and the Seven-Colored Opportunity: Larvitar Egg!**
The holy land of the White Elephant Alliance lay deep within a vast desert.
Although the alliance's so-called sacred river was infamous for being filthy,
their protection of this holy land was exceptionally strict.
To put it bluntly, the "holy river" was more of a carefully packaged symbol—
the White Elephant Alliance's true elites would never actually go near it.
But the holy land was different.
This place was genuinely used by the alliance's upper echelons.
So when Ethan first arrived and saw the magnificent structures before him,
he couldn't help but wonder if he had come to the wrong place.
The holy land wasn't particularly large—
only around a dozen square kilometers.
Yet every building was extravagantly luxurious.
Even the walls were painted with gold.
At the very center of the holy land stood an enormous pool.
Before Ethan even approached, waves of scorching heat rushed straight toward his face.
Inside the pool—
there was nothing but countless grains of sand.
"Lord Ethan, this is the Sacred Hot Sand Pool,"
a White Elephant priest said respectfully.
"You may stay in the holy land for one full week."
"As for food and lodging,
as long as you request it, we will provide the finest meals at any time."
Ethan nodded, signaling that he understood.
Seeing this, the priest did not linger any longer.
After bowing deeply, he left the holy land.
Soon, the vast sacred area was left with Ethan alone.
The Red Opportunity: Sacred Hot Sand Pool
Looking at the red-tier opportunity identified by the system,
Ethan wasted no time and released several Poké Balls.
Lucario.
Garchomp.
Gliscor.
Swampert.
Tyrantrum.
Metagross.
Among Ethan's fourteen partners,
these six could gain direct benefits from the Sacred Hot Sand Pool.
The moment they appeared, none of them waited for instructions—
they immediately plunged into the pool.
They could all keenly sense the strange and beneficial energy contained within the hot sand.
Ethan smiled faintly and reminded Metagross to keep an eye on things,
making sure they didn't cause too much disturbance.
Then, he released the remaining eight partners as well.
Each Partner, Their Own Path
"Rai~!"
The moment Little Thunder appeared, she immediately rubbed against Ethan.
Compared to two months ago, she had grown noticeably bigger.
Her height had reached nearly three meters,
and her body looked exceptionally powerful.
Her limbs were so well-developed that even Swampert looked at them with envy.
Yet despite her growth, Little Thunder's personality hadn't changed at all.
She stuck to Ethan immediately, begging for food.
Naturally, Ethan indulged her.
He asked the White Elephant Alliance to deliver food inside.
Upon hearing that delicious meals were coming,
Little Thunder obediently sat down, patiently waiting while using her Thunder Orb to temper her body.
The other partners also had their own things to do.
Although the Sacred Hot Sand Pool didn't directly benefit Entei,
he clearly enjoyed the scorching heat.
He joined the "muscle squad" in the hot sand bath without hesitation.
Metagross and the others welcomed him enthusiastically.
As for Skeledirge,
he himself didn't particularly enjoy the heat—but his little bird did.
So Skeledirge sprawled out under the blazing sun,
while the fiery bird happily dove into the hot sand pool.
Of course, not all Pokémon enjoyed the desert heat.
Hydreigon, Hatterene, and Noibat clearly weren't fans.
Hydreigon, with her massive black body, absorbed heat far too easily.
After enduring it briefly, she returned to her Poké Ball to sleep.
Watching Hydreigon's recent lethargy—and her rapidly increasing appetite—
Ethan couldn't help but grow suspicious.
"Do I need to pay closer attention to Hydreigon's condition…?"
he muttered to himself.
Hatterene and Noibat handled things a bit better.
For Hatterene,
as long as she could stay by Ethan's side, the environment didn't matter.
As for Noibat—
as long as there was fruit, who cared how hot it was?
The Hardest Worker: Luxray
If there were a ranking for the most hardworking Pokémon on Ethan's team,
Luxray would absolutely be on it.
Yes—Luxray had already evolved from Luxio.
Whether due to improved aptitude or Ethan's excellent nutrition planning,
Luxray's strength had reached Elite Peak.
She was only one step away from entering the Commander tier.
