In the afternoon, near the small pier on the island's beach, Xia Huna momentarily tilted his head and sighed as he watched Mu Zhishui gradually depart on the yacht. "Where on earth is the headquarters of Rainbow Star Group? Can this yacht even make a round trip in a week?"
Although he knew Mu Zhishui's departure was solely to strengthen his Rockruff, the method of departure stirred his imagination. Yu Longdu, who was seeing Mu Zhishui off with him, asked, "I thought you'd complain about the energy of the Rainbow Star Mall, that it could directly come here to pick someone up."
Xia Huna shrugged. "What's so strange about that? The Rainbow Star Mall is on par with the Pokémon League. It's not difficult to come pick someone up. Never mind that, I should be going too."
With that, Xia Huna picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm going to Fenxue for a few days, so I'll be leaving now."
Watching Xia Huna board the Fenxue team's plane, Yu Longdu scratched his head. "I want to go out and play too. Why do I have to stay on this island?"
Meng Tianya grabbed Yu Longdu by his collar. "Let's go, stop complaining here, and train harder."
We'll tell two stories at once. First, let's talk about Mu Zhishui. Mu Zhishui sat on the ship and opened his laptop. On the desktop was the guess that Xia Huna had just given him. According to speculations from anime and games, Rockruff could evolve into Lycanroc Dusk Form when exposed to a green flash at dusk. So, how to get a green flash?
According to the information left by Xia Huna, a green flash is a relatively uncommon optical phenomenon. As long as the weather is good and the view is unobstructed, you might see a green flash. You can even see it while on an airplane.
Mu Zhishui looked at the sun outside the window. "There are still a few hours until sunset. I wonder if I can see a green flash out at sea."
After speaking, Mu Zhishui crouched down and stroked Rockruff's fur. "Rockruff, are you ready?"
Rockruff barked twice and then rubbed its fur around Mu Zhishui's face. Mu Zhishui chuckled. "Alright, go play. Come up to the deck when the sun sets."
Rockruff happily trotted into the cabin, while Mu Zhishui sat in his chair, enjoying the tropical sea breeze. As he played with his hair, he heard a sound from his laptop. Mu Zhishui turned to look at the laptop and saw an invitation for a video call from Xia Huna.
Mu Zhishui's fingers moved slightly, and he accepted the video call. "What's up? We haven't seen each other for that long, and you already miss me?"
Xia Huna pouted on the other end of the computer. "What are you thinking? I have something to ask you."
Mu Zhishui asked, "What is it? Aren't you supposed to be traveling with everyone from Fenxue? Shouldn't you be having fun instead of giving me any last-minute instructions?"
Xia Huna took out a magazine. "Look at this. I found this magazine on the Fenxue plane, and this page mentions the green flash."
Mu Zhishui glanced at the screen, but the text in the Fenxue magazine was too small. Mu Zhishui's eyes hurt from trying to read it without understanding what the book was about.
"Xia Huna, what does the book say? I can't see it clearly from here."
Xia Huna glanced at the Fenxue Astronomy Journal in his hand. "Then I'll translate it for you. This book discusses the predictions of various future phenomena by the Fenxue Astronomical Institute. Although it's an astronomy journal, it's actually more like a travel guide. The most recent one I found is in three days, on an overseas island of Fenxue, where there's a possibility of seeing a green flash. That location isn't far from where we departed. You can try it. It's better than having no goal."
Mu Zhishui nodded. "Send me the location, and I'll check it out. But what about you? Your thoughts should be the same as mine, so why aren't you going?"
Xia Huna tossed a candy in his hand. "How should I put it? Even though I want to evolve, I want to bet big, you know, take a gamble for a big win."
Hearing Xia Huna say this, Mu Zhishui could almost guess his thoughts and smiled. "Since you have your own plans, I won't say anything more. I wish you success."
Xia Huna hung up the phone. Mu Zhishui also gave instructions, slightly changing the ship's direction, and set sail at full speed towards the address Xia Huna had sent.
Meanwhile, in the sky, after hanging up the call with Mu Zhishui, Xia Huna tore open the candy wrapper in his hand and popped it into his mouth, smacking his lips. "Hmm, how should I put it? This stuff tastes awful."
A beautiful woman from Fenxue beside him chuckled. "Of course, you're eating the earliest version. It's been out of circulation for a long time. I don't know where you got it from. The recipe for this candy has been updated several times."
Xia Huna stuck out his tongue and then picked up a cup of water, chugging it down. "So that's why. I'll try a newer one."
