July 13th, Tuesday.

Nothing unexpected happened during the night spent at the Pokémon Center.

As a thank-you for letting him stay, Lu Ye prepared a hearty breakfast and invited Nurse Joy and Audino to join them.

Judging from Nurse Joy’s flushed cheeks, her slowed breathing, and the way her spoon trembled in her hand,

the fruit she had prepared today was still as fresh as ever.

With Nurse Joy’s “Thank you for the meal” farewell,

Lu Ye and the backpack-wearing Ash set off together toward the tower on the far side of the plains.

Once they left Snowpoint City’s limits, the falling ice crystals stopped, the grass on either side of the road remained deep green, and the tall, cold-resistant conifers shook off the snow with a soft rustle.

Lu Ye saw Snom strolling lazily through the grass and Vanillite, cone-shaped like ice cream, drifting around while exhaling cold air.

Haunter stared unblinkingly at the Vanillite, a thin trail of drool running down the corner of its mouth.

“Gengarrr~（¯﹃¯）”

Sensing danger, the Vanillite’s snow-formed “cream” began to melt, like cold sweat, and it hurriedly slipped into the depths of the forest.

“Gengarrr~(°ー°〃)” Haunter looked blankly at Lu Ye.

“That Vanillite just now has the Slush Armor ability,” Lu Ye said. “That’s why it slipped away so fast.”

“Arf!” Arcanine turned its head and barked toward Lu Ye on its back, chin tilted toward a glittering snow pit.

Lu Ye paused.

Haunter slowly approached the snow pit, picked up the glittering item, and showed it off: “Gengarrr~(￣▽￣)／”

Dun~ dun dun dun dun!

Teacher Lu picked up the item “Iceproof Ice”!

Ash, who had just retrieved Tauros from his PC storage, eyes shining:

“Teacher Lu, you’re so lucky today!”

Lu Ye’s expression was complicated.

A Haunter with the Pickup ability—wouldn’t you love one like that?

That said... with my luck, how could I possibly find such a rare item?

This must have exhausted my luck for the next few days!

Lu Ye: “...Never mind, Little Rotom, put the Iceproof Ice away and take it back to the café.”

Besides boosting Ice-type moves, Iceproof Ice is a bartending ingredient.

If he practiced some bartending, maybe he could even earn an S-rank Pokémon Sommelier profession.

Of course, the key to being a Pokémon Sommelier isn’t just mixing drinks, but evaluating the bond between trainer and Pokémon. Appreciation and aesthetics are the profession’s heart.

Tian Tong from the Three Suns Gym is an A-rank Pokémon Sommelier.

Ash had planned to do special training on this tundra, where wild Pokémon were high-level.

Teacher Lu urged:

“It’s not too late to train on the way back.”

“Speaking of which,” Ash said excitedly, “I checked the Pokémon Center’s notice board — Ein Doach has a battle festival today!”

“I heard the champion of the festival gets a reward at the Sword of the Land castle!”

Lu Ye’s eyelid twitched violently.

So it still came?

The opening segment from the movie... Ash and Pikachu’s battle segment!

“Did it say what the reward is?” Lu Ye asked casually.

“No idea... but since it’s a festival, the prize shouldn’t be small.” Ash scratched his head.

Click!

Password correct.

Ash: “Eh? Why is Arcanine suddenly using Extreme Speed!”

Arcanine surged ahead like a streak of dust, racing across the icefield toward the tower.

Lu Ye smirked.

Although finances weren’t desperately tight now, you still have to take advantage of opportunities.

You idiot, the Baby Cup in Ein Doach is deep water you can’t handle.

Let me show you how it’s done!

**

Unova, Ein Doach.

Like many small countries in Europe, it calls itself a kingdom but actually contains only one city and one tower.

The city was built around the tall tower in the open plains, shaded by greenery, with a river that hadn’t fully frozen flowing through.

The streets were decorated with banners;

exotic vendors sold trinkets, and stalls sold tree fruit juice.

“Clothes sewn with Burmy silk thread, favorite of coordinated teams—come take a look!”

“Just feed trash to my Trubbish;

it decomposes garbage into toxins. Oh, you ask about daily care? Treat Trubbish well and it won’t emit odors.”

“Pokémon can sense a trainer’s emotions... Rumor has it Gothitelle can even see a trainer’s lifespan.”

“To this day, in Unova and Sinnoh there are legends of humans and Pokémon falling in love and having offspring!”

Lu Ye paused.

He remembered the library in Suimài City, Sinnoh — they supposedly had mythology books like that. He even asked Lucian to look it up.

At the time, Lucian had said, “Yes, I can remember every book I’ve read;

there is indeed such an account.”

