp tongue and love of sarcasm when things were safe, considered himself someone with a fairly thin skin.
"No need to thank me, big brother. You and Gible caught these two fish together. Without you, I wouldn't have had any fish for dinner—and I might've even gotten swept away by the river."
Lilac lowered her head slightly, her voice crisp and filled with joy at being praised. "...Does Gible need anything to eat, big brother?"
"It has its own special food. I'll prepare it later, so no need to trouble yourself."
"Okay."
Lilac took off her apron, went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and came back to sit across from Ryuuske in the living room. Ryuuske picked up his chopsticks and tasted the meal she had prepared. Seeing her big, hopeful eyes watching him intently, he smiled and said with genuine praise, "Lilac, your cooking is amazing. The fish tastes really good."
The little girl beamed with joy, her eyes curving into little crescents. She sat quietly across from him, eating her food in small, contented bites.
In that moment, Ryuuske suddenly had the idea—Should I take this little girl traveling with me? Lilac was good at taking care of others, and her unique ability could definitely be useful for surviving in the wild. But the thought was quickly dismissed.
It wasn't that he was worried about being accused of abducting a child and having her parents call the police. It was simply that Ryuuske felt that without relying on Mewtwo, he couldn't even fully protect himself. Taking a little girl along would only increase the risk of danger.
He could endure getting hurt—but if the girl got hurt because of him, as someone with an adult's mindset, he could never forgive himself.
"Maybe in a couple of years, when I'm stronger…"
Reality wasn't like a cartoon—people couldn't just travel through multiple regions and have it feel like no time had passed. According to Ryuuske's estimation, even traveling around just the Kanto region would take one to two years. If he wanted to go to other regions as well, the time commitment would be even greater.
Having made that decision, Ryuuske felt more at peace. In the end, the problem was that he was too weak. Too weak to even protect himself, let alone someone else.
At that moment, he had more thoughts than ever before. For the first time, his heart was filled with unwavering determination. In this world, he had already earned the qualifications to become strong—and only by becoming strong could he get everything he truly wanted.
"Big brother, where are you from?"
After finishing the meal, Lilac cleared the table, wiped it clean with a cloth, and sat with Ryuuske in the living room watching TV. The entertainment programs in this world were plentiful—movies, dramas, and variety shows were all available, so boredom was never an issue. Lilac seemed to really like Pokémon; she sat close to Gible, curiously touching its shark-like skin. Gible didn't mind her presence and allowed her to pet it.
"Me? I'm from Viridian City, but I used to live in Pallet Town."
"Pallet Town? The one with Professor Oak's lab?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
Looks like Professor Oak's fame wasn't just hype—Ryuuske nodded to himself, a bit surprised that even an eight or nine-year-old girl knew about him.
"By the way, Lilac, do you have a computer with internet access? I might need to look up some information tonight."
"There's one in my parents' room. You can use it, big brother."
"Great, thanks so much."
"It's no trouble at all~"
Lilac shyly tugged at the hem of her clothes and smiled bashfully.
Although the operating system wasn't Windows or iOS, Ryuuske had learned the basics from Professor Oak, so he was able to navigate it. After turning on Lilac's parents' laptop, he began searching for information—looking for a way to get through his current difficulties. If he could get money through legitimate means, he would. If not, he wasn't above using... less legitimate methods. He wasn't going to let himself starve.
"Pokémon League Challenge…"
Ryuuske muttered as he stared at the computer screen. This tournament was the most famous and most important competition in the world, and there was a ton of information available online.
The Pokémon League Challenge was held in every region, once every three years. It was like the Olympics—an event the whole world watched. In this world where everything revolved around Pokémon, the League Tournament wasn't just a competition; it was the ultimate hall of honor. Only real trainers could participate. Winning there could bring you money, status, and fame. Only by gaining recognition here could one start climbing the ladder to greater heights.
Contrary to what Ryuuske had assumed, you didn't need all eight badges to participate. Four badges were enough to qualify for the preliminaries. Having more just meant a better seed ranking, but for real pros, that didn't matter much.
The tournament was only open to those between the ages of fifteen and twenty, preventing older participants from taking away opportunities from younger trainers. Every tournament was a gathering of the best young trainers of that generation. Winning it meant proving yourself as one of the era's brightest stars. Due to the age restrictions and the event's schedule, a person could only participate once in their lifetime.
After a fierce competition, the top sixteen were chosen, and then they battled it out for the top spot. The winner would be crowned the Champion, earning one of the highest honors of their time.
Those who placed in the top eight would qualify for the Elite Four Challenge every three years. The winner of that challenge could become one of the new Elite Four, while the losers had to wait for the next opportunity.
Only the Champion had the right to a greater challenge:
To consecutively defeat all four Elite Four members without rest or aid—achieving the ultimate glory and earning the title of Regional Leader.
This wasn't a game or anime—there were no breaks, no potion refills. Taking on the Elite Four in a row without being overwhelmed was nearly impossible. The Kanto League Tournament had been held fourteen times over forty-two years, and not once had anyone earned the title of Leader. It had become something of a mythical honor—an unattainable dream that inspired countless young trainers to keep pushing forward.
Or so it seemed.
Digging through various sources, Ryuuske stumbled upon a bit of urban legend.
According to rumors, in those forty-two years, there was one person—and only one—who truly defeated the Elite Four in a row and earned that highest title.
However, the Leader Challenge was not a public event. No one saw it with their own eyes. This tale only circulated among the upper ranks of the League, whispered like a secret.
That "only one" never appeared in public. No name, no face.
And so, people treated him as nothing more than the only legend.
To be continued…