Chapter 364: One-Click Exploitation

The video continued playing.

The Eevee with the golden mark wobbled its four tiny legs, staggering toward Aurelia like it had only just learned how to walk.

First, it rubbed its nose against Aurelia’s boot.

Then it tilted its head back, blinking its huge brown eyes as it stared up at her.

Aurelia crouched down.

Eevee immediately narrowed its eyes happily and rolled straight into her arms like a fluffy little ball, its tail even curling around her wrist along the way.

"Good girl."

Aurelia held it against her chest and gently stroked the fur along its back.

"Vee vee~"

Eevee rolled over in her arms, a soft purring sound rumbling from its throat.

It looked unbearably adorable.

Selene stared from the side, eyes practically glued to it.

She bounded over to the Eevee with the silver mark in just a few steps, threw her arms wide, and put on what she believed was an exceptionally approachable smile.

"Come on!"

"Come to President Selene!"

"Starting today, you’ll be the Sun-Moon Group’s Chief Cuteness Officer!"

"Food, lodging, and snacks all included!"

"All you have to do is let me brush your fur on schedule~"

The silver-marked Eevee opened its tiny mouth and yawned.

Then it buried its head beneath its paws, curled its tail around itself, transformed into a round brown fluffball and went straight to sleep.

Selene’s smile froze.

"...Come here."

The silver-marked Eevee: "Zzzzz..."

"Big Sis!"

Selene turned toward Aurelia, her voice full of indignant frustration.

"Why is your Eevee so clingy while mine decided to give up on life the second it was born?!"

"Maybe it’s just tired."

The Eevee in Aurelia’s arms was repeatedly rubbing its head against her chin, making the corners of her lips rise ever so slightly.

"Then why do I feel like mine’s doing it on purpose?"

Selene poked the silver Eevee’s belly.

"Hey."

"Keep this up and I’ll dock your salary!"

The silver Eevee rolled over, exposed its belly toward Selene and continued sleeping.

Selene: "...Is it mocking me?"

Professor Kukui coughed twice.

"Um..."

"Could I say something?"

"Since the markings on these two Eevee appear to have such a deep connection with Alolan legends, why don’t you come back to Alola with me to investigate?"

"We should be able to uncover more information there."

"Alola?"

Aurelia still hesitated.

"But I’ve already been away for quite a while."

"The League..."

"Oh, come on, Big Sis. What are you worried about?"

Selene directly pulled the communicator from Aurelia’s waist and expertly scrolled to Lance’s number.

"Just call Uncle Lance again."

"He’s already survived three days."

"What’s another three?"

"Selene..."

"Shh."

Selene held the communicator to her ear.

The call had already gone through.

It rang once.

Answered instantly, as always.

"Aurelia?"

Lance’s voice was as calm as stagnant water.

"What happened?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Uncle Lance, it’s me."

Selene held the communicator closer to her mouth.

"Big Sis still hasn’t finished what she came out here to do."

"Could you hold down the League for a few more days?"

Silence came from the other end for a moment.

"...All right."

"I’ll move my bedding into the office."

"Uncle Lance, you truly are the backbone of the League!"

Selene gave him a thumbs-up.

Even though Lance couldn’t see it.

"...Thank you."

The call ended.

Selene stuffed the communicator back onto Aurelia’s waist and patted her shoulder.

"See?"

"Handled."

Aurelia looked down at the communicator at her waist.

She remained silent for two seconds.

Then simply sighed.

[VIP Chat Group]

[Volkner]: Lance sounds so calm that it’s actually making my scalp tingle. This is a man whose edges have been completely ground away by life.

[Raihan]: Aether-powered donkey—activate!

[Flint]: What do you mean, Aether-powered donkey?! Show the backbone of our League some basic respect!

[Lance]: ...Enough, all of you.

The video continued playing.

Just as everyone finished packing and prepared to leave—a cloud of smoke suddenly exploded from around the corridor corner.

"FWO-HO!!"

A red figure leaped out of the smoke.

A pointed hat made from crumpled aluminum foil sat crookedly on its head.

Its body was wrapped in a curtain that had apparently been ripped down from somewhere.

And a Berry had been jammed onto the top of its stick to serve as a magical staff gem.

Even more absurdly—

A pair of fake glasses cut from cardboard had been stuck onto its face.

The frames were covered in hand-drawn stars and moons.

Delphox slammed its staff against the floor and swept open its cloak with its other hand.

"Fwo-ho~" (Hero, please accept me! I am willing to become the mage of your party and burn away all evil in your path!)

Aurelia froze.

Her heterochromatic eyes blinked once.

"...Hero?"

"What do you mean?"

"Fwo-ho~" (Exactly what it sounds like!)

Delphox grew more excited with every word.

"Fwo-ho, fwo-ho~" (I, Delphox, shall follow the Hero from this day forward on a journey to defeat the Demon King! Together, we’ll vanquish evil, save the world, and live the kind of life you only find in novels!)

Aurelia stared at it expressionlessly.

"That kind of life doesn’t exist."

"Fwo-ho!" (I don’t care!)

Delphox immediately threw itself onto the floor and wrapped both paws around Aurelia’s leg.

"Fwo-ho~" (I’ve spent three years lying around this institute waiting for the Hero destined for me! If you refuse, I’m not getting up!)

Aurelia looked down at the Delphox clinging to her boot.

Then she raised her head and looked at Professor Sycamore.

The meaning in her eyes was perfectly clear—do something about this.

"Ahem."

Professor Sycamore cleared his throat.

"Aurelia, while I can’t understand what it’s saying..."

"From the looks of things, it really does want to leave with you."

"Why don’t you catch it?"

Selene leaned over as well.

"Exactly, Big Sis!"

"This fox is hilarious!"

"If you don’t want it, I’ll take it!"

The moment Delphox heard that, it immediately hid behind Aurelia.

Both paws clutched the hem of Aurelia’s coat while its head shook back and forth like a rattle drum.

Aurelia sighed.

Then she took out a Poké Ball and held it in front of Delphox.

"Think carefully."

"If you come with me, you’ll probably be very busy."

"And it’ll be hard."

"Fwo-ho~" (Anything the Hero says is fine!)

Delphox reached out one paw and gently touched the Poké Ball.

Red light flashed.

The Poké Ball shook three times.

Click.

Capture successful.

[VIP Chat Group]

[May]: Hahahahaha! When did Delphox even prepare that mage outfit?! That’s so ridiculously chuuni!

[Diantha]: Hmm... Crude as it may be, that outfit’s style would actually suit Elaria quite well. Sweetheart, Mommy will make you one next time too.

[Elaria]: Mom, I don’t want an aluminum-foil hat.

[Steven]: Everyone, I have an announcement. The thing around my eye has now evolved into the same shade of pink as Diancie. A blessing in disguise. Absolutely worth it.

[Wallace]: That’s called a bruise. Stop connecting everything in existence to Diancie.

[Steven]: You don’t understand. Brother Asher’s punch made me realize something. True art is pain!

[Asher]: Want me to help you realize it again?

[Steven]: ... I suddenly remembered that I arranged to have dinner with Dad tonight. I’ll be leaving now.

[Mr. Stone]: You didn’t.

[Steven]: ...

...