Chapter 137: Regret? Too Late
Rio thought for two seconds and decided to agree. This was what Munchlax wanted most in this moment. If he refused, Munchlax would carry that regret for a lifetime. He couldn’t let that happen.
So when the referee announced the start of the final battle, he gave the command: "Munchlax—Metronome."
"Ka~" Munchlax, visibly gaunt and weakened, raised its paws and began to wave them.
On the other side, Sabrina didn’t rush to attack. She had realized by now that each time Munchlax rolled a powerful move, it came at the cost of exhausting its stamina. Munchlax was already at its limit—if she focused on defense and evasion, she could simply wait for it to collapse. It might seem like a cowardly tactic, but she had already been swept twice. If Munchlax managed a third one-hit knockout, her Saffron Gym would become the laughingstock of all eight Gyms.
So when Munchlax entered its divine state for the third time today—
The entire Saffron Gym began to shake violently. The ground trembled. An intense heat erupted from beneath the earth, and the temperature skyrocketed.
"Alakazam—levitate with Psychic and prepare to Teleport to dodge!" Sabrina shouted, sweat streaming down her face from the sudden heat.
"Ala~" Alakazam floated into the air, its eyes darting across the battlefield, scanning for threats.
In the stands, the crowd erupted in confusion.
"What—what move did it roll this time?!"
"It feels like Earthquake, but Earthquake doesn’t generate this kind of heat."
"How can this Munchlax’s Metronome always roll moves that defy our understanding?!"
Suddenly—
WHOOSH—
A searing red blade, like a giant sword, shot up from the ground, heading straight for Alakazam. The sudden eruption nearly stopped Sabrina’s heart. Her telepathic link with Alakazam screamed: "Dodge!"
Alakazam’s form flickered—Teleport activated. At the last possible moment, with barely a hair’s breadth to spare, it vanished from the spot and reappeared five meters away.
Sabrina’s heart, which had been lodged in her throat, finally dropped back down. Thank goodness—no three-in-a-row.
She looked at Rio, a glimmer of relief washing over her. "Sorry, Rio—Munchlax couldn’t quite..."
WHOOSH—
Before she could finish, her pupils contracted. A second searing red blade erupted from the ground at blinding speed—and pierced straight through Alakazam before it could react.
Sabrina froze, mouth agape. The audience froze too. They had assumed the first blade was the full extent of the attack—no one had expected a second one. Across Saffron City, everyone watching the live broadcast also sat in stunned silence.
The world seemed to stand still for a brief moment.
The only one moving was Rio. He jumped down from the platform and walked over to Munchlax, which had collapsed the moment the move ended.
"You did great, Munchlax." Rio gently patted its head, then placed a Revival Herb in its mouth, followed by a few Snorlax Energy Cubes. Soon, Munchlax’s eyes fluttered open, and its gaunt body began to round out again.
"Ka~"
"You did it, Munchlax—a clean sweep."
Rio smiled and patted its head, then turned to the referee: "Referee—put your jaw back in place and announce the result."
"This Gym challenge is over—challenger Rio wins!" The referee, still in shock, snapped back to attention and made the call.
The audience and Sabrina finally stirred, their gazes fixed on Munchlax as they processed what they had just witnessed. Some eyes drifted to Munchlax’s former trainer in the stands—looks of pure schadenfreude.
They had heard the commotion outside the Gym earlier—this trainer had abandoned a Munchlax that was now this absurdly powerful.
Munchlax’s former trainer, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of emotions. Part of it was the bet—he would have to kneel and call Rio "Daddy" and apologize to Munchlax. But more than that, he was consumed by regret. Watching Munchlax’s overwhelming display of strength, he couldn’t help it. A crushing sense of loss and regret surged through his mind.
Munchlax wanted me to apologize—that means it still cares about me, right? If I apologize sincerely and try to make amends, it might come back to me. Yes—that must be it. That’s why it came to me today. It still has feelings for me. It wants to return.
Damn it—how could I have been so stupid as to drive it away?! I should have listened to what it had to say!
That thought consumed him. So the moment Rio stepped off the battlefield with the Saffron Badge in hand—
THUD.
Munchlax’s former trainer dropped to his knees right in front of them. The move was so sudden and decisive that even Rio was taken aback. The audience leaned in, ready for the drama.
"Glutton—I’m sorry! I was wrong! I’m so sorry!"
SMACK! He slapped himself hard across the face, looking utterly sincere.
Rio’s brow furrowed. This bastard’s reaction was beyond his expectations. He’d assumed he’d have to force the guy to kneel, to apologize—maybe even have to corner him. Most people had at least some shred of shame. But this guy had none—he’d fallen to his knees in front of everyone without hesitation. That meant only one thing: he was putting on a performance, desperate to win Munchlax back.
"Munchlax—would you be willing to come back to me? I want to hear everything you’ve been through since we parted," the man said, his voice dripping with feigned sincerity.
Unbelievable—this guy has no shame. He’s saying this right in front of me, as if I don’t exist. Does he think I only have Munchlax? Does he think I won’t humiliate him in front of everyone? Sorry—if you want to play shameless, I can play it even better.
Rio rolled his eyes, almost laughing in disbelief. But his gaze shifted to Munchlax.
No matter how he felt, it was Munchlax’s decision that mattered.
Munchlax stared at the kneeling man for four or five seconds. Then, without a word, it kicked him over, sending him sprawling to the ground—and wrapped its arms around Rio’s leg, holding on tight. The message was unmistakable.
Good boy—I didn’t raise you for nothing. Rio’s heart swelled with satisfaction as he gently stroked Munchlax’s head.