Gladion Appears, Xingye Erupts!

The man with the Toxicroak was the Delphox trainer Xingye had seen from afar that morning. That friendly face was far too familiar now.

Since the other party had appeared, it was time to act. He glanced at the Cyclizar beside him and asked, "Full?"

"Cycli, cycli~"

Cyclizar happily patted its belly. It had blown through an entire day's wages in one meal before the money had even had time to warm up, but it had eaten to its heart's content.

After paying the bill, Xingye quietly followed after him with Cyclizar. There were a lot of police around here, though, which would affect the plan. They could only be more careful...

The target did not linger at the night market. Instead, he passed straight through it, away from the crowd and toward the shore.

"Hm? It's just a Pokémon trade, not some kind of shady deal. Was there really a need to go this far?"

Xingye, trailing behind in secret, was somewhat puzzled. Still, leaving the night market was better. At least the police would not show up at light speed.

A moment later, the target suddenly stopped near a cluster of reefs. The only sound around them was the waves crashing against the rocks, and no one else was in sight.

Then, he suddenly shouted into the empty air, "Hey, didn't you say you were already here? Don't make me wait. My time is valuable!"

"..."

The waves continued to roar, but soon, a blond youth with an unbelievably edgy aura stepped out from behind a reef.

He wore a black leather jacket, with a golden cowlick sticking up from his head. His mop-like signature bangs covered his right eye, and he wore the stiff expression of someone owed three hundred bucks.

"???"

The moment Xingye saw him from his hiding place in the distance, his head filled with question marks. Wasn't that Gladion?

The young master of the Aether Foundation needed to trade with someone for a rare Pokémo... Oh, right, the Aether Foundation had not officially been established yet. It was probably only just getting started and would not be founded for another few years. Never mind, then...

"You're Mihao?"

Gladion watched the man ahead of him as if confirming his identity, then continued, "Hurry up, then. Let me see the Pokémon first."

Having overheard that, Xingye finally learned that guy's name, but his expression shifted subtly as he cursed inwardly, Why does that name sound so damn unpleasant?

The man called Mihao nodded, then took out a Poké Ball and released Delphox. The poor little thing still had no idea what was happening and thought it was about to have a Pokémon battle.

Gladion took a look, then also pulled out a Poké Ball and released a large-eyed monkey that looked as though it were wearing a gas mask. It was Grafaiai. The blue middle fingers on both its hands, which seeped poison, were its signature trait and gave off a sweet fragrance.

After displaying it, he recalled Grafaiai and said, "That's enough. Let's trade directly. Give me Delphox."

"Foxy?"

Hearing that, Delphox froze. What did trading mean? It did not understand. And why did this stranger want it?

Mihao did not recall it. Instead, he looked at Gladion and smiled. "I heard why you're looking for a Fire-type starter!"

"Hm?"

"I specifically looked into it recently. You want to pass Team Skull's entrance test and become one of them, so you don't want anyone else to know about our transaction, right?"

Hearing Mihao's words, Xingye frowned slightly. So that was the reason. Gladion wanted to use Delphox to pass the test and join Team Skull? Had the young master finally fallen that far?

Gladion stared at him with an unfriendly look for a moment before asking, "What are you trying to say?"

Mihao raised a finger and answered with a smile, "A Grafaiai isn't worth a Delphox, so add another Pokémon I don't have. I never do deals at a loss!"

"Foxy!"

Now Delphox understood. Its trainer was going to trade it for someone else's Pokémon, not take it along on a journey!

Its expression instantly went blank. After being caught, it had been left in the backyard for so long. Although it was often bullied by Pokémon stronger than it, it had always dreamed that its trainer would take it traveling.

But now, every dream had shattered... It had quit the job it loved most, had yet to find its mother's keepsake branch, and now...

"Foxy!"

Delphox cried anxiously. Even if there was only a sliver of hope—perhaps it had merely misheard—but Mihao ignored it completely. He no longer wore that gentle, friendly expression, merely sneering as he continued bargaining with Gladion...

But the cold young master would not waste words on someone like him. Since the other party had tried to jack up the price first, there was nothing more to say.