In terms of size, Luxray's shoulder height had reached two meters.
She might not match Entei,
but among her species, she was already considered a towering giant.
Thanks to guidance from Tyrantrum and Hydreigon,
Luxray's relationship with Lucario had progressed rapidly.
If Lucario weren't currently tempering himself in the hot sand pool,
the two would definitely be inseparable.
Watching them flirt so openly sometimes made Ethan sigh.
Please… don't show off in front of a single man.
With Lucario busy, Luxray didn't slack off.
She moved to an open area and began training relentlessly.
Her training was brutal—
every session left her covered in injuries.
If not for Hatterene's healing and Meloetta's fatigue relief,
Ethan felt Luxray might actually cripple herself.
But thanks to their support—
and Metagross's strict yet responsible guidance—
Luxray's strength grew faster than Little Thunder's.
After all, Little Thunder trained sporadically.
Luxray trained like her life depended on it.
Countless nights, Luxray reflected on her journey.
She firmly believed that following Ethan
was the best decision she had ever made.
A Gift for Hatterene
Watching Luxray train, Ethan didn't interrupt.
Instead, he turned to Hatterene.
"Hatterene, keep an eye on Luxray," he said softly.
"The heat here is intense—don't let her get heatstroke."
Hatterene nodded.
Then Ethan took out a box.
"But before that…"
"Absorb what's inside this box first."
Hatterene blinked.
"Ethan… what is this?"
"It's so pretty…"
Meloetta immediately flew over, drawn by the shiny box.
Ethan chuckled.
"Do you like it?"
"Then how about I give this box to you?"
He took out another ornate case—the jeweled one gifted earlier.
Meloetta's eyes lit up.
"From now on, you can use it to store any treasures you find."
Meloetta excitedly kissed Ethan on the cheek.
"Thank you, Ethan!"
"You're the best to Meloetta!"
Hatterene's Breakthrough
Turning back to Hatterene, Ethan opened the box.
Inside lay the Supreme Rainbow Feather.
A powerful aura of life filled the air.
Hatterene hesitated, looking at Ethan—
this treasure was far too precious.
She treasured their bond deeply.
Ethan smiled gently and touched her cheek.
"It's for you."
"I saved this specifically for you."
"Absorb it."
"So you can protect and heal everyone even better."
Hatterene nodded.
As her tentacle touched the feather,
it transformed into a nine-colored beam of light and merged into her body.
Instantly, a terrifying wave of life energy erupted outward.
Plants struggling in the desert rapidly grew and flourished.
Hatterene's aura surged—
King-tier mid.
King-tier late.
King-tier peak.
Then—
Champion tier.
The growth didn't stop until she reached Champion mid-stage.
Hatterene's Status:
Strength: 1.75 (Champion Mid)Type: Psychic / FairyAbility: Healer's HeartAptitude: Divine Tier I
Ethan smiled.
"Divine-tier aptitude…"
"This feather really was worth it."
Hatterene opened her eyes and smiled brightly.
"Brie~!"
A New Discovery
Days passed peacefully.
On the fifth day, Ethan lounged beside the Sacred Hot Sand Pool,
watching TV and enjoying fruit Hatterene handed him.
Suddenly—
"Ethan!"
"Ethan!!"
Meloetta flew over excitedly—
this time carrying a Pokémon egg.
The egg was gray-green, coated with sand patterns.
Small.
Undeveloped.
"I found it in the desert," Meloetta explained.
"There was no Pokémon nearby…"
Ethan quickly understood.
A discarded egg—or one born prematurely after its mother suffered a fatal injury.
Survival in the desert was harsh.
"Can it be saved?" Meloetta asked worriedly.
Ethan looked to Hatterene.
"Hatterene, can you try?"
She nodded and released gentle life energy into the egg.
Moments later—
A strong heartbeat echoed from within.
Meloetta gasped in delight.
"It's alive!!"
System Notification:
Blue Opportunity: Larvitar EggCritical Hit ×10,000Seven-Colored Opportunity: Larvitar Egg ×10
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
A rescued life…
and a seven-colored destiny had just been born.
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