Pokémon: Trainers Start as Bounty Hunters.

Although he's a muscular man, he's actually quite docile despite his superhuman strength.

Only when fighting and carrying objects do you realize that their muscles are not just for show.

Silence fell over the dark cave.

Everyone, both human and elf, stared at Nobuhiko in a daze.

"Ni cough"

Guai Li couldn't resist and went up to give Nobuhiko a loving hug.

Four arms were tightly wrapped around Nobuhiko's body, and Tetsuya even felt that he would be torn to pieces at any moment.

"what--"

A scream suddenly rang out.

Although the superhuman strength controlled his power quite perfectly, the sudden action was still quite startling for Nobuhiko, who was distracted.

Nobuhiko clutched his waist, his face contorted in pain.

It seems like every fighter's spirit knows this technique, euphemistically called teamwork.

Anyway, Tetsuya declined, which was disrespectful, but thankfully Blaziken didn't have that hobby.

The three of them chatted briefly.

Nobuhiko came over specifically because he heard the commotion from the fierce battle.

He was also thinking of finding a good practice partner for his friends.

Perhaps only a Champion-level trainer like him could roam around so freely in the underground caves of Mount Raibo.

Tetsuya guessed that the other trainers must have heard the commotion of Blaziken battling Ursaring Pokémon; those things couldn't be hidden.

But apart from Nobuhiko, none of them dared to approach him.

Curiosity is curiosity, but the saying "curiosity killed the trainer" is not without reason.

Trainers who operate at the mid-level usually have a simple understanding: when faced with intense battles, run away, and run as far away as possible.

Just like what that trainer named Ruiki I just met said.

Of course, if one's strength reaches a certain level, whether or not one recognizes this knowledge is really not an issue.

"A powerful Fighting-type Pokémon, what a pity."

Upon hearing Tetsuya's description of the unknown spirit, Nobuhiko beat his chest in frustration, expressing considerable regret.

Xiao Gang's eyes widened slightly: "Senior Nobuhiko, you've never seen a Pokémon like this before?"

"No." Nobuhiko shook his head. "It's just that the Rogue Panda is similar to it, but you can't possibly not even know what a Rogue Panda is, can you?"

Although he had traveled to many regions, he did not believe that he was better than the two young men in front of him in terms of his understanding of elves.

Nobuhiko always considered himself a rough person who didn't rely on his brain in many things.

The two young people in front of me are typical examples of people who use their brains.

At least Nobuhiko kept his distance from the breeder's exam, unlike the other two who would take the test, and he certainly wouldn't get involved in any research on Pokémon, as that would be too much to ask of him.

"That's strange." Xiao Gang frowned.

"Hey." Nobuhiko waved his hand casually, "Why don't you just ask Professor Oak after you go out? There's no Pokémon in this world that Professor Oak doesn't know."

His words, however, were full of confidence.

Tetsuya's expression was a little strange. "Does Professor Oak know how much confidence you have in him?"

Putting aside other things, there's a Pokémon in a city near Pallet Town that Professor Oak doesn't recognize, and it's ridiculously strong.

However, Xiaogang agreed with Xinyan's words.

Professor Oak is widely recognized as the greatest scholar of Pokémon studies in the world.

It's hard to imagine that the kind old man had such a wealth of knowledge about elves.

Nobuhiko's gaze was somewhat intense as he looked at Tetsuya: "When we meet again after we leave, don't forget to show me that Pokémon."

Because the unknown Pokémon was seriously injured, Tetsuya did not release it, but instead let it stay in the Poké Ball to recover slowly.

After healing Blaziken, Serperior and Togekiss didn't have much energy left to heal the unknown Ursa Pokémon, whose strength was not much less than Blaziken's.

In order to preserve some combat strength, we can only make do with it for one more day.

Once it leaves the Leyboar Cave, Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center in Kaji Town will naturally restore it to its original state.

Until then, let's rely on the healing medicine and the simple healing effect of the Super Ball itself to get by; at least our condition is improving.

How long do you plan to stay here?

Having understood what Nobuhiko meant, Tetsuya asked curiously.

Nobuhiko scratched his head: "I've found a great place to train. I'll stay here for at least three or four years, and occasionally go to Kaji Town or Enju City to replenish my supplies."

"So long!?" Xiao Gang was very surprised.

"It's alright." Nobuhiko grinned sheepishly. "I mainly have to go out to handle some things occasionally, otherwise it should be about two or three years."

Well, Tetsuya translated it for him. In short, he went out to earn some money and then came back to continue his rigorous training.

Unfortunately, even a hero can be brought down by a lack of funds. Fighting-type Pokémon are actually quite expensive, ranking in the upper-middle range among various attributes.

