A pure-white helicopter descended slowly onto Lillie's family helipad, its rotors stirring warm air into lazy spirals. James had already received word and stood waiting with Lillie, both dressed in the subdued, practiced calm of those accustomed to sudden arrivals.
The cabin door opened, and a woman stepped out—long hair like spun gold, posture flawless, an aura of quiet command that made the world feel a degree smaller when she moved.
"Welcome home, Mother," Lillie murmured, running forward.
Lusamine folded her daughter into a fierce, overjoyed embrace, fingers buried in Lillie's hair in a way that was almost rough with affection.
"My baby," she cooed, teasing, "have you been good while I was away?"
Lillie squirmed. At twenty-odd, she was no child, but a mother's affection could make anyone feel embarrassingly small. She pushed a few inches back, cheeks pink with polite protest.
"Mother! I'm practically an adult now."
Lusamine laughed and squeezed her again, delighted, her touch like a velvet-thorn hedge. Then, mischievous as a noblewoman with time to play, she peered over Lillie's head with a conspiratorial smile.
"So where is this little boyfriend of yours? I didn't see him arrive."
Color rushed to Lillie's face like sunlight, and she fumbled for denial.
"W-what boyfriend? Mother, don't be silly! Mr. Bai only saved me—he's nothing more than a dear friend."
Lusamine's smile widened; the joke was not one she'd let die.
"A hero saving a maiden—if I were in your shoes, I'd be tempted too."
Lillie scowled and jabbed her mother with a glare sharp as a thorn. Lusamine meant no harm; she simply loved to tease.
James stepped forward with a tight smile.
"Mr. Bai finished his special training last night and is currently taking a bath. He should be out shortly."
Lusamine's eyes lit.
"A whole night of training? How admirable—truly a mutual effort."
She laughed, but beneath the teasing, something steady and appraising lurked—Lusamine had noticed more than the romance. She had come home not just to see her daughter, but to see the strange new presence who'd appeared at their doorstep.
They moved into the drawing room and settled. Lusamine, curious and quick, folded her hands delicately and asked the questions that needed asking.
"So this Mr. Bai—he has an unheard-of Pokémon, you say?"
"Yes," Lillie answered quickly. "It's called Nergigante."
The name slid across Lusamine's lips like a small, dangerous thing. It did not sound like a normal Pokémon name. James had already shown her photographs—the black scales, the obsidian spines, the kind of anatomy that belonged to something born of older, harsher worlds.
Lusamine's practiced composure flickered with more than interest—there was a hunter's spark in her eyes. To her, such a specimen read like a map: unusual origin, uncanny power, possible ties to realms beyond the ordinary. An Ultra Beast? She wondered briefly, and the thought made her pulse quicken. Those were the curiosities she'd lived for.
They waited in genteel conversation until the bath was done. Bai Chen arrived with the easy gait of someone used to carrying weight—both literal and figurative. Lusamine rose and greeted him with a smile that was all welcome and appraisal.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Lusamine, Lillie's mother. Call me 'Mother' if you must," she said, half teasing.
Bai Chen offered a brief, courteous bow.
"White Chen. Glad to meet you."
When Lusamine leaned forward, the scent of an expensive perfume trailed her like a flag. Her next request came softly but directly.
"May I see your Pokémon?"
Bai Chen had expected the question and answered before she finished the thought.
"Of course."
He whistled once, and Nergigante unfolded herself from the rooftop—black, low, and coiled like a blade at the ready. At first sight, Lusamine's eyes sharpen, and the smile on her face refined into a look of careful appraisal. She could tell, with the experience of one who'd seen oddities the world over, that this creature was no ordinary regional species.
She stepped forward instinctively—and Bai Chen's hand rose.
"Please be cautious. She's not usually comfortable with strangers."
Lusamine, amused, accepted the boundary and kept a respectful distance of three or four meters. From her bag, she produced a measuring device—something like a thermometer gun—and swept it slowly over the dragon's flank. The readout stayed steady, unblinking.
"Hm." She withdrew the device, lips pursed. "No exotic energy signatures. Not an Ultra Beast." A note of disappointment softened the edge of her voice.
Bai Chen watched everything with a quiet mind. This Lusamine was the animated-series Lusamine: showy, curious, and unafraid. If she'd been the more ruthless game version of the woman, he thought wryly, he and Nergigante might not still be here to chat.
He cleared his throat.
"So, the job assessment—what will the test be?"
Lusamine tapped her chin, eyes bright.
"Frankly, dear, I'm simply curious why my daughter would call me and ask for a bodyguard. I've seen you fight. I've seen your dragon. But before I hire you… I'd like to test you properly."
Her gaze flicked to Nergigante, delight and calculation mixing in equal measure.
"A Pokémon battle. It will tell me a lot—about your temperament, your control, and whether you can keep danger from my daughter."
Bai Chen smiled and inclined his head.
"Very well. I accept."
They strolled to the back arena together. Lusamine produced a Poké Ball from her pocket and tossed it with that effortless flair of a practiced trainer.
"Kumaboom—go!"
A huge pink bear bounded free and stood on all fours: soft fur, deceptively harmless eyes, and a posture that made the word "plush" feel like a weapon. It was Bewear—sweet-faced but a living wall of mass and power.
Bai Chen shifted, ready to step into the ring. Lusamine's hand flew up.
"You—are you going in yourself?" she asked sharply.
"Is that a problem?" Bai Chen replied, puzzled. "I can fight."
Lusamine looked torn, brows knitted.
"This is a Pokémon battle," she said. "It's risky. If you get hurt—Lillie will never forgive me."
Bai Chen's jaw ticked.
"But I'm the one applying for the bodyguard job, not Nergigante."
Lusamine's difficulty softened into amusement. She read the firmness in his posture—he would not be bullied off his ground.
Bai Chen held up the bond stone at his hip and smiled.
"Strictly speaking, I'm a knight. I fight with my dragon at my side. If we battle together, it should be fair."
That little clarification—made with a casual flick of the wrist—shifted something in Lusamine's expression. She laughed softly and conceded.
"Very well. But be careful; my Pokémon is—strong."
Bai Chen's system overlay pulsed as he scanned Bewear's attributes: Level 41. Not an opponent for him alone. Not even for Nergigante at her current level, if handled poorly.
He let the number settle in his mind. Forty-one. That was no casual spar—this was a trial by fire.
At the far edge of the arena, Lillie watched, cheeks flushed with pride and nerves. Lusamine, composed, gave a single graceful nod. James hovered by with the quiet concern of someone used to smoothing crises before they began.
Bai Chen drew a breath, felt the familiar hum of Spirit Blade breathing settle in his chest. Nergigante flexed, but stayed by his side—coiled, patient, dangerous.
"Then let's begin," he said.
The arena held its breath with them. Outside, the world carried on—planes, people, errands—but here, for a moment, everything narrowed to the two combatants and the thin line between protector and provider.
The first clash would tell the story; the second, perhaps, would define the rest of Bai Chen's days in this world.
(And yes—about Lillie: canonically she's set at seventeen, soon eighteen. For those enjoying the story, keep following—there's more to come.)
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