"See? Cotton's fine. It was just playing a joke on you!"
Ye Lan hurriedly jostled the Cottonee in his arms. When it seemed determined to keep up the act, he flicked the little Pokémon on the forehead.
"Cotton!" Cottonee cried out in pain. It covered its forehead with its tiny hands and looked at Ye Lan reproachfully.
But Xiao Ya could no longer hold back her tears. They welled in her eyes, ready to spill.
Ye Lan glared at Cottonee, then turned to Servine. "Tone down your aura."
There was nothing else for it. Ye Lan had to use his secret weapon!
"Hiss." Servine reluctantly withdrew its aura.
Before long, several Shroomish that had been sneaking along behind Ye Lan sensed that the frightening presence had vanished and began edging toward him.
The first Shroomish approached Ye Lan without being hurt. More and more of them popped up throughout the alley, gathering around him in widening circles.
Seeing the growing crowd of Shroomish—and even a few Breloom watching from a distance—Ye Lan smiled helplessly.
He had suspected this would happen before he entered town.
He had kept Servine's aura on display to avoid causing a scene. That was the only reason the little ones had stayed away.
He placed Cottonee on his head, then picked up the nearest Shroomish and settled it in Xiao Ya's arms.
The sight had stunned Xiao Ya. Her mouth formed a little O, and her tears were long forgotten. She gazed at Ye Lan in awe. "Big brother, are you a Shroomish that turned into a person?"
"Huh?"
Ye Lan's mouth twitched. Shouldn't she think I'm charming? How did she come up with that? I'm not the Blue Truffle Man!
As the commotion grew, more residents of Green Sprout Town arrived to see what was