Pokémon: No Way! The Golden Finger Only Comes When I'm About To Die!?

Under Angie's feeding, Mew finally lay on the cloth Angie had spread, its round belly sticking out.

"Mew~"

So... so full!

Mew was now too stuffed to move.

"Mew, can you listen to me now?" Angie asked with a smile.

"Mew~"

Mew glanced at Angie, puzzled.

"I'd like some leaves from the Tree of Beginning. Could you take me there to pick some?" Angie asked.

Mew immediately shook its head.

"No?" Angie looked disappointed.

But Mew quickly added.

"Mew~ Mew~"

But I can pick some and bring them to you.

Angie's face lit up with joy. Whether or not he visited the Tree of Beginning didn't matter, as long as he could get the leaves.

"That's wonderful! Once you've picked the leaves, can we meet where we first encountered each other?"

"Mew~ Mew~"

Mew nodded in agreement.

After resting on the cloth for a while, Mew vanished before Angie realized it.

Having met Mew and achieved his goal, Angie decided not to linger in other parts of the palace. After bidding farewell to the Pokémon in the attic, he and Pawmo returned to the arena.

Since Loke was using Illusion to impersonate Angie during the tournament, Angie couldn't openly appear.

He sneaked into the audience and found that the competition was nearing its end. To his surprise, Loke had fought all the way to the final round on his behalf.

At that moment, Loke's opponent was Astrid.

This time, Astrid wasn't using her Absol but a female Meowstic.

The Meowstic was weaker than Absol and was unsurprisingly defeated by Loke.

As soon as Loke claimed victory, the audience erupted in thunderous cheers.

But Angie could only massage his temples in frustration.

"Loke, Loke... Why did you have to win? Couldn't you just throw the match and let us slip away quietly?"

After the competition, the palace was set to host a grand banquet, inviting all finalists to attend. During the banquet, the champion would be awarded the title of "Aura Guardian" and presented with the Aura Guardian's staff.

Of course, the staff was only a temporary honor and had to be returned after the banquet.

Amidst a sea of enthusiastic supporters, Loke and the Illusion Angie were escorted to a banquet hall.

The banquet officially began.

The event was scheduled to last until the evening.

Angie blended into the crowd, pulling his hat low to hide his face, and followed the crowd into the hall.

As soon as they entered, Pawmo's eyes lit up with excitement. The tables in the banquet hall were piled high with all kinds of delicious food and drinks, driving Pawmo wild with joy.

Angie didn't restrict Pawmo, allowing it to freely roam and indulge in the feast laid out before them.

Meanwhile, Loke and the illusion of Angie were led to the front of the banquet hall. Before long, Her Majesty the Queen entered, accompanied by a Mime Jr.

As soon as the Queen appeared, the room fell silent.

Stepping forward, the Queen said, "Greetings, everyone. I am Rin, the ruler of Rota City and the queen of this nation.

It is a pleasure to see so many people gathered here for the Aura Guardian Festival. After intense competition, we have finally determined this year's Aura Guardian."

With that, Queen Rin took the Aura Guardian's staff from an attendant and handed it to the illusion of Angie.

"This staff is a symbol of victory, awarded only to the one who earns the title of Aura Guardian through battle. Please treasure it well."

Loke, controlling the illusion of Angie, used psychic power to take the staff. Doing his best to mimic Angie's voice, he replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

After the staff presentation ceremony concluded, the Queen announced, "Now, let the banquet begin. Please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest."

Hearing this, the attendees scattered to dance and feast, leaving Loke—the champion—to sit obediently at the head table like a ceremonial figure.

Noticing Angie in the crowd, Loke wanted to switch identities with him, but the Queen's personal maid intervened.

"That's not allowed. The Aura Guardian must remain here as tradition dictates."

Loke immediately regretted winning the competition.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. "I need to use the restroom. Surely, that's allowed?"

The maid hesitated at this request.

Loke, still controlling the illusion of Angie, clutched his stomach and stomped his feet. "I can't hold it any longer!"

From below, Angie gritted his teeth in frustration. Loke had made him look utterly ridiculous.

The maid, unable to risk such an embarrassing incident, finally relented. She couldn't allow the Aura Guardian to soil himself!

Anticipating this, Angie had already slipped into the restroom. When Loke arrived, the two quickly switched back to their original roles.

