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Back at the villa.
Corviknight happened to see Li Xiang walking slowly towards home under an umbrella at the end of the road.
"You're back!" it called out, gently flapping its wings and circling above his head.
"Yeah." Li Xiang responded, then asked, "Why are you flying out in the rain instead of staying home? Getting soaked?"
"Went to Misty Lake!"
Corviknight shouted, folding its wings and landing beside Li Xiang. It hopped along next to him, letting raindrops fall on its body. It walked with its head bobbing up and down, again like a chicken.
This wasn't it trying to be funny; it was just its avian physiology making it move that way.
It looked quite comical.
"Misty Lake? What did you go there for?"
Li Xiang was momentarily stunned.
"To play!"
Corviknight declared righteously. "Lost a battle! Feeling bad!"
Flying out and wandering around when in a bad mood was part of Corviknight's usual routine. Admittedly, overlooking the land from the sky could indeed lift one's spirits.
Of course, it was very unfriendly to those with acrophobia.
Li Xiang couldn't help but laugh. "Lost to who? Riolu?"
Usually, Corviknight's opponent would be Riolu, as the latter wanted to practice battling aerial units.
"Yep!"
Corviknight's voice cracked slightly. It turned its head left and right as if looking for something.
After confirming no one was around, it lowered its voice and said, "I found something good!"
Such a sneaky tone made Li Xiang's heart jump a little. He quickened his pace home.
Corviknight wasn't in a hurry either, hopping along behind him with a very pleased expression.
Inside the house.
Li Xiang put away the umbrella on the rack, took a towel hanging in the entryway, and started wiping the rainwater off Corviknight. "What did you find?"
According to what that driver said earlier, generally, you can't get deep into Misty Lake.
What counts as deep?
Misty Lake covers over 80,000 square kilometers. Two-thirds of that is the periphery where boats can travel and explore. The remaining third is the inaccessible depths.
So, nearly 30,000 square kilometers of Misty Lake are "unknown."
And there aren't any wild Pokémon in those 30,000 square kilometers? Impossible. So there must be some way to get inside.
It was possible, though unlikely, to accidentally fly in through some coincidence. Therefore, he was somewhat anticipating Corviknight's answer.
While enjoying Li Xiang's ministrations, Corviknight shifted its eyes left and right sneakily, successfully attracting the curiosity of the other Pokémon.
Incineroar and the others couldn't help but gather around.
"Hehehe…"
Finding itself the center of attention, the focus of everyone's gaze, it couldn't resist a silly, proud laugh.
Then it got a smack on the head from Li Xiang.
"What are you laughing silly for? Spit it out!"
"Caww…"
Corviknight covered its head with a wing, wronged. It then snorted, puffing out its chest proudly. "I found a very rare Milotic!"
After saying this, it squinted its right eye shut, looking down its nose at Li Xiang with a supremely smug expression, waiting for his praise.
Li Xiang: "...And then?"
"And then?"
Corviknight was stunned, blinking its moist eyes. "No 'and then'? Isn't this news explosive enough?"
It looked at Li Xiang, then at its companions, whose disappointed faces practically screamed "That's it?" as they turned and dispersed. It was rather baffled.
Misty Lake! Milotic!
An incredibly rare and uncommon Pokémon!
Wasn't that explosive enough?
"..." Li Xiang took a deep breath, covered his face, then patted Corviknight's head affectionately. "It's my fault. If I had let you interact with more Psychic-type Pokémon, you probably wouldn't—"
—be this dumb.
He didn't finish the sentence, but Corviknight understood the implication and became furious. "What's wrong with it! Explain clearly!"
It jumped around agitatedly in the entryway. If there were more space, it might have even flapped its wings to cause some damage.
"You found a Milotic. So what? Where is the Milotic?"
Li Xiang lamented, feeling he might have overestimated Corviknight's intelligence level... No, this shouldn't just be an IQ problem.
We already have one iron blockhead at home! Please, not another!
"The Milotic is in Misty Lake."
Corviknight, still not getting it, said bluntly.
"So what does finding it accomplish?" Li Xiang patiently tried to reason with Corviknight.
There was no helping it; this guy was his Pokémon. Even if it was dumb enough to make him want to vomit blood, he had to grit his teeth and accept it.
"Found it, we go catch—"
Corviknight started shouting, but halfway through, it also paused.
"Misty Lake is over 80,000 square kilometers, deep and unfathomable. So, Mr. Corviknight, how do we find one Milotic that you only caught a glimpse of?"
Li Xiang asked softly.
Cold sweat gradually beaded on Corviknight's head.
"Gah, Caww Caww Caww Caww Caww… The weather today is really, really nice! Really nice!"
It laughed evasively, then quickly opened the door and flew out, retreating to its wooden house on the roof to sulk.
Li Xiang looked at the puddle of water on the floor, sighed, and got a mop to clean it up.
"It seems MooMoo Milk still can't be skipped. Might need to add some Six Walnuts too."
"Riolu?"
Riolu, standing in the hallway, looked at him curiously.
"Brain tonic."
