Under Ange's feeding, Mew eventually lay down on the cloth Ange had spread out, its belly round and bulging.
Mew mew~ So... so full~
At this point, Mew was so stuffed that it could no longer move.
"Mew, can you listen to me now?" Ange asked with a smile.
Mew mew~
Mew looked at Ange with a puzzled expression.
"I would like some leaves from the Tree of Beginning," Ange said. "Can you take me there to pick some?"
Upon hearing this, Mew immediately shook its head.
"It is not possible?" Ange looked disappointed when he heard the response.
However, Mew subsequently added: Mew mew~ But I can pick some and bring them to you as a gift.
Ange's face lit up with joy. Whether he actually went to the Tree of Beginning was not important, as long as he could obtain the leaves.
"That is wonderful. Once you have picked the leaves, can we meet at the place where we first met?"
Mew mew~
Mew nodded and agreed to the arrangement.
Mew rested on the cloth for a while, and by the time Ange looked back, it had already vanished.
Since he had met Mew and achieved his goal, Ange did not linger elsewhere in the palace. After saying goodbye to the Pokémon in the attic, he led Pawmo back to the arena.
Because Lila was using an illusion to impersonate Ange in the competition, he could not show his face openly.
He quietly moved to the spectator stands and found that the competition was nearing its end. Furthermore, Lila had actually helped him fight all the way to the grand finals.
Currently, the person facing Lila on the field was Aria.
This time, the Pokémon Aria used was no longer Absol, but a female Meowstic.
The strength of that Meowstic was not even equal to Absol, so it naturally lost to Lila without any surprises.
The moment Lila won, the crowd outside erupted into thunderous cheers.
Meanwhile, Ange pressed his hand to his forehead in distress.
Lila, oh Lila, why did you have to win? Wouldn't it have been better to just fight a bit and then run away?
After the competition ended, the palace would host a grand banquet for all the finalists. During the banquet, the winner would be granted the title of "Aura Hero" and presented with the Hero's Staff.
Of course, the staff was only held temporarily by the winner and had to be returned once the banquet concluded.
Surrounded by a large crowd, Lila and the phantom Ange were led to a banquet hall.
The banquet officially began.
This event was set to last until evening.
Ange blended into the crowd, hiding his face with his hat, and followed everyone into the banquet hall.
As soon as they entered, Pawmo went wild with joy because the tables were covered with delicious food and drinks.
Ange did not restrain Pawmo, allowing it to weave through the sea of delicacies.
Lila and the phantom Ange were led to the very front of the hall. Before long, Her Majesty appeared, accompanied by a Mime Jr.
The moment the Queen appeared, everyone fell silent.
Queen Ilene stepped forward and spoke, "Hello everyone. I am Ilene, the ruler of Cameran Palace and the Queen of this country. I am very happy that you could all attend this Aura Hero festival. After a fierce competition, this year's Aura Hero has finally emerged."
As she spoke, Queen Ilene took the Hero's Staff from an attendant and presented it to the phantom Ange.
"This Hero's Staff can only be held by the one who earns the title of Hero through victory in battle. Please cherish it well."
Lila controlled its psychic powers to take the staff and did its best to mimic Ange's voice, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Once the presentation ceremony ended, Queen Ilene said, "From now on, everyone please enjoy the banquet to your heart's content."
Hearing this, the guests began to mingle freely, dancing and eating. Only Lila, the winner, had to sit at the front like a mascot.
Sensing Ange's arrival, Lila wanted to switch identities back with him, but the Queen's personal maid stopped it.
"That will not do. The Hero must remain here properly."
Lila suddenly felt a bit of regret for winning the match.
Suddenly, it had a brilliant idea. "I need to use the restroom. Is that not allowed either?"
The maid looked hesitant upon hearing this.
Lila controlled the phantom Ange to clutch its stomach and stomp its feet. "I can't... I can't hold it in much longer!"
Below, Ange watched with gritted teeth. This Lila was actually making him do such embarrassing movements.
Ultimately, the maid had no choice but to agree. She couldn't very well let the Hero ruin his trousers!
Seeing this, Ange hurried into the banquet hall's restroom ahead of time. Once Lila arrived, they immediately swapped identities.
