Just through this incident.
He fully realized that his Pokémon truly considered the companions around them as partners. They were not merely colleagues without much social significance or a nodding acquaintance you could casually interact with.
He felt greatly comforted by this.
Baimu yawned as he got out of bed.
——
"Didn't sleep well again last night?"
In his robe, Mikoli immediately saw through Baimu's hidden fatigue.
Adam, sitting in the main seat, cast his gaze over.
He noticed it the moment Baimu arrived, but didn't think much of it. Young people these days often suffer from sleep deprivation for various reasons.
Take Liuqia, for example, who is a typical night owl and recuperates during the day.
The old butler slightly bent over and gently asked, "Was there an issue with the room or the bed? If so, feel free to leave it to me to handle."
"No, the bed is very comfortable, and there is nothing wrong with the room..."
Baimu shook his head hurriedly and took a sip of the tea beside him to clear his throat, saying, "It's about Dragapult."
He looked at Mikoli and Adam and briefly recounted the events of the previous night, omitting small parts of the story.
After finishing,
Mikoli couldn't help but laugh, "Interesting! Interesting! Indeed, with trainers as outstanding as you, one can always hear some fascinating stories!"
Adam also had a slight smile, gently saying, "The Spirit Realm, huh? I have only read about that place in some biographies."
"Haven't you been there?"
Baimu was somewhat surprised.
He thought that seasoned trainers like Adam would have quite extensive adventure experiences, and the Spirit Realm would be just a small matter.
Adam chuckled and replied, "I suppose under normal circumstances, no one would have such a peculiar experience of visiting the 'Posthumous World.'"
"Baimu, Furong is special. Even Ghost-type Pokémon don't just go to the Spirit Realm whenever they want."
Mikoli tried to explain some "common sense" and then laughed, "Of course, your Pokémon have some peculiarities too."
Baimu nodded silently; he really didn't want to delve into these matters too deeply.
The main reason he brought up this topic was in hopes that these knowledgeable trainers could provide some advice.
"My suggestion is — don't say too much, show it with actions."
Mikoli restrained his laughter and said frankly, "Since it's a particularly introverted Pokémon, actions leave a deeper impression than words, right? Use a straightforward victory to clear the shadows in its heart."
"I agree as well."
Adam nodded, "Instead of consoling with words, it's better to get back up where you fell. If once doesn't work, then twice; if twice doesn't work, then three times. Learn from failures to push for success...
"Baimu, don't be so impatient, you're still young."
The profound gaze from Adam made Baimu shiver slightly.
Yes.
The knots in a Pokémon's heart aren't untied so easily. Even Blissey's transformation isn't achieved overnight.
Though he missed Dragapult's two evolutions, he could still regard its emotional growth as a shared achievement between them.
"I understand. Thank you very much."
Baimu nodded.
It truly was beneficial to communicate with experienced trainers; sometimes, it's not that the logic is unknown, but those involved are blind to it while bystanders see it clearly, and they wouldn't realize without someone pointing it out.
Mikoli smiled and marveled, "Oh~ but who would have thought that the seemingly mature Lord Baimu would also be troubled by such matters."
"After all, it's been less than a year since I became a Trainer."
"Uh..."
Mikoli's smile paused for a moment, looking at Adam in the main seat, and asked, "What did you say?"
"Hmm? You didn't know?"
His words prompted puzzled looks from both Adam and Baimu.
"Why would you think I know such private matters! Even Da Wu only mentioned a descendant of the Meteor People from the Ore Region that he had high hopes for, adding only some general information about Lord Baimu."
Mikoli had no habit of investigating people behind their backs.
His understanding of Baimu came solely from Da Wu and videos of Gorgeous Competitions on blogs.
Oh.
And there's Baimu's Gym challenge record.
However, Gym challenge records don't contain personal privacy details.
Though closely related to the Meteor People, the Glazed People and Meteor People hadn't communicated for a long time.
