Sun Lin: "WHAT?! My Nephew Has a God Following Him?!"**
The Southwestern Bug Valley lay deep in the hinterlands.
It was more than two hundred kilometers away from the Thorny Forest, yet—
Unlike that untamed wilderness, Bug Valley was surprisingly accessible.
Ethan could drive straight to the entrance in an off-road vehicle.
The reason was simple.
The Bug King had signed a cooperation agreement with the Donghuang League.
As a result, the Southwestern Bug Valley had become one of the league's rare Bug-type protected ecological sanctuaries.
And Sun Lin—
Was its official caretaker.
"Come on, my good nephew," Sun Lin said cheerfully.
"See any little guy you like?"
"Pick freely. As long as you want it—
Uncle Sun can make it happen."
The moment Ethan stepped into the valley, he was stunned.
Bug-type Pokémon were everywhere.
Caterpie.
Weedle.
Clusters upon clusters.
Even rare species like Heracross appeared in impressive numbers.
He even spotted several Vivillon, a species whose population was said to be dwindling.
Calling this place a Bug Pokémon paradise was no exaggeration.
Just as Ethan was still processing the sheer scale of it all—
A red-and-white figure slowly wandered into his field of view.
Then—
The system chimed.
[Ding! Detected: Golden Opportunity – Bug Valley Saint Child]
[Recommendation: Acquire immediately]
Ethan froze.
He stared at the Pokémon in front of him, then slowly sucked in a breath.
Half-joking, half-serious, he turned to Sun Lin.
"Uncle Sun… if I wanted that Larvesta—"
"…would that also be okay?"
Yes.
That red-and-white Pokémon was none other than Larvesta.
An absurdly rare Pokémon.
A Bug / Fire-type.
A species known as "the Pokémon born from the sun."
Across recorded human history, Larvesta sightings numbered fewer than a hundred.
Each appearance coincided with extreme phenomena—
Volcanic eruptions.
Solar eclipses.
Hence its legendary title: The Sun-Stealing Larva.
Scholars later concluded the truth was simpler—
Larvesta normally lived deep underground, near magma layers.
They rarely surfaced.
Which made every sighting feel miraculous.
One thing was certain, though—
A Golden Opportunity Larvesta?
There was no way Ethan wasn't interested.
Sun Lin froze when he followed Ethan's gaze.
"…That one?"
He stared at the Larvesta strolling near the valley's edge and went completely blank.
He had no idea how it had wandered out here.
But after a brief pause, Sun Lin gave a helpless smile.
"Kid… that one really won't work."
"If it were anything else, I could help."
"But that Larvesta—I truly can't."
This wasn't him backing out.
He genuinely had no authority here.
Because that Larvesta was—
The son of the Bug King.
The ruler of the Southwestern Bug Valley.
A Totem-tier Volcarona.
The strongest Bug-type Pokémon—bar none.
Volcarona were terrifyingly powerful.
But unlike most Bug-types, their reproduction was painfully slow.
Almost dragon-like.
Pregnancy alone took over a decade.
Hatching took years more.
One egg per cycle.
Because of this, Volcarona were worshipped as divine beings in ancient times—
Rare.
Powerful.
Almost mythical.
A normal Larvesta required twenty to thirty years to mature and evolve.
Naturally, the Bug King guarded his son obsessively.
Sun Lin had no idea how the kid had slipped out here.
Just as Sun Lin was explaining—
Larvesta suddenly stopped.
It tilted its head.
Then looked around.
And finally—
Locked its gaze onto Ethan.
Something about Ethan's presence felt… right.
Without hesitation, Larvesta toddled over.
Flames burst gently from the five fiery horns on its body.
"Lar—va!"
A clear greeting.
Ethan laughed softly.
"Well hello there."
The two began chatting—right in front of Sun Lin.
And Sun Lin's brain began to short-circuit.
Larvesta was famously aloof.
He had seen it many times while coordinating with the Bug King—
And not once had it acknowledged him.
Yet now—
It walked out of the core region on its own
And struck up a conversation with Ethan?!
Sun Lin suddenly recalled the internet memes.
Born Trainer Saint Body.
