"Ahh..."
Baimu yawned.
Honestly, he hadn't slept well last night. The memories from the Dancer's Swords Dance chapter had been too restless.
Even flipping pans in the Chef's memories hadn't left him this drained...
Mental exhaustion?
At least those memories offered some inspiration. Even if he didn't catch any other Pokémon that wielded "blades," he could still work what he'd learned into Mawile's battle rhythm and Pokémon Performances.
A little inspiration, anyway.
"Would you like something to perk you up?"
The Old Butler's voice sounded beside him.
Baimu's wandering thoughts snapped back. He turned and said softly, "Yes, please. Sorry for the trouble."
At the same time—
"Staying up late is a bad habit. It can really damage your skin."
The voice was familiar, yet not quite.
"Uh, I'll keep that in mind."
Baimu glanced at Wallace, who sat across from him, savoring his tea.
Wallace wore a sky-blue robe that hung open, exposing his pale collarbones and chest. With his legs crossed, he looked faintly languid—nothing like his teacher Juan, who was always impeccably dressed.
After the Wallace Cup ended,
Wallace, as the current Gym Leader, had naturally moved back into the Sootopolis Gym. That had drawn a huge crowd of adoring fans. Thankfully, Officer Jenny and the other officers helped disperse them, preserving the peace around the Gym.
Come to think of it,
Wallace had intended to go outside in his robe to greet his fans and help Officer Jenny persuade them to leave. Baimu had caught him in time and hurriedly stopped him.
Wouldn't going out dressed like that just make things worse?
Of course, Baimu hadn't put it quite so bluntly. He and Wallace weren't that close yet.
Fortunately, Wallace understood how much appeal he had. Once Baimu talked him out of it, he dropped the