"Uh..."
Baimu could only give an awkward laugh.
Liuqia rushed in from outside the door, gasping for breath as she asked, "How is it? Have you started yet?"
"In fact, it's already over, Miss Liuqia."
The old butler's figure appeared at her side like a ghost, speaking softly.
"Ah— it's over already—"
Liuqia's whole face instantly collapsed; after rushing like crazy she still hadn't made it in time, and her heart was close to despair.
She hadn't been at the Gym these past few days.
Because she had to collect the remaining ribbons, and also cooperate with the promotion for the Grand Festival, some of her own appearances had to go on as scheduled.
Running around like that, there were basically very few chances for her to watch Mikoli and Baimu battle.
She even missed the important last day.
"If you don't mind, the video recording..."
"How can a video recording compare to watching live on site."
Liuqia said dejectedly to the old butler who made the suggestion; seeing Baimu's gaze come over, she drifted over like a ghost and muttered in a low resentful voice, "Why didn't you wait for me... you rebel disciple..."
"Teacher Liuu! Get a grip! You think I had the nerve to make your uncle wait?"
Baimu also lowered his voice, then said in surprise, "By the way, you're so interested in battles—are you planning to break into the Battle Arena?"
"I'm only interested in battles that are fun!"
Liuqia raised her index finger. "Interesting battles are like Contest Battles—they resonate with me and spark inspiration for new songs!"
She then said proudly, "Just you wait! The song I got inspired for last time by borrowing Mega Aggron is about to become reality!"
Aggron... as a source of inspiration?
Baimu remembered Liuqia's songs—nine out of ten were about youthful love.
She fell in love with Aggron?
No way!
He inexplicably started looking forward to Liuqia's work, even though most of her songs weren't really in his strike zone and fell into the "will not add to playlist" category.
"Then I'll look forward to it."
Baimu smiled at Liuqia.
This afternoon.
The month-long teaching period finally came to a complete end.
Although Adam and Mikoli's many expressions today made it clear that they really hoped he would open his mouth and say something like "let's extend it for another month."
But Baimu, who still had other things to do, could only pretend not to notice their looks.
He couldn't bear to leave either.
Leaving aside how much he'd gained, just living and getting along with everyone at the Glazed Gym had been especially relaxed and pleasant; the time was short, but it didn't stop him from already having a small sense of belonging to the Glazed Gym.
However.
Chicks have to leave the nest eventually, and time waits for no one.
In this past week.
Shanren had been sending more and more detailed intel; the contents showed that the Flashing Flame Team's research on the Legendary Giant Stone and the Z2 core had basically entered its final stage, and the members scattered across Carlos were being called back one after another.
It was presenting a scene of an arrow nocked, ready to be loosed at any moment.
It's just that the decisive piece of evidence still hadn't been obtained—
The destruction plan file Fladari prepared for Carlos.
When a large organization plans an operation, it's impossible to rely solely on verbal orders; there must be a detailed plan within the Flashing Flame Team.
Maybe the grassroots members don't know much and can only get the tiny part that pertains to their actions.
But the elites and higher-ups definitely have seen it.
As long as they get their hands on that document, convicting Fladari and many members of the Flashing Flame Team probably won't be much of a problem.
Da Wu is surely looking for this secret file too, right?
The fact that they still hadn't gotten it seemed to indirectly prove that Fladari was very vigilant; using Porygon II to brute-force hack into their system to obtain the file might not be an easy task.
Just as Baimu had previously learned from Dr. Akihabara, Porygon II really could do whatever it wanted in cyberspace—provided it didn't encounter a computer expert.
In the digital domain, whether it's Porygon or Rotom, neither would be their match.
Is that strange?
Not strange at all.
There are way too many stunning geniuses in the Pokémon World.
Creatures called geniuses don't choose sides; otherwise how could the evil organizations of the Pokémon World always manage to push things to the final step before being stopped by the "protagonists"?
"So the target is the file..."
Baimu thought to himself that Da Wu and the others' operation to obtain the file didn't conflict with his using Z1 to free Z2; it even counted as a powerful insurance policy.
