Lu Ye still remembered that the last tree fruit he pulled had been called the “Lotus Reed Fruit.” It tasted spicy;

by effect it could be classified as an Endure Fruit.

Because Pupitar’s defenses were trash, a few more “endurance fruits” or “anti-grass fruits” were acceptable to Teacher Lu.

However… this time the guaranteed reward seemed to have skewed again.

[Wow, a golden legend!]

Lu Ye: “You’re recording that—watch out or they’ll sue you for copyright.”

This time the system didn’t nickel-and-dime him with a question mark;

it quieted down and went silent.

Lu Ye focused and his expression grew odder and odder.

This tree fruit looked like a piece of green onyx, its skin smooth and crystalline, extremely beautiful.

Its effect couldn’t be called weak, only not very suitable for Teacher Lu.

[Mystic Fruit: After consumption, the next move used will ignore any decreases or increases to the user’s accuracy and the opponent’s evasiveness;

the move’s accuracy is increased by twenty percent. (An extremely precious tree fruit. Its overpowering astringency makes all other ingredients taste sweet by contrast.)]

The Mystic Fruit’s astringency is 40. Among the five basic tree fruits, the Chesto Berry only has an astringency of 10.

Lu Ye held the Mystic Fruit and raised an eyebrow.

This fruit is so bitter!

Everyone knew that boosting accuracy was a very rare stat. Even Victini’s unbeatable ability, Victory Star, could only boost accuracy by ten percent.

And in real battles accuracy depends on wind direction, timing, the terrain, and all sorts of factors—not as precise as numbers in a game.

So both Victini’s Victory Star and the Mystic Fruit, which affect real-world accuracy, are truly precious.

However.

Teacher Lu felt gloomy and rubbed his temples, saying, “The tree fruits unlocked this time don’t seem to suit my temperament.”

Of course, guaranteed rewards always go crooked—couldn’t even Togepi save him from being unlucky…

There was a combo that could work though: toss a Mystic Fruit to Turtwig before a fight, and it would effectively buff Water Gun.

Lu Ye put his mood in order, planning to use the Mystic Fruit later to try a new flavor of energy cubes.

After all, having bad luck wasn’t a one- or two-day thing…

A true trainer never relies on luck, because luck isn’t dependable!

“This case is over… let me count— I owe Darkrai a lot of energy cubes.”

Lu Ye walked to the temporary residence’s kitchen, flipped the Mystic Fruit in his hand, and caught it with a snap as it fell.

“It’s time to show some real skill!”

“Beep beep… that’s cooking, not combat, Loto~”

“Little Rotom, mute mode, then activate Super Tree Fruit Machine form.”

“Beep beep… cannot comprehend, Loto~! o(TヘTo)”

That night, Ein Doach’s festival continued. The earthquake hadn’t dampened the town’s enthusiasm.

Because the earth folk elder, Shata, announced that the disaster had been quelled by Unova’s hero, Lord Lu Ye!

Girls sang and danced around bonfires with laughing faces;

the feathered, colorful ancestral bird flew low across the market, slipping through cloth banners.

Lu Ye remembered that those Pokémon had been extinct and had to be resurrected from fossils as a “first bird” before they could evolve into that form.

Their ability was uniquely “Weakness,” and the name alone made it sound terrible—comparable to Slow Start or Laziness.

Ash and Pikachu were having a blast at the festival. Haunter stuffed two skewers of three-colored dumplings in its hands and swallowed them whole.

“Gengarrr~(￣～￣)”

Lu Ye walked down the street led by Sylveon’s pink ribbons, smiling while dodging an overly forward girl pressing up to him.

Victini floated above Lu Ye’s head, cradling a small pastry with both hands. It took a careful bite, then propped its face in one hand, revealing a beatific expression.

“Nimi~~”

Darkrai had been detained from straying by a Gothitelle’s Shadow Tag.

“Sorry.” Darkrai said in a detached tone, taking out a glass jar. “This is the only thing that interests me.”

Gothitelle: o(╥﹏╥)o

A sound of heartbreak!

Darkrai slipped back into the shadows with cool indifference and when he reappeared he was perched atop the spire of the Sword of the Land’s cross-shaped castle.

