Chapter 499: Ancestor Adam

Before a giant pool shimmering with rippling light.

At Miss Liuqi's request, All Baimu released the shiny Milotic, which dropped into the clear pool water and let out a delighted cry.

"Milo~"

It could not help but swim about in the enormous pool, leaping up and splashing down like a dance, washing away the seawater that had clung to its body from the boat ride earlier.

The spray spun and danced with its movements, like a host of joyful little sprites.

"So pretty~"

Miss Liuqi gazed at the shiny Milotic, whose figure looked incomparably holy beneath the sunlight pouring through the domed ceiling; her eyes sparkled with little stars of excitement, and even the Swablu beside her was equally enchanted...

Hmm?

It really did seem to be enchanted!?

All Baimu noticed the pink hearts of love in the Swablu's eyes and asked, "Is Xiao Xiao Qingqing male?"

"Ah? Ah! That's right! Xiao Xiao Qingqing is one handsome and charming boy~"

Miss Liuqi instinctively winked her right eye at him and even struck an idol-dedicated pose, only to draw a strange "what are you doing" look from him.

Tch! She'd forgotten her beloved student wasn't part of the idol scene!

She lowered her hand with a resentful air.

"It looks like your Xiao Xiao Qingqing has fallen in love at first sight," All Baimu said softly, though he secretly pursed his lips.

Even though you two are both in the Dragon Egg group, sorry, but a bird and a snake together won't end well! Don't blame me for breaking up the lovebirds—no, breaking up the love-bird-and-snake!

"Eh—"

Miss Liuqi looked at the Swablu in surprise, then encouragingly hugged its slender blue neck, swaying back and forth with it as she cried, "Xiao Xiao Qingqing has grown up! Has a girl he likes! Liuqi supports you!"

"Chu-woo!

"

The Swablu excitedly flapped its cotton-like wings.

Hey, hey, hey!

There's still a坚决-disagreeing father-in-law right here!

All Baimu was about to protest, but caught Adam out of the corner of his eye, standing in a corner on the other side, watching the shiny Milotic swimming freely in the pool with great interest.

As if sensing the gaze upon him, Adam smiled faintly and walked slowly toward them.

However, as he drew near, his gaze remained fixed on the shiny Milotic; he tilted his head slightly to study it, seemingly utterly captivated.

"Grand-Uncle Master!"

Spotting him, Miss Liuqi waved excitedly, and the Swablu chirped along noisily.

"Mr. Adam."

All Baimu offered a quiet greeting.

Adam stopped beside the two of them and said, "No matter how you look at it, this is an exceptionally well-bred Milotic. Its appearance, temperament, and spirit could absolutely be called art... Champion Dawu truly has a discerning eye for talent."

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his tone thick with admiration.

"You're too kind." All Baimu rarely met a Gym Leader who offered praise without a battle first, and felt a bit embarrassed.

But earning the recognition of a Milotic-breeding expert made him very happy indeed; after all, even Mi Ke Li's Milotic had been trained under this man's guidance, so his eye was absolutely razor-sharp.

It also proved that his approach to raising a shiny Milotic was correct.

"There is still much I must learn from you, especially where Milotic are concerned; I hope to receive your guidance." All Baimu beckoned to the shiny Milotic.

"Milo~"

The shiny Milotic swam over with a beaming smile, but when it surfaced, it habitually failed to control its speed.

Peng!

A tremendous column of water shot into the air.

Adam stepped back two paces without a flicker of expression, so when the spray fell, only his trouser legs caught a few droplets, which dried almost immediately.

For a Water-type Gym Leader, getting clothes wet was perfectly ordinary, but to preserve his image and decorum, the middle-aged gentleman had specially tailored quick-drying, water-resistant garments to prevent wet clothes from affecting his appearance.

All Baimu had wanted to dodge too, but seeing Miss Liuqi standing dumbfounded in place, he could only step half a pace toward her and shield her from most of the spray.

Pshhhh~

Clear water washed over his face, and he and the unfortunate Swablu were drenched from head to toe; the latter's once cloud-like fluffy wings shrank into a tight ball, revealing the "scrawny" frame and muscles beneath, transforming it unmistakably into a soggy cotton-chicken.

"Chu-ru?"

The Swablu wore a thoroughly bewildered expression.

All Baimu: "..."

This dummy!

"Milo~"

The shiny Milotic, seemingly oblivious to its trainer's expression, nuzzled his face happily and even tried to drag him into the pool too, to ride the wind and waves and dive and roam with it like before.

Adam, perfectly composed, laughed and said, "Hahaha, what a unique way of showing affection! Subarashi!"

How is any of this subarashi.