Seeing him prepare to leave, Mihao's smile instantly vanished. Toxicroak beside him leaped forward and blocked Gladion's path.

"My apologies, but once a deal begins, it has to be completed. That's the rule of us adults, little brother!"

"..."

Gladion looked back at him. Just as he was about to act, another voice suddenly rang out from afar. "Trade, trade, trade... Trade my ass! Pokémon aren't your merchandise!"

"Hm?"

Both of them looked over at once. At that moment, Xingye came charging out at full speed atop Cyclizar. Mihao was startled, but as a trainer with some real skill, his reaction was naturally quick.

He immediately released a Toxapex from its Poké Ball and had it use Baneful Bunker to block them. But before the bunker had even fully formed, Cyclizar rammed it flying into a distant reef, where it was knocked out on the spot.

Xingye's [Riding EX] activated. He controlled Cyclizar as it drifted to a stop across the beach, kicking up a cloud of sand. The poisoned status inflicted by Baneful Bunker was also instantly removed by its Shed Skin Ability.

Looking at the youth riding Cyclizar, Mihao said coldly, "A brat still in school? A kid like you shouldn't see the filth of the adult world. But since you've already seen it, then..."

Before he could finish, Xingye shot back with a look of disdain, "You're yapping so much it's annoying. What, are you in heat or something?"

"You..." Mihao was choked speechless for a moment.

"Foxy..."

Delphox, on the verge of breaking down, recognized Xingye. He was the human who had told it last night to come talk to him, the one living above the Slowking Tavern.

Noticing its gaze, Xingye took out a branch and called to it, "Don't get this wrong. I'm not here to help you. I was just planning to extort some money from you with this thing I found, but I didn't expect to witness such a truly precious scene."

The moment it saw the branch, Delphox recognized it. It was its branch, something incredibly important. Its body trembled slightly as it reached out, instinctively wanting to go retrieve it.

But at that moment, Mihao suddenly smiled and shouted at Gladion, "Brother, you don't want our trade to be discovered by this third party, do you? That Cyclizar is pretty strong, but its trainer is just a kid. How about we take care of them first? Then we can continue our deal!"

"Fine!"

"???"

Xingye had not expected Gladion to agree without hesitation. So he had to take on two at once? Damn it, he had never planned for this script!

The next moment, Toxicroak attacked directly. Cyclizar threw Xingye off its back, then braced both hands against the sand and swung its tail fiercely, only for the attack to be dodged.

"Damn it, I really have to fight two at once!"

Xingye climbed to his feet and immediately shouted, "Don't panic! Listen to me!"

"Cycli!"

Cyclizar's gaze instantly turned serious. The Midnight Lycanroc released by Gladion was already closing in, while Toxicroak launched another attack as well.

But its target was not Cyclizar. It was Xingye some distance away! Following Mihao's command, it intended to take out the trainer first!

But at that moment, ghostly blue flames lit up in the night sky in the shape of a cross, drawing everyone's eyes. Then Bitter Blade slashed down at incredible speed!

The ghostly blue flames erupted, and Toxicroak crashed to the ground. A sword trail cut through the air, and the battlefield fell silent in an instant. Ceruledge, emanating an icy aura, stood tall amid the flames!

"Th-That's fucking cool!"

Xingye had not even seen what had just happened, but cool was all that mattered. At that moment, he made a decision: one day, he absolutely had to go to Paldea and catch a Ceruledge!

But matters for later could wait. Why had this guy come out? Hadn't Slowking said it basically never left Kabukicho?

None of that mattered now. At least it had not come to harvest his kidneys, and he had something extremely important to do. He clenched his fist...

"Foxy!"

Delphox recognized Ceruledge. It was as though, after being bullied by everyone and pushed to the edge of an emotional collapse, it had finally seen family who treated it well and whom it could confide in. It burst into tears on the spot.

"..."

Seeing it cry so wronged and helplessly, terrifying killing intent instantly erupted from Ceruledge's cold eyes.

Feeling that killing intent aimed at him, Mihao's body involuntarily shuddered, and he froze in place.

But at that very moment, Xingye, who had somehow sneaked up beside him, suddenly whipped up a gust of wind with his fist, charged a punch, and smashed it brutally into his face...