It was evening.
Baimu turned down Acerola's invitation to dinner.
He had a feeling eating at the same table as Nanu would be awkward.
And after that trial, he probably wouldn't be able to leave Melemele Island for the next few days. He sent a message to Gladion, who had been coming by every morning to challenge him.
"Got it."
The edgy teenager's reply was as brief as ever.
Baimu didn't know whether Gladion's constant battles with him would affect the Manalo Conference later. What if Gladion ended up beating Ash instead?
Probably not?
Now Baimu was curious about how the Masters Eight had turned out, too. If only he'd crossed over a little later—at least then he could have seen what happened in the final!
He could have played Pokémon Scarlet and Violet while he was at it and found out what was going on with the Cover Gods...
He'd been here nearly two years, yet there wasn't a scrap of news online about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's two gods or the Paradox Pokémon. Even the one Great Tusk he'd seen was called the Quaking Earth Titan, as though the trailer he'd watched had been fan-made.
They'd kept it well hidden!
Still grumbling to himself, Baimu arrived at the inn his Porygon Phone had booked in advance.
"Welcome!"
The dark-skinned innkeeper knelt in a kimono to greet him. A normal-sized Lurantis stood beside her, both of them smiling politely.
Johto style was Japanese style. No question about it.
His room had standard tatami flooring, with a thin folding screen separating the sitting area from the bedroom. Beyond the balcony facing the entrance lay Ula'ula Island's famous Malie Garden.
"Tourism brings in serious money!"
Baimu was amazed.
Malie City felt like a second home for people from Johto.
Plenty of