At this moment, the battle on the field had reached a fevered pitch.
Larry's Komala and the young boy's Fuecoco were both nearly out of stamina.
Facing the Fuecoco charging towards him, Larry once again ordered Komala to use Yawn.
The Yawn successfully hit, and Fuecoco instantly felt drowsy.
But just as it was about to fall asleep, the young boy suddenly shouted for it to hold on.
Fuecoco snapped awake, broke free from the drowsiness, and gathered flames in its mouth, using Ember to defeat Larry's Komala.
"Great!" The boy's face lit up with excitement.
Larry, with a calm expression, quietly took out a Poke Ball and retrieved Komala:
"You're really good, but you only have a worn-out Fuecoco left, while I have a fully healthy Pokemon remaining."
"We won't give up!" The boy shouted spiritedly.
The dining patrons were ignited by his fighting spirit, loudly cheering him on.
"Hey! Kid! Hold on!"
"The hungry customers are waiting! Show us what you're good at!"
"Both you and Larry, cheer up!"
"That's right, Mr. Larry!" The boy said with determination.
Larry: "…I got it, if we chat too much my boss will get mad, let's start the battle quickly!"
With that, he sent out his last Pokemon.
It was a sharp-eyed, agile Staraptor.
The final battle officially began!
Facing this nearly unbeatable strong opponent, the boy still did not choose to give up; his fighting spirit affected Fuecoco on the field.
Fuecoco courageously overcame Staraptor's intimidation and used its best move, Ember!
Perhaps it was luck, or maybe it was Larry's intention, the Ember successfully hit Staraptor and luckily caused it to be in a burn status.
Seeing this scene, the boy clenched his fists excitedly: "Yes! Just like that, Fuecoco!"
In burn status, the Pokemon's stamina gradually dwindles; the longer they endure, the higher the chances of victory in this battle!
Some of the audience supporting Larry were very dissatisfied when they saw this.
"What's the matter, Larry! So easily hit by that kid's move!"
"Get serious! I didn't come here to see you intentionally lose the battle!"
Upon hearing these words, Larry looked utterly exhausted. He glanced at the Trainer opposite him and said weakly:
"…Excuse me, it's okay if I use the move that social persons excel at, right?"
The boy was slightly stunned.
And Larry had already given the command: "Staraptor, use Facade!"
Facade, a Normal Type move, has the effect of doubling its power when the user is in burn, paralysis, or poison status.
Upon receiving this command, Staraptor emitted a dazzling white light, then dived down from the sky towards Fuecoco.
Fuecoco was unsurprisingly hit, and the Facade struck it, rendering it unable to battle immediately.
The boy stood with his mouth agape.
The diners cheered enthusiastically.
"Wow! Ahhh! That's Larry for you!"
"What a spectacular battle, it really makes the meal enjoyable! I've unknowingly had two bowls of ramen!"
Larry ignored these voices and said plainly: "Unfortunately, you did not pass the Medali Gym challenge, so I can't give you the Gym Badge. Well then, goodbye."
Finishing his statement, Larry picked up his briefcase, left the stage, and headed to the bar counter to have his meal.
"This is Larry…" Naoki said with interest, observing the man with the extremely high hairline.
Even though he was dressed in a sharp, spirited black suit, his face showed undeniable fatigue, with very noticeable dark circles around his eyes.
Thinking of his main purpose of coming, Naoki asked the nearby Pawmot and Dragonite: "Have you eaten enough?"
"Pawmot!"
"Grr~"
Seeing both Pokemon had filled their stomachs, Naoki returned them to their Poke Balls, and then walked forward with Koraidon, sitting next to Larry, and ordered two bowls of red bean soup for digestion.
Before he could speak, Larry had already noticed him and the Koraidon beside him.
Larry's expression didn't show any surprise; it was still very calm: "You've arrived."
Naoki froze on the spot: "You know me?"
Could it be that Geeta had shown him a photo of me? No, when did Geeta have his photo?
Larry saw him overthinking and began to explain: "The time with the chieftain… an uninvited rare guest, from the first moment you entered, I noticed you and that Pokemon."
"An ordinary person like me wouldn't be recognized walking down the street, but you're different; no matter where you go, you're a noticeable presence."
Naoki was speechless: "…Exaggerated."
But Larry calmly said, "The Giant Pit, such a dangerous place you're bold enough to go to; if it was me, I definitely wouldn't. Hello, I'm Larry, pleased to meet you."
"I'm Naoki."
Larry nodded: "Please wait a moment, when I finish my meal, I'll take you over."
Naoki didn't say much: "Alright."
Larry seemed to very much enjoy his peaceful dining time. He ate unhurriedly, and when he had finished all the food in front of him, Naoki and Koraidon had also finished the two bowls of red bean soup.