"Kazuki won! Yay!"
"Kazuki, you're the greatest man in the world!"
In the VIP viewing box, Misty cheered and danced with joy as she watched Kazuki claim victory.
Suzie glanced at Rebecca, who stood nearby with a complicated expression on her face, then tugged gently at Misty's sleeve.
Only then did Misty slowly rein in her excitement. "Um, Rebecca, I didn't mean it like that, I…"
Rebecca let out a breath and smiled. "It's fine. Wasn't that what I predicted from the start?"
"My father being defeated by Kazuki might actually be a good thing—it'll help him finally see just how far he still is from true mastery of Fighting."
"If that's how you feel, then that's great. Come on!"
"Let's go down and congratulate Kazuki! He's only fighting one match today!"
Suzie and Misty eagerly walked ahead toward the ring.
Rebecca followed slowly behind them, still thinking about how she had "relaxed" Kazuki the night before… A blush bloomed once again on her cheeks.
As Kazuki stood in the ring, basking in the roar of applause, Anthony suddenly ran up to him, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Hey, hey, kid! Your Primeape is amazing!"
"I'm telling you, it's a once-in-a-million Fighting-type genius!"
"After the final match, could you give Primeape to me?"
"Rebecca already showed you our family's secret collection of Fighting-type training manuals, right?"
"You must know by now—we're a Fighting-type lineage!"
"Leave Primeape to me, I'll train it to reach the grandest championship stage!"
"Now I finally get it… Why I, could never win the championship. Turns out it was because my Pokémon were just a bit lacking in potential!"
"That Hitmonchan? It was a gift from that runner-up trainer I met back then!"
"But its ceiling was always second place at best!"
"Your Primeape, though—it's different. I can tell, you've got championship potential!"
"You might not have fought the final yet, but I can already see it—Primeape is no ordinary Pokémon!"
Kazuki had thought the subplot of Anthony asking for someone's Pokémon was optional, maybe it wouldn't trigger this time.
He never expected that even before the final, the guy would show up like a preorder customer!
What shocked him more was that the Hitmonchan Anthony had used was also something he'd shamelessly begged from someone else.
Back when that Hitmonchan was still a low-level fighter, it had already helped its trainer reach second place. That alone proved it had potential.
But after all these years under Anthony, the best it ever did was make it to the semifinals.
And yet, Anthony still thought it was the Pokémon's fault.
"You've got some serious nerve!" Kazuki didn't even try to be polite, despite Anthony being Rebecca's father.
"You've been doing Fighting-style battles for over a decade, and you still haven't figured it out? You're just not cut out for it."
"That Hitmonchan? It was a championship-level runner-up before it even met you."
"And now? Its best performance is only reaching the top four. The first time I saw it, it was already showing signs of being overtrained."
"Even then, in the matches, it didn't use Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, or Ice Punch—not a single one."
"You're just stubbornly clinging to your own flawed training methods!"
"Your daughter—Rebecca—her understanding of Fighting-style training is leagues above yours!"
"You suck at raising Pokémon, and as a person—you abandoned your wife and daughter, ran off to live in the mountains for over a decade without a single care for your family. You're the worst of the worst!"
Anthony had assumed Kazuki and Rebecca were on good terms. Surely, that meant he could easily sweet-talk Kazuki into handing over Primeape.
But not only did Kazuki refuse, he publicly lectured him.
Anthony's brain buzzed as if a loud bell were ringing. His thoughts kept spiraling.
"No, no! My training methods aren't wrong! I'm not wrong!"
"I come from a family of Fighting-type trainers! A lineage of warriors!"
"I will become champion and prove it to everyone!"
"I'm begging you—please, please give me your Primeape!"
He suddenly lunged forward, trying to grab Kazuki's leg in desperation—
Just then, a voice rang out across the field.
Officer Jenny entered with a squad of police officers, checked the photo in her hand, then waved for her team to surround Anthony.
"Fighting-type Trainer Anthony! We've received multiple reports accusing you of ordering your Pokémon to attack civilians. You're suspected of attempted highway robbery. Please come with us!"
"Huh? I… rob… robbery?! N-No! Officer, you… you've got the wrong guy!" His previous excitement, now replaced with panic, left Anthony stammering uncontrollably.
Rebecca, who had been walking toward the ring and still blushing from earlier thoughts, went pale the moment she heard the charges.
She rushed into the encirclement and threw herself in front of Anthony to protect him.
"No! Officer Jenny, my father's just obsessed with Fighting. He only challenges people to battles—he's not a criminal!"
Jenny scrutinized the pale-faced Anthony without any hint of sympathy. "You're his daughter. Your testimony doesn't count as evidence."
"We've received multiple reports from trainers. I have no choice but to take him in."
Anthony's knees gave out. He slumped onto the steps, hands trembling violently.
According to the Pokémon League's rules, ordering a Pokémon to attack people for criminal purposes was a serious offense.
Rebecca panicked. She'd been following her father around to cover up his mistakes, even paying medical fees for the trainers he hurt. But it seemed she'd missed someone.
She glanced around at the packed stadium of nearly ten thousand spectators—but couldn't find anyone she could turn to.
Kazuki looked at Anthony, now cowering on the steps with trembling lips, clearly shaken to the core.
Only then did Kazuki vault over the ring barrier, landing between Rebecca and Officer Jenny.
To Rebecca, in that moment, Kazuki's presence was like a beam of light piercing through endless darkness.
Her eyes, already rimmed red, stayed locked on Kazuki's back—afraid that if she blinked, that light would vanish.
"Officer Jenny, may I say a few words?"
Upon seeing Kazuki, Jenny's stern expression visibly softened.
