"You're saying you already went to Ultra Megalopolis?"
Dawn's tone was strange, his face full of disbelief.
"The people of Ultra Megalopolis didn't make a move when they saw you? I remember they've seen your Pokémon before. There's no reason they'd hand you the key."
"And even though they don't have many Pokémon, their technology level is very advanced. There's no way they wouldn't attack…"
"Quick, tell me what's going on."
"Alright," Axel picked up from there and told them everything in detail, from meeting Lusamine to how they had mistaken him as her ally.
Dawn and Dusk both sighed, "Lusamine… it's been a long time since we heard that name."
"She treated Pokémon pretty well, just way too stubborn. Back then we already told her to stay away from that guy called Faba, but she wouldn't listen."
"Still, don't resent her. She's pitiful too, she just went down the wrong path."
Hearing that his parents' evaluation of Lusamine matched his own, Axel couldn't help but let out a quiet breath of relief.
"Don't worry. Lusamine's heart has already been purified by Gardevoir. She's not as extreme as before, and she's still working hard in Pokémon-related work."
"This time, the passage for me to come here was opened by her and Eva."
Dusk's eyes lit up, and she pinched Chen Eva's cheek, "Oh, little Eva is this capable now?"
"But there's one thing you have to be careful about. That Faba is really bad news. Don't let him take advantage of any gaps again."
Axel nodded, "Relax. I sent him to the Blackgold Mine to dig. Roark was saying just the other day that he's an outstanding employee."
"Forget that stuff. Let's find a place to eat. I brought you tons and tons of ingredients. Let's have hotpot."
"And these clothes, cigarettes, alcohol, cosmetics, they were all bought for you by Eva."
"These pastries were bought by Lusamine… uh, Aunt Lusamine. They taste pretty good too."
For some reason, calling her Aunt felt a little weird to Axel, especially since that woman used to be his mom's friend.
———
With the help of a bunch of Pokémon, the hotpot was ready to eat in less than a minute, giving off an irresistible aroma.
Dawn happily cradled a bottle of Maotai. Every sip he took, he savored for a long time. Clearly, it had been ages since he'd tasted something like this.
Eva and Gardevoir barely ate. They were busy picking food and placing it into Dawn and Dusk's bowls.
Even the socially anxious Pheromosa, encouraged by her "parents," ran over and toasted Dusk with a cup of juice.
"Hahaha! I'm just so happy to see you all."
Ever since Axel and the others arrived, Dusk's smile had not faded for even a second.
It was impossible to tell that just minutes ago, she had been someone preparing to attack Ultra Megalopolis.
Looking at the lively and harmonious scene, Axel leaned comfortably against the table. He poured a drink for his father, whom he had never formally shared a meal with before, and raised his cup. Then his gaze fell on Zeraora.
He had already noticed that this little one seemed a bit restrained.
It wasn't like Pheromosa's kind of social anxiety or cleanliness obsession. She simply truly didn't want to interact with people.
"Why aren't you eating?", Axel placed a piece of fish into Zeraora's bowl and asked curiously.
"Meow~" Zeraora let out a soft cry, suddenly picked up her bowl, stood up, and walked off to the side, leaving Axel completely confused.
'What, am I really that annoying?'
'It's just pulling your tail once in a while. It's not that big of a deal!'
["Master…"]
Just then, Gardevoir's telepathic voice sounded, ["She seems very lonely… It feels like she's the only outsider here…"]
"Tch!", Axel tugged at the corner of his mouth, starting to regret not bringing Gholdengo along, the ultimate relationship booster.
At times like this, there wasn't much he could do. He couldn't ignore his parents to accompany a Pokémon he had just met. He could only settle things here as soon as possible and then take her out of this place.
After thinking it over, Axel decided to do something at least.
"Little shark, stop eating for a second."
"Roar?", The little shark looked confused, a large bamboo-clamped fish still in its mouth as it stared at Axel.
'I'm not full yet, Master!'
"Take the fish from the table and go eat with Zeraora. You two can talk about which fish tastes best."
"Roar!", Hearing that he could take the fish from the table, the little shark's eyes lit up instantly. He thumped his chest hard.
'Leave it to me, Master!'
———
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, once they were almost done eating, Gardevoir and Eva pulled Dusk away to change into new clothes.
Axel moved to sit close beside his father and brought up serious matters.
"When are we going to attack Megalo Tower?"
"Well…", Dawn opened his mouth but couldn't get the words out.
He suddenly realized his wife's earlier decision had been absolutely correct. The two of them should have attacked before Axel arrived.
Because now that his son was here, he simply couldn't bear to let him go.
Even though Axel had top-tier gods like Rayquaza and Ho-Oh, in Dawn's eyes, Axel was still that little kid in diapers.
He wanted to speak, but hesitated. His lips moved several times before closing again. In the end, he sighed and repeated what he had told his wife earlier.
"The timing isn't right yet. You've seen it. Ever since you gave Solgaleo and Lunala the ability to Dynamax, they can manifest the sun and moon."
"Every day, large numbers of Ultra Beasts migrate here. Our strength is growing every single moment."
"After some time, when the Ultra Beasts here can completely overwhelm Ultra Megalopolis's technological power, we'll go suppress Necrozma together, how about that?"
"And besides, your mother and I can handle things here. If you've got business, go back first. When it's time for the final battle, I'll contact you. How does that sound?"
The corner of Axel's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly, "Sure. Then I'll stay here for a few days. In a few days, I really do have to head back to the Pokémon world."
"Why don't you go rest first? I haven't fed my Pokémon today."
Dawn nodded. The moment he turned around, he locked eyes with Solgaleo, and a sharp glint suddenly flashed in his gaze.
He could tell. Axel had no intention of leaving at all. He was planning to completely resolve Necrozma within these few days.
Later, he had to discuss it with his wife. They had to take down Ultra Megalopolis as soon as possible, so their son wouldn't have to risk himself.
On the other side, Axel watched his father walk away and let out a sigh as well.
When he came today, he had planned to persuade his parents to just watch while he dealt with Necrozma himself.
But after arriving, he realized there was no way he could convince them.
After Dawn went inside, Axel summoned all his Pokémon and spoke softly.
"Everyone, eat your fill. There might be something happening tonight. We won't have time for a late-night snack."
"When night falls, we're heading back to Ultra Megalopolis!"
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