However—
After a single post appeared online, much of the noise suddenly quieted down.
It came from Lorelei.
Her message was short.
But domineering.
"Gu Qiu is under my protection.
You little demons and schemers had better behave yourselves.
Otherwise, I can't guarantee whether my Blizzard might descend upon your doorstep."
@TeamRocket
@StarterFamilies
@MajorResearchInstitutes
…
She tagged a long list of powerful and well-known organizations.
The tone was simple.
But the pressure behind it was overwhelming.
The comment section exploded instantly.
"Queen Lorelei is mighty!"
"Ice Queen supremacy!"
"No one dares touch her people!"
And then—
Another major figure stepped forward.
Sinnoh Champion Cynthia publicly expressed her support.
Everyone knew the relationship between Cynthia and Lorelei.
They were extremely close.
Offending Lorelei—
Essentially meant offending Cynthia as well.
The discussion surrounding Gu Qiu didn't fade.
It intensified.
So he was part of Lorelei's faction.
No wonder he was so talented.
Lorelei's intervention had both advantages and drawbacks.
But Gu Qiu himself didn't care much anymore.
Unless someone could summon the Spatial and Temporal Deities—
Otherwise there was nothing to fear.
And any organization capable of controlling Dialga or Palkia wouldn't bother targeting someone like him.
—
"What a troublesome little guy."
Even Lorelei felt a bit of pressure after posting that message.
"You're acting like you lost something, but you actually picked up a genius."
Cynthia's teasing voice came through a video call.
Lorelei sighed softly.
"This was originally just a deal between us."
"I didn't expect him to be this monstrous."
She paused briefly.
"Even compared to you back then… he's not inferior."
Cynthia only smiled faintly.
As a prodigy—
And the youngest female Champion in Dragon Nation history—
She had her own pride.
—
"Second Uncle."
"He's left the city."
Le Liangcai had arranged for people to monitor Gu Qiu.
The moment Gu Qiu exited Pewter City—
He received the report.
"Let's go."
Second Uncle Le was a burly man with thick arms and a rough face.
He glanced casually at his nephew.
Le Liangcai's eyes were filled with hatred.
"Second Uncle treats me well."
"That brat dared humiliate me."
"I'll make him regret it."
A vicious glint flashed across his face.
—
Route 3.
The road leading toward Mt. Moon.
Tall grass stretched across both sides of the route.
Gu Qiu deliberately stepped into a narrow side path.
The place was quiet.
Remote.
Almost no pedestrians.
He released Frogadier.
Then Ralts.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He had known for a long time—
Someone was following him.
Tracking a ninja?
A Shadow-tier ninja?
Interesting.
If there hadn't been people on the main road earlier—
He would have acted already.
That was why he came here.
To this secluded trail.
"You've followed long enough."
Gu Qiu stopped walking.
Then he turned around calmly.
"Why not come out?"
His tone was relaxed.
Almost harmless.
"You knew we were following you?"
Le Liangcai jumped out of the bushes.
Grass stuck awkwardly to his hair.
Clearly—
Tracking wasn't his specialty.
"Six of you."
Gu Qiu glanced around.
"Not bad."
He completely ignored the question.
Perfect timing.
Earlier, Frogadier had already left a shadow clone hidden nearby to gather natural energy.
Preparation for Sage Mode.
Gu Qiu's smile widened slightly.
"Good opportunity to test Sage Mode."
Honestly—
He was quite pleased.
Malicious pursuers were the best.
They delivered both money and experience.
"Be careful of that Frogadier."
"It has strange abilities."
One of the men warned cautiously.
"With me here, nothing strange will help him escape."
Second Uncle Le snorted coldly.
"Come out—Charizard!"
A flash of light appeared.
A powerful Charizard landed heavily on the ground.
Charizard
Level: 43
Potential: High-Grade
A powerful Pokémon.
Almost reaching Three-Star Elite Trainer level.
The others released their Pokémon as well.
Six Pokémon appeared one after another.
All of them—
Above Level 30.
These were genuine Elite Trainers.
Don't underestimate that title.
Elite Trainers were already rare in most cities.
Gu Qiu's eyes gleamed slightly.
"Frogadier—Sage Mode."
If he defeated them all—
Frogadier might jump straight to Level 32.
Just thinking about it was exciting.
"Sage Mode?"
"What's that?"
Unlike Half-Tailed Beast Mode—
Sage Mode didn't drastically change appearance.
Frogadier's pupils slowly turned green.
Subtle markings appeared across its body.
But internally—
The change was enormous.
Instead of violent power like Tailed Beast Mode—
This energy felt calm.
Controlled.
Yet incredibly vast.
"Frogadier."
Gu Qiu stepped backward.
Holding Ralts in his arms.
"Your stage."
"Gua."
Frogadier's aura shifted completely.
In Sage Mode—
It felt different.
Calmer.
Sharper.
There was even a faint sense of leadership in its presence.
Gu Qiu crossed his arms.
"I wonder when Phase Four will unlock."
The later Naruto forms—
Were even more explosive.
Even more overwhelming.
"That Frogadier…"
Second Uncle Le narrowed his eyes.
"…is dangerous."
His instincts warned him.
Something had changed.
But Le Liangcai scoffed.
"Why be scared?"
"Charmeleon—Dragon Claw!"
He dismissed the concern completely.
In his mind—
No matter how strong Gu Qiu was—
He couldn't surpass his Second Uncle.
After all—
Second Uncle Le had nearly passed the Three-Star Elite assessment.
If he succeeded next time—
The Le family's influence in Pewter City would rise dramatically.
Unfortunately—
They had chosen the wrong opponent.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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