Live treasure appraisal: You are such an elf!

Chapter 424 "The People of Water", "The Temple of Water", "The Eye of the Ocean"! The truth about Xilu's father!
"This is Manaphy..."

Ye Yinchuan's heartbeat quickened slightly as he felt the life force emanating from the Pokémon in his arms. It was as if he were holding Manaphy, the entire ocean, and that magnificent aura of life rushed towards him.

"It's hard to imagine that this could be the future king of the seas; he's like an obedient child..."

Looking at Manaphy, who was sleeping peacefully like a baby with her eyes half-closed, Ye Yinchuan couldn't help but think.

Although some people say that Manaphy, as a legendary Pokémon, is neither good-looking nor strong...

But Ye Yinchuan found Manaphy quite cute at this moment. As for its strength, in this Pokémon world, Manaphy's individual combat power may not be as good as other legendary Pokémon, but its functionality is definitely unparalleled!
"Buzz—Eek!"

Manaphy opened its eyes and emitted an ethereal cry, like a spirit from the deep sea, as golden energy ripples spread across the surface of the ocean.

"Whoosh—buzz!"

The Fionas around him all jumped for joy, their arms and antennae waving as if celebrating the birth of this prince of the sea.

But an even more astonishing scene is yet to unfold.

On the surrounding sea surface, large numbers of Pokémon began to appear, surging towards this direction like a bustling market...

"Did they all come for the birth of Manaphy? Every Pokémon is so happy..."

At this point, the effects of the "mind swap" have not yet ended.

Ye Yinchuan looked around and spotted many Pokémon, some familiar and some unfamiliar, that lived in the nearby waters.

“Those are babysitter Mambo… Manaphy called them over to treat the injured Pokémon.”

Seeing a group of babysitting Pokémon swim towards the Gyarados floating on the water and the other defeated Pokémon, and then use their healing slime to treat their wounds, Ye Yinchuan had an idea.

Manaphy has another distinct characteristic compared to Fiona: Fiona has only one foot, which is underdeveloped and very small, while Manaphy, although having short legs, clearly has two feet and is capable of walking and jumping...

Based on the trainers' criteria for selecting Water-type Pokémon—that they are "easy to move around on land"—Manaphy wins hands down on this point alone!
Speaking of which, Manaphy feels bouncy and chewy, a bit like jelly, and a bit like a water bottle. It has a cool touch, and in the hot summer, it would be great to use it as a pillow to hug during an afternoon nap...

Ahem, when such thoughts got out of control, Manaphy, including Shilu, and the Pokémon around them all looked at Ye Yinchuan with slightly strange eyes. This is the dignified Prince of the Azure Sea, and you actually want to take him home as a body pillow? Is that appropriate?
Just as Ye Yinchuan was feeling slightly embarrassed, Xi Lu's idea also popped into her head. She couldn't help but fantasize about using Manaphy as a body pillow, and it felt pretty good...

Xi Lu immediately thought, it's all Ye Yinchuan's fault, he led her astray too!

Ye Yinchuan shrugged, feeling helpless. Countless thoughts pop into a person's head every day, some of which are subconscious and unconscious, completely beyond their control!
"...Eek!"

Manaphy jumped out of Ye Yinchuan's arms and stumbled towards Xilu.

As a newborn, it didn't seem to have much control over its body yet, but after taking a few more steps, it became more comfortable.

Xilu was also taken aback for a moment, then moved closer to Manaphy and hugged her in her arms.

The two of them, one human and one Pokémon, stared at each other at close range.

Ye Yinchuan heard what Manaphy wanted to convey, roughly as follows—

Miss Silu, from the moment you approached me, I knew that you were indeed a descendant of the "Water People," and the bloodline within you was very close, its purity must be quite high...

"People of water, what are they?"

Xi Lu raised this question.

But Ye Yinchuan knew something. In the Manaphy movie, there was a similar story: the Water People made a pact with the Manaphy tribe in ancient times, and they have been responsible for protecting the Sea Temple and the Treasure Island within it for generations.

There was too much information that Ye Yinchuan didn't know, or couldn't remember clearly.

"You actually know about the relationship between the Water People and our Manaphy tribe."

Manaphy's inner thoughts confirmed Ye Yinchuan's intelligence.

Then it completes the process, acquiring information that is ingrained in its genes, something it knows perfectly well even though it has only been born for a short time.

The reproduction and hatching of Manaphy require a special ritual that only the people of the water can perform.

The people of Manaphy and the Water People seem to have suffered some great upheaval. Their lifeline, the "Temple of Water," has been lost in the ocean. The descendants of the Water People are gradually dying out, and no "King of the Sea" has been born in Manaphy for a long time...

