As he watched the distant sun sink bit by bit beneath the horizon, the colors of the entire sky slowly changed.
The blazing orange-red gradually softened into peach-pink, then slowly deepened from peach-pink into dusky crimson-purple, like a magnificent stage play slowly drawing to its close.
The sea breeze had grown a little cooler, carrying a salty, damp scent. Brushing against his face, it felt especially pleasant.
Xinhai gazed at the distant scenery, then looked at his companions lounging leisurely beneath the sunset, a difficult-to-describe sense of contentment rising within him.
He withdrew his gaze and was just about to close his eyes for a brief rest—
At that moment, a gentle baritone with a magnetic quality came from beside him.
"Sir, your Pokémon are raised wonderfully."
Hearing this, Xinhai turned and saw a young man of fifteen or sixteen.
He wore a dark blue casual suit over a white shirt, without a tie. His collar was slightly open, revealing a small section of collarbone.
His features were handsome and deep-set, his contours distinct, his nose high and straight. There was an innate air of nobility between his brows, unforced yet impossible to overlook.
His short hair was dark brown, nearly black, combed neatly back to reveal a full forehead.
A faint smile rested on his lips, neither distant nor overly familiar, but perfectly measured.
He stood roughly three meters away from Xinhai, with a powerfully built Arcanine at his side.
The Arcanine was a full size larger than its ordinary kind, over three meters at the shoulder and nearly five meters long. Its golden fur gleamed with a satin-like luster beneath the setting sun.
Its eyes were amber, and it calmly observed Xinhai and the Pokémon around him. Its breathing was long and steady. It released no Presence deliberately,