Chapter 686 - 686: 686. The Energetic Idol Girl

Compared to earlier, Kai and Misty had to wait much longer this time.

How long?

Long enough for Kai to set his sights on another young boy who had just entered the park. He walked over, challenged him to a battle, and within moments defeated him with ease.

The boy left with teary eyes and a crushed spirit.

Milotic gained some useful experience from the fight, but the poor kid probably walked away with a trauma he wouldn't forget anytime soon.

Misty's earlier remark had proven completely accurate Kai was absolutely ruthless when battling kids.

I, Kai, am unbelievably strong!

Even if it felt a little unfair, the results were worth it. After several battles, Milotic had fully adapted to its newly evolved body and was becoming increasingly comfortable with its strength.

If things continued at this pace, it wouldn't be long before it caught up to Eevee and Combusken in terms of progress. When that happened, Kai's team would gain a powerful new asset.

By noon, Kai and Misty grabbed hot dogs and coffee from a vendor in the park and ate their lunch on the spot. Just as they finished, Kinta finally returned.

This time he wasn't alone.

Along with the two boys from before, there was also a girl with him.

Even from a distance, Kai could feel the vibrant energy radiating from her.

She looked about the same age as Misty pretty, lively, and a little mischievous. Her hair was a vivid turquoise-green, with long bangs framing her face and a ponytail that jutted upward like a bolt of lightning.

Her outfit was just as eye-catching: a deep blue miniskirt speckled like a starry night sky, paired with a matching midriff top.

One leg wore a white stocking while the other was bare, showing off her long, smooth leg.

Blue boots completed the look, and cloud-like accessories decorated her wrists and ankles. Large earrings swayed beside her face.

Compared to ordinary people, she stood out like someone straight out of an idol group.

Kinta, who had been acting cool and arrogant earlier, was now practically a different person. With a broad smile plastered across his face, he walked ahead like an eager guide, constantly glancing back to chat with the girl.

The two boys behind them were even worse blushing, heads lowered, silently following along like devoted fans who didn't dare say a word.

It was obvious that the girl herself wasn't arrogant or spoiled. She wasn't acting proud or demanding special treatment. She simply stood out so much that the three boys naturally hovered around her.

Still…

Kai frowned slightly.

Why did she look so familiar?

While he was thinking about it, a figure moved beside him. Misty had quietly stepped forward and stood next to him.

She hadn't said a word, yet Kai could clearly sense the hostility she felt toward the girl.

When the group finally reached them, Kinta puffed out his chest proudly and announced,

"This is the helper I brought! If you can beat her, I'll admit you're strong!"

Kai simply nodded.

Honestly, it didn't matter to him who the opponent was.

He raised a hand to signal Milotic to get into position, but before he could say anything, Kinta frowned in irritation.

Clearly, he didn't like Kai's casual attitude.

"Hey… don't tell me you actually don't recognize who's standing in front of you?"

Hmm?

Kai looked at the idol-like girl again. Their eyes met for a brief moment.

Even so, he still couldn't place her.

Meanwhile, after getting a good look at Kai, the girl also seemed to be thinking about something.

Seeing Kai's clueless expression, Kinta couldn't stand it anymore and blurted out loudly,

"You seriously don't know her? Hmph! Let me tell you standing right in front of you is the most famous and most popular Contest Idol in the Hoenn region Lisia!"

Lisia?

An idol?

The name meant nothing to Kai. Still, the face did ring a bell. He was sure he had seen her somewhere before probably in the anime but he couldn't remember exactly where or in what context.

Beside him, however, Misty suddenly reacted.

"Wait—I think I've heard of you! Aren't you the beautiful Coordinator who sings 'Charm ☆ Heart'?"

Since becoming friends with May, Misty had picked up quite a bit about Pokémon Contests. She'd also learned about several famous Coordinators, and Lisia was definitely one of the names she had seen repeatedly in news reports and magazines.

She had even listened to "Charm ☆ Heart" a few nights ago before going to bed. It was actually pretty catchy.

She never expected to meet the singer herself in person!

Lisia smiled brightly.

"Hi! I'm Lisia. Just like they said, I'm a Contest Idol. 'Lulu' is just the nickname my fans like to use. And yes, Charm ☆ Heart is my current theme song."

Then she tilted her head slightly as she looked at Kai.

"Um… have we met somewhere before? I feel like I've seen you before."

That single sentence made Misty's heart skip a beat.

She carefully examined both Kai and Lisia, trying to read their expressions.

Older women were one thing she couldn't do much about them.

But girls around her own age?

No way she was letting them get anywhere near Kai.

Hey, I was here first!

As for Kai, he was certain of one thing: he had never interacted with Lisia before.

In fact, today was the first time he had even heard her name.

If she felt like she'd seen him before, it was probably because she had caught footage of him competing in a tournament on TV. As an idol, she likely paid attention to trending topics more than most people.

Maybe she had just seen one of his battles and remembered the face.