To become the "King of the Sea," one needs not only the assistance and witness of the Water People, but also entry into the Temple of the Sea God. Currently, both of these crucial elements are missing!
"Indeed, in the movie, Haruka, as a Water Dweller, took on the task of escorting Manaphy back to the Water Temple, and it seems that the opening of the Water Temple also requires the Water Dwellers."

As Manaphy provided this information, Ye Yinchuan's memories were also brought to a clearer picture.

Manaphy and Xilu glanced sideways again, surprised that Ye Yinchuan knew so much. As for the "theatrical version," they couldn't understand it and naturally ignored it.

"So, Miss Silu is actually a descendant of the Water People..."

At this moment, Ye Yinchuan couldn't help but think of Xi Lu's special eyes. It seemed that the special features of her eyes had never been revealed.

"The Eye of the Ocean not only gains affinity with most marine Pokémon, but also radiates special energy that allows marine Pokémon to grow rapidly, see the routes of pilgrimages so they don't get lost at sea, track the location of the Sea Temple, and even see the injuries and illnesses on Manaphy and Phione, finding out the causes..."

When Ye Yinchuan received this information from Manaphy, he couldn't help but be stunned.

The Eye of the Ocean—its functions are simply too powerful and comprehensive…

However, it's not entirely incomprehensible that the Water People formed a contract with Manaphy, which is equivalent to receiving a blessing from a divine beast, and a very high-level one at that.

"Not only is she blessed, but Miss Shiru possesses an exceptionally pure Water People's bloodline. She is a genius among the Water People, a talent rarely seen even once in a millennium, enabling her to awaken the Eye of the Ocean possessed by the first generation of Water People... I hope to receive Miss Shiru's help, to forge a deeper bond with her, to complete the pilgrimage back, to find the Water Temple... to be crowned 'King of the Ocean,' and to revive the Manaphy clan and the Water People!"

Upon hearing Manaphy's words, Ye Yinchuan was deeply moved. This Manaphy truly possessed the inherited memories of its race; this must be its mission.

"Yes, Mr. Kabi, thank you so much for your help. If it weren't for you today, our Manaphy clan might not have been able to find Miss Shilu. Miss Shilu, would you be willing to help me?"

Upon hearing this, Xi Lu frowned slightly.

She was slightly surprised to learn that she was a Water People, and what Manaphy said, although important, seemed to have deviated from her original intention, which was to find her father.

“Miss Xilu, if you sign a new contract with me, I will be able to grow rapidly. At that time, the range of my ‘mind swap’ will expand dramatically… Most importantly, I will be able to contact other elders in the clan, and then I will be able to find out the whereabouts of your father!”

Upon hearing this, Ye Yinchuan frowned, thinking to himself, "This sounds a bit like an unfair contract. Only by signing a contract with you can I find out where my father is. Isn't this coercion?"

This idea once again drew Manaphy's attention, but Manaphy simply responded:
“Mr. Kabi’s considerations are not without merit. Our Manaphy clan and the Water People have maintained a friendly relationship since ancient times, and there is absolutely no question of coercion… Miss Shilu, signing a contract with me does not mean you have to give anything in return. I will not force you to help me, and I also hope to help you find clues about your father. Mr. Kabi can witness all of this; he is that person’s messenger and carries enough weight.” Because it is a “mind exchange,” the transmission of information will not be discounted in any way, nor will there be any lies. Both goodwill and malice can be clearly felt.

All three could sense that the other was sincere.

"In that case, there's no problem."

Ye Yinchuan wouldn't stand idly by and ignore any potential unfair terms just because Manaphy was the Prince of Canghai, especially since Xilu had a life-or-death bond with him.

During the battle against the Dark Phoenix King, if it weren't for Xi Lu's long-range sniping with the Thorn Sea Dragon, the outcome might have been very different. Moreover, when Xi Lu was being chased, it was Ye Yinchuan who indirectly protected her.

Xilu nodded. She had come to Manaphy because of her father's whereabouts, and now that things had come to this point, there was no reason to refuse.

"How to do?"

Xi Lu's eyes hardened, and at that moment, she was completely focused.

"It's very simple, all you need to do is put your heart into it. Our hearts are connected, our minds are united..."

Manaphy looked at Sylvanas, and Sylvanas, as if drawn by some kind of magic, moved her head closer to Manaphy's, their heads gently touching...

The next moment, golden and blue light erupted around the two, seemingly undergoing some kind of qualitative change. Under the witness of Ye Yinchuan, countless viewers in the live broadcast room, and countless Pokémon present, the contract between Manaphy and Sil was thus formed.