Moreover, whether it's training equipment or materials for training and recovery, anything that can be effective for Elite Four level Pokémon must be quite valuable.

That's why they say every Elite Four level trainer has a mountain of gold behind them.

Despite his seemingly unkempt appearance, Nobuhiko definitely belongs to the category of wealthy and powerful individuals.

"Would you like to come check out where I'm working out? If I'm not mistaken, there'll be a really nice view tonight!"

Nobuhiko glanced at the time on his wristwatch and extended an invitation to Tetsuya and Kogoro.

His eyebrows twitched, and his words carried a mysterious air.

"Great, that saves us the trouble of finding a place to rest."

Tetsuya readily agreed.

Xiao Gang nodded as well.

"Down"

Blaziken stood up, indicating that he was almost fully recovered and would be fine overnight.

"You've worked so hard, you should come back and rest."

Tetsuya took out a Deluxe Ball and put Blaziken back.

Not only Blaziken, but also Piplup, thanks to Nobuhiko's strength, was left outside.

"This is your newly captured one? There's even a Piplup in this godforsaken place??"

Nobuhiko then noticed that Tetsuya was accompanied by a Water-type starter Pokémon from the Sinnoh region.

"Boga"

Bogaman pouted in dissatisfaction.

Nobuhiko's words were as if he had completely ignored its existence.

"Haha, sorry, you're too short to see me." Nobuhiko gave a slight apology.

However, this apology only made Bogarman more unhappy.

"flutter"

It sprayed a mouthful of water directly onto Nobuhiko.

"Ah, that feels so good, have some more."

Enjoying the nourishment of the water, Nobuhiko was not angry at all; instead, he encouraged Bogaman to increase his intensity.

"Poga—"

Bogarman clenched both hands.

It took a step forward and delivered a flying kick towards Nobuhiko.

"Pain Pain!"

Nobuhiko hopped around on one foot, clutching his knee.

"Has he always been this childish?" Tetsuya turned to ask the monstrous strength.

The monstrous-strength figure, holding a giant portable flashlight in his hand, calmly nodded.

"Ni cough"

It means there's no need to worry, it's all under control.

With his two hands holding the flashlight, he used his other two hands to lift Nobuhiko up in his arms.

"What are you doing! Put me down, you freak!"

Nobuhiko made a futile struggle.

With practiced ease, Guai Li pulled out a black ribbon from somewhere and casually sealed Nobuhiko's mouth shut.

"Gudu"

Xiao Gang subconsciously swallowed.

For some reason, looking at Nobuhiko's treatment always gave him a sense of déjà vu and a faint sadness.

"It's just an illusion."

He squinted and thought to himself.

......

"Wow"

It was that familiar voice again.

Tetsuya's ears twitched: "Waterfall?"

He glanced at Nobuhiko, who was leading the way.

More than an hour had passed since the three met, and they had gone through countless winding cave passages.

If it weren't for Tetsuya's belief in superhuman strength, he would have thought Nobuhiko was lost.

“Yes.” Nobuhiko nodded with a smile. “And it’s a very different kind of waterfall.”

Along the way, he also learned how Tetsuya had subdued Bogarman, and could only marvel at how lucky the other party was.

Normal waterfalls are usually filled with Goldeen and Magikarp, let alone the starter Pokémon.

As they spoke, the sound of water grew louder.

"Well then, welcome to Skyfall."

Nobuhiko stood in front of the exit of the passage and opened his arms.

The next moment, moonlight slowly streamed in.

Under the moonlight, Tetsuya and Kogoro saw the Tongtian Waterfall that Nobuhiko had mentioned, and both of them gaped in disbelief.

The term "reaching the heavens" refers to the fact that people can look up at the starry sky directly from under this waterfall.

This is quite a spectacle in an underground cave, no wonder Nobuhiko is so confident.

Caves where you can see the sky are not uncommon, and underground waterfalls are also plentiful, but places that possess both are extremely rare.

"this..."

"I don't know how this place was formed; it's like it was hollowed out by water."

Nobuhiko naturally knew what the two wanted to ask, and quickly explained, "I only found this place by chance. There used to be two Elite Four Golducks here, but I chased them away."

Two tigers cannot share one mountain, unless one is male and the other female.

Those two Golducks, both top-tier breeds, are a rare couple, perfectly in sync.

In addition to environmental factors, even though Nobuhiko had a numerical advantage, it was difficult for him to tame Golduck.

Even though they don't have psychic abilities, they are skilled in them. If they want to run away, Nobuhiko, who specializes in Fighting-type, will have a hard time stopping them.