The Darmanitan leaned lazily against a tree, looking exactly like an old man enjoying a show.
All it was missing… was a bag of sunflower seeds and a slice of watermelon.
Ethan couldn't help but laugh.
Who would've thought a Pokémon like this even existed?
Without any attempt to hide themselves, Ethan and Aurore casually walked over.
To get closer to it, Ethan even pulled out a bag of chips.
"Want some?"
Darmanitan turned its head, noticing the two humans approaching.
Aurore, standing beside Ethan, also opened her own bag and started munching.
Crunch. Crunch.
Seeing that it was food—
Darmanitan didn't hesitate.
It grabbed some and started eating along with them.
Just like that—
Two humans and one Pokémon sat there, calmly eating chips while watching the chaos unfold.
When the chips were almost gone, Ethan spoke again.
"You want that thing?" he asked, pointing toward the stone being fought over.
"I can grab it for you."
Darmanitan froze for a second—
Then turned to look at Ethan in surprise.
Because…
That was exactly what it had been thinking.
Truthfully, it had already considered snatching the stone.
But with so many humans around, it was worried about getting ganged up on.
"Fefe! Fefe!"
It nodded eagerly.
Well—
"Tried" to nod.
Since it didn't really have a neck, its entire body tilted forward in a rather comical motion.
"Don't worry," Ethan grinned.
"Leave it to me."
He handed the remaining chips to Aurore.
After all—
These people were basically his hired actors.
No pressure at all.
Ethan released Metagross.
A surge of god-tier pressure spread instantly.
Even Darmanitan, who had been watching casually, was shocked.
This human…
Had a god-tier Pokémon?!
"Everyone—stop!"
Ethan shouted.
With Metagross's overwhelming presence backing him up, even if these people had been seriously fighting, they would've frozen—
Let alone now, when they were just acting.
"Hand over the stone. You're free to go."
Ethan beckoned.
The trainer holding the stone immediately handed it over without hesitation.
As the group dispersed, they all noticed Darmanitan nearby.
Their "job" was clearly done.
Without lingering, they left quickly.
Ethan turned his back slightly and gave them a subtle signal.
Clean execution.
Darmanitan stared at him, stunned.
This human was incredible.
With just one command—
And a god-tier Pokémon—
He had scared off an entire group.
"Here," Ethan said casually, tossing the stone—the Wishing Star—over.
"It's yours."
Darmanitan caught it happily, examining its new treasure with great interest.
For Ethan, the Wishing Star had already served its purpose.
But if he could trade it for an opportunity—
Then it was more than worth it.
"Fefe~!"
Darmanitan gave Ethan a very human-like thumbs-up.
Simple meaning:
You're a good guy.
Then it pointed at itself—
And then toward the deeper parts of the mountain.
"…You want me to follow you?" Ethan asked.
Darmanitan nodded again (with that full-body tilt).
Ethan smiled.
Good call.
Different Pokémon required different approaches.
Soon, Darmanitan led Ethan and Aurore through the mountain range.
Before long, they arrived at a small hill.
After carefully checking that no one else was around—
Darmanitan walked to a bush.
And then—
Disappeared into it.
"…You've got to be kidding," Ethan muttered.
"That's your hideout?"
He quickly followed.
Sure enough—
Behind the bushes was a hidden cave entrance.
The rocks around it were worn smooth, clearly used for many years.
Inside—
A narrow tunnel stretched for over ten meters.
Beyond it opened into a massive cavern—
Hundreds of square meters wide, with a height of over ten meters.
Stalactites hung from above.
And from them—
Vines suspended all kinds of strange objects.
Roots shaped like people.
Stones shaped like animals.
Even… shells.
In the middle of a mountain range.
"…Where did you even get that?" Ethan muttered.
Darmanitan moved skillfully through the cave.
It tied the Wishing Star to a vine and hung it among its collection.
Just like that—
Another "odd treasure" was added.
Then it walked to a large rock in the corner.
With some effort, it pushed it aside—
Revealing a hidden pit underneath.
Ethan's eyes widened.
This thing had a secret stash too?!
Darmanitan reached inside and pulled out a handful of stones.
After carefully picking through them—
It selected two.
Then put the rest back.
"Fefe!"
It handed the two stones to Ethan.
Ethan froze.
Completely.
"…You're kidding me."
In its hands—
Were two evolution stones.
One gold.
One black.
Smooth like polished eggs.
A Dawn Stone.
And a Dusk Stone.
These were extremely valuable items—
Capable of triggering Pokémon evolution.
Ethan took them.
And instantly—
The system activated.
[Ding! Congratulations! Obtained: Red Opportunity — Darmanitan's Toy]
[Processing multiplier…]
[Ding! Critical Hit: ×888]
[Ding! Upgraded to: Rainbow Opportunity — Darmanitan's Toy]
Ethan exhaled slowly.
Worth it.
Absolutely worth it.
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