The maid, meanwhile, held the Hero's Staff for Lila and stood guard at the restroom door.
When Ange stepped out, he naturally took the Hero's Staff from the maid's hand.
However, the moment he touched the staff, something unexpected happened. The crystal at the top of the staff suddenly erupted with a brilliant light.
The light flickered for a moment and then vanished.
The maid looked at Ange in shock and said, "Lord Hero... you are... you are..."
"What is wrong with me?" Ange asked with a confused look.
"This will not do. I must inform Her Majesty." With that, the maid suddenly ran off.
Ange was completely baffled as he held the staff and returned to the banquet hall with Lila.
He had just reached the hall when he saw Queen Ilene walking over hurriedly.
"Mr. Ange, I heard the Hero's Staff glowed in your hands just now, is that correct?"
Ange nodded. "That is true. Is there some significance to the staff glowing?"
Queen Ilene said with delight, "Besides enhancing the Aura power of an Aura Hero, the Hero's Staff also has the function of identifying those who have the potential to become one."
She then added, "I am referring to an Aura Hero who possesses the Power of Aura, not just the kind chosen through battle."
"So that is how it is..." Ange realized.
Queen Ilene asked curiously, "Mr. Ange, you possess the qualities to be an Aura Hero. Are you not happy at all?"
Ange replied, "I already knew I possessed the Power of Aura!"
Now it was Queen Ilene's turn to be surprised. "You knew, Mr. Ange?"
Ange nodded. "Of course. I have been practicing my Aura cultivation. Part of the reason I came to Cameran Palace was because I knew the legend of the Aura Hero was passed down here."
This was not a lie. Although his main goal was to find Mew, a small part of him was indeed interested in the legends. Being an Aura practitioner himself, it was not strange for him to be curious about this place.
Queen Ilene was even more astonished. "Mr. Ange, you know how to cultivate Aura?"
Ange fabricated an excuse on the spot. "It is an ancestral tradition."
Queen Ilene suddenly understood. "So Mr. Ange is actually a descendant of the Aura."
At this point, her expression turned sorrowful as she told Ange:
"Our country was once a place where Aura Heroes were very active. Later, because of war, most of them were killed in battle one after another, until Sir Aaron, the last Aura Hero, sacrificed himself to end the war."
The abilities of Aura Heroes varied in strength, and Sir Aaron was one of the strongest among them. Even Lucario's Aura was not as powerful as his.
After listening to the Queen's words, Ange said, "That is truly a pity."
At that moment, Queen Ilene suddenly said, "By the way, since Mr. Ange has already awakened his Aura, I shall give that item to you!"
"That item?" Ange looked puzzled.
Queen Ilene replied, "You will see in a moment, Mr. Ange."
She then leaned in and whispered a few words to the maid. The maid nodded and turned to leave.
Queen Ilene smiled and said, "Please wait a moment."
Ange nodded in response.
Before long, the maid returned, carrying a tray covered with a silver-gray silk cloth.
"This is it," Queen Ilene said as she pulled back the cloth, revealing a pair of gloves on the tray.
The gloves were blue, and the back of each hand was inlaid with gemstones of an unknown material.
"These are..." Ange started.
The Queen introduced them, "These are Aura Gloves. Like the Hero's Staff in your hand, they are tools that can enhance the power of an Aura Hero. However, the Hero's Staff is a national treasure. Even as Queen, I do not have the right to dispose of it as I wish. But these gloves are different; they were Sir Aaron's personal belongings. I believe Sir Aaron would not want them to be buried in the palace treasury, so I plan to gift them to you."
These gloves had originally been lost with Sir Aaron's death, but Ash had later brought them back from the Tree of Beginning.
It was also because of Ash's group that the Queen learned that Sir Aaron had sacrificed his own Aura power to the Tree of Beginning to end the war.
The power boost these gloves gave an Aura Hero was terrifying.
For example, although Ash himself possessed strong Aura, he could not use it because he had not awakened. However, if he wore these gloves, he could even project his Aura power externally.
Even Ange could not project his Aura power yet. When he cooked, he only adjusted his own Aura to resonate with the ingredients.
