Juan and Lisia had both arrived that morning.
Although they were only responsible for the opening ceremony, this was no routine assignment. They intended to watch until the end.
"I'm going to wash up."
Baimu hurried into the bathroom.
Before long,
as the other Pokémon in the house woke one by one, the living room grew lively.
The more outgoing ones gathered around the visitors, including Shiny Milotic, Shiny Gengar, and the Dreepy Siblings.
Juan stroked the fine scales on Milotic's tail and checked the mucus coating her sleek body. "You've mastered it, Baimu!" he said approvingly.
The Sootopolis Gym Ancestral Milotic Breeding Art!
In the past, Sootopolis Gym had favored neither eldest nor youngest. Whoever among its disciples raised the best Milotic would become the next Gym Leader.
Having trained two outstanding Milotic trainers, Juan could hold his head high before the Gym's predecessors.
It was just the matter of who would become Gym Leader...
Forget it.
He couldn't dwell on it. Worrying too much caused hair loss and ruined the skin.
As a legendary Coordinator renowned for his "delicate beauty," Juan held both his Pokémon and himself to high standards of appearance.
"Meow~"
"Hmm?"
He looked down and saw Alolan Meowth gazing up at him ingratiatingly. Its soft, pale-gray fur drew a smile from him. "Lovely coat!"
The first signs of an Alolan Persian's finest fur were already visible in its Meowth stage.
Hearing Juan mention it, Alolan Meowth looked immensely proud.
"Meow!"
Beauty salons truly were humanity's greatest invention. After only two visits, its coat had gained several levels of luster.
By the time Baimu came out of the bathroom,
Lisia, Altaria, and Gengar were fighting over potato chips, while Juan sipped coffee and stroked Meowth's back.
The latter lay obediently across his lap.
You little schemer!