Pokemon Paldea [208-210] (Patreon)

Chapter 208: Swampert—One Punch Knockout, Nothing More to Say

The news that Lucas was about to battle Oranguru spread through the Pokémon Butler Academy in an instant. Although there was no proof, Lucas suspected that the Psychic-type Pokémon had used their mental powers to communicate it.

Other than Otto and Marusill, there didn't seem to be any other humans at the academy. Soon, a large crowd of Pokémon gathered at the field Otto had prepared.

Among them were Pokémon Lucas had seen on his tour, like Tsareena, Lurantis, and Aromatisse, as well as graduates like Sirfetch'd and Gardevoir.

Even the Meowstic who had just left blended in with the crowd, sharing a brief, surprised look with Lucas.

Both current students and graduates now surrounded Oranguru, showing concern and excitement. They seemed genuinely happy that Oranguru had been chosen by Lucas for a battle.

The reaction from the butler Pokémon surprised Lucas a bit—especially the graduates, who were technically competitors. Yet they all sincerely wished Oranguru luck.

Otto, hands behind his back, caught Lucas's gaze and explained, "Oranguru has always looked after everyone here. That's why they're all genuinely happy for it."

"Since you've accepted Oranguru's challenge, I won't say more. Please go all out—Oranguru has always been waiting for someone who can fulfill two conditions."

Otto looked Lucas in the eye seriously. He didn't know Lucas very well—only that he ran a somewhat magical farm, and that he had high-level backing from the Paldea region.

Otto wondered if he could truly look forward to Lucas's performance.

The Butler Academy didn't have a formal battle arena or many rules; the fight started right on the open field.

"Guru~"

Oranguru stood calmly on the left, gently waving its fan. A faint glow flickered in its black pupils—a sign that most Psychic Pokémon were fully focused and their mental power was surging.

Meowstic looked anxiously toward Lucas. It could sense the terrifying psychic waves brewing within Oranguru, a power it could never hope to match. Ordinary Pokémon would be utterly powerless against such force.

Normally, most trainers facing Oranguru would pick Dark or Bug types.

The academy students, knowing Oranguru's strength, looked eagerly at Lucas, wondering which Pokémon he would choose.

Not far away, Luxio was walking along the wall, carrying berries and some odd trinkets it had just found.

Luxio originally wanted to thank Oranguru, but the crowd on the field caught its attention.

It could also smell Oranguru among the crowd, so it quickly hopped up to the top of the wall, where it could see the center of the field—and Oranguru.

Before Luxio could relax, it saw Lucas releasing a brawny Swampert from a Poké Ball.

Oranguru was going to battle a human?

Luxio frowned. It had complicated feelings about humans now—not quite dislike, but it wasn't eager to interact.

It decided to watch from a distance.

Meanwhile, Oranguru and Swampert squared off.

The moment Oranguru saw Swampert, it narrowed its eyes. It couldn't read Swampert at all, but could tell from its physique and muscles that its combat ability would be formidable.

"Guru guru Guru guru"

With no referee, the battle began freely. Oranguru's fan glowed with psychic energy as it swung it heavily at Swampert.

A tsunami-like wave of psychic power surged toward Swampert.

"Sirfetch'd~."

Sirfetch'd, clutching its leek sword and shield, felt a well-hidden trace of fear in its determined eyes.

Sirfetch'd had always excelled at the academy, completing its courses and perfecting its knightly skills—capable of defeating many badge-holding trainers. Yet in sparring against Oranguru, it always felt powerless against that overwhelming psychic force.

Against Oranguru's psychic power, it had no resistance at all.

Sirfetch'd thought Swampert, as another melee Pokémon, would struggle to close in on Oranguru.

But Lucas's expression didn't change at all. He calmly said, "Break through it. High Horsepower."

"Laji!"

Swampert responded, eyes fixed on the incoming psychic wave. Red light flared over its body, its muscles bulging.

With a powerful stomp, the ground cracked. In the next instant, Swampert smashed through the psychic force as if it were paper.

To the shock of Sirfetch'd, the other Pokémon, Otto, and Marusill, Swampert's right fist stopped just in front of Oranguru's shrinking pupils. The force of the halted punch sent a gust of wind sweeping outward, forcing the spectators to brace themselves.

