"Hehehe! My dear student~ you've finally arrived!"
A joyful voice came from not far away. Baimu instinctively turned his head, and surprisingly, he saw Liuqia, wearing a pair of sunglasses and dressed in casual clothes, accompanied by an Altaria waddling beside her like an old hen.
Huh!?
Is that how she makes an entrance?
He quickly glanced around and realized that Liuqia had just changed her clothes and put on glasses without even altering her hairstyle.
Yet the passersby seemed as though they didn't recognize this mega-celebrity, Aidoru from the Gorgeous Competition.
They didn't even spare her an extra glance.
"Teacher Liuu, Xiao Qingqing..."
Baimu called out the nickname that had been forcibly decided on a few days ago, "What are you doing here?"
"Awaiting my dear student, of course." Liuqia leaned in with a look of amazement, "It's been a few months, and you've really changed a lot, what a size!"
When Baimu first came to Hoenn, he was just over 180 cm, and now he's not far from 190 cm.
To someone who hasn't seen him in a while, he seemed to have undergone quite a transformation.
"It's just a growth phase. I'm only seventeen." Baimu shrugged helplessly, then asked, "How did you manage it? With such a simple disguise... huh?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, feeling young, huh?"
Liuqia wagged her finger, speaking earnestly, "In the eyes of my fans, I'm always the lively and radiant 'Liuji' in the Gorgeous Competition outfits. It's impossible for them to imagine me in t-shirts and jeans, looking like an introvert. Passersby will only think I'm cosplaying a celebrity hairstyle."
Baimu understood.
"I guess you must get recognized often too? Normally, with your height and unique aura, my disguise methods wouldn't work for you!"
Liuqia posed dramatically with an exaggerated back-bending pose, and the Altaria next to her followed suit, but with difficulty maintaining balance, it could only stretch its neck back reluctantly.
...Truly the best partners.
"Impressive, impressive. No wonder you're Teacher Liuu. But first, let me find a place to stay, or I'll end up sleeping on the street tonight." Baimu casually clasped his hands together.
Upon hearing this, Liuqia patted her chest, "That's no big deal! I'll arrange it for you! I stayed here because I figured you wouldn't be able to find accommodation!"
"Isn't that troublesome..."
"What's the trouble? My uncle and mentor have been wanting to meet you for a long time, come on!" She didn't wait for him to refuse, grabbing Baimu's arm and pulling him forward.
The Altaria also sidled up next to him, soothingly patting his back with its cotton wings, as if to say, "Just go along with it."
Baimu glanced at it and thought that all those expressions of the Altaria in Liuqia's memes might just have been photos she had taken and added captions to herself.
So expressive!
But uncle, mentor... Mikoli? Adam?
He was stunned for a moment, but upon reflection, he didn't find it surprising. First of all, Mikoli is Da Wu's close friend, a bond that's very tight. Moreover, Mikoli is from the Glazed People, who have an ancient pact and a special relationship with the Meteor People.
You could say, from any perspective, Mikoli has reasons to be curious about him.
Not to mention how these relationships come together.
As for Adam... he's quite the gentle old gentleman, but in the year when Ash Ketchum was traveling, he was still the Gym Leader of the Glazed Gym and deeply admired by ladies of all ages.
Liuqia led him through the white, distinctive architecture and soon arrived in front of a massive hall with a blue roof.
"Look! The Glazed Gym!"
She energetically pointed at the hall, "Don't you think it's stylish? I'll find you a room inside in a bit."
"Oh... uh?"
Baimu nodded in a daze, then widened his eyes in disbelief, "Live in the Gym?"
Liuqia looked at him strangely, "What's wrong with staying in the Gym? Aren't you going to challenge the Gym later? Stay close and take advantage! Besides, you need to practice for the Gorgeous Competition these couple of days, isn't the Gym's facility perfect for that?"
"...True, it just seems a bit peculiar."
Baimu never imagined he'd get to live inside a Gym and pondered if he would ever find himself mistaken for a thief and forced to defend himself sensationally.
After all, it was the Glazed Gym, territory of the elegant Mikoli.
Liuqia was guiding him around the front of the Gym and intended to enter the living area from the backdoor when she suddenly spotted a huge spherical black shadow in the distance.
Her eyes lit up with surprise, "Lucky! Mentor just happens to be here!"
The two of them approached.
The huge spherical shadow gradually revealed its true form—
A water ball the size of a house!
Starmies on either side of the water ball maintained its shape using their Spiritual Power, while inside the ball were Milotic, Sealeo, Seaking, Luvdisc, and other Water-type Pokémon.
They swam blissfully, their bodies occasionally shimmering with dazzling colors, as if in sync with some mysterious rhythm.
Beneath the water ball.
A middle-aged gentleman dressed in a light blue robe, with a white kerchief tied at the chest, held a baton and waved it passionately like the conductor of an orchestra.
"Mentor!"
Liuqia yelled from afar, causing the middle-aged gentleman to turn his head.
"Hm?"
Adam squinted, first spotting the exuberant Liuqia, then the tall, sharp Baimu standing next to her, and their gazes met.
Baimu slightly nodded a greeting, and Adam followed suit with a nod.
"Mentor!" Liuqia ran all the way to Adam, turning and spreading her hands toward Baimu, "Guess who this is? You'll never guess!"
"Could it be Xiao Liuqia's boyfriend?" Adam jested with a smile.
Liuqia blushed, but it was due to strong discontent from being teased. She pouted, "What are you talking about! This is Baimu! The person you've wanted to meet along with uncle!"
The playful banter was just something between teachers and students; wise as Liuqia was, she wouldn't talk about these things in front of Adam.
"Oh?"
Adam looked at Baimu again, and the latter greeted him formally.
"I've heard so much about you, Mr. Adam. I'm just... Baimu; perhaps you have heard a bit about my name." Baimu bowed slightly.
Adam was a senior from a previous generation. He took much inspiration from Adam's videos on Gorgeous Competition performances for the design of the Altered-color Milotic's performances, so he naturally maintained a respectful demeanor.
"So, a descendant of the Meteor People in person; my apologies for any prior negligence." Adam, despite facing a junior he had just met, upheld impeccable etiquette.
Just as his personal mannerisms suggest.
Liuqia observed this scene, finding it different from her imagination, as both parties were overly polite.
"Since Lord Baimu came from afar, why not come into the Gym to rest a bit? Xiao Liuqia, please entertain Lord Baimu for me." Adam couldn't spare his hands and didn't say much, just inviting him inside, "Please wait a moment."
Seeing this, Liuqia quickly pulled the still intending to return courtesies Baimu into the Gym.
Out of Adam's sight, she finally said, "Why were you two speaking so elaborately?"
"It's the first meeting, so one should be courteous."
Baimu replied offhandedly, as he subconsciously used methods suited for Gym Leaders—conforming as much as possible to the Gym Leader's customs and temperament.
Someone like Adam, who maintains an elegant manner and speaks with propriety year-round, would appreciate a little formality upon first meeting more than a straightforward greeting.
Of course.
There are always exceptions, and Adam's temperament isn't entirely fixed; he also greatly appreciated energetic young people like Ash Ketchum.
Inside the Glazed Gym, it felt even more humid than outside, probably due to the attribute the Gym Leader specialized in.
Taking several twists and turns, Liuqia led him to the challengers' battlefield.
"See! How's this training environment?"
She struck a proud pose, as if this was her own home. It was evident that Mikoli must have greatly adored this niece of his, otherwise Liuqia wouldn't be so free and unrestrained.