After a day and a night of flying, Yveltal finally brought Gui Ling back to Kalos.
Gui Ling was still sound asleep on Yveltal's back, and Yveltal even deliberately slowed down his flight when he noticed Gui Ling was asleep, so as not to disturb him.
"......... (This kid sleeps so soundly... It makes me so angry! He won't wake up without ten grilled fish!)"
However, just as the two flew into an ancient city in the forest, they were suddenly disturbed by a huge snore from within the ancient city.
The shocking noise even made Yveltal frown, and Gui Ling was directly shaken off by the snore.
Yveltal quickly flew over and caught Gui Ling, otherwise, it would have been the end of the story.
"Oh my... you scared me to death..."
"......... (Don't disgust me.)"
"You go over there, I thought I was dreaming of free falling, but then I realized it wasn't a dream when I was scratched by a tree branch, it scared me to death..."
Gui Ling quickly bandaged his scratched arm.
Gui Ling was already used to such things, but he was quite curious as to which immortal had made such a loud noise just now?
"Want to go check?"
"......... (Just what I wanted.)"
.........
"Snorlax?!"
Ash and his companions also arrived at this ancient city and were very surprised to see the Snorlax in front of them.
"It's my first time seeing one!"
Eureka excitedly ran over, her eyes shining like stars, her curiosity and love for Pokémon undiminished.
"The noise we just heard must have been Snorlax's snoring."
Next to them, a woman was explaining the current situation.
"Why is he sleeping here?"
"Snorlax has always maintained a symbiotic relationship with this city.
Every year at this season, Snorlax comes down from the mountains and eats the roots of the crops harvested from the fields."
"Doesn't that bother the farmers a lot?"
"No, when Snorlax digs out and eats the roots, it's like tilling the land, which helps the next batch of crops grow very well.
So every year after Snorlax has eaten all the roots, everyone holds a festival to pray for a good harvest to express their gratitude.
At the climax of the festival, the mayor of the Lazy City will play the Pokémon Flute, and then Snorlax will eat all the offerings and return to the mountains while dancing."
At this moment, after the woman finished speaking, Yveltal descended from the sky and crashed in front of them, his furious roar stirring up a strong gust of wind around him.
"Yveltal?!"
"Could it be?"
At this time, Gui Ling also jumped down with a grumpy expression, scanning the surroundings and seeing Ash and the others.
"Hi, I didn't expect to see you here."
"Hello, Gui Ling! Why do you seem unhappy?"
"Woke up by noise, a bit grumpy..."
Yveltal now looked angrily at the woman, his intense pressure making her retreat repeatedly in fear.
"......... (You caused that annoying noise!)"
"No, no, no!"
"Wait, Yveltal! It's not what you think!"
Upon hearing Ash's persuasion, Yveltal did not stop, but instead looked at Ash with disdain.
Yveltal's pride had not disappeared; he only listened to Gui Ling and his companions.
In Yveltal's eyes, there were only two kinds of humans and Pokémon.
One was Gui Ling and Gengar, and the other was useless humans and low-level Pokémon.
"Pika!"
Pikachu, noticing Yveltal's terrifying aura and disdainful gaze, also jumped out, staring sternly at Yveltal, the electricity on his face crackling continuously.
Yveltal felt his authority being challenged and was about to launch a Shadow Sneak when he was interrupted by Gui Ling.
"Alright, alright... (Yawning)... Can that sound be made by a human? Use your brain."
"......... (What I hate most is when someone wakes me up from sleep!)"
"It's me who's sleeping, not you, why are you so angry... (Yawning)"
"......... (It's precisely because you were woken up that I'm so angry!)"
Gui Ling felt warm inside upon hearing this reply and smiled as he stroked Yveltal's wing.
"Thank you, Yveltal.
When we go back, I'll treat you to a lot of grilled fish."
"......... (It's a good thing you still have some conscience; it wasn't in vain that I flew you for a day.)"
After comforting Yveltal, Gui Ling apologized to the woman and Ash, and then heard about Snorlax's situation from the woman again.
"So, you're preparing for the festival now?"