"Swampert~." ("You lost.")

Swampert's calm voice sounded. After locking eyes with the stunned Oranguru, it withdrew its fist, turned, and walked coolly back to Lucas, returning to its Poké Ball.

"Guru…?" ("I lost…?")

Oranguru was dazed. Swampert's punch not only shattered its proud psychic force, but also woke it from its self-satisfied mindset.

Oranguru realized that deep down, it had been proud of its power to defeat Gym Leaders—even though it thought itself rational.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have considered going easy on Lucas if he showed enough strength, or planned to help train his Pokémon afterward.

But now, learning that its future master was so powerful, Oranguru felt genuinely honored.

It realized it was more suited to be a behind-the-scenes support than a fighter.

Chapter 209: Luxio's Gratitude

Oranguru's defeat left the onlooking butler Pokémon in shock. They knew just how terrifying Oranguru's psychic power was.

Yet Swampert had effortlessly smashed through it with brute force.

Not only that, Swampert had managed to halt its punch right before landing it. Some wondered if it had even been holding back.

Otto's jaw dropped so far he could fit an egg in his mouth. Marusill was just as stunned.

They frantically pored over Lucas's records, eager to find any clue. But no matter how much they searched, nothing stood out. Their curiosity finally got the better of them, and they hurried over.

At this moment, Oranguru was performing the traditional submission gesture of its species to Lucas, pledging to serve as his most loyal butler and supporter.

For the highly intelligent Oranguru, this gesture was sacred. Many Oranguru, even after being captured by veteran trainers, might never perform it in their lifetime.

This proved Lucas had completely won over even this picky candidate in both strength and character.

When Otto and Marusill arrived, Oranguru had just finished the gesture and looked up at them, speaking through telepathy: "Principal, Assistant, what brings you here?"

Otto and Marusill glanced at each other, clearly having made up their minds. They looked at Lucas and asked in unison, "Mr. Lucas, were you a trainer before?"

"Yes."

Lucas nodded slightly. It wasn't a secret.

Otto and Marusill's eyes lit up. Now they could guess why a mere farm owner had such high-level connections in the Paldea League.

They asked, "You must be more than just an ordinary trainer, right?"

Oranguru was curious too.

"Are you asking about my actual achievements as a trainer?" Lucas tilted his head. When they confirmed, he answered, "It's not a secret. If you look, you'll find it. In the Kalos League, trainers usually challenge Gyms, compete in the Conference, and, if victorious, take the Champion's Road to challenge the Elite Four and Champion, right?"

"It's a bit different in Paldea, but similar. I challenged the Elite Four and Champion and was awarded the title of Champion-level trainer."

Lucas's calm tone struck Otto and Marusill like thunder.

A Champion-level trainer—on par with Kalos's own Champion Diantha.

No wonder Swampert was so strong.

Oranguru had never felt its emotions fluctuate so much. It realized it had underestimated Lucas; a Champion in Paldea was equivalent to a Champion in Kalos, a title only earned by defeating the Elite Four and Champion.

With Lucas as its protector, the farm would surely be a paradise. Perhaps all its waiting was for this moment.

On the distant wall, Luxio still looked amazed—a human trainer had defeated Oranguru so easily.

Luxio wanted to leave and return when the crowd thinned out, but then remembered Oranguru's dream: could this human be about to take Oranguru away?

Luxio hesitated for a while, but didn't leave. Only after the crowd dispersed did it leap down and run over.

"Well, Oranguru will be your butler now. We'll handle the paperwork. You two can stay on campus and bond for a while," Otto said delightedly, as if a long-unmarried child had finally found a match.

"Looks like they can't wait to send you off," Lucas joked to Oranguru.

"The principal and assistant have always treated me well, even when I stubbornly insisted on picky conditions. They just quietly supported me and filtered out suitable employers."

Only after Otto and Marusill were out of sight did Oranguru retract its grateful gaze and reply.

"Luxio~."

A hesitant call sounded from behind.

