Chapter 573: The Assault of Seeing Seeing Kapu

It's over!

Only after realizing what he had actually done did those two words echo endlessly in Luo Mu's mind.

Especially that gaze, sharp as thorns against his back, which was still firmly locked onto him.

It startled Luo Mu so much that goosebumps nearly erupted all over his body.

Without needing to guess, he knew the owner of that gaze had to be Oranguru.

In fact, that was exactly the case.

Oranguru withdrew its stare from Luo Mu and met the Forest Sage's eyes, which held a slight hint of smugness, with an expressionless face.

The Forest Sage raised an eyebrow at Oranguru.

Even your employer has been captured by my juice.

Admit it, you foolish kin of mine; my craftsmanship is superior now.

Without the Forest Sage needing to speak, Oranguru could roughly guess what it was thinking.

It wasn't particularly angry, after all; if it had possessed such an advantage, it would most likely have made the same move as its counterpart.

Whether it was the Forest Sage or Oranguru, under normal circumstances they would absolutely not be this emotional, but encountering one of their own kind was a different matter entirely.

At this moment, Tapu Koko and Gladion also finished their juices one after another in a single gulp; for Tapu Koko, who often visited as a guest, this was fine, but Gladion couldn't help letting out a soft exclamation, "So delicious!"

Although saying this might be somewhat impolite, in Gladion's impression, if one were to compare the juice that still lingered on the palate with the juice Oranguru distributed last night.

He would probably choose the juice he had just tasted.

However, Gladion was no fool; this thought merely flashed through his mind for now.

The final verdict would only come after tasting Oranguru's beverage as well.

Seeing that everyone had mostly finished tasting, Oranguru pushed the crystal-clear glass cups forward to the three of them.

As the bottoms of the glass cups slid across the wooden table, the sound of ice cubes clinking rang out clearly.

Gazing at the juice, its outer layer condensed with a film of water vapor and faintly radiating a cool sensation, Luo Mu swallowed his saliva.

His intuition told him that this juice, adjusted based on last night's recipe, might bring him a different kind of surprise.

Compared to the Forest Sage's simplistic and unadorned approach of following the great Dao, the presentation of the juice prepared by Oranguru was quite impressive.

Under the illumination of Tapu Koko's electric light.

The liquid, seasoned with Pecha Berries and Vespiquen honey, along with several types of berries different from the Forest Sage's creation, resembled flowing gold, shimmering brilliantly under the lightning's glow.

Crystal-clear ice cubes floated leisurely within such liquid, releasing cold temperatures while simultaneously dissolving themselves into the beverage.

In Alola's hot weather, where it is almost perpetually midsummer, surely no one could refuse such a cup of drink.

Added to this were the lemon slices perched on the rim of the glass cups, along with some small props used as decoration.

The visual appeal was extremely high! It was exquisite enough to make people unable to resist taking photos and posting them on their social media feeds.

In terms of appearance, Oranguru's victory was undoubtedly overwhelming, but what this competition ultimately judged was taste.

Luo Mu gripped the cold glass cup, pulling it slightly closer to himself.

Just as the Forest Sage used raw materials mostly grown by itself, the berries Oranguru used to make the Pecha Berry juice all came from the farm, and the Vespiquen honey was carefully brewed by the Queen Bee herself.

Regarding the ingredients, as the person who had single-handedly developed the farm, Luo Mu naturally possessed ample confidence.

But an issue that could not be ignored always maintained a rather strong presence.

The materials used by the Forest Sage were fresh, freshly picked, and brimming with juice.

Whereas Oranguru's materials had inevitably spent a few days in the refrigerator, meaning their texture would be affected to some degree.

Probably having considered this problem, Oranguru chose to make a cold drink, using methods it had figured out on its own to harmonize the texture.

While pondering this in his heart, Luo Mu's actions did not stop; he held the straw in his mouth and took a gentle sip.

In an instant.

The sourness of the Pecha Berry and the sweetness of the honey exploded in his mouth, accompanied by a thread of refreshing coolness that dispersed the summer heat and penetrated the heart.

Undoubtedly, the sensation from the first sip was quite stunning.

And as he carefully savored the next few sips, Luo Mu faintly detected a hint of "astringency" within it.

Generally speaking, the appearance of astringency in food or beverages can be considered quite a disastrous situation.

But this time was different; because the ingredients had been kept refrigerated, their original flavor had been lost to some extent, and if left unaddressed, they would fail to reach the level of depth found in the Forest Sage's creation.