"The residents have already started preparing, but this year's festival has been delayed and unable to be held.
Snorlax also hasn't had the chance to go to the mountains and is still in deep sleep."
"Why is that?"
"Because the important person who needs to play the Pokémon Flute, the mayor of Lazy City, hasn't appeared yet for some reason..."
Immediately after, Snorlax's snoring struck again.
Yveltal, upon hearing the sound, couldn't help but cover his ears, and when he reacted, he directly launched a Shadow Sneak.
When the violent purple smoke dispersed, Snorlax immediately turned into a dizzy, swirling-eyed state, but what was even more shocking was that even though Snorlax was unconscious, his snoring continued.
"......... (I'll just use Death Wing! I don't believe you can still snore when you're turned to stone!)"
"Stop, stop, stop! Calm down, calm down! You go back into your Poké Ball to clear your head, otherwise, I'm afraid this noise will damage your eardrums."
Gui Ling carefully returned Yveltal to his Poké Ball.
Even though Yveltal was a legendary Pokémon, he didn't want him to suffer.
"Heh heh, it seems it's my time to shine!
In that case, I'll use the power of science to wake him up!"
Amidst everyone's puzzled expressions, Clemont took out an alarm clock from his bag.
"Clemont Engine, activate! This is an excellent machine developed in advance for the sleepy Eureka!
It's named the Eureka Forced Wake-Up Alarm Clock!"
"What??!"
Gui Ling almost burst out laughing, walking over to Eureka and squatting down to joke.
"Having this brother is simply bad luck from your previous life... No! It's a blessing! Hahaha!"
"Brother Gui Ling, stop laughing! I'm angry!"
"I've caught a few more Pokémon, how about I let them play with you?"
"Yay!"
Gui Ling smiled; children were so easy to appease.
As Clemont set the alarm to its loudest, the alarm clock emitted a piercing ringing sound, but this sound did not wake Snorlax; instead, it created a 'heaven and hell' scenario.
With an explosion, everyone was covered in a layer of dust.
"Did it fail?"
"But hearing such a loud explosion, he must have woken up!"
However, when everyone's gaze returned to Snorlax, he was still there, sound asleep.
"Although it bothers the residents here, Snorlax is actually quite pitiful.
We should do something so that Snorlax isn't treated as a bothersome Pokémon!
I can't just stand by and do nothing!"
Ash clenched his fist, full of fighting spirit, and Serena also nodded with a smile beside him.
Gui Ling also nodded, looking at Ash's actions.
This was the Ash he was familiar with, the reckless little protagonist full of a sense of justice.
What?
You ask who the main protagonist is? Team Rockets, of course~
"To wake him up, we still have to rely on the Pokémon Flute from Lazy City."
"So we just need to bring the mayor of Lazy City here, right?"
The woman sighed and looked at the palace on the city.
"The residents have asked many times, but everyone has been driven out for various reasons..."
"Let's go to Lazy City and see!"
"Pika!"
"I'll go with you too."
Gui Ling also walked over and pointed to himself.
"Gui Ling, are you willing to help?"
"Hmm, if I just leave like this, Yveltal might not be convinced."
"You really spoil him!
I'm quite curious about your experiences with him."
Clemont walked over curiously, while Gui Ling thought for a moment, stroking his chin.
"Well... we treat each other as family, caring for and loving each other.
It's not just Yveltal; all my Pokémon are like that.
I've never treated them as partners, but rather as closer family."
"Family?"
"I don't have true relatives; Yveltal and the others have always been with me.
I've given all my love to them, and they've given their love to me in return."
"That's a wonderful relationship; no wonder Yveltal listens to you."
"I believe Ash and Pikachu also share this kind of bond."
"Huh?"
"Feel the Pokémon's thoughts with your heart; you can even understand what they're saying.
Try to form a deeper bond with them, Clemont."
Clemont nodded, taking Gui Ling's words to heart.
Eureka also heard everything clearly from the side and firmly remembered it in her dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer.
After several tens of minutes of travel, everyone finally reached the mayor's mansion and knocked on the door.
Then the city gate opened, and a butler bowed and walked over.
"Welcome, what can I do for you in our city?"