After hearing the Queen's explanation of the gloves' effects, Ange asked, feeling overwhelmed by the favor:
"Is it really alright to give such a precious item to me?"
The Queen smiled and said, "Please accept them. Giving them to someone who needs them is far more meaningful than leaving them in a treasury."
Ange hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Then I shall accept them with gratitude!"
With that, he took the gloves from the Queen.
After putting them on, Ange indeed sensed that his Aura power had been greatly enhanced. He gathered his strength in his palm, and a small blue energy ball appeared.
Though small, it was undoubtedly an Aura Sphere. This was something Ange had been unable to do before.
Seeing the ball of energy in Ange's hand, Queen Ilene gasped, "Is this the power of an Aura Hero? How magical."
Ange thanked the Queen gratefully. "I must thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. Otherwise, with my current strength, I would not be able to release my Aura."
The Queen laughed. "It is an honor for me to witness a true Aura Hero as well."
Before meeting Ange, Ash was the person with an Aura closest to that of an Aura Hero the Queen had ever seen, but unfortunately, his power had not awakened.
The Queen chatted with Ange for a while before leaving, and Ange solemnly put the Aura Gloves away.
However, the scene of him releasing the Aura Sphere happened to be seen by Aria, who was passing by. She hesitated for a moment and then walked over.
"Um... hello."
Ange looked at her curiously. "Miss Aria?"
"Does Mr. Ange possess the Power of Aura?" Aria asked, her face filled with excitement.
Ange nodded. "Yes, did you see that just now?"
Aria said apologetically, "I am sorry, I did not mean to peek."
Ange shook his head. "It is fine. It isn't exactly a secret that must be hidden. But did you come over specifically to ask about this, Miss Aria?"
Aria nodded. "Actually, the reason I came to Cameran Palace this time was to inquire about things related to the Aura Hero."
Ange asked, "Do you have business with an Aura Hero, Miss Aria?"
Aria hesitated for a moment before explaining, "I accidentally discovered an ancient ruin. I wanted to go inside and explore, but I found that the ruin can only be opened using the Power of Aura. I had no choice but to come to Cameran Palace to see if I could get lucky."
"So, you want me to help you open the ruin?" Ange asked.
Aria nodded and said, "Yes. People who have awakened their Aura power are too rare. I searched for a long time and only found you, Mr. Ange. So, Mr. Ange..."
Ange fell into thought. "I can certainly help, but I still have things to do in Cameran Palace for now. I probably cannot leave just yet."
Aria looked delighted. "That is fine. The ruins are located in the Kalos region. I can return to Kalos first, and once you have finished your business, we can meet there."
"You are from Kalos, Miss Aria?" Ange was surprised. No wonder she had a Key Stone and a Mega Stone.
"I am!" Aria nodded.
Ange smiled and said, "What a coincidence. I am also from Kalos."
Aria was thrilled. "You are too, Mr. Ange?!"
"Yes, I am from the Azoth Kingdom. What about you, Miss Aria?" Ange asked.
Aria replied, "I am from Anistar City. Is the Azoth Kingdom that very famous kingdom of machinery?"
"That's the one," Ange replied.
Having found a common topic, the two quickly began to chat warmly.
Before they knew it, the banquet was nearing its end. Ange and Aria had become quite well-acquainted. After exchanging contact information, Ange said:
"Miss Aria, let us meet again in Kalos."
From their conversation, he learned that Aria would be leaving the Kanto region tomorrow to return to Kalos.
Aria said, "Alright, but you should just call me Aria, Ange."
Ange nodded. "Then stop calling me 'Mr. Ange' as well. Just call me Ange!"
Aria nodded.
Just then, the sound of fireworks erupted outside. Everyone began to walk toward the balcony, and Ange and Aria were no exception.
In the night sky, colorful fireworks burst one after another, incredibly brilliant. Everyone could not help but be entranced.
Pawmo had originally been hiding under the dining table, eating greedily. Not only was it eating, but it had also turned into a little hoarder. Whenever it found food it liked, it would sneakily stuff it into the spatial backpack.
Of course, it did not take too much, only one or two servings of each kind.
However, there were so many types of food in the banquet hall that even taking just one or two servings allowed it to "strike it rich" overnight.