The smell of smoke still lingered in the air, and the battlefield had barely cooled when Tinkatuff sneaked up to the fallen Turtonator.
Quietly, she placed her shimmering Soul Orb against its shell.
A swirl of molten light flowed inside the orb — another Fire Soul was born.
At the same time, Bai Chen extended his hand, absorbing the faint aura that lingered around the defeated Pokémon.
A pulse of light flashed in his palm — he had successfully copied Iron Defense.
Turtonator Fire Soul (Rarity 3):
When used for weapon forging, the flame grants a minor Blast Attribute. When used on armor, it increases overall Defense.
A balanced, versatile fire. Strong. Reliable.
While Bai Chen and Tinkatuff crouched beside the fainted Pokémon, Kiawe stared, half-confused.
Why did these two always… squat there after a battle?
Shaking off his questions, Kiawe recalled his partner into the Poké Ball.
He stepped forward — calm, sincere, not a trace of frustration on his face.
"You're strong," he admitted. "Stronger than I expected — both as a fighter and as a human. I guess getting my Z-Move made me overconfident."
After all, Bai Chen had stood through that Z-Move head-on — a feat even a Steel-type Pokémon couldn't manage.
Kiawe extended his hand with a smile.
"Let's battle again sometime."
"You can count on it," Bai Chen said, clasping his hand. "I still want to see that Z-Move again."
Last night, he had barely reached Level 23.
Now, after three battles with Kiawe, he'd already leveled to 24.
Fighting stronger opponents clearly paid better.
He'd decided — until he hit Level 30, he'd be sparring with Kiawe daily.
Of course, he wouldn't overdo it. It was Lillie's classmate, after all.
Two matches a day sounded reasonable — one before school, one after.
Lillie was stepping forward to congratulate him when—
"Big brother! You were amazing!"
Mimo darted past her like a blur, skidding to a stop beside Bai Chen.
Her eyes sparkled like twin stars.
"You took a Z-Move head-on! How did you do that?"
Lillie froze mid-step.
Her instincts as a woman — sharp and merciless — picked up on something hidden beneath that innocent excitement.
It wasn't just admiration.
Bai Chen, oblivious, smiled kindly and placed a hand on the little girl's head.
"It's nothing special. Just eat well, train hard, and one day you'll be just as strong."
The boy's golden eyes caught the light of the sun.
Warm, bright… almost dazzling.
Thump—thump—thump.
The girl's heart pounded.
Her cheeks flushed crimson as she looked down, fingers twisting the hem of her dress.
"T-Then… big brother, could you—uh—"
Before she could finish, a figure slid sharply between them.
"White-san, you'll catch a cold like that. Please, at least cover up with this."
Lillie draped a large blue waterproof tarp around his shoulders — hiding the perfectly sculpted muscle that had just made Mimo's heart skip several beats.
She turned, standing squarely between Bai Chen and the younger girl.
The two locked eyes.
No words were exchanged — but the message was clear as lightning.
This was war.
Mimo suddenly realized… her opponent wasn't another girl.
It was a mountain. A soft-spoken, unshakeable mountain named Lillie.
Bai Chen sniffed absently at the tarp. His Enhanced Smell kicked in immediately.
"...Why does this smell like Tauros?"
He lifted his head, tracing the scent through the air — until his gaze landed on a wooden railing nearby.
There, identical blue tarps were hung up to dry.
Dirty. Stained.
And beyond them—
A herd of Tauros, one of which was currently relieving itself.
Bai Chen's face darkened.
"This tarp isn't… from there, is it?"
Moments later, at the Kiawe household bathroom, muffled apologies echoed through the door.
"I'm so sorry, White-san! I swear, I didn't know that was Tauros' bathing tarp!"
"I'm really, really sorry!"
The door creaked open with a rush of steam.
Bai Chen emerged, freshly washed, wearing clean clothes — borrowed from Kiawe's father, Kiawe Sr.
He sighed.
"You've been apologizing outside the bathroom for half an hour. Really, it's fine."
"But still—"
"Don't worry about it. I've dealt with worse things in the hunter world. A little Tauros tarp's nothing."
And that wasn't an exaggeration.
In the Monster Hunter world, Bai Chen had once learned to identify monsters by their droppings.
Compared to that, this was practically clean work.
Just then, Mimo came running in with a hairdryer.
"Big brother White! Here — a hairdryer!"
Bai Chen smiled as he took it.
"Thanks, Mimo. You're really dependable."
Her eyes lit up at the praise.
"Then—can I help dry your hair?"
Lillie froze.
"Oh? You can do that?" Bai Chen asked, amused.
"Mhm! I help Mama all the time! She says I'm really good at it!"
"Then I'll leave it to you."
He didn't have the heart to refuse her kindness.
Mimo fetched a small stool and a chair, climbing up so she could reach his hair properly.
The gentle whirr of the dryer filled the air as she focused, lips pursed in concentration.
Lillie glared quietly from the side, the word rival now etched across her heart.
Thankfully, Mimo's work was efficient — within a minute, Bai Chen's hair was completely dry.
Right then, Amara's voice called from the kitchen.
"Lunch is ready, everyone!"
"Coming!" Mimo replied cheerfully, putting away the dryer.
The three of them followed the smell of roasted meat into the dining room.
Kiawe and his father were already seated.
Amara waved them over.
"Don't be shy — sit anywhere you like."
Bai Chen took the seat beside Kiawe. He had plenty of questions about Z-Moves still burning in his mind.
That left one empty chair — right next to him.
Mimo and Lillie exchanged a silent look.
Then—both moved at once.
But Lillie's legs were longer.
She claimed the seat first, sitting down gracefully with a quiet, victorious smile.
Mimo puffed her cheeks, refusing to back down.
"Big brother White, I can't reach the fried chicken. Can I sit on your lap?"
Lillie's eyes widened.
"That's—That's cheating!"
"Of course," Bai Chen said without hesitation.
Mimo flashed Lillie a smug little grin — only to freeze as a shadow crept out from under the table.
A pair of golden eyes blinked.
Thud.
Nergigante — in her mini form — leapt up onto Bai Chen's lap, circled twice, and promptly fell asleep.
Seat: occupied.
Bai Chen scratched the back of his neck apologetically.
"Sorry, Mimo. Looks like this spot's taken."
Lillie clenched a triumphant fist under the table.
(Nice one, Nergigante.)
She quietly pulled out her phone, texting James a single message:
"Buy ten Chansey eggs. We're celebrating."
Across the table, Mimo sat down opposite Bai Chen with a pout.
Kiawe looked from his sister to his guest and sighed.
"Mimo, come sit by me, okay?"
He patted his thigh invitingly.
Mimo wrinkled her nose.
"No thanks, I can reach the food just fine."
She grabbed a piece of fried chicken — still staring at Bai Chen with puffed cheeks and narrowed eyes.
Love rival confirmed.
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