"There's something urgent that needs to be told to the mayor of the mountain city; we're here to convey it!"
"You've truly gone to great trouble, please come inside."
When everyone entered the mayor's mansion, they saw a fat middle-aged man on a throne on a high platform.
"This is the mayor, Lord Lazy."
"Lazy~ What can I do for you?"
"Please! Please play the flute at the village festival!"
The mayor immediately jumped off his seat and ran to hide behind a curtain.
"If it's about this, I must excuse myself!"
"Because Snorlax is sleeping in the plaza, the residents are very troubled!"
"Please play the Pokémon Flute!"
The mayor poked his head out, looking a bit embarrassed at everyone.
"If I could do it, I would want to... but I have a recorder allergy! If I play the flute, I'll break out in hives all over my body!"
Ash and the others looked dejected upon hearing this, while Gui Ling, upon hearing this explanation, almost summoned his fat fish to flatten the place with one butt-stomp.
Was he being played for a fool?!
"Otherwise... please lend us your Pokémon Flute!"
"But I also have a recorder phobia!"
Gui Ling couldn't sit still any longer, and combined with his morning grumpiness, he took a step forward, pointed at the mayor, and immediately started with a zero-frame attack.
"You (censored) me, you're treating me like a child, aren't you!
Where did you get this symptom from?!
If you don't explain clearly, I'll drag you to Miss Joy for treatment right now!!!"
The butler on the side also couldn't stand it anymore, shook his head, and said to the mayor.
"Lord Lazy, if you keep lying to these children like this, even if it's for the honor of your family, you will surely regret it later.
I suggest you tell the truth directly, otherwise, you might really be dragged to Miss Joy for treatment..."
The mayor was startled by the angry Gui Ling, and upon hearing the butler's words, he could only sigh.
"I'll tell the truth then... The Pokémon Flute is indeed in this city, but..."
"Could it be broken?"
"It's not like that..."
"Then what exactly happened?"
"Because the flute was stolen... Princess Ali from the Parfum Palace in the neighboring village came here before, and she said, 'The Pokémon Flute is so cute!', and just took the Pokémon Flute..."
"So you just let her take it?"
"Princess Ali, once she speaks, she won't listen to anyone else."
"That's how it is..."
"Is that really okay?"
"Isn't that a family heirloom?"
"Because Princess Ali's father always looks after us, I couldn't loudly object..."
"Then we'll help you get the flute back! Please, you must play the Pokémon Flute at the festival!"
"Pika!"
The mayor immediately broke into a happy smile upon hearing Ash say this.
"Of course! I'd be delighted to play the flute!"
Gui Ling, however, looked at the mayor with a sarcastic expression.
"What a waste."
Watching Gui Ling turn and walk away, everyone was puzzled and embarrassed as they followed him.
"Gui Ling, how can you talk like that?"
Gui Ling glared impatiently at the mayor and said to Ash behind him.
"As a city mayor, being so incompetent, not caring for the people and only preserving himself, such a person is destined not to be a good mayor, and must have gotten this position through connections.
What else can such a person be but a waste?"
"But you don't have to be so harsh with your words, do you?"
Gui Ling looked at Ash helplessly, understanding in his heart that he certainly couldn't convince him.
"A waste is a waste.
I'm going to get the flute; do you want to come along?"
"Really, Gui Ling! Are you willing to help?"
"Only for the people there, otherwise, I wouldn't bother helping this waste."
The two guards at the gate heard Gui Ling speak of the mayor in such a way, and holding their weapons, they blocked Gui Ling's path.
"Shouting insults at the mayor in the palace! What is your crime!"
"Gengar, Night Shade."
Gui Ling threw out a Poké Ball.
Gengar appeared and immediately used Night Shade to send the two guards flying.
Clemont pushed up his glasses, looking very surprised at this Shinny Gengar.
"This Gengar is so big! It must be a dominant Gengar! I hadn't observed it carefully before.
How did Gui Ling catch such a powerful Pokémon?"
Hearing Clemont's voice, Gui Ling also looked at Gengar and noticed that Gengar had indeed grown quite a bit compared to before.
