While everyone was still frozen in shock, a flash of red light burst from Chen Shi's waist.
Victini appeared in midair, its tiny wings fluttering gently behind it.
"Vee!"
Victini blinked its large, adorable eyes, looked around at the situation, then quietly flew over and settled on Chen Shi's shoulder.
Although Victini looked tiny and harmless, not a single person present dared underestimate it.
The reason was simple.
The overwhelming pressure that had just shaken everyone had come from this seemingly innocent little Pokémon.
Even Chen Shi himself had not expected Victini to break through to the Champion level at such a critical moment.
Still, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
Smiling, Chen Shi rubbed Victini's little head.
"Congratulations, Little V."
"You finally reached the Champion level."
Victini pouted instead of celebrating.
As long as it hadn't reached Champion rank, Chen Shi had always prepared enormous amounts of food for it.
Whenever it said it was hungry, no matter the time, Chen Shi would immediately feed it.
But now...
Now that it had become a Champion-level Pokémon...
It probably wouldn't get to eat nearly as many delicious things anymore.
Thinking about that made Victini feel rather depressed.
...
Meanwhile, the battle had already come to an end.
Although the Gardevoir greatly outnumbered Chen Shi's team, their individual strength was nowhere near enough.
Gallade's Teleport had also been locked down by Dragapult's Disable.
After that, there was little left to say.
Gallade was met with Swampert's furious assault.
Boom!
A single punch slammed Gallade into the ground.
"Swamp!"
Swampert roared angrily, refusing to stop there.
Its Hammer Arm crashed down again.
The earth shook violently as cracks spread across the ground.
Then Swampert grabbed Gallade straight out of the crater, jogged back, and tossed him onto the ground before Chen Shi.
"Swamp~"
Looking at Gallade lying unconscious with his chest visibly caved in, Chen Shi nodded calmly.
"Miss Liya."
"Do you have any other tricks?"
"If you do, use them all."
"If not..."
"I want to know exactly why Ralts's mother died."
Liya's eyes reddened.
She didn't know whether she should tell him.
This man named Qiu was utterly ruthless.
He had said he would cripple Gallade—
And he had done exactly that.
If he learned that Ralts's mother had been beaten to death by the other Gardevoir...
Those Gardevoir would probably share the same fate.
But if she refused to answer...
Qiu clearly had no intention of letting the matter rest.
After a long silence, Liya finally spoke.
"Ralts's mother attacked several young Ralts in the clan..."
"She was then surrounded by the other Gardevoir..."
She didn't finish the sentence.
She didn't need to.
Chen Shi already understood.
He let out a cold laugh.
"So..."
"Ralts's mother was killed by her own kind."
Liya then explained everything from beginning to end.
The root of the matter was simple.
The Gardevoir clan had ostracized the shiny Ralts and her mother.
Unable to bear seeing her mother suffer because of her, the little Ralts had left to wander alone.
Everything that followed had started from that decision.
Liya lowered her head sincerely.
"Qiu..."
"We truly knew nothing about this before it happened."
"If we had known, we never would have allowed something like this."
"We're willing to compensate her."
Chen Shi took a deep breath.
Then exploded.
"Compensate?"
"Compensate your damn mother!"
He had expected the shiny Ralts to have suffered discrimination within her clan.
But he had never imagined that mother and daughter had been bullied to this extent.
And now this woman still had the nerve to talk about compensation.
Even after being cursed at, Liya dared not argue.
Because she understood one simple truth.
Power decided everything.
Qiu was stronger.
That meant he held the right to speak.
Besides...
Nothing could ever compensate for a dead mother.
Chen Shi waved a hand.
"Metagross."
"Gather every single Gardevoir."
"When the little one wakes up..."
"She can decide what to do with them herself."
"Meta!"
Metagross acknowledged the order and dragged over the badly injured Gardevoir that had been defeated moments earlier.
Seeing this, Liya truly panicked.
Their tribe absolutely could not lose these Gardevoir.
"Qiu!"
"We can sit down and discuss this."
"There's no need to let things become this severe."
Chen Shi replied indifferently,
"And what if things do become severe?"
"What exactly can you do about it?"
Liya was left speechless.
He was right.
What could they possibly do?
Fight him?
They didn't even have the qualifications.
After gathering her thoughts, Liya spoke again.
"We..."
"We can talk this through."
"Perhaps there's another way to resolve this."
Chen Shi shook his head.
"There isn't."
"This matter revolves entirely around Ralts."
"If she wants a life for a life..."
"Then I can only send these Gardevoir to their deaths."
Chen Shi had never considered himself a good person.
He could save the world.
He could even play the hero when necessary.
But only under one condition—
No one touched the people he cared about.
Once that line was crossed...
It didn't matter who stood before him.
"Flo~"
Florges approached while gently carrying Ralts in her arms.
Looking at the unconscious little Pokémon, Chen Shi asked softly,
"How is she?"
Florges smiled and shook her head, indicating that Ralts was no longer in danger.
Chen Shi nodded.
"Good."
"Can you wake her up?"
Florges hesitated.
There was indeed a way.
She just wasn't sure Chen Shi would appreciate it.
"Flo?"
(You really want me to wake her?)
Chen Shi nodded.
"Of course."
"There are still things waiting for her to decide."
"Use whatever method you have."
Florges sighed softly.
Then—
She raised her hand.
Smack!
She slapped Ralts across the face.
Chen Shi: ???
Wait...
Seriously?
That's your method?
Just... slap her awake?
Florges felt rather helpless herself.
Ralts's injuries had already been healed.
She was simply sleeping.
But since Chen Shi insisted on waking her...
This was the fastest method.
Sure enough...
After receiving the slap, Ralts slowly opened her eyes.
She still looked dazed.
Her memories remained frozen at the moment when Gallade had struck her.
Everything afterward was a complete blank.
Chen Shi gently took the little Pokémon from Florges's arms and held her close.
"Ralts..."
"The Gallade who hurt you has already paid the price."
"As for your mother..."
The words caught in his throat.
He couldn't continue.
Her mother had gone mad after her daughter disappeared.
In the end...
She had been beaten to death by her own kind.
The truth was simply too cruel.
Chen Shi feared that the little one wouldn't be able to bear it.
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