The moment Bai Chen read the Fire Soul's description, his heart leapt almost as much as Tinkaton's.
Just a single ember… and it could grant a weapon poison damage?
That was absurd.
He inhaled once, senses sharpening, and sniffed the air.
"There," he said, pointing toward the northwest. "There's a Salazzle that way."
Salazzle — the evolved form of Salandit.
Bai Chen was curious to see if the Fire Soul it yielded would evolve as well.
Following the scent trail, he soon found their target — a wild Salazzle, Level 34.
He himself was only Level 22.
Even with his Level 27 Tinkatuff, they barely managed to bring it down.
By the end of the battle, Bai Chen was covered in wounds, his veins burning with poison.
"Quick, quick — check the Fire Soul!"
Tinkatuff, equally battered, dragged her hammer over and pressed an empty Soul Orb against the faintly glowing Salazzle's forehead.
Moments later, a glimmering flame emerged from the orb.
Together, they leaned in to read its description:
Salazzle Fire Soul (Rarity 3):
When forged into a weapon, it grants minor poison damage and slight corrosive capability.
Bai Chen and Tinkatuff locked eyes — then burst out laughing, slapping palms together in triumph.
This forge really was broken beyond reason!
Tinkatuff bounced in place, hopping circles around him in pure joy.
Then she tugged at his sleeve, gesturing eagerly. She wanted more Fire Souls.
Bai Chen caught her before she could sprint off again and chuckled.
"Easy, easy. I know someone who can help us collect plenty of Fire Souls.
But we'll have to wait until tomorrow."
Tinkatuff tilted her head in confusion, but her wide silver eyes still glowed with trust.
In her mind, Bai Chen could do anything — after all, he'd pulled a divine forge from thin air.
Satisfied, she climbed up onto his shoulder, humming softly as the two of them headed home.
By the time they returned to the Aether Estate, the poison coursing through Bai Chen's body was already being purged by his regeneration.
From across the courtyard, Lillie spotted him — and gasped.
"Mr. Bai! You were attacked by wild Pokémon again? You're hurt all over!"
Bai Chen flashed her a thumbs-up and a grin.
"Not attacked — attacking. We got into a fight, sure… but we also came back with something amazing."
Lillie frowned, noticing the purplish tint on his neck.
"That's poison, Mr. Bai! You call this a 'little injury'? Even with regeneration, you shouldn't be so reckless!"
Before he could protest, she seized his wrist and pulled him inside.
"Come with me. I'll treat you — Tinkaton too."
Bai Chen sighed, amused.
"I'm fine, really. My body's already fixing itself—"
"That's not the point! It hurts, doesn't it?"
He found himself shoved onto the living-room sofa as Lillie ordered the maids to fetch a first-aid kit.
She knelt beside him, holding out a small white pill and a glass of water.
"This is an antidote. Swallow it."
He obeyed — not daring to argue.
Then came the alcohol swabs and bandages.
"This might sting a bit. Please endure it."
Bai Chen rubbed the back of his neck, uneasy. There was a strange tension in her voice… an edge that sounded more like anger than worry.
"Don't worry," he said lightly. "I've been through worse— ah! Cold! Cold!"
Before he could finish, the alcohol hit an open cut.
Lillie's lips curved faintly.
"Imagine that — the mighty Mr. Bai actually feels pain."
"Heh-heh… I never claimed to be immune," he said with a sheepish grin.
"Good. Then maybe you'll remember that next time," she muttered, but her hands moved far gentler now — careful, deliberate.
Once his wounds were wrapped, she turned toward Tinkaton… and hesitated.
Lillie's fingers trembled.
Her phobia — her inability to touch Pokémon — froze her in place.
Bai Chen stepped in quickly.
"I'll handle her."
Lillie blushed and nodded, passing him the antiseptic and gauze.
While tending to Tinkatuff's smaller cuts, Bai Chen glanced up.
"Lillie, can I ask a favor?"
She blinked. "A favor? Of course, if I can help."
"I'd like you to introduce me to someone — your classmate, Kiawe."
"Kiawe? You want to battle him?"
"Yeah. I plan to toughen up my resistance to heat. Heard he's a fire-type specialist — figured he's perfect for some training."
He didn't mention the Living Forge or Fire Souls.
If someone could hypnotize Lillie once, they could do it again — and that was a risk he couldn't take.
After a moment's thought, she nodded.
"That's easy enough. I'll call him right now."
She stepped outside with her phone.
A few minutes later, she returned — smiling.
"Kiawe said he'd be happy to battle you. He enjoys friendly matches."
"Perfect. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning, around ten. He helps his family deliver Moomoo Milk at dawn, so that's the earliest he's free."
"Ten it is."
Bai Chen stretched, already planning tomorrow's session.
Lillie, meanwhile, fussed over him until she was certain every bandage was properly tied.
Only then did he resume training — forbidden to exercise physically, but still running drills for Crisis Sense and Enhanced Smell through focused breathing and concentration.
By dawn, his body was fully healed.
Two hours of sleep later, Bai Chen was refreshed and ready.
After breakfast, they boarded a ferry bound for Akala Island's Paniola Town.
An hour later, they arrived — sunlight gleaming on green pastures and the scent of milk drifting on the wind.
In the ranchyard, a tanned boy awaited them — Kiawe, muscular and composed, fire dancing in his eyes.
The two men measured each other silently.
Just by looking at Bai Chen's posture — the balanced stance, the weight of the blade at his hip — Kiawe could tell he wasn't ordinary.
"Are we doing this formally," Kiawe asked, "or just a straight match?"
"No need for ceremony." Bai Chen rested a hand on his sword's hilt. "Let's get right to it."
The blade came free with a clean whisper of steel.
Though Tinkatuff clearly hated seeing him wield that longsword, she clenched her hammer and stood by his side anyway.
Bai Chen smiled faintly, whispering under his breath—
"Forgive me, my blacksmith master.
For your sake… I'll just have to trouble you — and your Pokémon — for a while."
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