Hearing this, Elayne glanced at her daughter and said meaningfully,
"Aria, it's not that Mom doesn't allow you to spend time with Kael—but there are some things you need to think through clearly."
"And you're already in your second year of high school now. You should put all your focus into your studies."
Aria's heart skipped a beat. Her hands unconsciously tightened, and suddenly a soft, pitiful sound came from between her legs.
"Mi…"
Startled, Aria quickly apologized,
"Little Six, I'm sorry—I didn't mean to!"
Lying across her thighs was a small fox Pokémon with fiery red fur and six tails. Its round, pitch-black eyes looked innocently at its owner.
It was Aria's Pokémon—Vulpix.
"Little Six, come here," Elayne said, shooting her daughter a look.
Vulpix leapt lightly and landed in Elayne's arms.
Elayne lovingly stroked its soft fur, then said to her daughter,
"Hurry up and go take a shower."
"Got it, Mom," Aria replied, glaring resentfully at the little traitor before heading off.
"Mi~"
Vulpix didn't care in the slightest. In this household, its owner's mom was clearly the final authority—of course it should listen to her first.
Under Elayne's gentle petting, it let out a contented cry.
After Aria went to wash up, Elayne suddenly let out a quiet sigh.
How could she not see through her daughter's little thoughts?
She just didn't want Aria to sink in too deeply.
Pokémon Trainers looked glorious on the surface—but most of them ended up dying in Secret Realms or at the hands of supernatural horrors.
Yes, becoming a Pokémon Trainer could be a meteoric rise, a leap across social classes—but it was a road paved with lives.
That was why most parents didn't want their children to become Trainers.
Nor did they want their children to develop deep emotional ties with Trainers. To put it bluntly, they didn't want their children to experience the pain of losing a loved one.
Elayne was no different. She didn't want Aria to fall too deeply for Kael.
Aria hid it well, but Elayne wasn't blind. She'd been a girl once too—how could she not understand a young girl's heart?
Heroes loved beauties—but beauties also loved heroes.
Just then—
"Boom!!!"
A deafening explosion shook the air.
The sudden roar startled Vulpix in Elayne's arms so badly that it sprang upright.
Elayne felt the entire apartment tremble. She hurriedly stood up and rushed to the balcony—barefoot—only to see flames shooting skyward in the distance.
Pokémon were streaking across the night sky.
"Mom—what happened?!"
Aria rushed out, draped in a coat, her hair still dripping wet.
"I don't know," Elayne replied, shaking her head.
Aria stared at the blazing horizon, her brows knitting together.
...
It wasn't just Aria's side that heard the explosion and saw the flames.
Kael heard it just as clearly.
He shot to his feet, his face turning cold.
"Something's happened!"
Everyone else stood up as well. Even from this distance, the blast was visible—meaning the situation at the epicenter had to be horrific.
"Ring—ring—ring!!!"
Kael's phone on the dining table rang. Seeing the number, he immediately answered.
"This is Kael."
A stern male voice came from the other end.
"You saw and heard the explosion and fire, right? We need the Trainers in your area to assist."
"Who did it?" Kael asked, his voice calm but icy.
Today was a sensitive day. Anyone daring to cause trouble now was either insane or utterly reckless.
Did they really think Yanxia was weak? Even international criminal organizations wouldn't dare act so openly today.
"Norinatics from Abyssal Demons," the voice said, thick with anger.
"I understand. I'm on my way," Kael replied coldly and hung up.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt—I need to go out for a bit."
Uncle Corin and Aunt Liora nodded. They'd clearly heard enough from the call to understand what was happening.
"Kael, be careful," Mother Faye said worriedly.
"I will, Grandma," Kael replied with a nod.
"Corviknight!!"
At his command, Corviknight beat its wings violently, whipping up a fierce gale as it let out a piercing cry that tore through the night.
"Gah—!!!"
Kael locked his gaze onto Corviknight, then exploded upward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The ground beneath his feet cracked from the force of his leap.
In an instant, he soared more than ten meters into the air. Corviknight dove down at just the right moment, and Kael landed squarely on its broad back in one smooth motion.
Without hesitation, Corviknight flapped its massive wings again, roaring through the night sky like a small helicopter.
In the blink of an eye, both man and Pokémon became a tiny black dot, vanishing into the darkness—leaving only the echo of rushing wind behind.
Watching them disappear, Uncle Darius said grimly,
"The Abyssal Demons… those madmen never stay quiet."
"I'd heard some of them had slipped into Magic City," Uncle Corin added with a heavy expression.
"I just didn't expect them to act today of all days."
"Please let Kael be safe… Buddha bless him, Buddha bless him…" Mother Faye murmured.
Father Orion's face was equally grave.
Aunt Liora, Aunt Maris, and Lyra were all filled with worry.