【In the end what happened? 】

[Host, you guys were silent for a while, but it felt like you were communicating. What's going on?]

If I hadn't completely ignored it, I would have thought my phone was broken!

Clearly, the viewers in the live stream did not participate in the "mind swap," so they were somewhat confused.

"I'll explain this to you later."

As the host, Ye Yinchuan still had to respond to the audience, saying, "In short, it's awesome."

With the signing of the contract, golden patterns resembling those of Manaphy appeared around Xilu's eyes, resembling some kind of eye makeup. Combined with her original Eye of the Ocean and long golden hair, Xilu's temperament was exceptionally refined, even exuding a touch of divinity.

Miss Sylu is so cool...

[So beautiful! Did she receive a blessing from Manaphy?]

"It's more than just a blessing; in a sense, Miss Sil already qualifies to become a trainer in Manaphy."

When Ye Yinchuan said this, there was a slight hint of envy in his tone.

However, this is something that cannot be envied; it is innate to the people of water.

Of course, Ye Yinchuan also has a legendary Pokémon, Rumino, so it's alright.

Looking at Manaphy's changes, there didn't seem to be any major changes, but her body was covered in golden energy, and the antennae on her head were swaying in the wind. Ye Yinchuan wondered if it was just his imagination, but Manaphy seemed to have grown taller.

But one thing is very obvious: Manaphy's level on the panel jumped directly from level 1 to level 50!
"Wow, the power of this bond is ridiculous! Speed-clearing level 50? That's even more powerful than me using cheats!"

Ye Yinchuan had already noticed.

Legendary Pokémon like Celebi, Ho-Oh, and Manaphy possess abilities that are practically cheat codes...

While their own system is powerful, it takes a long-term and comprehensive approach, whereas the "divine beast" has a unique status and its capabilities in certain areas are absolutely unparalleled!
“Mr. Kirby, please don’t be surprised. This is the crystallization of the bond that our Manaphy clan and the Water People have accumulated over generations.”

Ye Yinchuan understood; it meant that it was the accumulation of wealth over countless generations, and he had nothing to compare with it...

"This is……"

Suddenly, Ye Yinchuan could sense that after Manaphy's strength increased, Manaphy's "mind swap" was connecting to a new "mind"...

In other words, this "chat group" is still adding people!
"It should be other Manaphy fruits..."

Ye Yinchuan quickly obtained a lot of information about Xi Lu's father, and his expression gradually became serious.

A moment later, Xi Lu's eyes were already wet with tears, and she lost control of her emotions:
"Dad, so that's how it is. You've been protecting me all along in your own way..."

Ye Yinchuan also fell silent; this was truly a scene that brought tears to both men and women.

Sil's father was indeed a Water Person, without a doubt. When he went to sea, he encountered an evil organization hunting down the previous generation of Manaphy. Almost all of his Pokémon were lost, and he was driven to the brink of despair. He could only take the opportunity to make a final video call to his family. What was not shown in the call was that he had suffered a fatal injury at the time, and he chose to hide it from his family so as not to frighten them...

When their father's blood fell into the sea, the previous generation of Manaphy realized that these were the Water People they had been searching for. By sheer coincidence, the Manaphy and their father formed a pact, awakened their powers, and escaped from the clutches of the evil organization...

However, the injuries suffered by Mr. Xi were too severe, and even Manaphy could not save him. But the contract formed, the special power of the bond, allowed Mr. Xi's soul to merge with that Manaphy...

Having become part of the Pokémon family, Shinobu knows he can no longer return to his family and that his soul will dissipate over time. However, he still wants to see his daughter and wife one last time, so he asks Manaphy to let him linger on the beach near his home...

By a twist of fate, he saved Xilu from drowning. Because he touched the clan contract, the water-born power within Xilu was awakened...

"But why, Dad, you've already met me, why don't you let Manaphy and I switch minds? At least then our family could be reunited. Even if we become Pokémon, we can still go home!"

Xi Lu sobbed.

“My children… I don’t want you to bear too much. You’re so young, and your wife isn’t even a trainer… I’m so sorry. Once Manaphy’s affair is exposed, you might be targeted by evil organizations! I love you, I will always love you, and I love Mom too…”

Ye Yinchuan could sense that Xi's father's last remaining soul had dissipated.

“Miss Xilu, this is how it is. These are your father's words, the last glimmer of his soul, that he insisted I leave for you…”

Xi Lu seemed to have lost all her strength, slumped to the ground, her emotions slowly welling up. She tried to control herself, but couldn't help crying until she burst into tears.

On this day, she found her father, and she also lost him.

But a father's love never left.

(End of this chapter)