Boom!

An intense gym battle was taking place inside Sunyshore Gym.

However, the combatants were Ash and Flint, while Volkner stood coldly observing from the sidelines.

"Hey kid, watch closely!" Flint laughed heartily. "This is how you use Flamethrower!"

Magmortar raised its cannon arms, unleashing a torrent of scorching flames that instantly vaporized Floatzel's Water Pulse and knocked it out.

Ash remained undiscouraged, shouting enthusiastically: "Pikachu, I choose you!"

The rotating Pikachu dashed across the battlefield in a brilliant flash of electricity, its Volt Tackle actually withstanding Magmortar's attack.

Volkner's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled his own starter Pikachu, feeling competitive spirit rekindle after so long.

However, Ash soon lost the match 0-3.

"Woo-hoo!" Flint whistled cheerfully. "Not bad at all, kid."

"That was an excellent battle," Volkner applauded lightly with a faint smile. "Next, I'll be your opponent, Ash."

Hearing this, Ash's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Flint chuckled and waved as he turned away: "This champ's got a date, so I'm outta here."

"Stay and watch till the end," Volkner said coldly.

"Tch, what a drag," Flint grumbled, resting his arms behind his head. "But it's rare to see you fired up like this."

"I've made up my mind," Volkner looked down at his hand, slowly clenching it into a fist. "Rather than hesitating... I'll get stronger. Then challenge the Elite Four."

"Not bad!" Flint laughed, punching Volkner's shoulder playfully. "I'll be waiting for you in the Champion League!"

Volkner clicked his tongue before stepping forward to battle Ash.

After three swift matches, Ash gritted his teeth: "I... still can't do it yet."

"Keep going, Ash," Volkner said. "I look forward to our next match."

Ash adjusted his cap brim seriously: "You got it!"

Volkner then turned to Flint and asked: "Do you know any famous trainers in Sinnoh?"

Flint blinked: "You planning to challenge them?"

"No, just delivering invitations," Volkner replied.

"Whew, for a second I thought you'd actually leave your gym," Flint rolled his eyes before counting on his fingers: "There's Aogen from Iron Island, the rising star Darkrai... and Teacher Lu..."

"Handle this for me," Volkner waved dismissively. "If you find them, invite them to Sunyshore Gym."

"Hey! Don't dump everything on me!" Flint protested loudly.

Ash interjected: "Speaking of Teacher Lu... I'm actually in regular contact with him."

Both Flint and Volkner turned to stare at Ash in surprise.

"If it's okay... I could deliver the invitation," Ash clenched his fist excitedly. "I'd love to see a battle between Teacher Lu and Mr. Volkner!"

Volkner smirked: "Not a bad suggestion."

He produced two gleaming Beacon Badges, handing one to Ash.

"I'll keep the other one until you defeat me," Volkner said. "Take this one as proof... please invite Teacher Lu to Sunyshore City."

"Leave it to me!" Ash thumped his chest confidently.

"Let's schedule our next battle in a week," Volkner smiled, then glanced at Flint's retreating figure. "Wait."

"What now?!" Flint threw up his hands.

"Take another Beacon Badge for me," Volkner said seriously. "If you meet worthy trainers, pass it to them with my message."

"Fine, fine," Flint took the badge, grumbling: "Now I really gotta go - got people waiting."

The red-haired Flint turned and waved boisterously at Ash: "Later, kid!"

Ash waved back cheerfully while Volkner watched Flint leave with his usual indifferent expression.

Humming a tune with hands in pockets, Flint boarded a ferry heading toward the nearby resort area to meet Interpol agent Handsome.

Rumor had it Handsome was bringing his superior along... wonder who it could be?

He'd find out soon enough - probably not anyone he knew.

Playing with the shiny Beacon Badge, Flint boarded the ferry toward the distant island.

......

April 18th, Sunday.

After bidding farewell to Cynthia, who departed on her Garchomp to relieve Lucian's duties at Lilycove Island, Lu Ye packed his luggage for the meeting with Handsome.

In the chat group, Ash's challenge at Sunyshore Gym caught Lu Ye's attention.

Mention of Sunyshore City naturally brought TV scenes to mind.

The entire city was covered with solar panels and transmission devices, greatly enhancing the port's energy supply and transportation capacity.

All this was designed by Sunyshore Gym's Electric-type leader Volkner.

Fascinated by electrical devices, Volkner often caused citywide blackouts. Lacking strong challengers, he grew increasingly lazy - frequently closing the gym and even giving away Beacon Badges freely.

In one phrase: "A tech otaku too lazy to socialize who treats being Gym Leader as a side job."

"Is slacking off a cultural thing in Sinnoh?"

Lu Ye shook his head, deep in thought.

Electric-type leaders seemed to share this "tech geek" trait - not just Volkner, but also Marshal, Elesa, and Clemont all enjoyed flashy gym modifications.

Perhaps their specialization in Electric-types stemmed from this hobby.

"Ash probably can't beat Volkner," Lu Ye mused, "but Volkner might just give him the badge..."

If it's like last time when I had to return Marshal's badge for him, I'll be in trouble!

[Badge Collection: (7/8)]

Looking at the final badge needed to complete the mission, Teacher Lu stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I'd better keep an eye on Ash..."

......

Sinnoh Region, Resort Area.

This small border island near Sinnoh's Battle Zone was bathed in sunset hues.

Tourists still crowded the beaches as Lu Ye arrived at the resort's airport.

"I remember Daigo sold a mansion to Plantina here..."

Passing by picturesque estates and rows of villas, Lu Ye reached the open-air café where he'd arranged to meet Handsome.

Sitting at a white table under a sun umbrella, ordering desserts for his Pokémon, Lu Ye gazed into the distance.

The setting sun cast long shadows as ocean waves whispered nearby.

Foreign tourists glanced curiously at Lu Ye, whispering about whether he was some celebrity or model.

Before long, a middle-aged man in a brown trench coat approached, accompanied by a red-haired man with spiky hair.

"Come on, Handsome," Flint grinned. "Who's this boss of yours anyway?"

"You'll see shortly," Handsome looked up. "Ah... this is the place."

Hands in pockets, Flint casually scanned the area - then froze.

He saw a striking black-haired young man gently petting a Sylveon at his feet. The Sylveon turned away haughtily: "Fuwafuwa~o(´^｀)o"

"L-Lu—"

Flint's face showed shock and disbelief, as if seeing something terrifying.

"Teacher Lu!?"