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In the end, Liam turned back toward the counter, raised his hand, and—smack!
He slapped his ID card onto the counter and shouted loudly.
"Give me a deluxe room!"
"Hehe~~ Thank you for your patronage! You can settle the payment when you check out~~ We appreciate your support~ Chansey! Please take our guest to his room!"
"Chansey, Chansey!"
Nurse Joy cheerfully took Liam's ID card, registered his stay, then handed the card back to him. She turned around and called over a Chansey, instructing it to guide Liam to his room.
Following the Chansey, Liam passed through a corridor guarded by security officers before arriving at a massive building that looked just like a luxury hotel.
"Chansey, Chansey!"
As soon as the Chansey entered the hotel lobby, it happily rushed to the front desk and excitedly greeted the Nurse Joy stationed there.
"Uh… I know you're not the same Nurse Joy from earlier, but forgive me for not really wanting to deal with you right now…"
Liam muttered with a slight hint of frustration as he looked at the Nurse Joy behind the counter, who looked exactly like the previous one.
"Hehe, I sincerely apologize. My younger sister is a bit mischievous, and there's really nothing we can do about her. I hope you can forgive her."
Rather than getting offended by Liam's complaint, this Nurse Joy stood up, stepped out from behind the counter, and bowed in apology. Seeing this, Liam suddenly felt a little awkward, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Hehe. Please hand me your ID card, and I'll take you to your room. Chansey, keep an eye on the front desk for me."
"Chansey, Chansey!"
Nurse Joy smiled slightly at Liam's reaction. After taking his ID card, she turned to instruct Chansey before leading Liam to his room.
As they walked, Nurse Joy stayed ahead of Liam, chatting and laughing with him. She listened intently as Liam complained about what her younger sister had put him through, occasionally covering her mouth as she chuckled. Once Liam finished venting, she tilted her head slightly and asked him with some curiosity.
"Huh? Mr. Liam, from what you're saying… does that mean you haven't registered the Pokémon you'll be using in the tournament yet? Are you still undecided?"
"??? Huh? I had no idea I needed to register them. Nobody told me."
"Hehe, my sister really is a handful. Sorry about that."
Liam: "…It's fine. There's still plenty of time. I can register later."
"Mhm, it's important to be certain before making a decision. This is no small matter… Ah, we're here. This is your room, Mr. Liam. Your ID card also serves as your room key, so be sure to keep it safe. If you need anything, feel free to come to me. Well then, I'll take my leave. Please rest well, Mr. Liam."
She demonstrated how to unlock the door with the ID card before handing it back to Liam. After giving him a small bow, she turned and left.
Watching her disappear down the hallway, Liam couldn't help but sigh. They're all Nurse Joys… so why is there such a huge difference between them?
Once inside, Liam found that the room was quite nice. It wasn't as luxurious as the Pokémon Center in the Rich Town, but it was definitely better than the average ones. As expected from the headquarters' Pokémon Center.
Liam had been traveling the whole day—from Pallet Town all the way to the Indigo Plateau. Thinking about it was exhausting enough, let alone actually doing it.
He had to give credit to Arcanine's incredible speed. Without it, the journey would've taken him several days.
After having the free dinner provided by the Pokémon League, Liam returned to his room, took a refreshing shower, and lay down in bed early, planning for the next day.
He opened his navigation map and examined the 3D layout of the surrounding area, but it didn't cover the entire League grounds. The map's search range was frustratingly small, so he zoomed out and took a broader look at the Indigo Plateau.
"Hm… so this is Victory Road? It's pretty close. I'll go there tomorrow for some special training. I heard there are quite a few strong trainers inside looking for battles, and there might be some rare Pokémon as well. Depending on the situation, I might even catch a few… Alright, that's the plan. I'll get some rest and be ready for tomorrow's training!"
That night, Liam slept soundly. Perhaps it was due to sheer exhaustion, but for once, he allowed himself the rare luxury of sleeping in. By the time he woke up, it was nearly noon.
After washing up and getting everything in order, it was already lunchtime.
So, Liam took advantage of the League's free meal service once again. After eating, he took out the food he had prepared for his Pokémon and released them from their PokéBalls, letting them enjoy a hearty meal.
Sitting on Onix's massive body, Liam watched his Pokémon happily eating, then reached into his bag and pulled out Aerodactyl's PokéBall. He squeezed it tightly, steeling his resolve.
"Alright, guys, we can't afford to slack off anymore. The League Conference is coming up, and I'll be counting on your strength."
"Woo…"
As if responding to Liam's words, Aerodactyl's PokéBall let out a soft hum and vibrated slightly before falling silent.
"Heh… What a stubborn guy."
After lunch, Liam recalled all his Pokémon, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and left the Kanto League Headquarters, heading straight for Victory Road.
Since he had already checked the location the night before, he followed a direct path while pondering his strategy.
"Hm… I've collected quite a few TMs, and they're all pretty powerful moves. I should find time to teach them to my team. I'll start with the ones Giovanni gave me and see how effective they are."
Deep in thought, Liam didn't notice the figures trailing him from a distance.
"Skills should be learned gradually—no need to rush. I should also start considering my lineup for the League Conference. Nurse Joy mentioned that only six Pokémon can be registered for the tournament. They can't be swapped out until the Top 8, and even then, only one can be replaced… Ugh, such a hassle… Hm? I'm here already? This is Victory Road?"
Lost in thought the entire way, Liam barely realized that he had arrived at the entrance of a rocky tunnel—the gateway to Victory Road.
Having navigated countless caves and tunnels before, he didn't even hesitate and walked right in.
Shortly after Liam entered, three figures emerged at the entrance of Victory Road.
"Boss, he's inside." The skinny one said to the young man standing in the middle.
"No shit! I'm not blind! I can see that!" The so-called boss snapped, glaring at the skinny guy.
"Uh… Boss, this is Victory Road. There are a lot of powerful wild Pokémon inside, not to mention all those battle-obsessed maniacs who challenge anyone on sight. It's really dangerous in there…" The chubby guy next to him chuckled nervously.
"What's there to be afraid of?! I'm strong as hell! Let's see just how tough these so-called 'lucky bastards' who got eight badges really are! Let's go!"
With that, the young man clenched his fists and strode into the tunnel.
"B-Boss! Wait for us! We're sticking with you all the way!"
Seeing their leader charge in, the chubby and skinny duo panicked and quickly rushed in after him.