Chapter 106: They Hugged Each Other Happily
Having already passed through the Cave once, when Bai Feng brought Calyrex through this time, the Noivern and Noibat didn't block their path again. Instead, they readily let the two pass.
When Grandma Meipulu saw Bai Feng arrive again, surprise appeared on her face. She then looked at Calyrex beside Bai Feng and suddenly said sternly:
"Young man, you wouldn't just find someone random to fob me off, would you?"
Hearing Grandma Meipulu's words, a clear look of panic appeared on Calyrex's face, afraid of leaving a bad first impression on Grandma Meipulu.
Bai Feng quickly said, "How could I dare? Whether you approve in the end is still your decision, isn't it? If you don't approve, what would be the point of me finding just anyone?"
Hearing this, the kind expression returned to Grandma Meipulu's face. She looked at Calyrex and said, "Little girl, you should know why you've come here today, right?"
Calyrex took a deep breath and said, "I... I know. I will prove that I am suitable to become your disciple." Being in such close proximity to her idol, Calyrex was actually extremely nervous.
Grandma Meipulu nodded in satisfaction. "Very good, you're a confident girl. I like confident people. What's your name, little girl?"
"My name is Calyrex," Calyrex replied, trying her best to remain calm.
"Alright, Calyrex." Grandma Meipulu turned around. "Follow me."
Led by Grandma Meipulu, Calyrex and Bai Feng were brought to a patch of grassland. Grandma Meipulu picked up a wooden whistle hanging around her neck and blew it hard.
"Chirp~"
A soft chirp sounded, and an Altaria slowly descended in front of the three of them.
The Altaria affectionately rubbed its head against Grandma Meipulu, and Grandma Meipulu gently stroked its neck.
"Alright, alright, don't always act spoiled. Can't you see we have guests?"
"Calyrex, have a battle with Altaria," Grandma Meipulu said, turning to Calyrex after affectionately interacting with Altaria for a moment.
"Yes!" Calyrex said with a serious expression. Although she was about to battle a Champion's Pokémon, she wasn't afraid at all.
Grandma Meipulu nodded in satisfaction. "Then let's begin!"
"Chirp!"
Altaria chirped softly, flapped its wings, and flew to the center of the grassland, looking at Calyrex with a ready-to-go expression.
Calyrex walked over with a determined look. With a flash of red light, Gardevoir appeared opposite Altaria.
"Gardevoir~"
Gardevoir's expression was exactly like its Pokémon Trainer's.
"Chirp~ Chirp."
Altaria gently flapped its wings and confidently called out to Calyrex and Gardevoir twice.
Seeing this, Bai Feng reminded Calyrex, "Calyrex, Altaria is letting you go first."
Grandma Meipulu glanced at Bai Feng in surprise upon hearing this. "You can actually understand Pokémon Language." No wonder she had felt before that this young man got along with Pokémon with unusual understanding; the root was here.
"Yes, I can understand a little," Bai Feng replied with a smile.
Grandma Meipulu just nodded and didn't say anything more.
Calyrex, upon hearing Bai Feng's hint, didn't hesitate. She was facing a Pokémon belonging to a Pokémon League Champion and couldn't afford to be careless in the slightest.
"Gardevoir, Imprison!"
As Calyrex's voice rang out, a red light suddenly flashed in Gardevoir's eyes, followed by a similar red light flashing over Altaria.
The effect of Imprison is that if the opponent has the same move as the user, only the opponent cannot use that move.
Although Altaria is a Dragon type and Flying type Pokémon, it can learn many powerful Fairy-type moves. Gardevoir's move essentially sealed all of its Fairy-type moves.
This is because Gardevoir basically knows all the Fairy-type moves that Altaria can learn.
At the same time, facing the Fairy type Gardevoir, all of Altaria's Dragon-type moves would also be ineffective.
Altaria, with its rich battle experience, instantly understood Calyrex's plan, but it still looked relaxed and at ease.
"Chirp~"
Altaria gently flapped its wings, looking down at Gardevoir from above. The next second, its aura suddenly became violent, and it turned into an afterimage, rushing towards Gardevoir.
Calyrex was shocked and quickly shouted, "Gardevoir, dodge quickly!"
With a "Boom," a large pit appeared on the green grassland. Flying soil exploded beneath Altaria's feet.
Altaria used the Flying type move, Aerial Ace.
Fortunately, Gardevoir's reaction speed was fast, and it managed to dodge in time using Teleport.
Gardevoir's figure flickered rapidly, and suddenly more than a dozen identical Gardevoir appeared around Altaria, surrounding it completely.
This was Double Team.
"Gardevoir, Growl!"
All the Gardevoir suddenly let out piercing Growls. The Growls echoed among the dozen or so Gardevoir, making it impossible for Altaria to distinguish the real one.
Growl can lower the opponent's Attack, but this effect was just a bonus for Calyrex.
