The middle-aged man turned and looked at Lu Ze.
Lu Ze warily watched the middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared.
Seeing Lu Ze's guarded expression, the middle-aged man chuckled.
"A White-robed Cultist? You evolved your Zubat into a Golbat in such a short time? And it looks quite well-trained too. The Church really picked up a good prospect this time."
Seeing the confusion in Lu Ze's eyes, the middle-aged man grew slightly more serious.
"You might not know me, but I'm one of the Church too. We Church members can't just let any stray cat or dog bully us."
"You're still young. You'll definitely surpass him in the future. You won't lose out by following the Church."
Lu Ze remained highly vigilant. Although he had never heard the term "Church," that did not stop him from being wary of a stranger, even if that person had just helped him.
The middle-aged man was helpless and could only slowly approach Lu Ze.
Lu Ze took a step back, maintaining a safe distance.
Somewhat helpless, the middle-aged man handed the Pokémon Egg in his arms to Lu Ze.
"Here, hold this for me. I'll show you something, and you'll understand."
Lu Ze suspiciously reached out and accepted the Pokémon Egg.
Once he saw Lu Ze holding the Pokémon Egg, the middle-aged man pulled a Gym Badge from his clothes and held it before Lu Ze's face.
"See? I really am from the Church. An Orange Aptitude leader. You can call me by my codename—Feiyan."
The Gym Badge was orange and shaped much like the Glacier Badge. The difference was that its edges were wrapped in gold thread, while the center bore only the two characters Feiyan, themselves outlined in silver thread.
Lu Ze silently considered this. His doubts faded as he curiously