“Photographic memory?” Lu Ye said in surprise.

Lucian proudly pushed up his glasses: “Mm.”

“No wonder he’s the Psychic-type king!” Lu Ye said sincerely.

That’s too perfect for squeezing every last bit of value out of it!

Lu Ye thought of N, who stood on the side of Pokémon — a human descended from humans and Pokémon.

There’s also the wolf-child Koko raised by Scolipede;

for Koko, Scolipede was more like a father than humans...

The complex emotions and bonds between humans and Pokémon remain an unsolved mystery for many Pokémon researchers.

Lu Ye shook his head.

Most people in the streets wore traditional clothing;

because of the festival, many trainers had come and released their Pokémon to walk with them.

Lu Ye eyed a Pidove perched on a beam, listened to the elders’ chatter, and detected the scent of fireworks in the town air.

“There’s a Trubbish... so maybe no need for sorting garbage?”

Lu Ye watched a Trubbish swallowing refuse and mused to himself.

“Teacher Lu, look, there’s a huge statue here!”

Ash poked at a big stone statue with thick brows and big eyes standing in the road’s center.

Lu Ye’s expression changed slightly: “That’s a Darmanitan—Darmanitan in Zen Mode can become a statue!”

Before he finished speaking, the statue opened its eyes and faded from white light into a blazing red-furred Darmanitan, spewing a jet of Flare Blitz that struck Ash!

Bystanders gasped.

“Should we call Nurse Joy?!”

“It’s useless;

throw him in my coffin of the Reaper...”

A soot-faced Ash spat out a mouthful of black smoke, showed white teeth and said, “I’m fine!”

Bystanders: ??!

“I heard some trainers can fight hand-to-hand with Pokémon... not a lie.”

“There’s all sorts of strange things in the world!”

“Whose Darmanitan is that? Hurry and take it away.”

A clumsy contestant bowed awkwardly to Ash, apologized, and led the two to the Pokémon Center to register.

“I’m Mako,” the clumsy ranger girl said, extending a hand with a smile. “I’m a strong contender for this festival’s champion.”

Ash shook her hand: “Okay, Pikachu and I won’t lose to you!”

Pikachu leaped onto Ash’s shoulder, cheeks sparking faintly, its look serious: “Pika!”

Lu Ye folded his arms, smiling like a proud father.

Hmm... Blastoise and I won’t lose to you either!

“This is... Mr. Lu Ye?”

Mako had long noticed this unusually handsome trainer and felt shy to approach;

she finally asked carefully.

Lu Ye nodded and said:

“To be clear, I’m also entering this competition.”

Mako turned pale, murmuring: “So the urban legend is true...”

“What urban legend?”

“The handsome champ who appears at newcomer contests!”

Lu Ye said in surprise: “So Wallace likes to enter Baby Cup matches too? That’s too much—I’ll remind him next time.”

Mako pursed her lips, trembling.

Look at the kid scared stiff.

“I get it—actually it’s Steven, right? I’m different from them.” Lu Ye said.

“How are you different?” Mako asked softly.

Steven gives Mega Stones to newcomers.

I usually... get Mega Stones from newcomers (referring to Alain).

Lu Ye clenched his fist and cleared his throat: “You’ll see soon enough.”

“When is the next match?”

“Ten in the morning, starting soon...”

“Elbow!”

……

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ein Doach battle festival!”

A down-to-earth announcer wearing a headset leaned on the desk and shouted:

“Breaking news! The Unova hero who saved Twinleaf City, Mr. Lu Ye, is also participating in this festival!”

The news spread through Ein Doach.

To the crowd, champions far away often felt distant and aloof. But when a champion had saved a familiar city, the people’s enthusiasm suddenly ignited.

For the trainers... that name carried many meanings.

A generous teacher, a powerful champion, a tactical master... the despicable outsider (crossed out).

“I can’t believe I’m seeing Teacher Lu in person.”

“Awesome—Teacher Lu’s capture net!”

Amid cheers, Lu Ye’s first opponent was the one-meeting acquaintance Mako.

Mako put on a distressed face: “Take it easy, Teacher Lu...”

“Sorry, I also want a legal way into the Sword of the Land castle,” Lu Ye said with feeling. “I’ll hold back.”

“Go, Sirfetch’d!”

A beam of white light shot from the Commemorative Poké Ball. Sirfetch’d raised its leek blade and shield;

its sharp eyes and heroic brows radiated proud vigor.

“Gah! (o≖◡≖)✧”

The crowd sucked in a breath.

“I remember that Sirfetch’d nearly pierced the sky over Twinleaf City with one thrust!”

“What? Sirfetch’d pierced the Twinleaf sky with a single thrust?”