All Baimu helplessly turned his head and asked Miss Liuqi, "You okay?"

"Of course, worthy of being my beloved student, knowing to protect your teacher's image..." Miss Liuqi answered in a low, humming voice, then suddenly lunged at the shiny Milotic and shrieked, "Kawaii~!"

She displayed an even more exaggerated show of affection, stroking and nuzzling the shiny Milotic's body as she went.

The latter was clearly startled and somewhat resistant to her behavior, but quickly succumbed to the superb petting technique of an accomplished Coordinator.

Having grown up around Adam and Mi Ke Li's two Milotic, Miss Liuqi had never bred one herself, but she knew its inherited sensitive spots like the back of her hand—only some individual differences were unfamiliar to her.

But it was more than enough to defeat its not-particularly-tough willpower.

Miss Liuqi's face was full of smugness.

This touch—after ten years of practice, can you withstand it!?

"Miiii~"

The Shiny Milotic lazily closed its eyes, indicating it couldn't withstand it—its tail was nearly twisted into a knot.

Baimu observed Liuqi's technique without expression; because he juggled too many tasks, his massage skills were barely at the beginner level, and Liuqi's technique and pressure gave him considerable inspiration.

Learning secretly… no, Liuqi is his "teacher"—how could this be called stealing?

This is legitimate learning!

Suddenly.

Adam spoke beside him, "I've always believed Little Liuqi's talent for coordinating Trainers surpasses even mine and Mi Ke Li's. Unfortunately, she has her own ideas and prefers Fairy-type Pokémon."

The middle-aged gentleman's tone, heavy with the lament of an heirless legacy, left Baimu unsure how to respond.

Both Adam and Mi Ke Li, fellow graduates of the琉璃 Gym, trained Milotic as their flagship Pokémon, while Liuqi, Mi Ke Li's niece and disciple, chose Togekiss as her flagship.

It was only natural for him to feel this way.

But there seemed to be a subtle test in his tone… sorry, my flagship is Bagon, and no Pokémon currently rivals its position—Shiny Milotic is even its little fangirl, and it's impossible for it to ever defy its superior.

Baimu replied, "Indeed, Liuqi's performances have always been my aspiration. It was she who guided me on how to enter the Super Contests, and I've always strived to catch up to her."

"Hehehe, why do you belittle yourself, Baimu-kun? I believe the final performance of Happiny and Grotle at the Autumns Festival was truly art."

Adam said with a light laugh.

His catchphrase was always "art," and he was known abroad as the "Artist of Water." The mayor of琉璃 City frequently invited him to perform to boost popularity and stimulate tourism and culture.

He turned to look at Baimu and said, "When facing a difficult attack, you seize a fleeting opening, issue commands not to retreat but to advance, turning defense into success—and even staging an extraordinary Evolution Show. No matter how many times I watch, I can't help but marvel at how perfectly united you are."

Although Mi Ke Li had once left a comment under Baimu's performance video during the Kanazawa Festival, Adam, as his mentor, had not actually seen Baimu's performance or Super Contest battle until the Autumns Festival.

That final battle left a deep impression on him; he couldn't help but sigh that the new waves were pushing forward the old.

"I'm merely standing on the shoulders of giants. Your battles with Mi Ke Li-sensei gave me far too much inspiration," Baimu admitted—he had studied the coordinating Trainers Adam and Mi Ke Li the most.

Even his counterattack technique came from these two.

He had merely grasped a fraction of their skill—enough to disrupt an opponent's attack with his own. But to what degree had Adam refined his counterattack?

When Pikachu's "Thunderbolt" came at him, he could make Golduck use "Drill Peck" to send it right back, perfectly intact.

This level of artistry was rare in the world.

Adam greatly appreciated Baimu's flattery, especially the phrase "standing on the shoulders of giants"—what better proof of decades of achievement than becoming a "pioneer"?

He didn't chase fame or fortune, only wished the world to know "I was here."

Without doubt.

Baimu's Super Contest style bore faint traces of Adam's imprint.

Adam naturally felt even greater admiration for the boy and asked, "By the way, you said you wanted my guidance?"

"Yes."

"Then which part do you wish me to guide you in?"

"How to raise Milotic… and Super Contest techniques." Baimu felt he was being greedy.

Adam agreed without hesitation, his gaze fixed on him, "Very well. From tomorrow until the same day next month—that one month, how does that sound?"

"…I am deeply grateful."

Baimu accepted. The opportunity was too rare—he couldn't afford to miss it.

"Good. But how much you learn depends entirely on your own insight," Adam said, eyes half-closed. "By the way, you're still planning to enter the Mi Ke Li Cup and Gym Challenges, right?"