Standing on the spire, Darkrai’s murky mist whipped in the wind. He lifted his deep blue eyes and stared up at the moon.

He recalled the Pokémon Garden in White Poplar Town, recalled the melody of Oración.

Then Darkrai lowered his head and his gaze fixed on a black-haired young man who had avoided the crowd and gone home alone.

In that youth, Darkrai undoubtedly felt an invisible bond.

“If he doesn’t cause trouble, this kid is kind of pleasing to the eye…”

Darkrai lifted his gaze to the moon again, pinched a translucent emerald Mystic Fruit cube with an astringency of forty, and muttered, “A new variety—let’s taste it.”

“Sss…”

Darkrai clicked his tongue: “This energy cube is so bitter!”

Lu Ye had already returned to his room and checked on Mengmengda.

“As long as you’re safe.” Cynthia’s image projected on the screen, her tone slightly clipped.

“Were you very worried?”

“Extremely worried.” Cynthia’s gray eyes beneath her blonde hair fixed on him. “But I knew you could handle it alone, so I stayed in Twinleaf City to mitigate risks.”

Lu Ye’s heart stirred. She didn’t know the plot twist in the Giant Cavern—on the contrary, Twinleaf City had been Team Plasma’s prime target.

When planning operations, Cynthia was always the shrewd, capable Sinnoh Champion.

“How about you over there?” he asked.

“Handled several smaller squads.” Cynthia said. “Alice performed very well—her Dragon Heart talent is starting to manifest.”

Lu Ye felt moved.

No wonder Mengmengda is reliable and competent!

“I’ll be back soon.” Lu Ye said. “And I want to invite the noble and beautiful Sinnoh Champion Bamboo Lan to ride the Ferris wheel in Raven City.”

Cynthia wore a black trench coat, one hand on her hip, the other supporting her chin. Her gray eyes flickered and she seemed lost in thought.

“As a reward, I’ll treat you to ice cream.” Lu Ye added.

Cynthia dropped her gaze;

her blonde hair fell to hide half her cheek, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a faint smile.

“Remember to get a triple scoop…” Cynthia hesitated, then curved her eyes and said, “You help me pick it.”

“No problem.” Lu Ye laughed.

The conversation paused into a calm.

They stared at each other, Cynthia smiling in that enigmatic way while Lu Ye cleared his throat:

“Don’t look at me like that—I’m not that sort of person.”

“Just one match.”

“I haven’t done paid play for years.”

“Fine, I know you’re short on pocket money lately…winning Pokémon battles usually gets you rewards. Right?” Cynthia said with a smile.

“You…”

That was an insult to his dignity, Lu Ye wanted to protest, but she was just too adorable.

Lu Ye: “You really know Pokémon battles well!”

…

Flycloud City, Interpol Headquarters.

With Ghetsis and Professor Acerola in custody, the Team Plasma incidents that had plagued Unova for years were temporarily concluded.

The dashing detective in a brown trench coat—the mid-aged man with greasy swept-back hair—summarized the Twinleaf City, Giant Cavern and related operations in his report, completing Detective Lu Ye’s performance review.

When the handsome detective read aloud, in a full voice in front of the leadership, “That’s all, report complete!” there was not applause but silence.

For some reason, seeing the polished old-timers at the table left him with a satisfying taste of being slapped in the face.

Ms. Officer Jenny, with neat short hair, smiled and took the opportunity to propose promoting Detective Lu Ye to director of the UB Response Unit, with a one-year probationary period.

At that point, there were no objections.

After the meeting, when the handsome detective asked his superiors whether they had consulted Teacher Lu about this, Officer Jenny blinked for a moment.

“A promotion and a raise… isn’t that what everyone hopes for?” she said.

“But.” The mid-aged man pursed his lips, thinking of the scene when Lu Ye rode Reshiram, and said, “For a hero, they value things other than material goods.”

Officer Jenny glanced deeply at the handsome detective and said, “You mean freedom? Of course everyone has legal freedom, but some enjoy more freedom than others. So a promotion for Detective Lu Ye is a win-win.”

“Also.” Officer Jenny smoothed her cropped hair and added calmly, “The UB Response Unit is a relatively idle department, quite suitable for Teacher Lu… don’t look at me like that—I’m also a fan of someone.”