Rare Pokémon magnet.
Charm-level affinity.
He used to think they were exaggerations.
Now?
He wasn't so sure.
Then—
BZZZZZ—
Golden-red light filled the sky.
Sun Lin looked up.
His pupils shrank violently.
The Bug King—Volcarona—had descended.
In the past, Volcarona always greeted him.
Today?
It didn't even glance his way.
Its sharp eyes were fixed solely on Ethan.
After a pause, Volcarona spoke—
In human language.
"Human."
"Who are you?"
"Why do I sense Lord Yanhuang's aura on you?"
Sun Lin's mind exploded.
Lord… Yanhuang?
What was that?
Ethan himself was stunned.
Yanhuang had lived over fifteen hundred years ago.
This Volcarona was Totem-tier, yes—
But recognizing Yanhuang?
That made no sense.
Before Ethan could respond—
POP.
A Poké Ball at his waist opened.
A massive, crimson figure emerged.
Yanhuang.
Three meters tall.
Like a blazing stone lion.
The moment he appeared—
Divine pressure spilled out uncontrollably.
The entire Bug Valley trembled.
Pokémon cowered.
Even Sun Lin struggled to breathe.
This aura…
Stronger than Volcarona's.
Was this… Totem Peak?
No—
Even higher.
Volcarona's regal posture shattered instantly.
Its voice trembled with excitement.
"Lord Yanhuang!"
"It's truly you!"
"You… you've broken through to God-tier?!"
Sun Lin froze.
God-tier?
That was supposed to be a myth.
Even Champion-tier Pokémon were legendary in human society.
Totem-tier alone was enough to shock nations.
God-tier?
That belonged in fairy tales.
Yet—
These words came from the Bug King himself.
Sun Lin stared at Yanhuang.
Then at Ethan.
His nineteen-year-old nephew.
My nephew has a god following him?!
Yanhuang chuckled lightly.
"I was fortunate."
"Thanks to my lord's assistance, I gained the opportunity."
Despite ascending to God-tier, his respect toward Ethan hadn't diminished at all.
If anything—
It had deepened.
Volcarona processed this instantly.
Then bowed.
"If you are Lord Yanhuang's master—"
"Then you are naturally my master as well."
"I, Mo Yan, greet you."
Ethan waved his hand.
"No need for that."
"Just call me Ethan."
Then he glanced at Larvesta.
"This is your son?"
Mo Yan nodded eagerly.
"Yes. You may call him Xiao Yan."
Hearing this, Larvesta blinked.
He'd only wanted a stroll.
Instead—
His father was bowing to a human.
And that human had summoned a god his father revered.
Larvesta's worldview shattered on the spot.
Ethan smiled.
"Your son has excellent potential."
"If raised properly, he could surpass you one day."
Before Mo Yan could react—
Yanhuang laughed.
"If my lord says so, then it must be true."
Mo Yan was instantly overjoyed.
"To receive such praise from you—
I am deeply grateful!"
"Please, if you do not mind—
Enter the inner valley."
"Allow me to host you properly."
Ethan hesitated.
Hospitality was fine.
But how would a Volcarona host him?
Berries were acceptable.
But bugs?
Hard pass.
Before Ethan could decline, Yanhuang spoke.
"My lord."
"There is a Sacred Spring within this valley."
"It benefits eggs and young Pokémon immensely."
"Tyranitar's youngling could gain a solid foundation."
"And the Snivy egg is close to hatching."
"If soaked there, the benefits would be enormous."
Mo Yan immediately followed up.
"You may use the Sacred Spring however you wish."
The system chimed.
[Ding! Detected: Red Opportunity – Heavenly Bug Sacred Spring]
Ethan sighed.
"…Alright."
For his Pokémon—
He could endure a little discomfort.
With that, he informed Sun Lin he'd return shortly.
Then mounted Yanhuang.
Together, they headed into the depths of the Bug Valley.
Sun Lin stood there, numb.
The Sacred Spring—
A place he wasn't even allowed to see.
Yet Ethan was told to use it freely.
Sun Lin stared at Ethan's retreating figure.
"…Just how many earth-shattering secrets are you still hiding, kid?"
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