Chapter 37: It's Truly Time to Sleep... (Please Keep Reading QAQ)

At this moment, Cynthia couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion. For a fleeting second, she had even forgotten that this was just a game.

Meanwhile, the live chat was buzzing with intense discussion about the Dewford Gym battle. Everyone remembered that when she challenged Roxanne, the first Gym Leader, it had taken countless attempts before she finally succeeded. Yet, this time, she had cleared the Dewford Gym in just a few tries. Many viewers felt it had been a bit too easy.

"Is it just me, or did the streamer have a much easier time here compared to the battle against Roxanne, even though the Dewford Gym was plenty strong?"

"I agree, the difficulty of this gym battle felt a bit low."

"Low? Are you kidding? Think about it—how could she have won without that Ludicolo?"

As soon as this message appeared, everyone in the chat realized the truth. That was a fair point! Under normal circumstances, Cynthia’s team would consist of Pokémon that hadn't reached their final evolutions, like Teddiursa or Grovyle. Against opponents like a Combusken with Speed Boost or a Gurdurr with the Guts ability, the difficulty would have been immense. Even that "cute" Makuhita could have one-shot her Ludicolo!

Her victory had relied heavily on luck. If the Zen Headbutt in the third turn hadn't triggered a flinch, the one standing on the field wouldn't have been Ludicolo, but a Gurdurr with Guts and health to spare, ready to finish her off with Mach Punch. It wasn't that the gym was too easy; it was that Cynthia's skill far exceeded this stage, and she had Lady Luck on her side.

The audience quickly changed their tune.

"Thanks to Mr. Steven for the Water Stone; it was truly the key!"

"Indeed, without Ludicolo holding the line, I can't imagine how desperate that fight would have been."

"By the way, what about Iono... she's reaching this gym soon, isn't she? Hehe, is she about to get stuck in 'jail'?"

"Iono: What are you all mumbling about? Paralyze tactics, activate!"

As the chat debated, Brawly reappeared on the screen once the battle concluded. He spoke with a mix of satisfaction and reflection: "I must say, your growth is much faster than I imagined. I look forward to the day we meet again. Next time, I certainly won't lose."

He handed Cynthia a glove-shaped badge and a disc. "Take this. It's the Knuckle Badge. With it, your Pokémon's level cap will increase to 23."

"Also, this is a TM for Bulk Up. It allows a Pokémon to raise both its Attack and Defense stats. Furthermore, your Pokémon can now use Flash to explore dark places, like the Granite Cave."

Cynthia was taken aback. Flash? What kind of move was that? She had never heard of it. She pressed the interaction key to ask Brawly, only to receive a surprised response.

"Eh? You don't know about Hidden Moves? Didn't Roxanne tell you? Well, no matter, let me explain. Every time you complete a gym battle and receive a new badge, a new Hidden Move is unlocked for you. For instance, the Knuckle Badge allows your Pokémon to use Flash in the wild to light up dark caves and tunnels, or to illuminate the surroundings at night."

"You can usually learn Hidden Moves near the gyms. To learn Flash, go to the entrance of Granite Cave and look for the man in the miner's hat. I'm sure he'd be happy to help."

With that, Brawly clapped his hands and stood up. "Right, I'm off to continue my training in Granite Cave. See you later, kid. I’m rooting for you." He then turned and walked out of the gym.

Cynthia stood there, deep in thought. Hidden Moves... that must be a unique setting for this game. It seemed there might be a Hidden Move to acquire near the Rustboro Gym as well. If these moves were crucial for progressing, she would have to consider returning to Rustboro City. It would also be a good chance to pick up some items she might have missed.

Just then, she glanced at the time in the bottom right corner and froze. It was already 12:30 AM! She had started streaming at 8:00 PM; she had been playing for four hours straight without even realizing it. How had time slipped away so quickly?

After a brief moment of hesitation, she sighed with regret. She wanted to keep playing, but it was definitely time for bed. She didn't have any missions tomorrow, but she believed in maintaining a good routine. Besides, if she woke up to an emergency task, she wouldn't want to be exhausted from staying up all night.

She prepared to bid her audience farewell and close the game. However, her gaze fell upon the fishing rod in her inventory. Well... it was time to sleep, but she hadn't used the fishing rod even once since getting it. Surely, catching one fish wouldn't hurt, right? One catch, then bed!

She made up her mind and headed to the beach. The NPC who gave her the rod had also provided two types of bait: ten portions of "Basic Bait" and one "Special Bait." The game described the latter as: "Special bait, might catch an extraordinary Pokémon?!"

How "extraordinary" could it be? Was it rare? Driven by curiosity, she attached the Special Bait and cast her line into the ocean. Everything went smoothly, and within seconds, the rod began to shake violently!

"A Pokémon is on the hook!"

She didn't hesitate; she followed the tutorial and pressed the "E" key to reel it in. The next moment, a massive silhouette was pulled from the depths! The Pokémon had a deep blue, scaled body, angry sharp eyes, and a gaping maw. As it appeared, an intense battle theme blared out!

"Wild Gyarados (LV38) has appeared!!!"

Cynthia stared at the prompt and immediately closed the game window without a second thought.

"Hmm, it seems it really is time for bed. I must be so tired I'm starting to hallucinate..."