"As you can see."

"I won't let Little Liuqi or Mi Ke Li君 hold back. On the contrary, I'll hold you to even higher standards. Do you have any objections?"

"That's only right."

Baimu had never dreamed of having others hold back to increase his chances of winning Ribbons or Badges.

In fact, he worried the Gym Leaders' Pokémon might be too weak to challenge his own!

Nearby.

Togekiss shook the water from its wings. Liuqi and the Shiny Milotic stared blankly at Baimu and Adam, who were chatting amiably, unable to understand how two people thirty years apart had so much to say.

—

With Adam's permission granted.

Baimu was able to stay at the琉璃 Gym and finally met Adam's old, round-eyed butler, Sebastian, whose ghostlike appearances struck him as strangely peculiar.

Unfortunately, he saw no sign of Mi Ke Li all afternoon.

According to Liuqi, Mi Ke Li had been busy promoting and preparing for the Mi Ke Li Cup, neglecting even the Gym. Fortunately, the former Champion had worked hard enough to complete his annual quota of Badges long ago—closing for a few days was no problem.

After dinner.

With nothing else to do, Baimu planned to go out for a stroll, digest his meal, then return to practice. He'd intended to invite Liuqi along, but learned she was attending a promotional rehearsal for the Mi Ke Li Cup.

As a top-tier Super Contest Idol in the Hoenn region, even if she dropped the performer role, the rest still kept her busy for days.

So busy, so busy.

Baimu shook his head and stepped out with his shy, invisible Dragonair and the extroverted two Drifloon.

The latter two, despite having no launch ports, loved to perch on his head—what a strange habit.

He then recalled the new semi-outdoor purification chamber built after his visit to Professor Muyin—the Dark Purification of Lugia had progressed remarkably well and would soon reach minimal impact.

Then Lugia could go search for its kind.

Truly cause for celebration.

He walked along the main street of琉璃 City's inner district, where people and Pokémon bustled about, making the place feel as lively as a temple fair. Looking up, he saw only a small circular patch of stars, as if the mountains had swallowed the rest of the sky.

A frog at the bottom of a well?

Baimu unconsciously thought of this idiom and smiled.

The hidden Dragonite curiously watched the trainer, very much wanting to know what the latter was thinking at this moment.

Although many companions in the team thought it was strange that the trainer would suddenly change expressions, frowning one moment and smiling the next, it understood that this was a sign of being immersed in one's own world.

It was the same way, always silently thinking, making itself laugh.

One person and three dragons casually wandered around a few times, bought four tree-fruit candies and continued eating while strolling, only to find themselves gradually walking into a sparsely populated area.

"Mm, time to turn back."

Baimu turned his head and suddenly discovered that the little brother Dragonite, that fellow, had a leaky mouth—the syrup it licked off had dripped all over his shoulder.

"Hiyah?"

The little brother Dragonite noticed the trainer looking at it and was still quite bewildered.

"You rascal!" He helplessly pulled out a tissue, looked around to see if there was a faucet where he could do a little wiping, but inadvertently heard the sound of an argument.

Through the haze, several of the voices within seemed rather familiar.

He curiously drew closer and discovered that in front of an artificial fountain, the familiar punk biker gang were squaring off against a young boy and girl.

"I didn't step on your shoes at all, why should I pay you?"

The girl among the pair said discontentedly.

The familiar Moxi laughed loudly: "You say you didn't step on it so you didn't step on it? So many people saw you step on it! My boys, did you all see it!"

"We saw it!"

The biker gang answered with snickering laughter.

The boy shouted angrily: "You guys just colluded together to come pick a fight! Sis! Don't talk so much with them, just call Officer Jenny over!"

"This is……"

Baimu heard the boy's voice and was stunned, carefully searching his memory, and after several seconds said with sudden realization: "Ah~ no wonder it sounded so familiar!"

He didn't even bother wiping the syrup off his shoulder anymore, and quickly walked over.

And not far away.

Seeing the boy take out his phone to call the police, Moxi quickly reached for his arm, trying to stop his action.

The girl saw this and immediately tried to reach out and block him, urgently calling out:

"Xiaosheng!"

Eh?

Why is my voice a bit husky?

The girl's mind went blank for an instant, then saw someone move faster than her, grabbing Moxi's wrist in one grasp, preventing him from advancing even a single inch.

She raised her head and discovered the newcomer was an extremely tall male, who was looking at her brother with pleasant surprise.

Then, she also heard her own brother joyfully shout along, "Brother Baimu!"

Baimu?

Xiaoyao heard this name, then looked at the other's handsome face, and in an instant thought of many things.