With that, Xia Huna took out another candy wrapped in blue paper, tore it open, and put it in his mouth. "Hmm, this tastes much better. It's very sweet."
Xia Huna threw the wrapper into the trash can, and the Fenxue beauty smiled at him and then left. Only Xia Huna remained, sitting in his chair and taking out another piece of candy.
The candies Xia Huna kept eating, almost to the point of addiction, were the legendary leveling artifacts: Rare Candies. The first type Xia Huna ate was a Rare Candy that could instantly raise a Pokémon's level by one, as long as its level was not yet maxed out, regardless of how it was trained. Perhaps because of its great effect, the side effect was that it tasted terrible. Not only did it quickly become sticky and cling to the teeth after entering the mouth, but it also had a hint of sweetness at first. However, as it dissolved in the mouth, it became increasingly bitter, making it unbearable with that faint sweetness.
The second candy Xia Huna ate was much better. As the latest version produced after several revisions, it could increase a certain amount of experience. Because the upper limit was significantly reduced, there were more flavor options, so it tasted sweeter.
Of course, this was all from a human's perspective. If a Pokémon ate them, they might taste much better. As for where these candies came from, Xia Huna said they were all given by Mu Zhishui. As the heir to the Rainbow Star Group, it was quite simple for him to obtain some Rare Candies.
Xia Huna glanced at the remaining half-bag of candies, tied the bag shut again, and put it back into his backpack.
The plane flew smoothly through the sky. Fenxue was quite a distance from that small island. According to estimates before takeoff, it would take about seven to eight hours to reach Fenxue. When the plane was halfway through its journey, Xia Huna heard someone in the cabin exclaim, "Look quickly, a green flash!"
Xia Huna had been researching how to evolve into Lycanroc for a long time, and the words "green flash" had almost driven him mad. As soon as these words entered his ears, he awoke from his light sleep and looked out the window. Indeed, at the edge of the sun, a green speck of light flashed and disappeared.
"Generally, green flashes only last for a few seconds. It's lucky I caught it. But it's a shame. The green flash in reality is quite different from the one in the anime. It's not as dazzling."
Xia Huna shook his head and then sat back in his seat. A trainer from Fenxue came over and asked, "Didn't you ask us a lot of questions about green flashes? You seem not very excited to see one after all."
Xia Huna replied, "I was asking for a friend. I'm not the kind of person who relies on luck like a green flash. I prefer a more stable method. But speaking of which, I should show off a little."
With that, Xia Huna opened his laptop and sent two messages to Mu Zhishui: "Zhishui, I just saw a green flash on the plane [smiley face]."
Hearing the sound from the laptop, Mu Zhishui looked down and then glanced at Rockruff next to him. Rockruff whimpered twice and then dejectedly lay in Magearna's embrace. Magearna gently stroked Rockruff's head with her hand.
Mu Zhishui: "I saw it too, but Rockruff didn't make it in time."
As Mu Zhishui typed these words, his mood was very complex. After all, on the very first day at sea, he had seen the long-awaited green flash on the ocean surface. Mu Zhishui reacted quickly and immediately called Rockruff out. However, before Rockruff could emerge, the green flash disappeared. By the time Rockruff scrambled out of the cabin, the last residual effect of the green flash had also vanished.
Mu Zhishui was not satisfied with this outcome, given the very low probability of a green flash appearing. He didn't know when he would encounter it again. But what could he do? He had to take care of his own Rockruff, right? Was he going to abandon it?
Mu Zhishui was in a bad mood, and Xia Huna's mood was also unpleasant. He frowned as he looked at the message Mu Zhishui had sent. "Didn't make it? I don't know if our luck is too good or too bad."
Xia Huna's expression changes were clearly seen by the Fenxue team members on the same plane, and someone inevitably came to ask him, "Are you okay?"
Xia Huna shook his head. "I'm fine, just feeling a bit sorry for my friend's bad luck."
...
The plane landed on time at the airport in the capital of Fenxue. The moment Xia Huna stepped off the plane, he felt about seven or eight people subtly casting glances his way. Xia Huna tightened the down jacket he had just put on and asked the team member beside him, "Did I walk into a wolf's den?"
The team member smiled. "No, Fenxue has always had good relations with the Minglong Kingdom. They are likely here to protect you on behalf of the Minglong Kingdom. You hold a high position in the Minglong Kingdom."
Xia Huna put his hands in front of his mouth and blew into them. "Perhaps. Let's go quickly, this place is too cold."
Just as Xia Huna and the others were leaving the airport, a cold, murderous gaze flashed past Xia Huna. "Hmph, you've delivered yourself right into my hands."