“What? Sirfetch’d pierced Reshiram and Zekrom with one thrust, turning them into stone?!”

“R-really...”

“I don’t believe it, but that Sirfetch’d is super strong! (certain)”

Lu Ye: “...”

Rumors stop at the wise.

Sirfetch’d: “Gah! (´థ౪థ)σ”

Under Sirfetch’d’s sharp gaze, Mako froze. All the courage she’d mustered vanished and she raised her hand:

“o(╥﹏╥)o Referee, I—I forfeit!”

The referee, whistle in mouth, also saw the disparity and raised the flag.

Beep——

“Gengarrr~”

Haunter grinned, reached out, and high-fived Lu Ye.

Lu Ye laughed: “Yep... I won’t be short on grocery money these days.”

Amid the roaring cheers, Lu Ye became the center of attention, preparing for the next match.

Everything has an aura.

Not only tangible things, but abstract things carry aura as well.

Art, emotion, heartfelt words, gratitude...

Even victory has a unique aura.

Each champion radiates a powerful victory wave.

Diantha, Cynthia, Red... countless battles and victories forged their unshakeable confidence.

Stand beside their partner, and the victory wave will favor them.

Lu Ye had one hand in his pocket, the hem of his shirt fluttering in the wind. Facing a girl in traditional clothing, she floated a dark-green Hydreigon before her.

“Roar!!”

Hydreigon’s three black-green heads snarled ferociously, flapped its wings, whipping up a fierce gale, and square blocks of light shone—markers of a Shiny!

In the grass off to the side, a small, charming creature with a V-shaped crest peeked at the battlefield.

It sensed a strong victory wave—

Even though the match hadn’t begun, the victory aura had already settled on that black-haired youth.

The announcer shouted: “Oh my! Kalita’s Hydreigon is not only a powerful pseudo-legend but it’s Shiny!!”

The audience gasped in unison.

Envy, jealousy...

Lu Ye felt a little sour too.

After thousands of hours across eight generations of gameplay, Teacher Lu had never gotten a random Shiny without deliberately hunting!

Damn Shiny-lucky people!!

Kalita focused her gaze, smiling: “Isn’t it wonderful? My mom gave it to me. As a daughter of the Earthfolk, I won’t hand victory to anyone!”

“No wonder the Hydreigon is disobedient.”

“What?” Kalita was surprised.

Lu Ye silently took out a Poké Ball;

a red light fell onto the field.

Little V, watching nearby, opened its mouth in surprise and widened its eyes.

“Be quick about it.”

Lu Ye instructed: “Sylveon, use Hyper Beam!”

"Bu-bii! (▼皿▼#)"

Boom!!

A plume of dust rose on the field.

Victini, dazzled by the champion’s victory aura, cupped its tiny cheeks with its hands;

the V-shaped crest shone as it gaped:

“Nimi~~˚*̥(∗*⁰͈꒨⁰͈)*̥”

In the field center, Kalita covered the dust with her hand and then widened her eyes.

“Cough, cough... Hydreigon was actually...”

Sylveon shot a menacing look;

Kalita fell silent.

After a brief stunned moment, the crowd erupted.

The announcer shouted: “That’s the benefit of Fairy Aura! Hyper Beam one-shotted Hydreigon!!”

The Shiny, dark-green Hydreigon crumbled before the dragon-slaying lady.

Untenable!

Lu Ye: “Shiny doesn’t buff stats, nothing to be sour about... hah, totally not jealous!”

Meanwhile,

Ash suffered badly on the other side.

Pikachu was repeatedly shoved away by Infernape.

When Lu Ye learned this, he slightly frowned.

“The movie opening... Ash gets trashed?”

Considering that Unova’s Pikachu could even lose to Snivy, Lu Ye didn’t worry too much.

Ash’s final opponent had been the trainer who beat him, partnered with Infernape.

Lu Ye thought a moment and threw a Dive Ball.

Thud!

“Ka-may...ヾ(⌐■_■)” Blastoise adjusted its glasses.

Infernape widened its eyes, nostrils flaring, trembling all over, cold sweat on its brow, the flames on its shoulders flickering.

The announcer shouted: “Oh! It seems our Infernape is extremely fired up!”

Infernape: ???

Announcer, do you dare step down and fight me one-on-one?!

“Ka-may...” Blastoise furrowed its brow slightly.

Did it just trigger Blaze right away?

Indeed... a foe that must be taken seriously!

Removing its sunglasses, Blastoise set up its cannon, the two barrels gleaming a dark, glossy light.

“Ka-may!”

“Nimi~~”

Victini cocked its head blankly.

Why~

From Blastoise, there’s no victory aura.

Rather... a wave of dread?

…