After all, they had no idea how strong the rampaging Giant Stone would be, and the only thing that could stop it was Zygarde Complete Forme formed by Z1 and Z2 combining... ahem, the Complete Form.
First think of a way to meet Da Wu in person.
Baimu hadn't managed to get Da Wu's current thinking from Xijana; to avoid a "flood from the Dragon King's temple" situation during the subsequent operation, he needed to have a secret talk with him.
With Hoopa's help, finding that opportunity shouldn't be hard.
——
A bright, sunny morning.
Baimu stood at the waterway in front of the Glazed Gym; the yacht that would take him to the pier was already prepared.
Because the reason he gave was—
Before the Grand Festival begins, there's an issue that absolutely must be dealt with, and he'd come back after it was resolved.
So Adam didn't come to see him off; only Mikoli and Liuqia had come.
"Don't miss the Grand Festival, that would really trouble me; I'm planning to take my revenge on that stage!"
Liuqia said.
"Have a safe trip, remember to call home~"
Mikoli waved with a squinting smile. "When you run into danger, don't go overboard with the recklessness, okay!"
He seemed to see that Baimu was going to do something dangerous, so he deliberately reminded him.
"I will."
Baimu nodded, waved goodbye to the two of them, then also waved at the vague figure behind the floor-to-ceiling windows of the main Gym building from afar, and boarded the yacht.
There were twenty days left until the Grand Festival.
In other words.
Within these twenty days, if he couldn't resolve the Flashing Flame Team issue, he'd either have to give up this year's Grand Festival, or entrust everything entirely to others.
According to Baimu's plan, the time was very ample; he was just worried the plan wouldn't be able to keep up with the changes.
Making a move early meant that many situations he didn't know about would crop up afterwards, and the original plot would only have very simple reference value left.
He just hoped the butterfly wings wouldn't flap too wildly and create some stuff that shouldn't have existed at all.
He propped his chin on his hand, staring at the blazing sun above the sea horizon through the yacht window.
Hoenn time—
6:15
At this hour, Carlos should still be in the middle of the night.
Theoretically it's just right for contacting Da Wu, assuming the other party hasn't gone to bed yet and isn't under the Flashing Flame Team's surveillance.
Flip his covers?
If it were safe, that'd actually be a pretty good idea—he was really curious what kind of expression that serious face of Mr. Da Wu would show.
Baimu tugged at the corner of his mouth, feeling like he was getting a bit too twisted for fun.
Sadly, it could only stay as a thought.
No helping it.
Hoopa was asleep at this time.
Even if it wasn't, Balza and Mei Yali were probably asleep too; if he sent a message it would just sink without a trace.
Baimu didn't call to disturb the two's sweet dreams; it was just a matter of waiting a while, and it wasn't like he had nothing to do during this stretch of time.
"I've been in Glazed City this long and still haven't gone to stroll around the Divine Hall of Awakening."
He gazed at the enormous Divine Hall located in the northern section.
Unlike in the games, where it was the place used to catch Kyogre or Groudon, the Divine Hall of Awakening in the anime background was a ruin recording the ancient past of the Glazed People.
It counted as a famous historical building and tourist spot.
What Baimu cared more about was the big tree in front of the Divine Hall of Awakening; in the games you could find an [Eternal Flower] under the tree.
Not [Floette Eternal Flower], but just the flower it holds in its hands, a special blossom praised as impossible to find anywhere else, incredibly precious and rare.
Something similar to the Gracidea Flower that can change Shaymin's form.
"Nope."
He searched around under the tree and, sure enough, didn't see any flower.
He walked toward the Divine Hall of Awakening.
Though it's called a Divine Hall, its main body is actually inside the mountain; what appears outside is only a large constructed gateway, and the walls on both sides are carved with patterns from Groudon and Kyogre.
There was lighting inside, and each mural was properly maintained.
What was recorded on them wasn't some secret, just the development history of the Glazed People living here together with Pokémon.
From the battle where Kyogre and Groudon ravaged Hoenn, to the city being built step by step, and so on.
"Yo, even the Meteor People are painted here."
Baimu immediately spotted, on the mural, a group of cloak-wearing weirdos standing in front of the Meteor People.
So wearing cloaks as a Dragon Tamer is actually an ancient tradition, huh?