Li Xiang waved his hand. Just as he was about to turn and go inside to change and shower, Corviknight came running in from the living room.
"More intel! More intel!"
It wore an expression of unwillingness, as if it had thought about it more in the loft and gotten angrier, unable to hold back.
Losing face like that, if it didn't reclaim its dignity, how could Big Brother Crow maintain his position in the team?
"Let's hear it?"
Li Xiang said, walking inside and taking off his clothes.
Riolu followed behind, catching them. The dog was very diligent, helping with laundry and washing vegetables.
Unlike a certain big, lazy oaf.
Corviknight followed behind, shouting, "On rainy days, the mist contracts!"
"Already know that."
"Misty Lake, can't fly in! Gah!"
"Know that too."
"The Milotic said it has a way! Caww!"
"That— Huh?"
Li Xiang, who was about to close the bathroom door and turn on the hot water, paused. "Has a way for what? What way?"
"To get into the mist! Caww!"
Corviknight yelled.
Li Xiang walked out of the bathroom, serious. "Details!"
Corviknight then recounted its encounter with the Milotic in detail, though there wasn't much to tell.
Its interaction with the Milotic was pitifully brief.
"Dammit! Why did you let it get away? You should have at least asked how to get into the mist!"
Li Xiang softly smacked Corviknight's head, frustrated at its failure to improve.
The latter hung its head, feeling a bit crushed. It had meant to salvage the situation, but ended up making it worse.
"I'll go again—"
"Forget it, it's getting late. If we get it, it's fortune; if not, it's fate. Besides, this isn't the only way to find out."
Li Xiang shook his head. Seeing Corviknight's dejected expression, he reached out and scratched the feathers on its chest.
"Thanks for the effort. Even if the outcome was a bit imperfect, you did a great job gathering information up to that point."
"Caww?"
Corviknight looked up, surprised and delighted.
"What you lack is just a bit more cleverness and caution. But overall, you did pretty well, and I know you meant well."
Li Xiang gently stroked Corviknight's hard beak, pressing his head against its lowered one. "But remember, next time don't act alone rashly. Go on, wait for dinner."
"Caww!"
Corviknight rubbed its armored cheek against Li Xiang, nodded, and happily left.
After all that, it really just wanted praise from Li Xiang. It was super easy to please.
Li Xiang watched its retreating back, not knowing what to say, and gently closed the bathroom door.
Riolu silently stuffed the discarded clothes into the washing machine, then turned and pattered away.
It still had to prepare the ingredients for dinner according to the menu.
...
After a satisfying meal, Li Xiang sat on the sofa, holding Riolu in his arms, leaning against Incineroar's shoulder, scrolling through his contacts.
He wanted to ask Bai Wanhua.
He was just too curious.
If Bai Wanhua wasn't willing to disclose it... well, then he'd have to search for related posts online himself.
After a five-minute conversation, Li Xiang learned that Principal Bai did indeed know the little secret of Misty Lake, but she couldn't explain it to him clearly for now.
At least not until he was in his third year.
Why was that?
"This... involves various reasons, and has some relation to the Ranger Union as well. But don't worry, when the time is necessary, I will definitely tell you."
Bai Wanhua's words were somewhat vague.
What could Li Xiang say? He could only agree.
As for searching online himself... thinking about it, he decided not to risk it. Who knows, the Rangers might come knocking.
Being questioned was a small matter; causing embarrassment and trouble for his mom was a big deal.
Mrs. Yin was speeding fiercely down the path to becoming a Director.
"Sigh..."
Li Xiang sighed, tossed his phone aside casually, bent down, and rested his chin on top of Riolu's head.
"So many mysteries in the world."
He felt he really had quite a fateful connection with these legendary Pokémon.
From Lugia on Qiong Island, Ho-Oh at Ho-Oh Temple, to the Ultra Beasts from the Ultra Wormhole, Rayquaza at the Sky Pillar, the sudden appearance of Suicune.
Not long ago, it was the Wishing Star Jirachi, and now this area suspected to be created by the Temporal and Spatial duo.
His luck was really something else.
For others, they might never encounter these special beings directly or indirectly in their entire lives.
It's just that every time he actually met them face-to-face, it was potentially life-threatening.
Remembering Buzzwole and Suicune, Li Xiang couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Looking out the window at Misty Lake again, the initial curiosity drifted away with the wind.
'Trades that cost lives are not for us.'
Others lose wealth seeing legendaries; he loses his life seeing legendaries.
On another note, Li Xiang took out the ring from inside his collar. This thing in his hand was one way to obtain Mega Evolution.
Xu Dongran, Xu Wan's father, had told him to wait until his entire team was at least level 60 before challenging the Sky Pillar and undertaking the Dragon God trial.
Level 60 was probably only two or three years away for him now, four years at most.
"Mega Evolution... facing Legendaries again."
Li Xiang murmured. The Riolu in his arms also stared fixedly at the ring.
This thing was its hope for becoming stronger.
Incineroar, sitting to the side, glanced at the ring, then at Riolu, and snorted derisively.
'Brother Incineroar never needs any external help.'