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In front of a large liquid crystal gameboard screen, the Veilstone Game Corner Manager, who now apparently works as an announcer at the Battle Arcade, counts down to the start of the roulette machine. On the gameboard, 16 panels coloured either in red, black or gray are arranged neatly into a grid, each bearing a symbol that signifies a certain event.

As the Game Corner Manager commences the roulette run, a lighted box scrolls across each panel in order, and Platinum watches intently as she positions her hand right above the 'Stop' button on the stand-post next to her. Calculating the correct time, the girl presses hard onto the metallic button just as the lighted box lands on a black coloured panel that bears the image of a Berry.

The Game Corner Manager announces that the event shall affect the black side of the stage where Platinum's team stands, and that each of her Pokemon shall receive a Sitrus Berry prior to the start of the battle. With that, Empoleon, Rapidash and Lopunny each gets equipped with a Sitrus Berry, and the round begins with Empoleon facing the Bellossom of the opponent, a Veteran trainer named Beck.

Using its ice type attacks, Empoleon quickly overpowers Bellossom, and in the second round, Lopunny uses a barrage of Focus Blasts to take down a Venomoth. In the final round, Rapidash engages in a close-up combat with a Camerupt, and although both have their health points gradually worn out, Rapidash eventually manages emerge victorious with the help of its Sitrus Berry recovery.

The Veteran trainer Beck, being the red side of the stage, is declared the loser, and Looker congratulates Platinum on her win. The girl grins that the Berries really helped her Pokemon replenish their strength, and it was all thanks to the roulette. The Game Corner Manager wants to know if Platinum decides to continue, and Platinum naturally replies the affirmative. Her next opponent is a Pokemon Breeder named Leonard, who has an Ivysaur as his pioneer.

The roulette once again runs, and Platinum focuses her gaze on the game board, snapping at the 'Stop' button on the event that she desires. This time, she lands on the 'Sunny' panel, which conjures the sunny weather on the battlefield. Powered up by the advantageous weather, the flame on Rapidash's back greatly intensifies, and Platinum proceeds to have it charge forward.

Watching from the audience stand, Looker muses to himself that within 2 days, Platinum is already quickly engaging herself in the second facility challenge. Their current facility, the Battle Arcade, has varying battlefield effects depending on the roulette panel being landed on prior to the match, which could range from weather conditions, such as rain, sunny, hail, to status conditions, such as poison and paralyze, as well as bonus items, be it a Berry or battle-related hold item.

In that instant, Rapidash hurls a powerful Fire Blast towards Ivysaur, and faints it with the super effective attack. Platinum is declared the winner of the match, and Looker exclaims that the girl has already obtained a streak of 14 consecutive victories. However, his true bewilderment lies not in the number of matches she won, but the way how she appears to have full control over the outcome of the roulette. It seems that she is always able to accurately land on the panels she desires, ones that grant her an advantage or place a disadvantage on her opponent.

Indeed, as the roulette rolls once more, Platinum fixes her gaze on the panel which summons a hail status, and precisely gets the lighted box to stop on it. The Game Corner Manager hollers that Hail is in effect, and Empoleon, unaffected by this weather condition, moves with ease on the battlefield while its opponent suffers.

Looker shelters himself with gadget number 8 of the International Police Arms, the Grateful Umbrella, and believes that Platinum must have had previous experience in such games and found the trick to it for her to be so proficient in landing on the panel according to her liking. He muses that as long as Platinum keeps winning, she will get to play the roulette every time, and sooner than they know, they will obtain an adequate streak to reach the Frontier Brain.

In that instant, the continuous hail finally punctures Looker's Grateful Umbrella with enough holes to rip it apart, and the international police officer hears someone singing from behind a song about life being just like the roulette. He turns around to see a woman with dark skin and long black wavy hair dancing with a Togekiss, Medicham and Ludicolo, and the woman grins that a kid with marvelous skills seems to have come. She sees that Platinum has already won 17 consecutive battles, and giggles that it will not take long before she reaches the 21-battle streak in order to challenge her.

The Game Corner Manager exclaims that it is the Arcade Star Dahlia, and kneels down in praise of her goddess-like status. Platinum realizes that the woman must be the Frontier Brain of the facility, and recalls what Mecha Starly said her being an extremely skilled opponent. She rationalizes that a skilled trainer has a much higher chance to know of important information, possibly even that of the Distortion World, and knows that she must obtain victory in order to get the chance to talk to her when she receives the Commemorative Print. Turning around to face Empoleon, Rapidash and Lopunny, she voices out her encouragement to them, and is determined to conquer this facility.

Meanwhile, Buck has arrived at the entrance to the cave that leads to the interior of Stark Mountain. While he has spent a considerable amount of time wandering in the surroundings of this mountain since his childhood, it is actually his first time to set foot on this particular area. Looking into the deep dark cavern ahead of him, he anticipates that phone signals would all be cut off when he enters, and decides to make the call home before going in.

After a few rings, his elder brother Flint picks up on the other side, and says he is just about to call him as well. Behind Flint, Volkner lazily sprawls himself on the couch, between them a huge pile of books and data files which they have been going through. Flint guesses that Buck must be at Stark Mountain already, and Buck replies with a small chuckle. Flint states that as per Buck's incessant pestering, they have looked up on the information pertaining to the mountain, and believe that the evil team he talks about must be after a certain treasure situated somewhere in its most interior.

Buck bolts in shock when he hears about a treasure being hidden in Stark Mountain, and Flint explains that it is called the Magma Stone, which is said to possess immense power and lies at the deepest part of Stark Mountain. The man tries to warn Buck to stay alert of the organization with weird fashion sense, but the call suddenly gets cut off.

Buck stares at his Pokegear and wonders if something could be interfering with the phone signals, but decides that he has gotten the information he needed, and proceeds to step into the cavern ahead. To be honest, it surprised him that a treasure lies within Stark Mountain. All this time, he is convinced that Heatran is what the evil people are after, but perhaps, he is mistaken, and their goal is this treasure after all.

The red-haired boy grins that he best way to know is to ask the people in question directly, and stops to steal a glance at the huge boulders behind him. He remarks that he already detected their presence long ago, and tells them to show themselves. However, Buck's words are met with silence, and the boy is upset that he has to whip them out with force.

With that, Buck orders a Sandstorm from Claydol, and the swirl of sands quickly reveals half a dozen of Team Galactic Grunts hiding behind boulders. Buck demands to know what they are trying to do at Stark Mountain and why they are trailing after him, and gets Claydol to slam them against each other on the cavern wall. Yet, the Grunts remain wordless and manage to stand up again every time Claydol knocks them over, and Buck starts to get irritated.

Buck whispers to Claydol that they must get to the Magma Stone and protect it before these weird people snatch it, and tells the clay doll Pokemon to take him to the mountain treasure directly right away. Using its psychic powers, Claydol manages to find its path amidst the maze of tunnels, and with their speed and agility, soon manage to lose the Team Galactic Grunts. Claydol stops and motions to a small opening ahead, and Buck enters to find himself in a chamber. In the center of the room, a small boulder is surrounded by a dozen of rocks, and glows with a bright reddish hue. Buck lets out a sigh of relief as he winks to Claydol, and feels exhilarated that they have finally found the Magma Stone…

(Original Japanese Jokes)
There are no jokes or Manzai in this chapter.

Thanks To Coronis For Writing this for us



422: VS Ivysaur


Volume 38