Chapter 65: The Mountain Roads Here Have Eighteen Bends~

After returning to the dining car to comfort the Snow-style Snorlax, Sisi intended to turn off the lights and go to sleep. It was not too late yet, and he planned to return to the lounge to rest properly while pondering the menu for the next day.

However, before Sisi could step inside, he heard the voice of Officer Jenny Mirror.

"Sisi? Sisi? Are you alright?" Officer Jenny Mirror hurried over anxiously. Sisi quickly walked down to meet her. Seeing that he was safe and sound, Officer Jenny Mirror visibly relaxed, and only then did Sisi notice that the surrounding parking lot was filled with Officer Jennies hiding in the shadows.

"Sister Mirror... what is going on?" Sisi asked, looking at Officer Jenny Mirror with a puzzled expression. Could it be that the Mimikyu from earlier was actually a Pokémon raised by some major figure, like Elite Four Agatha?

"Our duty officer reported a destructive sound wave coming from the parking lot earlier, so we suspected an attack by unlawful elements and rushed over... Are you alright? Do you know what caused that sound just now?" Officer Jenny Mirror scanned her surroundings vigilantly before turning her gaze back to Sisi.

Sisi awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He quickly explained to Officer Jenny Mirror that one of his Pokémon had simply gotten too excited and let out a loud roar. Upon hearing this explanation, Officer Jenny Mirror gave a wry, helpless smile and motioned for the surrounding Officer Jennies to disperse.

"Your Pokémon is truly formidable. The sound it just produced was evaluated as a destructive sound wave. If we hadn't used specialized reinforced glass, it probably would have shattered." Officer Jenny Mirror looked at Sisi with a warm smile. As long as everything was fine, it was all that mattered; moments before, she had even been contemplating requesting immediate backup from the Elite Four if the enemy proved too powerful.

"It... its talent is rather unique." Sisi nodded. Snorlax's vocal volume was genuinely astonishing. Even when speaking normally, once Snorlax opened its mouth, it sounded as though countless high-powered loudspeakers were simultaneously blasting high-pitched anthems right beside one's ears.

"Since you mention that... I actually have a task I would like to entrust to you." Officer Jenny Mirror's expression turned serious in an instant. Sisi subconsciously assumed a serious posture as well. Whenever he was in Saffron City, Sister Maple always wore this exact expression when speaking to him seriously; if Sisi dared to remain flippant or giggly, he would inevitably end up receiving a thorough reprimand from Sister Maple.

Sister Maple's hand-to-hand combat skills were certainly no joke; she could effortlessly flip Sisi to the ground in a matter of seconds, provided Sisi intentionally held back his own strength, of course.

"What kind of task?" Sisi asked with a hint of curiosity. Officer Jennies were usually tasked with complex duties, handling all manner of affairs big and small throughout the entire Indigo League. If a situation fell outside their jurisdiction, they typically did not intervene.

"Well, it's like this. A group of Exploud and Loudred suddenly migrated to a mountain near the Indigo League, and their leader is exceptionally strong. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, especially since this is the headquarters region, but we are currently at a critical juncture. The League does not wish to deploy high-tier combat power to forcibly drive the Pokémon away, as that would contradict the League's advocacy of harmonious coexistence between humans and Pokémon," Officer Jenny Mirror explained earnestly. Sisi listened with patient attention, though upon hearing the name Exploud, he could not help letting out a soft sigh of amazement.

As expected of the real world—Pokémon in the real world had indeed begun migrating across species boundaries. Sisi recalled that Exploud should not have been native to the Kanto region, and he had no idea how they had managed to make their way over.

"However... Exploud are rather unique. Negotiations with them have currently reached a deadlock, yet the League intends to construct a tunnel through that area to connect with the Johto region." Officer Jenny Mirror wore a look of helpless exasperation, which only served to heighten Sisi's curiosity. Exactly what kind of situation could prompt such an expression from Officer Jenny Mirror?

"The condition the Exploud have put forward for their relocation is for someone to find an opponent who can defeat them in a competition. If anyone manages that, the Exploud are willing to move away," Officer Jenny Mirror continued. Sisi felt somewhat bewildered. When it came to competitions, which of the Indigo League's Elite Four members couldn't secure an easy victory? Why would they be seeking him out?

"Why look for me? ... Could their competition format be a contest of sheer volume?" Sisi considered a possibility. Hadn't Snorlax just used its immense voice to summon the Officer Jennies? Combining that with what Officer Jenny Mirror had just told him, Sisi felt he might have already deduced the reason.

"You're very close. The condition proposed by the Exploud leader is... a mountain folk song duel..." Officer Jenny Mirror painfully covered her face with her hands. Both her exhaustion and mental fatigue were painfully obvious to Sisi.

"Huh?" Sisi stared blankly at Officer Jenny Mirror. What did that even mean?

A mountain folk song duel? Sisi wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him. Whether or not mountain folk songs existed in the Pokémon world was something Sisi knew nothing about, as he had never heard of them. Yet, looking at Officer Jenny Mirror's pained expression, he doubted she was in any mood to joke with him, meaning her words were likely entirely true.

Sisi stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling a chaotic muddle in his mind. Weren't mountain folk song duels supposed to exist only in other worlds? Back in his previous life, for instance, Sisi knew quite a few mountain folk songs—after all, that viral song from back in the day, "Old Driver, Give Me a Ride," was a form of mountain folk song, albeit a somewhat peculiar one.

"Yes, mountain folk songs. The condition put forward by the Exploud leader is a folk song duet battle, and you have to outsing it," Officer Jenny Mirror sighed, speaking with a helpless look.

Sisi painfully scratched his head. While he acknowledged that Snorlax's voice was undeniably loud, competing against an Exploud...

Sisi admitted he lacked a bit of confidence. That was an Exploud, a Pokémon renowned for its voice, possessing formidable strength precisely because vocal prowess was an Exploud's signature ability.

"If you can help the League complete this commissioned task, you will receive a certificate of merit issued by the League and a Pokédex," Officer Jenny Mirror stated, outlining the task rewards.

"I need to consult my Pokémon first," Sisi said with an apologetic smile. A League Pokédex was an exceptionally wonderful item; possessing a Pokédex meant being able to make purchases at League shops with a five percent discount. While it wasn't a massive reduction, at the very least, a discount was a discount.

Furthermore, the Pokédex served as a form of official identity recognition. Pokémon trainers who carried a Pokédex were rarely subjected to harassment—a fact clearly demonstrated when Officer Jenny initially suspected Ash, only to instantly accept his identity the moment she saw his Pokédex.

Officer Jenny Mirror nodded, sitting back in her chair with a gentle smile to wait. Sisi walked back into the lounge and explained the situation to the guilt-ridden Snorlax. Snorlax paused for a moment, then nodded earnestly and patted its own chest.

"The big guy says he's willing to help you," Zoroa translated.