Yet Oranguru boldly employed "astringency" to give the flavor a certain sense of depth, while simultaneously using ice cubes to reduce the proportion of that astringency, ensuring it did not overshadow the main flavors but instead made the textural layers even richer.

In this state hovering between deliciousness and novelty, unconsciously, Luo Mu, Gladion, and Tapu Koko drained their beverages to the last drop.

That sensation of coolness spreading from the inside out made them unable to help but let out a sigh of relief.

"So refreshing—"

Who understands the power of summer iced drinks?

They possess a charm such that even knowing one might get diarrhea, countless people would still rush forward one after another!

This time it was the Forest Sage's turn to fall silent, while Oranguru raised an eyebrow slightly at it.

See that? Even if the ingredients aren't as fresh as freshly picked ones, I can still achieve this.

Admit it, you foolish, well-frog-bound kin of mine; whether in craftsmanship or wisdom, I am the stronger one.

"Yare yare daze."

The Forest Sage glared back, but ultimately, it depended on their evaluation.

The pressure immediately shifted onto Luo Mu and the others, whose faces were still filled with contentment.

Facing two pairs of highly oppressive gazes, they had no choice but to begin voting.

The first voter to step up was Tapu Koko.

This fellow didn't have an ounce of the dignity befitting an Island Guardian; feeling that both beverages suited its taste and unable to distinguish which was superior, it simply chose to play dirty.

"Seeing Kapu-lo!"

I forfeit!

Forest Sage & Oranguru: "."

No forfeiting allowed!

Under the Forest Sage's threat of "rejecting guests," seeing that escape was impossible, Tapu Koko could only reluctantly make its choice.

It placed the claw of its shell in the direction of the glass cup.

Humans are truly wondrous creatures; even the Oranguru living alongside humans possesses so many whimsical ideas.

As the Island Guardian most fond of receiving novel things, it quite favored that thing called "ice cubes," which gave it the sensation of its eyes lighting up.

In contrast, the Forest Sage's beverage preferences remained as stable as ever, but precisely because of that stability, having tasted many times, it preferred novel flavors even more.

One point, awarded first to the Oranguru.

The Forest Sage's unwilling gaze and the Oranguru's triumphant gaze turned toward Gladio once again.

Being stared at by them, Gladio felt as though he were breaking out in a cold sweat.

The chill from the iced juice he had just drunk vanished completely, and even beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

After struggling and hesitating for a long time, Gladio chose the coconut shell container, meaning the Forest Sage's side.

After all, it was a subjective judgment; Gladio, who frequently enjoyed iced beverages from the human world, instead felt that the Forest Sage's original flavor, which maximized the stimulation of the drink's taste, was more astonishing to him.

The score was tied, one to one.

The final match point fell upon Luo Mu.

To be honest, Luo Mu currently felt immense pressure; his finger moved back and forth between the two containers before he finally made up his mind.

"I choose..."

Just as Luo Mu was about to speak the answer, an aura rapidly approached the treehouse.

Perceiving it immediately, Tapu Koko seemed to realize something; it let out a cry as a warning and directly positioned itself in front of Luo Mu and Gladio.

The next instant.

"Screech!!!"

Accompanied by an extremely high-decibel sharp explosion, a black shadow descended from the sky like a meteor crashing into the earth, directly crushing and piercing through the roof with its physical body.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

Amidst a cloud of dust, Gladio coughed continuously, feeling as though he were about to cough his lungs out.

He was the only one unprepared; in contrast, Luo Mu reacted immediately after Tapu Koko, and considering someone was protecting him, he simply ensured he stayed out of trouble first, so naturally, he did not inhale that cloud of dust.

Glowing purple light ignited within the collapsed treehouse; under the protection of two streams of psychic power, both Luo Mu and Gladio remained unharmed.

At the same time, due to the roof shattering, sunlight poured down, allowing Luo Mu and Gladio to clearly see the scene before them.

Tapu Koko was in a stalemate with a Pokémon of huge size, resembling a plush teddy bear, with pink fur and black fur distinctly separated.

No, rather than a stalemate, it was more accurate to say that Tapu Koko was barely able to withstand that Pokémon's strength.

Its carapace was already trembling noticeably, whereas that Pokémon was continuously increasing its force.

"Is this... a Bewear?"

Finally recovering, Gladio rubbed the corners of his eyes, which were brimming with tears, and spoke in disbelief.

