He knows Pokémon better than me.

After the "Gigantamax" performance ended, the curator welcomed the visitors and left, after which the regular performances or circus acts would take place on stage.

Of course, most of them are still mainly for attracting attention, such as the previous performance of having two competitive hairy crabs fight each other.

Halfway through the show, Ash didn't want to stay any longer, so the three of them left the audience seats and returned to the outer area.

The tourists were all gathered around the performance stage, and the area outside suddenly became empty.

"This kind of place really should be shut down!"

Sonia couldn't help but speak up; she had been frowning the whole time.

Ash nodded. He was now considering whether to release Corviknight and have Magma bring Officer Jenny to storm in and seal the place.

The evidence captured by the Mr. Mime just now is sufficient.

"Bari."

Mr. Mime is holding the phone Rotom, but his expression seems somewhat conflicted.

Indeed, the new curator and the ice-walking puppets are annoying, and these performances should absolutely be banned.

However, if the matter were handed over directly to Ms. Officer Jenny, the result would be the closure of the entire aquarium, with indefinite suspension of operations for rectification.
What will happen to the Pokémon in the aquarium during this time?
We can't just release them on the spot, can we?

Having lived in marine performance venues for years, they have long been accustomed to living with humans. If they were to be suddenly returned to the wild, their situation might be even worse than it is now.

Ash's Watchtower Castle, or even the Battle Arena, simply couldn't save that many Pokémon.

At this moment, the Rotom phone began to tremble uncontrollably, and then floated up automatically.

"Bari?"

The Mr. Mime was stunned and didn't react.

The "Rotom" in its phone is pure AI data, not a real Rotom. It doesn't have a brain and can't act on its own like Ash's Foldable Rotom.

call out--!
The Rotom-cell phone flew straight behind them. The three turned around and saw two more people behind them—one person and one Pokémon.

A middle-aged gentleman in a purplish-black suit, and an ice-walking doll leaning on an ice cane.

Hey!
It wasn't that the phone Rotom acted automatically, but rather that it was being pulled by the Ice-Treading Doll's telekinetic power and held firmly in its hand.

"Step on coins~?"

The憨厚 (honest and simple) and joking expression on the stage disappeared, replaced by a mocking face.

For Pokémon with Psychic-type abilities, disguises like wearing suits and sunglasses are ineffective.

"Oh~ Isn't this the Mr. Mime unilaterally breaking the treaty and escaping from here?"

Xun Shi held up the single frame of the glasses and examined it for a moment, then quickly recognized it:
"According to the contract we signed, you must work here for ten years without pay to pay off your debts before you can leave!"

Seeing this, the Mr. Mime simply stopped pretending and took off his sunglasses.

It disagreed with the contract the other party mentioned and immediately began to argue its case.
"Bari bari bari!!"

But with his phone Rotom snatched away, he couldn't "talk" on it for a moment, and his face turned red.

This sight revealed a hint of greed in the new curator's eyes—

This is a Pokémon with extremely high intelligence, capable of writing and communicating on an ice plate!
This is a rare innate talent, which his ice-walking puppet does not possess, so no matter how much he learns later in life, he cannot achieve it.

When he took over the aquarium, he immediately took a liking to the "talking Mr. Mime" and tried to capture it as his own.

So when Mr. Mime challenged his Icewalker, he took the opportunity to propose a betting agreement.

If he wins, he'll agree to Mr. Mime's request and stop exploiting or abusing the Pokémon here. But if he loses, Mr. Mime will have to stay and work for him for ten years without pay.

Sonia couldn't help but worry: were there still labor disputes?
"Bari bari!!"

Annoyed, the Mr. Mime spoke up, having had its phone stolen. It then reverted to its original craft, conjuring ice slabs with words written on them in the air.

"I didn't lose back then!"

In terms of strength, the Ice-Treading Puppet did suppress it, but it was not as clever as itself, so in the end, they were evenly matched and the game ended in a draw.

Xun Shi stroked his goatee, as if he had expected it, and pulled out a contract with his other hand.

"It states that if the game ends in a tie, you must submit a resignation letter one week in advance before you can officially terminate your employment. If you violate the contract and leave without permission, you will be forced to work for free for ten years as a violation!"

"You two can act as witnesses and look at the contract yourselves."

He even generously handed the contract to Xiaozhi and his companion for review.

Ash couldn't understand, but Sonia's expression gradually became serious:

"It seems...it really is?"

However, Mr. Mime took the contract, glanced at it, and immediately tore it up in anger.

"Bari bari!!"

The "final draw" column was clearly added later. As a highly intelligent Pokémon, it would naturally have carefully reviewed the contract before signing it, and it would be impossible for it to have overlooked anything.

"Tearing up the photocopy won't help; the original is with me, and that's what it says on it."

Xun Shi looked like he had it all figured out.

He was quite worried when the Mr. Mime suddenly disappeared.

I've been searching for months but haven't found it. Maybe it ran into the back mountains of Zhanjing Town, but then I really can't find it.
Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise; they actually delivered it to my door today.

He glanced sideways and casually took the phone from the ice-walking mascot—

That's clever; smartphones can be used flexibly too.

It could easily become a superstar just as good as "Dynamax Darmanitan"!

As for the brain of his ice-walking doll, the power button is still nowhere to be found.

He had a rough idea of ​​why the Mr. Mime had returned; the Rotom phone probably contained a lot of dangerous footage.

He had worked hard for several months to reform and turn the company around, and he didn't want that situation to be ruined like this!
Xun Shi's expression darkened, and he clapped his hands, instantly summoning several Pokémon around him.

Tundra Bear, Darmanitan, and Abomasnow are all large and fierce Pokémon that surround them.

These were all employees he brought in later; they were not familiar with the Mr. Mime and were absolutely obedient to him.

"Hmph, since they've delivered themselves to my doorstep, don't blame me for being impolite."

Curator Xun Shi sneered. He wouldn't let go of anything, whether it was what the phone had filmed or the Mr. Mime doll!

As for the two people next to him, he recognized the girl; she was the highly sought-after Pokémon Professor in the Galar region.
But since they're not particularly good at Pokémon battles, there's nothing to worry about.

The kid next to him was nobody, probably some mediocre trainer.

There's nothing to worry about! (End of Chapter)