The trio returned to Aether Paradise after half a month. However, this ti, they did not co by boat but on a private helicopter bearing the Aether Foundation's logo.
"Stephen, why don't you like taking helicopters?"
Upon disembarking, Will curiously asked Stephen.
Earlier, Stephen had adamantly refused to board a helicopter and even considered buying a ticket to take the boat again.
Faced with this question, Stephen chose not to respond.
Noticing the three people stepping off the helicopter, a woman with pink-rimd glasses, curvaceous yet not overweight, quickly approached them.
"Welco, all three of you. I'm Wicke, Deputy Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation. Please follow ; the President and Professor Kukui are waiting for you."
Wicke, a trusted aide of Lusamine, spoke gently to the three.
"Thank you for the trouble," Stephen replied, adjusting his glasses while nodding.
"His deanor has changed..."
While leading the way, Wicke muttered silently to herself.
Although Stephen still wore glasses, exuding the aura of an intellectual, there was sothing different. Unlike yesterday, when he was filled with an awkward charm while confessing to Lusamine, now he radiated an innate confidence.
Before long, Wicke led the trio to a white villa at the back of the Aether Foundation. This was Lusamine's family residence, an area strictly off-limits to tourists.
"Please, co in."
Stepping aside, Wicke gestured for them to enter.
"Wow..."
Although he had seen it once before, Will couldn't help but marvel silently at the sight.
The woman sitting on the sofa, as dazzling and elegant as a gemstone, was really the mother of two children?
Even the proud Karen had to admit—this woman was extraordinarily beautiful.
Lusamine stood up, her gaze landing on Stephen. She smiled warmly and said:
"Welco, everyone. By the way, I don't believe I know your na yet."
"Stephen."
Stephen neither humbly nor arrogantly shook hands with Lusamine, causing Professor Kukui, Burnet, and the others present to exchange glances.
Their thoughts mirrored Wicke's—Stephen's deanor today was completely different from yesterday.
"Hehe~ Stephen-kun looks so different from yesterday. I suppose you did all that just to deliver this item to , right? After all, how could soone like , a woman in her thirties, possibly have anyone genuinely like ?"
Lusamine covered her pink lips with her hand, her eyes narrowing into slits as she laughed softly.
After a brief investigation, she discovered that Stephen and his companions had tried to visit the Aether Foundation half a month ago to et her but had failed.
Now, with everything that had happened, Lusamine was convinced that Stephen's actions were rely a ploy to deliver the artifact disc to her.
"Well, there is a little bit of that kind of thought," Stephen replied internally.
Stephen never denied his desires. After all, he wasn't one of those overly restrained protagonists who would suppress their feelings or take extre asures, like forcing the female lead to resolve things on her own after being drugged.
However, out of consideration for Karen's feelings, Stephen rely joked to himself and refrained from saying anything aloud.
Seeing Stephen remain silent, Lusamine felt a tinge of disappointnt but quickly brushed it aside. She gestured for the trio to take a seat.
"Stephen, about this disc..."
As soon as Stephen sat down, Professor Kukui couldn't help but take out the item eagerly.
"It's a Technical Machine, also known as a Move Machine."
Stephen corrected him.
"Oh, oh!"
Professor Kukui nodded repeatedly, swallowing nervously to suppress his excitent.
"This Move Machine—did you invent it?"
Stephen had yet to respond when his two companions turned curious gazes toward him.
Will: "Learning device? Stephen, what's that?"
Karen: "Quietly tinkering with sothing new again?"
"It's sothing I recently developed and haven't had the chance to tell you about yet."
Stephen shrugged and turned to Kukui, saying:
"Judging by the color of the TM, Professor Kukui, you've already used it, haven't you? Which Pokémon did you teach it to?"
Kukui, upon hearing this, imdiately released his Litten.
As the litten landed, Kukui gave a command right away:
"Litten, use Flathrower!"
The mont the words "Flathrower" were spoken, both Will and Karen froze in confusion. But when the Litten spewed flas, they were even more dumbfounded.
Will pointed incredulously at the littlen. "T-This tiny thing... can use Flathrower!?"
Karen didn't say anything, but her expression said it all.
Kukui chuckled wryly. "Isn't this sothing your companion invented? Why do you two seem even more surprised than I am?"
"Litten, huh? Then it should be able to learn this too."
Stephen reached into his pocket and pulled out a new disc.
Kukui and the others imdiately noticed the difference between the disc in Stephen's hand and the Flathrower TM they had used earlier.
The one Stephen held was deep blue, unlike the fiery red one from before.
"Here."
Stephen handed the TM to Litten.
Having experienced this once already, Litten didn't hesitate this ti, placing its tiny paw on the disc.
As before, energy radiated from the TM into Litten's body.
The deep blue glow on the TM's surface faded, turning into a neutral gray-white color.
Lusamine had already guessed what was about to happen. "Could it be...?"
"Litten, show off your new power."
Stephen smiled faintly.
"ow!!"
Litten let out a loud cry, and a dark crimson, violent energy surged around its body.
"That's...!?"
Even Faba, the current chief scientist and deputy director of the Aether Foundation, was stunned.
In the next mont, Litten, unable to suppress its surging battle rage, charged fiercely at the wall of the living room.
Boom—!
The pristine white wall now had a massive hole smashed into it.
That kind of power was not sothing a basic Pokémon could possess.
The key lay in the added effect of the move.
"T-That move just now was...?"
Gladion, huddled in the corner with his sister, was utterly dumbfounded.
"It was Outrage!"
Karen's eyes widened in shock.
Outrage—a Dragon-type move known for its imnse power—was now being wielded by a Litten?!
"ow! ow ow!"
Litten jumped out of the hole, still roaring furiously.
"Litten, return quickly!"
Kukui hurriedly recalled the Litten.
Using Outrage causes confusion as a side effect, but fortunately, resting in the Poké Ball for a while would calm it down.
"A Litten that can use both Flathrower and Outrage... This might just be the strongest Litten in history," Kukui muttered softly.
"Professor, could this Litten be trained for one of my companions?"
Stephen suddenly proposed.
"Huh?"
Kukui was montarily stunned, not quite processing the request.
Stephen gave a thumbs-up and pointed at Karen. "At this point, Litten isn't exactly suited to handle it as a rookie Trainer anymore, right? In that case, I've got the perfect partner. Incidentally, Incineroar's final evolution is part Dark-type, and Morgana is great at raising Dark-types."
Stephen casually gave Karen a nickna.
Although Karen's current goal was Zorua, Stephen felt that the world's number one Incineroar would also be a great match for her.
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