His disbelief was not directed at the Pokémon Bewear itself; after all, Bewear appeared in many undeveloped wild areas of the Alola region, making it a dangerous wild Pokémon that was not particularly rare.

What truly shocked Gladio was the immense strength of the Bewear, which even forced Tapu Koko to struggle to defend!

The last Pokémon Gladio could recall that had surpassed Tapu Koko in terms of strength was Luo Mu's Swampert.

At this moment, the Bewear seemed to have entered a state of excitement or rage; it completely ignored Tapu Koko's warnings and insisted on breaking through its defense.

"Yare Yuta?"

Oranguru frowned and looked at the Forest Sage, asking it what this fellow's background was.

It didn't even give face to this island's Island Guardian; could it be that you were too full of yourself and attracted a vendetta?

"Yo Yo Yuta."

The Forest Sage shook its head; how could it know what was happening?

Half an hour ago, it had still traded berries with the other party for a jar of fresh Combee honey; for the other party to suddenly react this way, something must have happened.

As a "hidden strategist" with a remarkably sharp mind, the Forest Sage narrowed its eyes, its gaze darting back and forth between the backs of Luo Mu and Gladio.

It guessed that the Bewear's change in behavior might be related to these two strange humans visiting for the first time.

After all, both itself and Tapu Koko were old acquaintances of the Bewear; unless the situation was extraordinary, the Bewear would not do such a thing.

Racking its brain for the "why," the Forest Sage suddenly recalled the anxious expression on the Bewear's face when it came seeking help one night.

It remembered that it was because...

A flash of inspiration struck its mind; the Forest Sage immediately locked onto the answer and called out twice to Oranguru.

"Yuta Yuta."

Hey, kid, translate my words for your employer and his younger brother?

Although very displeased that the Forest Sage called him "kid," Oranguru, knowing the other party had probably figured something out, once again acted as a messenger.

A stream of information, guided by psychic power, burst into the minds of Luo Mu and Gladio.

"This Bewear has detected the scent of its child; which one of you has come into contact with a Stufful?"

Having been a shut-in for several days, Gladio looked completely bewildered and waved his hands repeatedly; he hadn't even stepped out the villa's door before, so how could he have seen a Stufful?

Meanwhile, upon being reminded, Luo Mu instantly realized the reason for the Bewear's intrusion and widened his eyes.

No way, yesterday after returning to the villa, he had soaked in the bath for a long time and even changed into new clothes.

Without even meeting face-to-face, how did the Bewear smell the scent?

At this moment.

Falling into mere defense and unable to utilize its advantages, Tapu Koko was also nearing its limit in withstanding the Bewear's monstrous strength.

Electric current flickered across its body, clearly beginning to stimulate it for a brief enhancement.

Luo Mu hurriedly shouted to the Oranguru: "Use Instruct to stop the Bewear's movements!"

"Yare yare yuta!"

The Oranguru responded quickly, waving its handmade feather fan that glowed with dazzling light; a mysterious wave passed over Seeing Seeing Kapu and landed on the Bewear.

The Bewear's movement halted, and Seeing Seeing Kapu instantly felt immense pressure lift.

But the relief was short-lived; after letting out another high-decibel shriek, the Bewear relied on its sheer physical strength to break free from the mental restraint and increased its force once more.

Just as the Oranguru frowned, preparing to try again, the Forest Sage behind it suddenly spoke.

"Yuta."

Let us cooperate.

As fellow high-intelligence Pokémon, the Oranguru clearly understood the Forest Sage's meaning and, without much hesitation, nodded.

Rivalry between Oranguru is established only under normal circumstances suitable for such competition.

If, under these conditions, they still foolishly fought among themselves, then what talk was there of competing over who was smarter? They would all just be fools.

As the two Oranguru waved their feather fans one after another, the coercive power of the move "Instruct" descended upon the Bewear; this time, even it found it difficult to break free within a short period.

It could only act like a marionette at the Oranguru's command, retracting its fist and standing quietly in place.

Now they could reason with it.

Luo Mu breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward, and said, "Are you looking for your child? I know where your child is!"

Even though its body was temporarily immobilized, upon catching the keywords, the Bewear forcibly twisted its head, locking onto Luo Mu with eyes full of oppressive pressure.

It seemed as if, should Luo Mu do anything to the Stufful, it would immediately break free from "Instruct" and crush his spine with brute force.

"Ji—!"

Emitting a sharp cry, the Bewear anxiously awaited Luo Mu's answer.

(End of Chapter)