Lucas turned and saw Luxio—the one Oranguru had been feeding earlier—carrying some berries and trinkets. Lucas guessed these were probably Luxio's thank-you gifts for Oranguru.

Before Lucas could see the items clearly, his system suddenly flashed in his mind:

[Notice: One meter ahead is an item that can significantly increase your strength! Take it, take it!]

"You're giving me a headache!" Lucas grumbled, waving his hand in annoyance. Seeing Luxio keeping its distance, Lucas ignored the system and whispered to Oranguru, "It's probably here for you. Should I give you some space?"

"Luxio seems wary of humans," Oranguru nodded. "If you don't mind, young master Lucas."

The term "young master" made Lucas freeze for a moment. At least it wasn't "master."

Lucas stepped aside, watching as Oranguru accepted Luxio's gifts and comforted it over its sadness at Oranguru's departure.

When Luxio left, Lucas strolled over and asked, "Are those gifts from Luxio?"

Chapter 210: The Mega Stone

Oranguru snapped back to reality after Lucas spoke, recalling Luxio's parting words and smiling. He explained via telepathy, "It said this is a thank-you gift for the food I provided. It's perfect timing to give it today."

Lucas smiled, "It's a grateful child—abandoned by humans, yet harboring no bitterness, choosing instead to repay your kindness."

Oranguru nodded, putting away the berries and picking up the best-looking glass marble from Luxio's trinkets, examining it in the sunlight.

The blue glass orb, with orange and gray patterns inside, looked like a beautiful toy marble.

"Just as I thought..."

As Oranguru examined the marble, Lucas drew closer, rubbing his chin in satisfaction.

No wonder the system was so excited—Luxio's gift actually included something so valuable.

"Guru~?" Oranguru made a sound, forgetting to use telepathy.

Lucas didn't understand, but seeing Oranguru's expression, he explained, "That's a Mega Stone—a special stone that lets Pokémon achieve a further evolution."

He then released Swampert from its Poké Ball.

Swampert, confused at first, suddenly felt an urge as it spotted the marble, an overwhelming sense of attraction urging it to claim the stone.

But Swampert, with iron will, held itself back, not moving a step.

Seeing Swampert's reaction, Lucas concluded, "Judging by the pattern and Swampert's response, this is its Mega Stone—it can use it to Mega Evolve."

Oranguru understood, and without hesitation, handed the stone to Swampert.

Swampert looked at Lucas for confirmation, and upon receiving it, accepted the stone, silently resolving to watch out for Oranguru in the future.

"I thought you wouldn't let Swampert accept the gift so quickly," Oranguru remarked later as they sat in the garden.

Lucas, now skilled at telepathic conversation, replied, "This stone is a game-changer for Swampert. As soon as we find the corresponding Key Stone, it can Mega Evolve. Maybe it'll even surpass Luxray as my ace."

"You're very direct," Oranguru observed, pleased to learn more about Lucas and confident it had chosen the right person to serve.

"Still, since the gift is so significant, I think we should thank Luxio properly. Do you know of anything it likes or wants?"

Oranguru replied, "Actually, I think Luxio would most like to see the person who abandoned it again."

It then recounted Luxio's story: a wounded, starving Shinx once met a boy studying at an Electric-type Pokémon school. They promised to create a world where all Pokémon could be happy.

The two lived together, making many happy memories. Shinx believed the boy was its future trainer. The boy seemingly felt the same and arranged to meet, but on the day, he didn't show, leaving Shinx feeling abandoned.

Even after evolving, Luxio continued to guard the inventions the boy left at the school.

Oranguru sighed, "If possible, I hope they could meet again. I think it was a misunderstanding."

Lucas felt the story was familiar and asked, "Do you have any clues about the boy?"

Oranguru thought for a while, "Luxio guards the power system for the Clemontic Shower here in Coumarine City."

Power system?

Lucas listened carefully, running through the names: Coumarine City, Electric-type Pokémon School, Clemontic Shower, Luxio, power system...

Suddenly, inspiration struck. When it comes to Electric-type inventors in Kalos and their connection to Luxio!

Taking out his phone, Lucas quickly searched for "Clemontic Shower" and a name popped up on his screen.