Are you sure you didn't just get fat? But this way, Gengar, you're healthy!
"Gengar~"
Everyone arrived at a palace in the countryside. Compared to the City Lord's Mansion, this palace was even larger and more magnificent.
At this moment, Eureka was burrowing through a wall made of plants.
"Eureka, what are you doing?"
"Serena! There's a hole here we can go through!"
When everyone crawled through the hole, they were greeted by a magnificent stone statue.
Gui Ling, with Gengar's Helping Hand and Confusion, also flew in from outside the city wall. Still half-asleep, he felt even more tired.
"Huh?! Gui Ling, how did you fly over here?"
"Gengar's Confusion. I called out to you from behind, but you didn't listen and insisted on crawling through this dog hole."
"Ah? I thought you were telling me to hurry up..."
"Pika..."
Gui Ling opened Diancie's Poké Ball. He didn't feel anything about these statues and artworks, but perhaps Diancie would like it here?
"Wow! What a beautiful garden! Whose palace is this?"
"Yes, My Little Princess."
Serena was startled when she saw the talking Diancie.
"A talking Pokémon?!"
Serena, surprised, pulled out her Pokémon scanner and scanned it.
"Diancie, the Diamond Pokémon, a mutated Carbink. Its body, sparkling with pink light, is praised as the most beautiful in the world. It can condense carbon from the air between its hands to instantly create many diamonds."
"A stranger~ Hello, I'm Diancie~"
"Oh? Hello, I'm Serena."
"Serena~"
"Nice to see you again, Diancie!"
"Pikapi!"
"Ash~ Pikachu~"
"Diancie, do you still remember me? And my brother!"
"Clemont~ Eureka~"
Just then, a pink and white Furfrou darted out from the bushes nearby and barked wildly at everyone.
"What kind of Pokémon is that?"
"You should know that's a Furfrou, right?"
"Huh? That's also a Furfrou???"
"Alright, Furfrou."
At this moment, surrounded by a group of maids, a little girl slowly walked out, covering her face with a fan. The Furfrou immediately ran over to her when it saw her.
"Good boy, good boy. You can't eat the trash on the ground, okay? You'll get a stomach ache~"
"Huh? Did she just call us trash?!"
"Could it be that you are Princess Aili?"
Princess Aili sneered, and the maids behind her continued to scatter rose petals.
"Ah hahaha~ Parfum Palace is my home, and I am Princess Aili~"
"So beautiful!"
Eureka's eyes sparkled as she looked at Princess Aili, while Serena scratched her face, feeling a bit awkward.
"Is she a real princess!"
"It feels like getting the flute back might be a bit difficult..."
Meanwhile, Diancie was still pulling Gui Ling and Gengar, searching for something on the ground.
"Strange, I don't see it?"
"Little Princess, what are you looking for?"
"Gengar?"
"Didn't you say there was trash? We need to pick it up quickly and throw it in the trash can, otherwise it will cause a lot of trouble for everyone~"
Gui Ling immediately squatted down and stroked Diancie's head, then gave Gengar a look and moved to the side.
"Gengar already took the trash away just now. Don't do these things in the future; let us handle them."
"But... I want to help everyone."
"These are just small things within our capabilities. When we have big troubles that we can't solve, then we'll ask for your help, Little Princess, okay?"
"Mm! Okay~"
Gui Ling made up an excuse so Diancie wouldn't worry about it. Gui Ling didn't want Diancie to be exposed to negative influences.
"Princess Aili, please return the Pokémon Flute to us!"
"That's a bit too much to ask for~"
"Huh? Why?"
"Because what's mine is mine, and what's in my hand is also mine, so the Pokémon Flute is mine~ Ah hahaha~"
"How can you be like that?"
"You just took it without permission!"
"If we don't have the Pokémon Flute, we can't hold the festival!"
"That's why Snorlax's snoring is so loud, and everyone is bothered by it!"
"You find it noisy? Why not go to a beach villa or something similar for a nap~ Ah hahaha~"
At this moment, inside their Poké Balls, Gardevoir and Snivy spontaneously came out, looking at Princess Aili with anger.