Not wanting to reveal too much about himself, Kai simply replied vaguely,

"You might be mistaken, This is definitely our first time meeting."

"That's probably true," Lisia said, accepting the explanation without much thought, Then she asked, "So you're the one who beat Kinta?"

"That's right, which means my next opponent is you?"

"Of course!" Lisia laughed. "Kinta and I grew up together, Since he came all the way to ask for help, I couldn't exactly refuse!"

This was certainly a new experience for Kai.

He had never battled a Coordinator before.

Let's see how different your style is from ours.

Just as he was about to position Milotic again, something caught his eye.

On Lisia's hair accessory… There was a Keystone.

Kai was genuinely surprised.

He hadn't expected to see one here in Hoenn.

A Keystone was an essential item for triggering Pokémon Mega Evolution something far too valuable to be worn casually as decoration.

That meant the girl in front of him also possessed the ability to use Mega Evolution.

Now things were getting interesting.

Of course, neither of them would actually use that kind of power in a casual battle like this.

Still, it was clear that Lisia wasn't someone to underestimate.

Compared to Kinta and the two boys, she was clearly on a completely different level.

Noticing where Kai's gaze had landed, Lisia realized he was looking at her Keystone.

Her curiosity was instantly piqued.

Wait… does he recognize it?

After all, this kind of power was usually associated with other regions.

Before she could think further, Kinta snorted and interrupted.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said to Kai with folded arms. "Lisia might not battle often, but she's incredibly strong! And she's also Wallace's niece, If you want to surrender, now's your chance."

Oh?

Wallace's niece?

That surprised Kai even more.

He had only come to the park looking for a random opponent. Somehow that had led to meeting an idol who also happened to be related to a Gym Leader and Champion.

The world really could feel both big and small at the same time.

Still, did Kinta seriously think a name alone would scare him into backing down?

That was pretty childish.

Even if Wallace himself were standing here, Kai wouldn't hesitate let alone Lisia.

Before he could respond, the two boys chimed in excitedly.

"Yeah! Lisia's really busy! She was filming a show earlier today, Kinta kept begging her over and over before she finally snuck out to come here! If you're scared, you should just surrender!"

They meant well, trying to explain how difficult it had been for Lisia to make time.

But Kinta's face instantly turned red.

"You two, shut up!"

Exposing him like that made him want to sew their mouths shut.

What did they mean by begging over and over?!

It hadn't been that pathetic!

He glanced nervously at Kai, relieved when the man seemed completely uninterested.

But when he noticed the beautiful girl beside Kai staring at him with a teasing smile, his heart sank.

Great… now I've embarrassed myself in front of everyone.

Meanwhile, Kai stepped into the trainer's position and directed Milotic to its spot in the water, facing Lisia.

From her voice alone, he could tell that like Nana he had met earlier Lisia was someone overflowing with energy.

Pokémon raised by people like that were usually just as lively.

Under everyone's watchful gaze, Lisia didn't reach for a Poké Ball.

Instead, she snapped her fingers toward the sky.

A moment later, a Pokémon swooped down from above and landed beside her.

She patted its fluffy shoulder with a grin.

"This is the Pokémon I'll be using!"

The Pokémon was an Altaria.

Kai didn't think anything was strange about it, but Kinta suddenly looked alarmed.

"Lisia, you're using your Altaria? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

She turned to him, confused.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Kinta glanced nervously at Kai before whispering,

"Don't you have a festival performance and a bunch of Contests coming up in other cities? That guy isn't easy to deal with. If Altaria gets injured, it'll be a disaster!"

It was obvious he genuinely cared about her.

Lisia, however, waved it off with a carefree smile.

"It's fine! If you're afraid of injuries, you can't really battle, can you? Besides, my Altaria is really strong—it doesn't lose easily. And even if it does get hurt, Nurse Joy can heal it quickly!"

Before Kinta could argue further, Lisia had already turned back to Kai.

"Alright! Let's make this battle dazzling and spectacular!"

Kai raised an eyebrow.

Where had that sudden burst of enthusiasm come from?

Then again… remembering Nana, it seemed energetic girls simply had a way of lighting up a battle.

This time Kinta stepped in as the referee. Seeing both trainers ready, he cast one last worried glance at Altaria before chopping his arm downward.

The battle began.

It was a clash between water and sky.

Milotic, a Water-type Pokémon, faced Altaria, a Dragon- and Flying-type.

On paper, Milotic seemed slightly disadvantaged. Its Water-type attacks would only deal normal damage to Altaria's Dragon typing. On top of that, Milotic fought from the water below while Altaria soared above, giving the airborne Pokémon the high-ground advantage.

But the battlefield itself told a different story.

Aside from two small platforms, the arena was filled with water. If Altaria's fluffy cloud-like wings became soaked, it would lose its ability to fly—leaving it stranded and vulnerable to Milotic's attacks.

Meanwhile, Milotic could dive beneath the water at any moment to evade Altaria's moves.

In the end, both sides held their own advantages.

The real question was simple:

Who would seize the opening first?

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