"Freedom of speech is every citizen's right. And though I like you personally, that doesn't mean I'll go easy on a criminal."
"Of course. Arresting criminals is your job." Kazuki turned to Rebecca, who was breathing heavily and still staring at him in silence.
"But what if his actions weren't made with conscious intent?"
"Unintentional?" Jenny raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Anthony.
Kazuki nodded, implying mental health issues.
"If that's the case, he can temporarily avoid legal charges. But he must undergo psychiatric evaluation at a hospital."
"That's fine, right, Rebecca?" Kazuki asked.
Rebecca, still breathing heavily, stayed quiet for a moment.
Getting him into a psychiatric hospital meant she could visit, and he'd be properly cared for. It was certainly better than jail.
Though she wasn't entirely sure if her father was truly sick, she still nodded in agreement.
Jenny then ordered her officers to escort Anthony to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.
As the group left together, Officer Jenny gave Kazuki a subtle smile.
Kazuki replied with a small nod—an unspoken thank-you.
Apparently, Anthony had been detained before for injuring random trainers. Though usually, it only lasted a few days before he'd return to his reclusive lifestyle.
Still, those injured trainers left with a bad impression of the city, causing lasting reputational damage.
Jenny had been frustrated for years. Thanks to Rebecca covering medical bills this year, no complaints had reached her desk—yet she still worried Anthony would cause more trouble. So she had proactively gone looking for him.
With Kazuki's high Justice Reputation, Jenny had chosen him from the crowd to ask about Anthony's whereabouts. Once he understood the situation, Kazuki smoothly played his role and helped get Anthony into custody without issue.
"What! I'm mentally ill?! I'm not sick! I'm not sick at all!" Anthony shot up from the exam table, shouting in disbelief.
"They all say that," the doctor replied dryly, then continued his explanation. "You do have a mental condition—but you're not like the ones who shout and dance around uncontrollably."
"When you're calm, you're still capable of rational thought."
"But once something excites you too much, your emotions spiral out of control."
"For your own safety—and that of others—we recommend inpatient care."
"And avoid anything that could trigger those extreme reactions."
Kazuki raised an eyebrow. He hadn't actually expected Anthony to be truly ill.
He had even considered using Psychic Power to tweak the test results and delay things a bit.
But now it all made sense—what sane person would abandon a happy family just to obsess over martial arts in a cave?
Inpatient care and quitting Fighting. Perfect. Now Kazuki didn't have to worry about the follow-up steps.
"Whew. Thank goodness—my dad's mentally ill," Rebecca let out a long sigh and honestly blurted out her thoughts.
Everyone stared at her in confusion.
Rebecca quickly waved her hands. "I mean, I'm relieved because it means he didn't hurt anyone on purpose!"
"Officer Jenny, with this diagnosis, we don't need to press charges, right?"
Jenny looked at Anthony's condition. "This is probably best handled by the hospital."
"But as the doctor said, he needs to stay away from anything that excites him too much!"
"Dad, you heard that, right? Please don't get obsessed with Fighting anymore—or you'll be stuck here for a long time!"
Seeing everything fall into place, Rebecca finally felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders.
Anthony looked up at her. "You're… Rebecca? You've… grown up so much…"
His mind, finally a bit calmer after the incident, had just realized that his daughter had become a full-grown woman.
"I've been so fixated for so long… Alright, don't worry, Rebecca. I'll take treatment seriously."
"But!"
No sooner had he calmed down than Anthony's voice rose again.
"Can I go watch Primeape's final match tomorrow?"
"Please? I'm begging you!"
"I really want to see Kazuki's Primeape win the championship!"
"Just one last time, I promise! After that I'll fully commit to treatment and never obsess over Fighting again!"
Everyone turned to the doctor—he was the only one who could decide.
After a moment of silence, the doctor spoke. "In principle, he shouldn't be exposed to Fighting-related triggers right now."
"But he also said this is a matter of obsession. Lingering obsessions are harmful to recovery."
"Alright, then. I'm off duty tomorrow. I'll take him myself."
---
"I'll bring a portable med kit and escort him to the match."
"Thank you so much, Doctor. I'm really sorry for all this trouble," Rebecca said gratefully.
"Not at all! It's no trouble—I was planning to attend the final myself!"
"You were?" Everyone looked surprised.
"Yup! Because I'm also…" The doctor suddenly pulled off his white coat, revealing a surprisingly toned physique beneath.
"I'm a huge fan of Fighting-type Pokémon too!"
"Kazuki! I'm a huge supporter of your Primeape's victory!"
"I watched your match on TV replay—it was amazing! Absolutely incredible!"
"Can I get your autograph?"
"Right here, just on my notebook!"
Seeing the doctor's enthusiasm—and considering how much help he'd been—Kazuki happily signed with a flourish.
Misty and Suzie, watching nearby, exchanged worried glances.
"Do you think Rebecca's dad can actually get better here with a doctor like this?" Misty asked.
Suzie shook her head. "I have my doubts. But it's still better than leaving him alone in the mountains."
"Yeah, true."
With everything settled, the group left the hospital together.
By now, Rebecca was no longer shy around Kazuki—after all, he had just helped her resolve such a huge crisis.
"Thank you, Kazuki. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do."
She bowed deeply, full of heartfelt gratitude.
"You already gave me your family's training manuals. But if you still feel it's not enough—how about another round of your cooking tonight?"
Kazuki's easygoing tone put Rebecca at ease.
"Okay! Tonight, I'll prepare another special dish!"
"Yay! More yummy food!" Misty was clearly the happiest of all.
"Misty, do you still have your abs?"
"Hey! Don't bring up body image right now—it's food time!"
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the three girls sang a cheerful tune as they walked alongside Kazuki…
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