The maid, meanwhile, stood guard outside the restroom, holding the Aura Guardian's staff.

When Angie emerged, he casually took the staff from her.

But as soon as his hands touched the staff, an unexpected event occurred. The crystal at the top of the staff began to glow brightly.

The light shimmered and pulsed before finally fading.

The maid, astonished, stared at Angie and stammered, "Aura Guardian... You are... You are..."

"What's wrong?" Angie asked, puzzled.

"This must be reported to Her Majesty immediately!" The maid exclaimed and dashed off.

Left in confusion, Angie held the Aura Guardian's staff and, together with Loke, returned to the banquet hall.

As soon as Angie entered the banquet hall, he saw Queen Rin hurrying toward him.

"Mr. Angie, I heard that the Aura Guardian's staff glowed in your hands earlier. Is that true?"

Angie nodded. "That's correct. Does the glowing of the staff have any special significance?"

Queen Rin's face lit up with excitement. "The Aura Guardian's staff not only enhances an Aura Guardian's aura powers but also has another ability—it identifies people with the potential to become Aura Guardians."

She added, "To clarify, I'm referring to those who naturally possess aura abilities, not just those chosen through combat."

"Oh, I see…" Angie muttered, suddenly understanding.

Queen Rin asked curiously, "Mr. Angie, aren't you happy that you have the qualifications to become an Aura Guardian?"

Angie replied, "I already know that I have aura abilities."

This surprised Queen Rin. "You already know?"

Angie nodded. "Of course. I've been training Aura for some time. I came to Rota City precisely because I heard about the legends of the Aura Guardians here."

His statement wasn't entirely false. While his primary reason for coming was to search for Mew, the legends of the Aura Guardians had also piqued his interest. As someone who training Aura power, it wasn't strange for him to be curious about such stories.

Queen Rin was even more astonished. "Mr. Angie knows how to train Aura?"

Angie casually replied, "It's a family tradition."

Queen Rin nodded in understanding. "So, Mr. Angie is a descendant of Aura Guardians!"

However, her expression suddenly turned somber. She explained, "Our country was once a place where Aura Guardians thrived. But during the wars, most of them perished in battle. The last Aura Guardian, Sir Aaron, sacrificed himself to end the conflict."

The strength of Aura Guardians varied, but Sir Aaron was among the strongest. Even Lucario's aura couldn't surpass his.

After hearing her words, Angie commented, "That's truly a pity."

Queen Rin suddenly brightened. "By the way, since Mr. Angie's aura abilities have awakened, I'd like to give you something!"

"Something?" Angie looked puzzled.

"You'll see in a moment," Queen Rin said with a mysterious smile.

She leaned over and whispered a few instructions to her maid, who nodded and left the hall.

"Please wait just a moment," the Queen said with a smile.

Angie nodded in response.

Before long, the maid returned, carrying a tray covered with a silver-gray silk cloth.

Queen Rin said, "This is it." She lifted the cloth, revealing a pair of gloves resting on the tray.

The gloves were blue, with gemstones of unknown material embedded on the backs.

"These are…" Angie trailed off, intrigued.

The Queen introduced, "These are the Aura Gloves. Just like the Aura Guardian's staff in your hands, they are items that enhance the power of an Aura Guardian.

However, the Aura Guardian's staff is a national treasure. Even as the Queen, I don't have the right to dispose of it as I please.

But these gloves are different. They were once the personal possession of Aura Guardian Sir Aaron. I don't think Sir Aaron would have wanted them to be lost in the palace treasury, so I intend to gift them to you, Mr. Angie."

The gloves were originally lost with Sir Aaron's death, but later, Ash brought them back from the Tree of Beginning.

It was through Ash and his companions that the Queen learned of Sir Aaron's sacrifice. Sir Aaron had given his aura power to the Tree of Beginning, sacrificing himself to bring peace and end the war.

The Aura Gloves greatly enhance the power of an Aura Guardian.

For example, Ash, despite having strong aura abilities, could not use them until he awakened his power. But if he wore these gloves, he could even project his aura externally.

It's important to note that even Angie cannot project his aura externally yet.

When Angie cooks, he adjusts his own aura to resonate with the aura of the ingredients, allowing him to manipulate the ingredients' aura in this way.

