Ashen Vale had, of course, seen the message Auron sent him. After replying with a quick "Okay," he looked down at the Manaphy sitting in his palm, its big eyes wide open, and sighed helplessly.
"Sigh… we'll make time for this later, all right? For now, how about I take you to Victini?"
Manaphy nodded happily and twirled in place on Ashen's palm.
Ashen's expression softened into a gentle smile. He dialed his wife and said, "Hey, honey—drive the car around to the shop entrance and bring some of the snacks Auron made for Snorlax. I've got a surprise for you."
Though a little puzzled by what the surprise could be, Mom wasn't in a rush to pry. Cheerful as ever, she headed home as asked, grabbed the car, and drove over.
A short while later, Mom pulled up. The moment she stepped out, she spotted the Manaphy in Ashen's hands.
"Wow, is that Manaphy?!"
Beaming, she scooped Manaphy into a hug and planted an excited kiss on its face.
Watching his wife, Ashen threw Manaphy an apologetic look that clearly said, I can't help it, and then went to the trunk. He took out the snacks for Snorlax and handed them to Manaphy.
Manaphy accepted the treats with delight. Ignoring Mom's playful fussing, it focused entirely on the culinary joy before it.
"Let's go, honey—we still need to get it where it's going."
"Got it!"
At that very moment, an Elite Four member on a flight was grinning to himself, already imagining how he'd greet a Mythical Pokémon: should he take a selfie first… or take a selfie first?
…
After Auron and the others transmitted Manaphy over, they finally let out a long breath. All that remained was to head to the police station to complete the formalities and then meet the Elite Four member who had helped them—that would be the end of it.
They changed clothes in their rooms, and just as they finished, the police cars arrived.
Two vehicles transported everyone to the station. After going through the whole process, they were driven back again. The officers told them the reward would be issued by the authorities in a few days; they didn't need to wait around here for it.
Back at the hotel, they found a handsome man sitting in the lobby.
When the man saw Auron return, he stood and approached, a bright, happy smile on his face.
"Auron, long time no see."
"Long time no see, Brother Su."
Auron grinned and shared a quick hug with the handsome man.
"Elite Four Su Qianyan?!"
Stars lit up in Yin Hanling's eyes as she gasped.
She wasn't the only one starstruck. You Yuyou, Serena Elm, Tim Wynn, and Jace Rowan all wore expressions of unhidden admiration as they looked at Su Qianyan. Who could blame them? He was Longguo's youngest Elite Four member ever, the one who broke the record for the youngest to earn that title. Handsome and powerful—a combination that was hard not to love.
"Brother Su, give them a few autographs," Auron teased, glancing at his friends.
"Haha, sure."
Su Qianyan laughed, delight easy and loud.
In an instant, Yin Hanling produced a notebook and pen from who-knew-where and handed them over. "Sign here, please. Thank you!"
Smiling, Su Qianyan accepted the notebook, signed with a casual flourish, and then turned back to Auron.
"Auron, I'm here to pass along a message. The Elite Four member who helped you this time—he said thank you."
Auron blinked. "Huh? Shouldn't I be thanking him? Why is he thanking me?"
"Remember that Mareanie egg? It went to him. So he's very grateful."
"Oh—"
Realization clicked for Auron. He then asked, "So, Brother Su, how come you're here too?"
Su Qianyan sat back on the sofa and chuckled. "Where do you think this is?"
"Sanya."
"And what else would I be doing here?"
"Right, you're on vacation."
Auron couldn't help a wry smile. He could have just said he was here to relax—why take the scenic route with the conversation?
"So, Brother Su, what are you planning to do next?"
At that, Su Qianyan's grin widened. "At your dad's request—teach you a lesson."
Auron: "???"
"Teach me a lesson? Why?"
"You've had it a little too easy."
Auron was speechless. So because things had been going smoothly, he needed to be knocked down a peg? How was that fair?
Seeing Auron's look, Su Qianyan stood and patted his shoulder. "Come on. I won't bully you. I'll use a Pokémon I caught recently—I won't bring out a seasoned veteran just to crush you."
Auron had no choice but to follow. Together, they headed for the battle court behind the hotel.
Jace and the others trailed behind, smothering laughs, eager to witness how Auron would get pummeled.
On the battle court, the two faced each other across the marked lines.
"Ready?" Su Qianyan asked.
"Bring it," Auron said.
"Good. Go, Sneasel!"
"Your turn, Snorlax!"
Pokémon: Sneasel
Gender: Female
Type: Dark, Ice
Ability: Inner Focus (The Pokémon won't flinch in battle. This Ability is not affected by Intimidate.)
Aptitude: Orange
Basic Moves: Quick Attack, Ice Shard, Swift, Slash, Metal Claw, Fury Swipes, Feint Attack, Poison Jab, Ice Punch, Dark Pulse, Iron Tail, Shadow Claw
Egg Moves: Bite, Fake Out, Double Hit, Icicle Crash
Auron's eyes flicked over the Sneasel, a thought striking him. He raised his voice to Su Qianyan. "Brother Su, Sneasel actually has another evolution. If I tell you how to evolve it, how about we call off the battle today?"
His words stunned Su Qianyan—and the friends clustered beside the field. Sneasel had another evolution?
Though surprised, Su Qianyan recovered quickly. Flashing a big, white-toothed smile, he said, "You don't have to tell me. Your dad definitely knows—if I want to find out, I'll just ask him later. But teaching you a lesson is something I already promised your dad. That's not changing."
"My dad doesn't know! I'm the only one who knows!" Auron blurted, suddenly anxious. He'd been winning a lot lately, and to be honest, he wasn't in the mood to lose today.
"No rush. I don't mind waiting a bit. Now then—battle start."
"Sneasel—Hone Claws!"
"Snorlax—Earthquake!"
Irritated by Su Qianyan's refusal, Auron's temper flared too. Fine—if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. These were both Pokémon they'd only been training for a short while; who would come out on top was anyone's guess.
Snorlax stomped down hard. Shockwaves rippled outward toward the Sneasel, who was sharpening its claws.
But just before the tremor reached her, Sneasel sprang up, evading the [Earthquake]. Hone Claws was interrupted in the process, but Auron hadn't gained anything out of it either.
"Sneasel—Hone Claws," Su Qianyan called again.
He was taking full advantage of Snorlax's lack of speed, determined to stack up first, then strike.
"Snorlax—Bulk Up," Auron countered at once.
If Sneasel was going to boost instead of pressing the attack, Auron wasn't about to rush mindlessly into it. Having Snorlax take the initiative and chase Sneasel around the field? That would just mean getting kited for nothing.
So both sides settled in. If Sneasel used Hone Claws, then Snorlax would Bulk Up.
If you don't come forward, I won't either—we can sit here and boost all day. Snorlax was raising both its physical Attack and Defense; Sneasel, its Attack and accuracy. But given Snorlax's speed and sheer bulk, accuracy wasn't exactly the deciding factor here.
Auron wasn't worried. Let the boosts keep coming—each side knew who would ultimately benefit more.
After three rounds of stat boosts apiece, Su Qianyan lost his patience. He knew perfectly well that the longer this went on, the worse it would get for him. He signaled Sneasel to strike just as Snorlax began its third Bulk Up.
White light flashed along Sneasel's arms. With Quick Attack, she darted straight in on Snorlax.
She reached him in a blink, and her claws came raking down hard in a brutal Slash.
(End of Chapter)