"A ticket for the Ferris wheel, please."

The ticket window girl was dozing off — few people opted for a human seller these days. Hearing the gentle voice, she sat up straight and said, "A ticket? Here you go."

The hand that took the ticket was long-fingered and knuckled;

the ticket seller glanced up at the visitor and smiled sincerely, "You again… Enjoy your ride."

The green-haired youth wore a white shirt, a pendant at his collar, and a newsboy cap on his head. He pocketed the ticket in his gray trousers and returned the smile.

"Thanks. Your Amoonguss said the same thing today — it said it's very happy."

The ticket seller looked down at the potted plant on the counter;

a tiny Amoonguss was curled up in the soil, snoring away.

"Comes to the Ferris wheel every day, what a weirdo… though he's handsome." The ticket seller propped her face in her hand and thought.

Someone else called to her;

she greeted another conspicuous young man with black hair.

He wore a thin jacket with his hands in its pockets. A Haunter floated at his side. There was another Pokémon she had never seen before — a little V-shaped crest on its head, happily holding a balloon.

That black-haired youth felt familiar, like someone who often trended in the trainer circles, but instinctively she summed him up with just two words: clean-cut.

Not the soft, reserved vibe of the green-haired youth.

More like a tough, fearless captain who'd guided a crew of youngsters through whirlpools and giant fish and somehow survived.

They greeted each other and sat on a park bench to chat. The ticket seller thought, "Ahh, today's shipping again!"

**

"Weren't you traveling with Zekrom? How are you in Raven City?" Lu Ye asked.

"Because the Ferris wheel in Raven City is the most beautiful and symmetrical in all of Unova." N wore his newsboy cap and rested his hand on his knee.

Lu Ye reflexively took the chilled mineral water Haunter handed him and nodded thoughtfully.

So that's a thing… N's biggest hobby really was Ferris wheels.

"Wait… where did this mineral water come from?" Lu Ye asked Haunter.

Haunter ripped open a cola with a hiss, floated by the vending machine, and took a contented sip: "Gengarrr~"

Lu Ye: "……"

Never mind—I've already paid before;

a vending machine sometimes not dispensing is nothing new.

Haunter had also offered N a bottle of mineral water. N politely declined, and Haunter nervously guarded his cola:

"Gengarrr~|ू･ω･`) " (This one's mine.)

N stood and walked to the vending machine, smiling, "I'll buy you another can."

"Gengarrr~(ノ￣▽￣)" Haunter thumped N's shoulder in a carefree way.

Little bro, you're really on the same wavelength!

Clang—

N bought a can of juice milk and handed it toward his shoulder. A sleek, oily-furred Zorua revealed itself from hiding, its bright red forehead fur fluttering, and it eyed Teacher Lu warily.

"This one's a little shy." N stroked the Zorua that had leapt into his arms. "It was hurt by humans before."

Lu Ye remembered juice milk restored more HP than a healing potion;

when he couldn't afford potions he often stocked up on juice milk.

This Zorua was N's partner Pokémon, looking like a small black-and-red fox.

As N's large palm stroked it, the Zorua relaxed, shook its ears, used its paw to lift the pull-tab, and lazily sipped from the can.

"It was lucky for Zorua to meet you." Lu Ye reached out and plucked at the little fox's fur — it felt silky — and looked up. "There are many Pokémon that long for human friendship, and there are Pokémon who, once hurt, hate humans forever."

"Yes." N lowered his eyes and gently stroked Zorua. "I grew up with Pokémon that hated humans. I was their only friend. So I came to doubt Poké Balls. For a time, I wanted to free every Pokémon from human and Poké Ball control, to create an ideal world where Pokémon could live freely."

Summer heat pressed in, cicadas droned.

Lu Ye nudged Haunter closer to enjoy the slight chill and said, "And then?"

"And then."

Zorua, sensing the cool air, shifted into a more comfortable sleeping position in N's arms.

N's lips curved into a smile. "Then I heard different voices. Pokémon living with humans can also be very happy, and that thing called 'bond'—that emotion—I had never seen it in Pokémon before."

