Elf: Is the bear apprentice the weakest? I'll shatter the sky with my fists.

Eileen stomped her foot angrily, her elf ears standing up high in her excitement.

She rushed forward and grabbed Li Chen's clothes.

"You've only been focused on battles since you arrived in Galar, and now you're going to abandon me to drink some Moo Moo milk?"

A dangerous glint flashed in her emerald eyes as her fingers stealthily crept up her husband's soft waist.

Li Chen froze on the spot, a layer of sweat beading on his forehead: "Well... I just..."

"Oh dear~"

Seeing this, Dan winked mischievously, then with a flick of his champion's cape, magically produced three tickets:

"How could I forget the beautiful lady? It's my treat! It's the best dessert shop in Hualang Town; their Creamy Milk Mousse is a limited edition!"

Eileen's anger vanished instantly, and her elven ears twitched with delight: "That's more like it~"

Still in shock, Hop snapped out of it and hurriedly followed, saying, "Wait, wait for me!"

Why do I suddenly feel like I'm the extra one?!

......

......

Warm sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the hardwood floor of the dessert shop.

Dani sank into the soft sofa, his championship cape casually draped over the back of the chair.

At this moment, he finally shed the burden of being a champion and looked at the giant parfait in front of him with shining eyes, just like an ordinary young man.

Ah, this is life!

He scooped up a large spoonful of Creamy Fairy-shaped mousse with satisfaction, completely unaware that cream had gotten on the corners of his mouth. "It's much more comfortable than giving an interview, right?"

"really."

Li Chen couldn't help but smile as he looked at this champion with such a stark contrast to his previous image.

He was carefully wiping the jam off Eileen's earlobe when he heard this, and nodded, saying, "It seems that even the most powerful champion can't resist the temptation of desserts."

"My older brother..."

Hop tried to sneakily steal the berry tart in front of Leon, but got a spoonful tap on the back of his hand. "Only in a dessert shop can I feel this relaxed..."

Li Chen gently swirled the fruit tea in his hand, the ice cubes making a crisp sound as they hit the sides of the cup.

He stared at the flashy champion's cape hanging on the back of the chair, covered with a dense array of logos.

“I understand,” he said, taking a sip of tea with a faint smile on his lips. “Being a champion is never an easy job. Champions in various regions… may seem glamorous on the surface, but behind the scenes, they probably don’t even have time to drink a cup of tea.”

Of course, as for why, we don't know.

Eileen's elven ears twitched sharply, and she picked up a macaron, replying, "But the things they're busy with are worlds apart—some are dealing with the council, some are cracking down on the black market, and others..."

She glanced meaningfully at the mountain of desserts piled up in front of Dan Di, "They're shooting an advertisement for a sponsor."

"Hahaha!"

Dante swaggered, wiping the cream from the corner of his mouth. Instead of being annoyed, he raised an eyebrow with a smug look. "This is a Galar specialty! Without commercial sponsorship, where would such a luxurious battle tower come from?"

He suddenly lowered his voice, "And...you'd never guess how much that guy Mikkelsen gets paid for his skincare ads..."

Hep covered his face in anguish: "Big brother... don't brag about things like this..."

Li Chen leaned lazily against the cushion, his fingertips lightly tapping the glass, producing a crisp sound.

Watching Dandi recount the amusing stories of champions from various regions with great enthusiasm, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

So, you see...

He raised his cup to the sunlight, swirling it around; the amber tea reflected in his eyes. "Being a Champion-level Trainer is just right. No need to deal with all those commercial activities all the time..."

Eileen promptly shoved a piece of cake into his mouth, her elf ears twitching playfully: "Unlike some people, who get mobbed by fans even when they're eating dessert?"

"Cough cough..."

Li Chen choked on the sudden feeding, glanced helplessly at his wife, and continued, "Most importantly—if the sky falls, the champions will hold it up, while we 'short guys' are happy to have some peace and quiet."

Upon hearing this, Dan Di slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter, causing the dessert tower to shake three times: "You, Li Chen! If A Du heard this, his cloak would probably fall off its scales in anger!"

Looking at the harmonious scene before him, Hep suddenly felt...

Perhaps it's a good thing that my brother lost the match today?

Chapter 564 Mary

As dusk settles, the streetlights in Hualang Town light up one by one, casting a warm glow on the stone-paved road.

"Are you really not considering staying at my place?"

Undeterred, Dan asked again, his champion's cape swaying gently in the evening breeze: "The guest rooms are all ready..."

“Mr. Dan Di, there’s really no need for that.”

Li Chen coughed lightly, a suspicious blush rising to the tips of his ears.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on Eileen's hand: "This... is really inconvenient."

Eileen leaned on Li Chen's shoulder, her elf ears twitching: "We appreciate Mr. Champion's kindness~ We've already booked a honeymoon suite at the Shy Bud Hotel in Machine City."

"oh--!"

Dan Di suddenly realized something, and winked mischievously, "Then I won't disturb you two any longer!"

"Big brother... hey hey hey! The tonic is making me sick!"

Dante turned around and grabbed Hop, who was about to say something, "Let's go, let's go. Young people should give their partners more personal space..."

......

......

As dusk deepened, the stars were faintly visible in the Galar night sky.

Li Chen stood on a grassy slope on the outskirts of Hualang Town, the night wind brushing against the hem of his clothes.