"Chirp~"
Probably annoyed by Gardevoir's Growls, Altaria roared irritably, then opened its mouth and swept out a blue beam.
All of Gardevoir's illusions disappeared under Altaria's Ice Beam.
But the next second, as Gardevoir's figure flickered again, the illusions reappeared.
It must be said that the Teleport move is really useful, but it consumes a bit too much energy. Gardevoir had only used it twice and was already slightly panting.
"Gardevoir, Confide."
Calyrex's voice rang out again. Gardevoir's lips began to move rapidly, and countless dense words of harassment sounded in Altaria's ears.
These words were even enhanced with psychic energy. Besides Altaria on the field, Bai Feng and Grandma Meipulu, and even Calyrex, didn't know what Gardevoir was saying.
Altaria felt as if countless bugs were buzzing incessantly in its ears. Its head was about to explode.
"Chirp!!!"
Altaria began to roar, becoming agitated, furious, and losing its mind. It actually opened its mouth and swept out a Dragon Pulse, but Gardevoir is immune to Dragon-type moves.
In the center of the smoke created by the explosion, Gardevoir stood there unharmed.
The effect of Confide is to lower the opponent's Special Attack, but it also has a hidden effect: it lowers the opponent's concentration.
This was the effect Calyrex wanted, including the previous use of Growl; the purpose was also this.
No one noticed that from the very beginning, an almost imperceptible purple light had been flickering in Gardevoir's eyes.
Suddenly, the roaring Altaria stopped moving. All its agitation and anger disappeared. Its eyes became dull and lifeless.
Seeing this scene, Calyrex smiled.
Bai Feng, on the other hand, looked puzzled.
It was Grandma Meipulu who explained, "It's Hypnosis."
Bai Feng suddenly understood upon hearing this.
The success rate of Hypnosis is not high, especially when there is a huge strength gap between Gardevoir and Altaria. Therefore, to land Hypnosis, one must find another way.
All the distractions Calyrex created were in preparation for Hypnosis.
As for why Calyrex chose to use the Hypnosis move, it was because she deeply understood the huge gap between Gardevoir and Altaria.
Under normal circumstances, Gardevoir would absolutely not be able to win, even if Gardevoir had a Type advantage, and even if Altaria had tried its best to suppress its strength.
Seeing Hypnosis successfully land, Calyrex finally smiled. It was time to start the attack!
"Gardevoir, Moonblast!"
"Gardevoir!"
All of Gardevoir's illusions disappeared, and a full moon appeared behind the real Gardevoir. The next second, a thick silver beam was controlled by Gardevoir and shot towards Altaria.
Boom!!!
With a loud noise, Altaria's figure was swallowed by the smoke.
But the next second, the smile on Calyrex's face disappeared.
"Chirp!!!"
The smoke suddenly exploded, and after a long cry, Altaria soared into the sky from within. It stared angrily at Gardevoir and Calyrex below, as if it would burn them to ashes with Flamethrower the next second.
At this moment, both Calyrex and Gardevoir felt as if they were locked onto by something terrifying. A chill couldn't help but rise in their hearts.
Gardevoir's full-power attack hadn't caused much damage to Altaria and had even woken up the Altaria controlled by Hypnosis...
This result did not meet Calyrex's expectations.
Clap, clap, clap!
At this moment, Grandma Meipulu clapped her hands.
"Alright, that's enough."
Hearing Grandma Meipulu's words, the aura around Altaria suddenly dissipated. Its previous anger completely vanished, and it landed beside Grandma Meipulu with a wronged expression, constantly cajoling her.
"Alright, alright, who can you blame but yourself for not paying attention?" Grandma Meipulu patted Altaria's neck dotingly.
Calyrex and Gardevoir both let out long sighs of relief at this moment. The Altaria just now was truly terrifying.
"Go play." After comforting Altaria, Grandma Meipulu waved her hand, and Altaria flew back into the high sky and disappeared.
"Little girl, come here."
Grandma Meipulu beckoned to Calyrex. Calyrex obediently walked to her side with Gardevoir.
"Not bad."
Grandma Meipulu praised Calyrex with a smile.
Because Calyrex hadn't taken the test from the Noivern in the Cave, she had wanted to test Calyrex's strength. She hadn't expected Calyrex's performance to exceed her expectations.
Although Grandma Meipulu didn't particularly value talent, she didn't have any requirements at all. At least in terms of talent, the little girl in front of her was completely qualified.
Hearing Grandma Meipulu's praise, a bright smile bloomed on Calyrex's face. Although the praise was only two words, she was already very satisfied.
"You come with me," Grandma Meipulu said to Calyrex again.
The strength measurement was just the first step. Whether Calyrex could become Grandma Meipulu's disciple still required further tests.
Just as Grandma Meipulu had told Bai Feng before, talent wasn't the most important thing; what mattered was whether the test-taker and Grandma Meipulu could get along.