Clack clack clack—

The sound of heels in the empty corridor gradually faded.

The handsome detective replayed his boss’s words and stared for a long while, jaw slackening, utterly bewildered.

She, she just called him… not Detective Lu Ye, but ‘Teacher Lu’?!

July 15, Thursday, noon.

Lu Ye, with dark circles under his eyes, moved Sylveon off his chest where it had been dozing, yawned, and got up.

After half a night of intense effort, Teacher Lu had won the following rewards from Cynthia:

“Some pocket money, one good morning kiss, and a breakfast personally made by Bamboo Lan.”

Lu Ye had tried to barter the last reward for “Bamboo Lan wearing white lace socks at home for a day,” and was shot down with an eyeroll.

But in any case, this wave was a net gain.

What a game—Pokémon battles are so much fun!

Because so much had happened yesterday—waking Reshiram and Zekrom, confronting Kyurem—Teacher Lu slept until noon to shake off his fatigue and then cooked brunch.

He made a Snorlax’s Ultimate Satisfaction Hamburger Rice.

A juicy, flavorful hamburger patty crafted into a Snorlax shape, the patty portion seeming as substantial as a Snorlax itself.

Sauce poured over steaming white rice, topped with fresh tree fruit salad, cherry tomatoes, halved boiled eggs, a sunny-side-up, paired with a bowl of miso soup.

It was a carb feast that delivered strong visual and gustatory satisfaction!

Each little one got a portion and stared incredulously at the main dish with wide eyes.

Today Teacher Lu’s home-cooked meal was way too lavish!

Everyone gets a share—except Pupitar.

“Waaah…(இωஇ)”

Lu Ye clapped his hands together, looked at the hamburger patty, and cheerfully said, “Sorry, Snorlax!”

After a satisfying lunch, Lu Ye prepared to ride Arcanine back to Twinleaf City.

The two gems containing Crossover Power he planned to study and then find an appropriate field for Arcanine to use.

Arcanine’s breeding direction would focus on the Flame of Life, strengthening vitality and battlefield endurance.

If the Flame of Life were further strengthened, even Entei would just be a “small Arcanine.”

Besides, the two gems weren’t quite as high-quality as the Rainbow Wing. So the Crossover Power’s flame and lightning are more auxiliary.

By the way, Ho-Oh’s aura definitely outranked Kyurem in class… could it be because Ho-Oh doubles as a cameraman?

Lu Ye mused, “Besides the Rainbow Wing, now I also have DNA Splicers at home… training efficiency is terrifying.”

DNA Splicers: (＾▽＾)

Rainbow Wing: (#｀皿´)

With this reinforcement, even if Arcanine wasn’t a champion’s first pick, it would still breeze through the Elite Four.

And to avoid favoritism.

Rainbow Wing: (#｀皿´)

Working for the llama and retrieving the Fairy Plate probably needs to be moved up the to-do list…

Before departing, Lu Ye wanted to find Victini to say goodbye—if possible, invite it to travel along and see the sights.

After being confined within a barrier for centuries, Victini certainly would want to travel.

Victini and Mew would have lots to talk about.

After all, Mew had lingered at the World Tree for thousands of years and now occasionally teleported to Teacher Lu’s place to play cards with Togepi.

Teacher Lu considered how to phrase his invitation.

“Beep beep… new call, Loto!”

When he answered, he saw the familiar mid-aged man and asked, “What’s up?”

“This is to inform you of Interpol’s decision regarding rewards for this operation.” The handsome detective said.

“Money doesn’t matter;

I’m a hero acting out of interest!” Lu Ye joked.

At that the handsome detective straightened respectfully, his wrinkles smoothing into a smile: “I expected as much.”

Lu Ye: ?

“The higher-ups’ arrangement isn’t focused on material benefits. It emphasizes giving you more authority and freedom to act while leveraging your abilities.”

The handsome detective said, “We believe Detective Lu, as Unova’s hero, can be more active in that capacity!”

Lu Ye: ??

“According to the promotion plan, after a one-year probation you can be promoted to director of Alola’s UB Response Unit. Congratulations, Detective!”

