Chapter 670 - 670: 670. The Norman Couple

The helicopter descended slowly. The moment the cabin door opened, Kennedy jumped out first, barely able to contain himself.

"Mr. Kai…" He stared at him in disbelief. "You actually did it!"

From the helicopter, Kennedy had already seen the valley below scorched earth, shattered terrain, not a single spot left untouched. Even without witnessing the battle firsthand, it wasn't hard to imagine just how fierce the clash had been.

Kai, however, remained calm. He merely nodded lightly.

"It wasn't easy, but the mission was completed."

There was no pride in his tone nothing worth boasting about.

"T-Then… Deoxys?" Kennedy asked carefully.

"If you're standing here safely, doesn't that already answer your question?" Kai replied. "Don't worry. Deoxys has been captured. It won't cause any more trouble. You can proceed with recovering the meteorite."

Kennedy bowed deeply.

"Thank you—truly. Mr. Stone will be overjoyed to hear this. On behalf of Devon Corporation, we sincerely thank both of you."

Kai declined Kennedy's offer to take them back to Rustboro City by helicopter. After giving a few brief instructions, he and Misty mounted Charizard and headed straight for Petalburg City.

He had already delayed long enough. The Petalburg Gym—passed by more than once, yet never properly challenged—was no longer something he wished to put off.

More importantly, Rustboro seemed to have an inexplicable pull on him. No matter how many times he left, he always ended up going back. It was… unsettling.

And frankly, he'd had enough of helicopters. The noise alone was unbearable.

As for whether he'd receive personal thanks or material rewards from Mr. Stone afterward—none of that mattered anymore.

Deoxys was the only reward he had ever wanted.

---

Charizard sliced through the clouds.

Exhaustion soon caught up with them, and the journey passed in silence.

By the time they arrived in Petalburg City, night had already fallen. With the Gym challenge postponed until morning, they checked into the Pokémon Center.

Nearly all of Kai's Pokémon needed treatment, and before facing the Gym, he also needed to reorganize his team.

It wasn't that his current lineup couldn't challenge a Gym—but sending out a roster filled with near-Champion-level Pokémon would make the battle meaningless.

At the counter, when Kai handed over his Poké Balls, Nurse Joy froze.

"Th-These Pokémon…"

In all her years running the Petalburg Pokémon Center, she had never seen such an extraordinary lineup.

Kai gently raised a finger.

"Please keep this discreet. If possible, I'd like my Pokémon treated in a private room. Some of them aren't suitable for public display."

Recovering quickly, Nurse Joy nodded professionally.

"Of course. Pokémon Center privacy is strictly maintained."

Afterward, Kai and Misty cleaned up, changed clothes, and met again in the lobby.

To celebrate, they decided against eating at the Center and instead went out for a proper dinner. Before that, they stopped by Petalburg City's largest shopping mall.

Just as promised, Kai let Misty choose her gift.

After much consideration, she settled on a high-end set of cosmetics.

Watching her walk ahead happily with several shopping bags, Kai couldn't help but smile.

No matter the age, the desire to look good never truly disappeared—especially in front of someone you cared about.

---

Early the next morning, Kai retrieved all his stored Poké Balls and began reorganizing his team.

Red Gyarados, Blastoise, Venusaur, and Jolteon were sent back to Cerise Park. Charizard returned to Charicific Valley to continue its training.

The Legendary Birds were sent back to Sabrina, and after a moment's thought, Kai added Jigglypuff as well.

He had no intention of traveling with that unruly Pokémon.

He was genuinely curious which would prevail—Jigglypuff's lullaby or Sabrina's psychic power.

Afterward, he retrieved Dragonite, Scizor, Tyranitar, Eevee, Combusken, Metang, and Feebas.

These were the Pokémon he intended to train in Hoenn.

With everything settled, Kai and Misty headed straight for Petalburg Gym.

Though it was just past eight in the morning, the Gym doors were already open—clear proof that its Leader was always prepared.

Compared to the laid-back Brawly, the difference was striking.

Inside, the Gym felt quiet. With May and Max absent, it lacked its usual liveliness.

From across the battlefield, they spotted a middle-aged man training his Pokémon.

Lean, sharp-eyed, arms crossed—simply standing there, he radiated authority.

Even without introductions, they knew exactly who he was.

The Petalburg Gym Leader.

May and Max's father.

Norman.

Norman noticed them almost immediately and smiled.

"You finally made it. I've been expecting you."

Misty blinked. "You… know us?"

"Of course." Norman laughed. "May and Max talk about you all the time. We may be meeting for the first time, but I've heard plenty."

Turning to Kai, he nodded thoughtfully. "You're here to challenge the Gym, aren't you?"

"That's right. Shall we begin now?"

Norman shook his head with a smile. "No rush. Since you're the kids' friends, let's have some tea first."

Tea?

Before they could react, Norman turned inward and called out loudly:

"Caroline! We've got guests—May and Max's friends!"

"Coming!"

A woman in her thirties emerged, her long reddish-orange hair tied into lightning-shaped twin tails. Stylish, elegant, pearl earrings gleaming—she looked more like a city professional than a housewife.

This was Caroline—May and Max's mother.

No wonder May was so beautiful.

Still…

Kai and Misty hadn't expected to meet the Gym Leader's wife before the battle.

It felt less like a Gym challenge—and more like meeting the parents.

They greeted her politely.

"Good morning, ma'am."

"Hello, Miss Caroline."

Compared to Misty's familial address, Kai's calm and courteous greeting clearly pleased Caroline even more.

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