This led to the situation where, among the three generations of the Glazed Gym, the oldest one to know Baimu had the shallowest understanding of him.
"Uh, it's not something very private either."
Baimu waved his hand hurriedly.
With Nemo and Dan Emperor Pearl Jade ahead, his growth path was not quite so astonishing. Moreover, in battles with others, less than a year of cultivation time is just a shortcoming, without much praise-worthy elements.
Mikoli gradually regained his composure, took a sip of his tea, "Pardon me."
Thus, the enjoyable breakfast passed by.
In the morning class,
the focus was primarily on the learning and cultivation methods of Milotic's techniques.
As always, Adam's teachings were meticulous, practically spoon-feeding the information into your mouth.
If one couldn't learn in such a way, then it was truly inexcusable.
"When a Pokémon learns a new technique, there are often signs that might be overlooked if not closely observed."
Adam, while caressing the skin of the Altered-color Milotic, found a particular spot and gestured Baimu to place his hand there too.
"Do you feel it? This subtle change, different from the surrounding skin."
"Hmm..."
Baimu nodded.
"Milotic is a Pokémon whose skin undergoes frequent metabolic renewal. To maintain its beautiful appearance, the worn-out outer skin can shed multiple times in a short period. But a Milotic that learns Self-Rebirth will have an even faster skin metabolism."
Adam noted, "Your Milotic already shows this tendency."
That means...
Baimu looked toward the Altered-color Milotic, both revealing delightful expressions.
Undoubtedly, Adam was indicating that the Altered-color Milotic was about to learn the core technique, [Self-Rebirth].
"Well done! Milotic!"
"Milo!"
Baimu joyfully caressed Altered-color Milotic's cheek, which beamed with joy, wagging its tail excitedly.
Adam stood aside, silently watching the harmonious scene between the person and the Pokémon.
In a trance,
Baimu's figure seemed to transform into a young Mikoli, whose smile was so clear and familiar, as if carved from the same mold.
"Teacher Adam?"
Adam was startled by the call, focused his gaze, and after a moment of silence, said, "Let's continue."
"Alright!"
"Milo!"
Baimu and Milotic responded with delight.
In the afternoon,
after being taught techniques applicable in the Gorgeous Competition by Adam,
it was time for a battle with Mikoli.
Only, Liuqia wasn't present this time. She needed one more ribbon to participate in the Grand Gorgeous Celebration and was taken by her manager to discuss which Gorgeous Competition to attend.
For Gorgeous Competition idols, less-known small-town competitions are impractical—
unless there's sponsorship, that's another story.
"Teacher Liuu really likes these kinds of arrangements."
Baimu shook his head helplessly, liking the personal video compilation of the Gorgeous Competition linked to Liuqia's blog account.
He knew Liuqia had little interest in making money.
She enjoyed the spotlight and aimed to bring more newcomers into the Gorgeous Competition to increase stronger rivals, making the competition more popular.
Currently, battling is still the world's largest entertainment event, with a fan base that Gorgeous Competitions can't match. Still, Liuqia aimed to equalize Gorgeous Competition fans with battle competition enthusiasts.
Undoubtedly,
Liuqia was also acting with a goal deemed great.
"Can't lose to Teacher Liuu..."
Baimu took out a Pokeball, throwing it forward, "It's up to you, Dragapult!"
Bang!
A flash of white light.
A slightly timid Dragapult appeared on the field and immediately averted its gaze upon seeing Mikoli opposite.
Not out of fear.
Merely a bit of PTSD from just seeing Mikoli.
"Heeya!"
Sister Dragapult, spectating from below, almost wanted to rush up and give it a few hits, but Miss Joy mandated that it needs to recuperate for over a week.
So, going over was out of the question.
"I'll be counting on you today."
Mikoli smiled and threw a Pokeball.
Bang!
The pink-hearted magic fish landed in the water, with an inexplicably large portion floating above the surface.
"Please give guidance!"
The shout from Baimu made Dragapult's body tremble.
It knew, the battle had begun.