Gui Ling understood immediately and covered Diancie's ears. Darkrai also came out to watch the fun and even acted as a translator.
"Gardevoir! Gardevoir! Gardevoir!"
"Snivy! Snivy! Snivy!"
"Hmm... What does this mean? Never mind, I'll translate first. I (birds singing and flowers fragrant) you (good health) grass (full of joy)"
【Sensitive words automatically censored here】
Ash and the others were dumbfounded. Clemont also covered Eureka's ears. Eureka and Diancie stared at each other, confused, not knowing what was happening.
"Girls fighting is just too vicious..."
"Gengar Gui..."
"Ah? This..."
"Pikachu Pikachu..."
"So Pokémon can swear so fiercely..."
"The key is that this Darkrai doesn't seem to know what they're actually saying..."
"Darkrai! I've never seen one before!"
Princess Aili was stomping her foot in anger at this moment. Just as she was about to scold Gardevoir and the others, she met Darkrai's fierce gaze and recoiled.
So, she's someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong, huh?
At this moment, Princess Aili's gaze fell on the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder. She ran over and stared at Pikachu for a long time.
"Is this Pikachu your Pokémon?"
"That's right, he's my partner."
"The facial markings on each Pikachu's cheek are not quite the same. Look at the perfect size and color combination of the excellent blush on his cheeks!"
Pikachu was initially immersed in the joy of being praised, but his cheek was then severely pinched by Princess Aili.
"Such a precious Pikachu staying by your side is simply a waste of resources; it should be given to me as a family heirloom!"
Ash immediately snatched Pikachu back after hearing that.
"I won't give Pikachu to anyone!"
Princess Aili snapped her fingers impatiently.
"Bring that over!"
Soon, a servant pushed over a chest full of gold and silver treasures, which instantly seemed to blind everyone's eyes.
"I'll exchange these treasures for Pikachu."
"No!"
Princess Aili saw that the treasures couldn't move Ash, but then suddenly thought of an idea.
"You told me you hope I'll return the Pokémon Flute to you, right?"
"Mm! Are you willing to give it back to us?"
"Let Furfrou battle Pikachu~ This battle will be a gamble for the Pokémon Flute and Pikachu!"
"How can you do that!"
"To gamble with Pokémon!"
"How mean!"
"Are you sure you're okay with this? This is your only chance to get the flute back, you know~"
Ash didn't know what to do, while Gui Ling was thinking about whether to summon Kyogre and use Origin Pulse to destroy this place. But then Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder.
"Pikachu! Pikachu!"
"Pikachu, are you willing to battle?"
"Pikachu! Pikachu!"
".........I understand! Let's battle!"
Upon arriving at the battleground, Pikachu first used Quick Attack, but Furfrou dodged it and tripped him.
Then Pikachu used Iron Tail, and Furfrou used Bite, biting Pikachu's tail and slamming him to the ground.
Gui Ling looked at Pikachu's state and knew that the Electric-type Pokémon was definitely faking it.
But Pikachu immediately used a 100,000-volt attack that fried Furfrou's fur. Princess Aili saw this and immediately stopped the match, calling for someone to take it to a Pokémon stylist.
"Then what about the battle?"
"Princess Aili, are you forfeiting the match?"
"I can't help it. I can't bear to let her battle in an unbeautiful state."
"Princess Aili forfeits the match, Pikachu wins!"
"Excellent! We did it, Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!"
"Alright, please hand over the Pokémon Flute to us."
But at this moment, Princess Aili started playing dirty again.
"Because I lost, I won't give you the flute~"
"Why! Didn't we agree?!"
"Ah hahaha~ I clearly only said we'd gamble with the Pokémon Flute and Pikachu. If I had won, I would have given you the Pokémon Flute~ But since you won, you have to give Pikachu to me~"
At this moment, there was a loud bang from the viewing platform. Darkrai punched the stone railing into smithereens. Although he didn't understand the insults, he couldn't stand such an unreasonable person either.
At this moment, Gui Ling and Gardevoir's faces were extremely dark. Diancie also angrily put her hands on her hips and was about to say something, but Gui Ling quickly returned her to her Poké Ball first.
