The celebratory banquet was held on the fifth floor of the Devon Corporation.
Although they had shared a brief, passionate moment of intimacy in the dorm earlier, Hakuya and Roxanne ultimately rushed out the door at top speed. They finally arrived at the venue right on the dot, barely managing not to be late.
Unlike what he had expected, the nature of this celebratory banquet was clearly not just a casual dinner hosted by a friend with minor fanfare. It was a grand spectacle in the truest sense, fully showcasing Steven's and the Devon Corporation's connections and background.
Besides the Hoenn Elite Four and the eight Gym Leaders who had intercepted Groudon and Kyogre, there were also many key League officials and socialites who had provided support behind the scenes. For a time, the banquet was incredibly lively.
And the moment Hakuya and Roxanne arrived, they were treated to the attentive gazes of everyone present.
Whether it was because Steven treated Hakuya as the main protagonist of this banquet, putting all his effort into introducing him to everyone, or because Hakuya's deeds of single-handedly facing and stopping the two super-ancient Pokémon had spread... pairs of eyes filled with curiosity, surprise, amazement, and admiration—without a single trace of negative emotion—fell passionately upon Hakuya.
"Is this the legendary Trainer who defeated the two super-ancient Pokémon? If it weren't for Mr. Hakuya, this place would absolutely be in ruins. He truly is the savior of our Rustboro City—no, the Hoenn region!"
"He severed the combined attacks of Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre with a single sword strike, and even briefly parted the sea in two! If it weren't for the on-site video recording, absolutely no one would believe it if they just heard about it..."
"Wow~ Not only is he incredibly strong, but he's also so handsome! I feel like I'm falling in love—"
Amidst the continuous exclamations of surprise, there was both admiration for Hakuya's strength and high recognition of his looks. But whether it was the former or the latter, everyone present uniformly gave Hakuya the warmest welcome.
"Hello everyone..."
At this moment, looking at this celebratory banquet—which was nominally to celebrate repelling Groudon and Kyogre but actually felt more like a fan meet-and-greet—a trace of helplessness flashed deep in Hakuya's eyes as he waved and greeted everyone.
To be honest, before attending this celebratory banquet, he had actually learned from Roxanne that his deeds had been broadcast by major League TV stations.
He just didn't expect things to brew and ferment so quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had gone from an obscure rookie Trainer to the savior of the Hoenn region.
Watching the silver-haired young man on the high stage still endlessly praising him, the corners of Hakuya's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
—I'm genuinely a bit worried right now that while Steven is praising me, he's going to suddenly pull a yellow cape out from behind his back, drape it over me without a word, and hold a 'shoot first, ask questions later' Champion succession ceremony right on the spot.
Not long after, Steven and Wallace walked over to Hakuya together.
These two guys were still in their familiar attire.
Steven was dressed in a sharp suit. Coupled with the gentle and elegant smile he wore while holding a glass of red wine, anyone who saw him would have to exclaim what a fine, noble young master he was. Meanwhile, Wallace was still in his Contest Master outfit, complete with a cape covering his back, looking quite flamboyant.
"Hakuya, how do you feel about the celebratory banquet?"
"Overall, it's not bad. Except for the opening speech introducing me, which was a bit too embarrassing."
Hakuya nodded and gave a thumbs-up in praise.
"The food is delicious, and the prepared drinks are high-class stuff I've never tasted before."
Although he had only taken a few sips just now, he still gave an excellent review.
Hearing this, Steven, who had initially been criticized for his opening speech, couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh in the end.
Even though he had invited many people to attend this time, in his heart, the protagonist of the celebratory banquet from beginning to end was solely Hakuya. If the guest of honor actually felt it was no good, then he would truly look like a clown.
Because the banquet hall was too noisy, after a brief chat, Steven suggested they go to the office on the sixth floor together.
"Hakuya, during the previous battle against Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, as the absolute main vanguard, you protected Rustboro City and made an indelible, outstanding contribution to the Hoenn League."
"Therefore..."
Steven expressed his gratitude to Hakuya as the Hoenn Champion.
"On behalf of the Hoenn region and all members of the Hoenn League, I sincerely thank you for your help."
Hearing this, Hakuya's spirits subconsciously lifted.
Okay—
The rich bro is about to start dropping gold coins.
"Let me go first. I imagine Hakuya isn't someone who likes formalities either."
Taking over from his good bro Steven, Wallace bowed slightly, striking his signature polite pose, and smiled.
"If I remember correctly, your Pokémon team shouldn't be fully filled out yet, right? My Milotic recently gave birth to offspring. Ever since it was in egg form, it has received my meticulous care. Its potential is even greater than its parent's. I would like to entrust it to you, Hakuya. I believe you will absolutely be able to draw out this little one's abilities even better than I could."
Taking a Luxury Ball out of his pocket, Wallace solemnly handed it to Hakuya.
"A Feebas?"
Hakuya blanked out slightly.
Immediately, the scanning light screen built into the randomized system popped up.
[Feebas]
[Type: Water]
[Gender: Female]
[Ability: Swift Swim (Boosts the Pokémon's Speed stat in rain.)]
[Moves: Splash, Tackle]
[Egg Moves: Dragon Breath, Mirror Coat, Mist]
In a sense, the title of the weakest Pokémon, besides being awarded to Magikarp, must also include Feebas.