After hearing the Queen's explanation of the gloves, Angie, astonished and honored, asked, "Such a precious item... Are you really sure you want to give it to me?"

The Queen smiled. "Please accept it. It's far more meaningful for it to be used by someone who needs it than to remain in the treasury."

After a moment of hesitation, Angie finally nodded. "Then I humbly accept!"

He took the gloves from the Queen's hands.

As soon as Angie put the gloves on, he immediately felt a huge boost in his aura power. He gathered the energy in his palm, and a small blue energy orb appeared in his hand.

Though small, it was unmistakably an Aura Sphere.

This was something Angie couldn't do before.

Seeing the energy ball in Angie's hand, Queen Rin exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the power of an Aura Guardian? How incredible."

Angie thanked the Queen gratefully, "I must also thank you for your generosity. Without these gloves, I wouldn't have been able to unleash my aura power with my current strength."

The Queen smiled, "It's an honor for me to witness a true Aura Guardian."

Before meeting Angie, Ash had been the closest person to an Aura Guardian that the Queen had encountered, but unfortunately, his aura power had not awakened.

After chatting with Angie for a while, the Queen left, and Angie carefully put away the Aura Gloves.

However, the moment he released the Aura Sphere was accidentally witnessed by Astrid, who was passing by. Astrid hesitated for a moment before walking over.

"Um… hello," she said.

Angie looked at Astrid in confusion. "Astrid?"

"Mr. Angie has aura power?" Astrid asked, her face filled with excitement.

Angie nodded. "Yes, you saw it just now, didn't you?"

Astrid apologized awkwardly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Angie shook his head. "It's fine. It's not a secret that needs to be hidden. But, Ms. Astrid, did you come specifically to ask about this?"

Astrid nodded. "Actually, I came to Rota City to inquire about things related to the Aura Guardians."

Angie looked puzzled. "Ms. Astrid, do you have business with the Aura Guardians?"

Astrid hesitated before explaining. "I accidentally discovered an ancient ruin. I wanted to explore it, but I found out that the ruin can only be opened with the power of aura. So, I came to Rota City hoping I might get lucky."

"So, Ms. Astrid, you want me to help you open the ruin?" Angie asked.

Astrid nodded. "Yes. There are so few people with awakened aura power. I've been searching for a long time, and you're the only one I've found, Mr. Angie, so…"

Hearing this, Angie fell into thought. "I can help, but I still have things to do in Rota City right now, so I might not be able to leave just yet."

Astrid's face lit up with surprise. "That's alright. The ruin is located in the Kalos region. I can head back there first, and once you're done with your business, we can meet up there."

"Ms. Astrid is from Kalos?" Angie was surprised. No wonder she had the Keystone and Mega Stone.

"Yes!" Astrid nodded.

Angie smiled and said, "What a coincidence, I'm also from Kalos."

Astrid was delighted. "You're from Kalos too?!"

"Yes, I'm from the Azoth Kingdom. What about you, Ms. Astrid?" Angie asked.

Astrid answered, "I'm from Anistar City. Azoth Kingdom, that's the famous arcane science kingdom, right?"

"That's right," Angie replied.

With a shared topic, the two quickly became more comfortable with each other.

Before they knew it, the banquet was drawing to a close. Angie and Astrid had become quite familiar with each other, and after exchanging contact information, Angie said:

"Ms. Astrid, we'll meet again in Kalos, then."

Through their conversation, Angie learned that Astrid would be leaving the Kanto region tomorrow to return to Kalos.

Astrid nodded. "Alright, but just call me Astrid. No need for 'Miss'."

Angie nodded in return. "Then you don't need to call me 'Mr.' either. Just call me Angie."

Astrid nodded.

At that moment, the sound of fireworks bursting outside filled the air. Everyone moved toward the balcony, and Angie and Astrid joined them.

In the night sky, fireworks of all colors exploded one after another, dazzling and brilliant. Everyone couldn't help but become mesmerized by the display.

Pawmo who had been hiding under the dining table was eating greedily. Whenever it came across food it liked, it would sneakily stuff it into its space bag.

Of course, it didn't take much—just one or two pieces of each type.

However, there were so many types of food in the banquet hall that even though it only took one or two pieces of each, it still ended up "becoming rich overnight."