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Night had fallen.
Liam stood in his room and opened the PokeBall in his hand.
Ding~
With a soft sound, a Kirlia appeared before him—green hair, slender legs, a lean body, and sharp, somewhat wary eyes.
"Kirlia?"
As soon as it appeared, Kirlia looked around in surprise before finally fixing its gaze on Liam.
"Hello, Kirlia. I'm Liam—your new trainer. I hope we can work well together from now on. Nice to meet you."
As soon as Kirlia appeared, Liam crouched down with a smile and reached out, intending to pat its head, but—
Smack!
With a crisp sound, Liam looked at his hand that had just been slapped away, a wry smile forming on his face.
"What a troublesome Pokémon… Let me take a look at your stats first."
Muttering to himself, Liam activated his scan.
.....
[Ding!]
Pokemon: Kirlia
Type: Psychic/Fairy type
Species: Emotion Pokémon The evolved form of Ralts. It possesses the same ability to sense its trainer's emotions through the horn on its head. It has powerful psychic abilities, which can surge dramatically when its emotions fluctuate intensely.
Ability: Synchronize
Nature: Adamant
Gender: Male
Moves:Growl, Confusion, Teleport, Double Team, Magical Leaf, Lucky Chant, Imprison
Egg Move:Mean Look
TM Moves: None
Base Stats: Total 278
HP: 30/38
Attack: 66/35
Defense: 35 Sp. Atk: 34/65
Sp. Def: 55
Speed: 58/50
Evaluation: Excellent? Although it has maxed base stat potential, its development direction is rather strange. Could this be the legendary "mage who wants to fight in melee"? Whether to train it is up to the host.
...….
Liam: "…"
Looking at Kirlia's stats, Liam was momentarily stunned. The situation felt oddly familiar.
He had seen Pokémon like this before—ones whose strengths deviated from their usual specialization. His own Nidoking was a prime example.
Clearly a physical attacker by nature, yet due to Liam's training methods and move selection, it had become more like a spellcaster…
But now, seeing the opposite—a true "mage" going down the physical attack route—was something else entirely.
Did all mages secretly dream of close combat?
Kirlia's Attack was far higher than its Special Attack, and its Speed exceeded normal levels. For a Pokémon that barely had any physical moves, this was a serious flaw.
In another trainer's hands, such a Kirlia might be abandoned or left unused.
But in Liam's hands—
"Kirlia, do you like battling?"
Liam continued to ask with a gentle smile.
"Kirlia? …Kirlia!"
Kirlia hesitated slightly at first, then nodded in response.
"Hehe, that's good. I like battling too. Since we share the same interest… can we be friends?"
Liam extended his hand again.
Smack!
Another merciless slap.
"Kirlia!"
"Ugh… what a stubborn Pokémon…"
Liam shook his stinging hand, then glanced out the window—the sky had gone completely dark.
"It's about time. I should get moving. Come back for now, Kirlia."
He stood up and recalled Kirlia into its PokeBall.
Then Liam changed into a set of black clothes. After getting ready, he opened the door, checked that no one was around, and quietly headed toward Flannery's grandfather's room.
The night was deep and silent.
Moving swiftly, Liam soon arrived at the wooden building where the old man lived. As mentioned before, the structures here were mostly traditional wooden houses, making it easy for him to locate the correct room.
He then slipped a prepared note through the gap under the door.
Just as he was about to leave—
"Hehe, you could've just spoken directly. Why go through all this trouble?"
A voice came from inside. The door opened, revealing the old man sitting cross-legged at the entrance, fully dressed, smiling faintly at Liam.
"Sigh… I knew the Champion would go investigate the mountain personally. So I waited here early, expecting someone to report that you had gone up. But I didn't expect you'd even leave me a message. Hehe… it seems the Champion holds this old man in some regard. For that, I thank you."
He bowed slightly, then continued.
"Now, to business. Must you really go investigate Mt. Chimney? Even at night, security on the mountain will be tight. Aren't you worried this might interfere with our plan?"
The old man sighed again, his expression serious.
"I have a bad feeling about this. Something feels off, and I can't ignore it. Since the other Gym Leaders will arrive tomorrow, this is the perfect chance for me to scout ahead and gather information. It'll help with tomorrow's operation. Don't worry—I have my own concealment methods. I won't be discovered."
Liam spoke firmly—he had already made up his mind.
"…Sigh. You're not from Hoenn, so I can't really stop you. If you insist on going, then go. I won't hold you back."
The old man waved his hand helplessly.
"You're too kind. I'll be careful. I'll return as soon as I've gathered the necessary information. It won't affect tomorrow's plan. I'll take my leave now."
Liam nodded, then quickly turned and left.
"…Sigh."
The old man watched him go, saying nothing more—only letting out a long, helpless sigh.
...….
Mt. Chimney lay to the north of Lavaridge Town, its base bordering the town itself.
Wrapped in a black cloak, Liam moved swiftly through the night. Before long, he reached the foot of Mt. Chimney, near the main path leading upward.
"Alright… this is the place. Come out, Zorua!"
"Chi chi~"
Standing at the base of the pitch-black mountain, Liam smiled slightly and released Lulu.
"Lulu, I'm about to head up the mountain. I need you to use your illusion abilities to conceal me completely. I can't let anyone notice me. Got it?"
"Chi? Chi chi!!"
Lulu nodded eagerly—but then suddenly paused. Sniffing the air, it seemed to detect something. It quickly turned toward a nearby patch of grass, letting out an excited cry.
"…Hm? Who's there?"
Liam's expression sharpened instantly. He turned toward the bushes and called out coldly.
"Hehe.. You found me.. That's a little embarrassing~"
After his words, a figure dressed entirely in black slowly stood up from the grass—it was Lorelei.
With a slightly awkward smile, she quickly ran over to Liam, looking not embarrassed at all.
Liam: "…"