Yesterday's Tally
You Yuyou: half a bottle—tipsy; one full bottle—out cold
Tim Wynn: two bottles—dizzy
Auron Vale: four bottles—fine
Jace Rowan: five bottles—fine
Last night the four of them played around until well past ten—maybe even eleven—o'clock.
They cleared every ingredient on the table without wasting a scrap. Of course, Snorlax was the main force; it still wasn't full by the end. It even dug two special Pokéblocks out of Auron's backpack and stuffed them into its mouth before patting its belly with satisfaction.
…
At dawn, Auron was the first to wake.
He gently patted the Victini curled at his side and the Charmander sprawled on top of him, rousing them both.
Last night, Victini and Charmander had a blowout over who got to sleep on Auron's stomach.
But how could Charmander be a match for Victini? The poor lizard got pinned the whole bout and scrubbed across Snorlax's belly like a mop.
At the very end, though, the tables turned.
Charmander used its ultimate technique—tickling. It snuck its claws into Victini's waist, grabbed a handful of soft belly, and wiggled its other paw underneath.
Victini went limp, laughter bursting sky-high.
Only when Victini tapped out—slapping Snorlax's belly in surrender—did Charmander unclench its wicked claws. Then it planted its feet on Snorlax's stomach like a conquering general, looking down at Victini from on high.
And that's how Charmander ultimately secured the right to sleep on Auron's stomach.
As for Auron? He'd nodded off on Snorlax's belly earlier.
They'd booked separate rooms at the inn, and Auron had specifically asked for a big, sturdy bed—for the express purpose of napping on Snorlax's belly.
After getting up, Auron went down the row of rooms and knocked on each door. He didn't wait for them—just headed to the dining hall on his own. Once they woke, they'd come for breakfast anyway.
He ordered a bowl of noodles. The moment the bowl hit the table, You Yuyou arrived.
Seeing Auron, You Yuyou hesitated and approached at a cautious shuffle. A faint blush rose on his face.
"S-sorry," he said. "About last night. I was out of line."
Auron laughed. "What's 'out of line' about having fun? Besides, you weren't out of line with us. No need to apologize to us."
You Yuyou flushed deeper. He knew exactly who he'd been out of line with—and he honestly hadn't expected to do something like that after a few drinks.
Auron waved him down onto the bench and turned to shout toward the kitchen window, utterly unconcerned. "Boss! Another bowl of noodles!"
"Coming right up!"
Order placed, Auron glanced back. "Start with noodles. After drinking, a bowl of noodles hits the spot. If you want anything else, order more."
You Yuyou nodded, voice small. "Mm. This is enough. No need for more."
With him sitting there, Auron felt embarrassed to start eating, so he waited until You Yuyou's bowl arrived so they could dig in together.
Fortunately, the service here was quick. After a couple more lines of small talk, a steaming bowl arrived for You Yuyou.
"Let's eat."
Auron snapped apart a pair of disposable chopsticks and was just about to dive in when Yin Hanling walked in.
Auron sighed. "Seriously? You two timing your entrance?"
Noticing Auron's poised chopsticks, Yin Hanling hid a laugh behind her hand. "Go on, eat. Don't mind me."
"Okay, I'm going in, then."
Auron didn't fuss over the two of them. He was hungry. He picked up his chopsticks and got to work.
You Yuyou, meanwhile, was not so relaxed. He scooted to the end of the long bench and motioned for Yin Hanling to sit.
She didn't hesitate, smiling as she took the spot beside him. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and—right into his bowl—took a bite.
"Mm, not bad. Try it," Yin Hanling said, eyes bright as she nudged the bowl toward him.
You Yuyou didn't move. Instead, he murmured, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect I'd be like that once I started drinking last night. I…"
He didn't get to finish. Yin Hanling leaned in to murmur by his ear, "Honestly? The tipsy you last night… was pretty cute~"
"Pfft—! Cough, cough!"
"You two carry on. I'll, uh, go eat at the next table."
Auron choked, grabbed his bowl, and relocated. First thing in the morning and they were force-feeding him PDA? Did people do this?
Yin Hanling and You Yuyou glanced at Auron shifting away, cheeks pink, but neither seemed inclined to stop.
They shared a bowl of noodles, heads together, trading whispers between bites.
Before long, everyone else trickled in. With the whole group present, they started breakfast in earnest. Auron finished first and immediately began preparing breakfast for the Pokémon who were finally blinking themselves awake.
…
Once both trainers and Pokémon were fed and watered, they were ready to kick off the day's sightseeing plan: first Ning Lake, then Taibai Temple, Leigong Bridge, Lanyun Pool, Guanyun Pavilion—hopping from one spot to the next all day.
"Boom!!"
"Are you kidding me? Going that hard?!"
They had barely stepped out of the farm-stay when the ground-shaking blast hit, followed by a voice like warm sunshine—though the words were hardly polite.
Startled, they all looked toward the source.
On the battle court in front of the inn, two trainers were commanding a Steelix and a Ludicolo.
Judging by Ludicolo's panicked expression, the explosive sound had to be Steelix's [Iron Tail] slamming into the earth after missing, rather than onto Ludicolo.
When Steelix's strike whiffed, it immediately gathered a [Flash Cannon] and fired at Ludicolo.
Ludicolo couldn't evade in time. With no other option, it threw up a transparent barrier.
The [Flash Cannon] slammed into the shield and vanished, like light slipping into a black hole—without raising so much as a ripple on the surface.
With [Protect] holding off Steelix's [Flash Cannon], Ludicolo bristled.
It opened its mouth wide and blasted a thick [Hydro Pump] at Steelix.
For all Steelix's massive frame, it was surprisingly nimble—its serpentine body weaving with a kind of grace.
But really, what was the point? A target that big—how do you miss?
Even twisting and swaying, Steelix couldn't avoid that [Hydro Pump].
Steelix roared in pain. It gave up on trading long-range moves and lunged in to force close-quarters combat.
That rush revealed the trainer who'd been screened behind its body.
Auron blinked. Oh, that explained why a Steelix would show up here—it was Uncle Mo. But what was he doing throwing down with someone at this hour?
He tamped down his curiosity and watched quietly, planning to ask after the match.
Under their gaze, the battle ended fast.
Once Steelix got in close, it was devastation—like a landslide through rotted wood.
It hammered in with [High Horsepower], followed by [Slam]. By the time the final [Hyper Beam] was gathering at its jaws, the opposing trainer threw in the towel. Match over.
Seeing the fight wrap up, Auron stepped forward, about to ask why Uncle Mo was here—
—but Mo Qiancheng strode over with a big grin and slung an arm around his opponent's shoulders.
Serena Elm seemed to recognize them both too. She blurted, "Elite Four Mo?!! What's Dax Jonas doing battling Wang Hechuan here? No wonder Wang Hechuan hasn't released a new song lately. What an irresponsible idol!"
(End of chapter)