"Little Princess, we'll handle this matter. Don't worry."
Hearing Gui Ling's assurance, Diancie quietly stayed inside the Poké Ball.
Then Gui Ling took out two more Poké Balls and summoned Ceruledge and Banette.
"Since we've already won the battle, we'll take the Pokémon Flute."
"Gui Ling, what are you going to do?"
"If she doesn't want to give it, then why don't we just take it!"
"Ah? Is that really okay?"
"To deal with a scoundrel, you have to be more of a scoundrel than her. I'm not some good person."
Gui Ling snapped his fingers. Banette and Gengar immediately turned invisible to search for the Pokémon Flute in the palace, while Ceruledge blocked the maids and guards.
"How dare you cause trouble in my palace! Seize him!"
"Ceruledge, don't kill them, just give them a little lesson."
"Yes, sir."
"Another talking Pokémon?!"
Ash and the others were so shocked they couldn't speak. This was the fourth talking Pokémon they had seen from Gui Ling.
Darkrai also joined the battle at this moment. All the Pokémon summoned by these maids and guards were instantly defeated by Darkrai's Shadow Sneak and Ceruledge's Shadow Claw.
Even though there were dozens of opposing Pokémon, the two of them finished them all within two minutes.
"Such strong combat power!"
Clemont, as a Gym Leader, couldn't help but push up his glasses in surprise. Ceruledge and Darkrai's combat power was simply too strong.
"Gengar!"
"Ding dong ding dong!"
Gengar and Banette brought the Pokémon Flute, and then Gui Ling threw the flute to Ash and the others, telling them to leave quickly.
"You take the flute and go back first. I'll cover your retreat."
"Gui Ling! Are you okay by yourself?"
"Hurry up and go!"
Ash and the others had no choice but to leave with the flute. At this moment, Gui Ling felt a sense of relief, then pulled out a Poké Ball.
He had endured for so long, and finally, it was time—
"Kyogre, Origin Pulse!"
.........
"Mr. Lazy!"
The City Lord and the butler looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ash and the others running over with the Pokémon Flute. Gui Ling, riding Noivern, also rushed over from behind.
"I've brought it back as promised. Now, I'm counting on you!"
The City Lord happily took the flute, and just as he was about to start playing it, it was yanked away by a grappling hook.
"My flute!"
Following the direction of the grappling hook, the 'true protagonists' appeared.
"It's Team Rockets, as expected!"
"Since you said it's Team Rockets, as expected!"
"I'll mercifully answer you!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To uphold the peace of the world!"
"To embody love and truth, the evil!"
"The cute and charming villainous characters!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rockets, a duo traversing the galaxy!"
"A white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!"
"That's right, meow!"
"Yo, finally met the true protagonists, but it's time for your exit. This chapter isn't yours. Boomburst! Moonblast! Shadow Sneak!"
Team Rockets, who hadn't even reacted yet, were directly blasted away by the three attacks.
"What a dreadful feeling!!!"
Gui Ling took the Pokémon Flute and handed it to the City Lord.
"Hurry up and play it! So the people here can return to their normal lives!"
"Alright, I'm going to play!"
Snorlax, after hearing the beautiful flute music, indeed woke up and hopped over, eating the berries. In a short while, all the berries were eaten by him.
Then, amidst the cheers of the people, Snorlax was seen off as he returned to the mountain. Gui Ling also nodded and summoned Yveltal, intending to leave.
"Gui Ling! Thank you for today!"
"No problem. See you at Yaoxiang Gym. I've already gotten my third badge; you need to hurry up."
"Okay! I'll definitely catch up to you!"
Meanwhile, at Princess Aili's side...
The entire palace seemed to be submerged in water. Miss Joy pushed a little girl, covered in bandages, into the ambulance.
"It's true! I saw fish flying!!!"
"Princess Aili, please calm down for a bit. You must have been stimulated by something."
"I'm not lying!!!"
【Dear readers, Author No. 23 is taking a day off to be an NPC at a comic convention.】
【Thank you for your support! This 8000-word piece is for all of you. Many thanks for your gifts.】