Bai Feng and Calyrex followed Grandma Meipulu all the way back home. But just as Bai Feng was about to follow them inside, Grandma Meipulu suddenly turned back and said:
"You don't need to come in."
Uh...
Bai Feng looked depressed. Why? It wasn't anything secretive, why wouldn't she let him in?
Bai Feng really wanted to see how Grandma Meipulu would continue to test Calyrex. He wasn't trying to watch the show; he simply wanted to know the result as soon as possible.
Mawile, who was right behind Grandma Meipulu, directly blocked the doorway, glaring at Bai Feng with an expression that said, "If you dare come in, I'll bash you."
"Alright, alright, I won't go in, okay?"
Bai Feng quickly waved his hands and retreated outside the door.
At this moment, Lurantis walked over. It smiled and beckoned to Bai Feng, inviting him to the backyard. There was a fruit tree here, with a table and chairs underneath, which seemed to be where Grandma Meipulu usually spent time.
Lurantis invited Bai Feng to sit down, brought him a plate of fruit, and brewed a cup of tea with a rich aroma.
"La la~ La la~ La~" Please sit here and wait. You can do whatever you like, or you can chat with me.
Bai Feng was moved by the gentle Lurantis. Compared to Mawile, Lurantis was simply a little angel!
Bai Feng sat in the backyard for about three hours before Lurantis notified him that Grandma Meipulu and Calyrex had come out.
Bai Feng quickly ran over, only to see Calyrex sitting expressionlessly on the steps in front of the door. His heart couldn't help but sink.
"What's wrong? Didn't it succeed?" Bai Feng asked cautiously, afraid of accidentally making Calyrex cry.
Calyrex looked up at Bai Feng blankly, then a bright smile suddenly bloomed on her face. She then "whooshed" up and gave Bai Feng a big hug.
"Bai Feng! I succeeded! I became Champion Meipulu's disciple!"
"Really?" Bai Feng said in surprise.
"Really, really!" Calyrex bounced excitedly while hugging Bai Feng. She was already a bit taller than Bai Feng, and with all the bouncing, she almost made Bai Feng dizzy.
"That's great!!!"
Bai Feng was equally excited. Calyrex's success meant he could get the Ancient Crown.
At this moment, Grandma Meipulu walked out of the house. She glanced at the two of them and said, "What are you two doing there? Hurry up and come in for lunch!"
Bai Feng and Calyrex were like a pair of startled little rabbits. They quickly let go of each other. They checked the time and, sure enough, it was already time for lunch.
Lunch was still made by Grandma Meipulu. This time, Bai Feng felt much more relaxed while eating.
Having gained a beloved disciple, Grandma Meipulu's rules became more relaxed, making Bai Feng inwardly call her biased. A disciple was a precious treasure, while everyone else was just roadside grass.
Grandma Meipulu: And why not?
After lunch, Grandma Meipulu proactively asked Bai Feng, "You said before that you wanted my help. What matter is it?"
"I heard you have an Ancient Crown, I'd like to..."
Bai Feng told Grandma Meipulu about Hatterene and asked her to give him the Ancient Crown.
"Whatever your requirements are, I can agree to them, as long as you are willing to give me the Ancient Crown," Bai Feng said sincerely.
Grandma Meipulu suddenly understood. "So you wanted this thing." No wonder she had felt something was off when she looked at that young man's Hatterene before.
After speaking, she got up and walked into the bedroom. After a while, she came out holding a brocade box.
"This thing is just a collector's item to me. Since you have fulfilled the agreement and helped me find a disciple, it is yours. I have no other requirements."
"Thank you so much."
Bai Feng quickly took the brocade box and eagerly opened it. Inside, sure enough, lay a palm-sized silver crown. The crown was inlaid with red gems, like an exquisite work of art.
At the same time, Bai Feng also sensed a faint, mysterious power emanating from it. It was probably because of this unknown power that it could help Hatterene suppress its psychic energy.
Now that he had obtained the Ancient Crown, Bai Feng immediately released Hatterene.
"Hatterene, look, I've got the Ancient Crown. You don't have to worry now."
As long as he got the Ancient Crown and successfully suppressed Hatterene's psychic energy, then finding an item to accelerate the accumulation of Fairy-type energy wouldn't be so urgent.
"Hatterene~ Hatterene~"
Hatterene expressed its gratitude to Bai Feng with teary eyes. It had silently remembered all the efforts Bai Feng had made to treat it.
"I'll put it on for you," Bai Feng said.
"Hatterene~"
Hatterene nodded.
Bai Feng placed the Ancient Crown on Hatterene's witch hat. The crown sat around the tip of the witch hat like a decorative ring, giving Hatterene a touch of nobility.
"It looks great," Bai Feng praised sincerely.
"Hatterene~"
Hatterene smiled shyly. The moment it put on the Ancient Crown, it felt its head suddenly become much clearer.
Before, although it looked fine, its brain always felt a bit muddled, and it couldn't concentrate.
Now that feeling had completely disappeared.
(End of Chapter)