"Since you've already signed up for the tournament..."

He turned to look at Eileen beside him, his fingertips lightly stroking the high-grade ball at his waist. "Why don't we just go to Machine City?"

Eileen's elven ears twirled deftly in the evening breeze as she smiled and pointed north: "As the crow flies, just cross the wilderness and you'll reach Machine City~ But at this time..."

"The high-speed trains have indeed stopped running."

Li Chen understood and took out the valuable ball, "But we have a more convenient way of transportation."

With a flash of red light, Latias's elegant figure appeared in the night sky.

It nuzzled Li Chen's cheek affectionately, its streamlined body gleaming.

"We'll need your help to give us a ride."

Li Chen gently stroked the neck of the legendary Latias, then turned to Eileen and reached out his hand, "Hold on tight, Latias is much faster than a bullet train."

Eileen leaped lightly onto Latias's back, her elven ears trembling slightly with excitement: "Perfect for enjoying the night view of Galar~"

As a streak of red light pierced the night sky, the three figures quickly disappeared into the northern horizon.

In the distance, the giant nests in the wilderness were emitting a dreamy pink glow, as if guiding their way.

As a streak of crimson light streaked across the night sky, Latias gracefully landed on the brightly lit streets of Mech City.

The neon lights of the Shy Bud Hotel sign were particularly eye-catching in the night, and the pink and purple light and shadows enveloped the entire porch in an ambiguous atmosphere.

"Are we... really going to stay here?"

Eileen's elf ears had turned completely pink, and her fingertips unconsciously twisted the hem of Li Chen's clothes.

She stared at the sculpture at the hotel entrance, her breathing becoming noticeably rapid.

Li Chen cleared his throat, trying to appear calm, but his ears were also turning red: "Ahem... this is just an ordinary hotel. Look, doesn't the sign say 'Designated Partner of the Galar Alliance'?"

“But…” Eileen’s voice was barely audible as she pointed to the heart-shaped crystal chandelier in the hall, “even the carpet has a rose petal pattern…”

Latias suddenly let out a mocking cry and gently nudged the two of them with its wing.

Li Chen stumbled and almost bumped into Erin's arms, which drew good-natured laughter from the trainers passing by.

"Alright, since we're already here..."

As Li Chen led Eileen into the hotel lobby, they were immediately met with a blinding cloud of fluorescent pink.

A dozen or so young men dressed in studded leather jackets and with exaggeratedly dyed hair were blocking the front desk, with the blond-haired boy at the head looking at them with a provocative gaze.

"Hello, hello, hello—"

The blond-haired guy snapped open a folding fan with a skull pattern, "Our cheering squad has booked the whole place tonight! If you know what's good for you..."

His arrogant words suddenly caught in his throat.

Because Li Chen silently took out the Poké Ball of the Martial Arts Urshifu, its metal shell gleaming coldly under the light.

Eileen tilted her head, her elven ears perking up dangerously: "Darling, are all the 'welcoming ceremonies' in the Galar region... this special?"

The entire lobby fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

The previously nonchalant cheering team members all took three steps back in unison, and the blond-haired man's folding fan fell with a "thud" onto the carpet covered with heart patterns.

Li Chen gently rubbed his temples with his slender fingers. Moonlight streamed in from the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft shadow on his sharply defined profile.

He slowly raised his eyelids, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.

"Leave now, it's not too late to leave together."

These words were like a piece of ice falling into a pot of boiling oil, instantly causing a murmur of discussion to erupt throughout the hall.

The cheering team members looked at each other, and some of them had already begun to secretly move back.

The blond-haired kid was frantically winking at his accomplices, gesturing for them to look at the enormous wristband that was barely visible on Li Chen's wrist.

Eileen's elven ears keenly caught their hushed gasps.

"Hey...that wristband..."

"Could it be someone participating in the World Championships..."

"Should we inform Miss Mary...?"

Suddenly, the light from the hotel's crystal chandelier dimmed.

Everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn towards the gate.

A petite figure appeared there at some point, her black and white gothic dress swaying gently in the breeze.

"I said..."

A clear, cool voice suddenly pierced the noise.

Everyone turned their heads at once, only to see that Mary was already standing by the revolving door.

"Outside..."

With each word she spoke, the shadow beneath her feet twisted more eerily, "Don't cause me any trouble."

The last few words were almost squeezed out through gritted teeth.

The group of cheering team members immediately huddled together like cats whose tails had been stepped on.

The light stick in the blond boy's hand fell to the ground with a "thud" and rolled to the side of Mary's patent leather ankle boots.

Eileen's elven ears sensitively picked up the gasps of the team members and couldn't help but lean close to Li Chen's ear: "This little girl... her aura is terrifying..."

Mary bent down to pick up the light stick and tapped it gently in her palm.

All the cheering team members took three steps back in unison, their movements as synchronized as a specially trained stilt dog.

Mary sighed softly and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

She walked steadily to Li Chen, her patent leather ankle boots making a crisp sound on the marble floor.

"Feel sorry."

She bowed slightly, her gothic-style skirt swaying gently with her movement. "My fans have caused you trouble."

After saying that, Mary turned around and snapped her fingers at the group of cheering team members huddled in the corner. The group immediately bowed and apologized in unison, like Pokémon receiving a command.