Similarly low base stats, and excluding inherited factors, its starting moves consisted of nothing but Splash; it knew absolutely no attacking moves. Even the standard Tackle required a certain level to learn.
However, just like Magikarp leaping over the Dragon Gate to evolve into Gyarados, the difference between Feebas before and after evolution was like heaven and earth. Its evolved form, Milotic, was even praised as the most beautiful Pokémon.
Come to think of it, he hadn't encountered a Feebas or Milotic in the randomized world yet.
A flawless appearance, plus incredible potential since it was the offspring of a Champion-level Milotic... Adding another Milotic to the team now... thinking about it carefully, it actually seemed pretty good.
"Since that's the case, I won't be polite then. I will take good care of it from now on."
Equally solemnly taking the Luxury Ball into his hand, Hakuya promised.
Because there was no water here, he wasn't in a rush to let it out and bond immediately.
"Mhm..." Completely unconcerned about whether the Feebas would be raised better in Hakuya's hands, Wallace nodded and continued, "Besides this, I will also provide you with all the Beauty Pokéblocks needed for its evolution. So, you don't need to worry about how to evolve Feebas into Milotic, Hakuya."
Unlike the settings in many fanfictions, in the real Pokémon world, thanks to years of relay research by researchers, the evolutionary conditions of many Pokémon were well known to the public. For example, Feebas needed to reach a certain Beauty condition to evolve into Milotic.
To make Pokéblocks that could increase the Beauty condition, fresh Berries with a dry flavor had to be used as raw materials. However, although foraging for Berries in the wild wasn't difficult and their market price was relatively cheap, the more crucial factor was the technique used to make the Pokéblocks.
If one wasn't a professional Breeder, attempting to make high-quality Pokéblocks oneself was incredibly difficult.
Therefore, enough Pokéblocks to support its evolution was absolutely considered a generous gift for Hakuya.
"Alright."
Hakuya wasn't pretentious and chose to accept Wallace's sponsorship.
"It's wonderful that you're willing to accept it, Hakuya."
Seeing Hakuya agree without trying to decline, Wallace was clearly very satisfied.
For a brief moment as he looked at the Luxury Ball in Hakuya's hand, his eyes still revealed a hint of reluctance.
As the offspring of his ace Pokémon, Milotic, it was absolutely impossible for Wallace not to have feelings of affection for this Feebas. But it was precisely because he recognized the Feebas's extraordinary potential that his resolve to hand it over to Hakuya was solidified.
Under Hakuya's training, this Feebas would definitely have an even more brilliant and radiant future...
Meanwhile, standing on the other side, Steven sighed softly.
"Sigh~ It's a pity my Shiny Metagross hasn't produced any offspring." As he spoke, he seemed a bit regretful in his heart. Waving his hand, he said, "Otherwise, no matter what, I would entrust a little Beldum to you, Hakuya..."
"Of course, if you like Metagross, Hakuya, I can also gift you a non-Shiny but equally high-potential Beldum. Or if there are any other Rock-type Pokémon you like, just name it, Hakuya, and I can fulfill your request."
Steven patted his chest, exuding the aura of a rich bro telling you there's no need to be polite.
After all, Hakuya was the number one contributor to intercepting Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre this time. Out of both reason and emotion, Steven felt he should give Hakuya a generous reward; at the very least, it couldn't be inferior to the gift Wallace gave.
And these words naturally weren't him boasting.
As the Champion Trainer of the Hoenn League region and the future heir of the Devon Corporation... even for a pseudo-legendary Pokémon of Beldum's caliber, as long as Steven wanted to, he could easily procure several high-potential Beldum in minutes.
"Mhm... I think I'll pass. I currently have no plans to add any more new members to the team for the time being."
Hakuya pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head.
Floragato, Latias, Eevee, plus that Pokémon egg about to hatch, the Rayquaza he was guaranteed to catch, and the Feebas Wallace just gifted him... his first team was basically full now. He completely lacked the sense of crisis and urgency he had before when he couldn't elbow through randomized NPCs.
Although Metagross's base stats were high, without the rich bro's matching silver-white Shiny coloration, his interest in it plummeted significantly.
Rather than wanting the real-life version with [Clear Body], he'd rather dive into the tall grass in the randomized world later and test his luck to see if he could encounter a Metagross with the [Huge Power] ability, just like that rich young master NPC.
As for other Rock-type Pokémon...
Hakuya had absolutely no interest in things like Onix or Geodude. The only one he had any real thoughts about was Diancie.
But clearly, no matter how rich Steven was, he couldn't procure a Mythical Pokémon like that.
Therefore, after a brief moment of thought, Hakuya ultimately chose to politely decline.
"Alright." Steven shrugged, seemingly having anticipated Hakuya's reaction long ago, merely revealing a smile that felt as refreshing as a spring breeze. "However, no matter when you change your mind, my promise still stands."
Having said that, he continued looking at the black-haired young man before him.
Since he didn't need a Pokémon at this stage, exchanging it for another material reward was also fine.
"I heard from Gym Leader Roxanne earlier that you're quite short on money recently, Hakuya?"
"Sigh."
Hakuya waved his hand, taking up the topic with a distressed look.
"It can't be helped. You know as well as I do that being a Pokémon Trainer is an incredibly expensive profession."
"Mhm, that is indeed true..."
Steven nodded without denying it.