Lu Ye: ???

Teacher Lu of course knew what the UB Response Unit was.

An international organization dealing with Ultra Beasts—like a monster defense force responding to invasions.

Is that the sort of place a normal person would belong to?

Leading an Ultra Defense Squad, transforming into light, and battling Ultra Beasts?

Hmm… it did sound like a manly romance.

Lu Ye stroked his chin;

despite a shiver down his spine, a little excitement crept in.

Ultra Beasts are cosmic Pokémon that come to Earth through Ultra Holes above Alola—probably GF borrowing Ultraman concepts for design.

Among Ultra Beasts, Teacher Lu liked Buzzwole the most—a macho guy who could tussle with Tapu Bulu.

Of course, Lu Ye wasn’t sure whether Ultra Beasts would ever appear in his world.

Even if the position was a leap up, there was a one-year probation—he could always find an excuse to decline.

After all, Teacher Lu was only nominally affiliated with Interpol;

his Detective title was still useful.

“I understand.” Lu Ye nodded. “But I don’t intend to accept the post. You can relay that.”

The handsome detective wasn’t surprised. After a long silence, he changed the subject:

“I didn’t… report anything about N.”

Lu Ye was momentarily taken aback. Hearing the hesitation in the detective’s voice, he smiled:

“Follow the justice in your heart.”

The handsome detective paused, a light flickering in his eyes, and nodded slightly.

Just as he had given up investigating Xiao Yin, he likewise hadn’t pursued N.

He remembered how N had healed his Croagunk… the detective perhaps felt some sympathy for the green-haired youth’s ideals.

After they cut contact, Lu Ye stretched and stroked his chin:

“Z-God Kildred looks like Gundam—fine—but to have space monsters invade Earth… the Pokémon world is truly over-the-top!”

That afternoon, the weather cleared.

Lu Ye formally said goodbye to the mayor and to Shata.

“About Victini…” Shata wanted to speak. The people agreed they would follow Victini’s wishes, but she didn’t know how to phrase it.

Lu Ye looked around and didn’t see Victini, feeling a little wistful. He composed himself and said with a smile, “It’s fine. I respect a Pokémon’s choice.”

He turned: “Let’s go, Ash.”

“Right, coming!”

Shata opened her mouth and seemed dazed.

Victini was hailed as a symbol of victory—a mythical Pokémon any trainer would pursue. If Teacher Lu had forcibly taken Victini, no one would have objected…

But.

Shata watched the black-haired youth ride Arcanine off into the distance and fell silent.

“Mom.” Kalita tugged her mother’s sleeve and whispered, “Maybe we should return Hydreigon to you…”

“Why?”

“Because.” Kalita’s dark eyes looked toward the youth’s retreating back with reverent light. “I want to form a bond with Pokémon that belong to me.”

Shata gently stroked her daughter’s head. Suddenly she widened her eyes and saw a half-bitten macaron floating through the air toward Arcanine—then it disappeared.

A helpless, gratified, hopeful smile crossed Shata’s face as she whispered, “Victini… is that the trainer you chose—one who will never lose?”

“Teacher Lu, you look a bit off today?”

Ash chewed a macaron and puffed his cheeks.

“Am I?” Lu Ye rubbed his face. “I just don’t like forcing others.”

Ash scratched his head, climbed onto Tauros’s back, stretched his limbs and said, “Ah! This trip was awesome! We saw so many legendary Pokémon!”

“Pika-pi~”

Lu Ye: “……”

Haven’t you seen enough divine beasts, you dummy.

Ash took another macaron and was about to bite but chomped air instead, then clapped his hand to his tongue in pain: “Ugh…”

“Don’t eat while riding a Pokémon,” Lu Ye said helplessly.

“N-no—” Ash pointed at a floating macaron and, with tears in his eyes, wailed, “Wah!”

Lu Ye turned and saw Victini blissfully savoring a macaron, holding its cheeks with both hands and squinting in happiness.

Victini’s forehead V glowed and it made a V-sign toward Lu Ye, baring its fanged smile:

“Nimi~!”

Lu Ye froze a moment and his smile stalled.

Oh no.

What was about to arrive was the battlefield between Meloetta and Victini!