"Humans meet Pokémon, and then form bonds," Lu Ye said.

"Exactly." N lifted his head, his dull eyes turning toward Lu Ye. "Teacher, this world… may not be as beautiful as I imagined, but it is a world where humans and Pokémon can live together."

N's speech quickened slightly, his eyes shining: "Teacher, I know there are humans who don't deserve trust, and Pokémon that hate humans… but I'm willing to fight for it, until the day my ideal world becomes real."

Lu Ye fell silent, then looked up with a sigh, "That's a very difficult road, N."

"Maybe Zekrom recognized me because my ideal is practically a fantasy." N smiled.

Lu Ye leaned back on the bench and thought for a moment, then slowly: "Using Poké Balls to control Pokémon, ignoring bonds and capturing indiscriminately—"

"I have a good idea of what kind of people you hate, N."

"This Pokémon world isn't perfect;

it might even get worse. The original passion of those people may be fading. But as long as ideals remain, they can become reality."

"I look forward to the day your ideal comes true, N."

Lu Ye stood and held out his hand with a grin, "Come on, the Ferris wheel is on me."

N tilted his head toward the black-haired youth's face backlit by the sun;

his eyes flickered.

It was like seeing a sliver of dawn on a thorny path.

N smiled and gripped Lu Ye's hand to stand. "When I encounter those kinds of people, can I have Zekrom teach them a lesson, Teacher?"

"Of course you can."

They walked back to the ticket window.

"Count me in too;

I'll call Reshiram so Interlaced Lightning deals double damage." Lu Ye said.

"I don't understand, Teacher." N shook his head.

"Good. Don't think having Zekrom makes you the 'King of Team Plasma.' You still have a lot to learn!"

The ticket girl cheerfully handed over a ticket.

Another Ferris wheel moment… ahh, another shipping hit!

**

Sitting in the Ferris wheel cabin.

Teacher Lu remembered the original story had a scene of riding the Ferris wheel with N.

But why had he come to Raven City again?

Looking out the window as the scenery shrank, Lu Ye's expression turned odd—

Oh no!

I was supposed to ride the Ferris wheel with Mengmengda!

It wasn't Cynthia riding it with Teacher Lu — it was N!

N glanced sideways at the view and stroked the Zorua in his arms, "The ultimate beauty from the air… never gets old. Each time it brings me new surprises."

Lu Ye was already working out an excuse for Mengmengda and said on impulse, "Why do you like Ferris wheels?"

"Why? The beauty of a Ferris wheel is in that circular motion… mechanics… it's a concrete expression of a beautiful formula…"

N said, "On the Ferris wheel I can briefly stop worrying about ideals and simply enjoy the structure… I think that's why I like it."

"I'm not like you." Lu Ye sighed, "When people are cornered, they'll do anything—"

"Can't do advanced math, that's really something you can't do!"

…

After a full rotation, N stepped out of the cabin holding Zorua.

Lu Ye peeled Haunter away from the glass where it had been pressed in reluctance;

Little V was still occupied examining its balloon.

"Nimi?"

"With a balloon, you're immune to Ground-type moves," Lu Ye said, "though it's one-time use."

The in-game item [Balloon] grants a Pokémon temporary levitation without being hit.

"Goodbye, Teacher."

N straightened, tapped his newsboy cap, and smiled, "Though our meeting was brief, I benefited greatly…"

"You're one of the students I have the highest hopes for."

Teacher Lu said seriously, "Keep moving forward. Don't stop, N."

N's eyes flickered. "About what you said regarding the café…"

Lu Ye paused, then laughed, "Of course. You can always come to Miare City to visit me. But coffee is only free for the first cup…"

"Here, Teacher." N smiled, removed his cap, and handed it to Lu Ye. "It has no value… but I still hope you accept it."

Lu Ye looked down at the newsboy cap.

The cap was an iconic symbol for mainline Pokémon protagonists;

only a few characters wore it: Red, the Dan Emperor, Ash, and N.

Lu Ye pondered — if he ever accidentally became champion, he'd better design a proper champion outfit…

"I'll take it." Lu Ye tipped the cap slightly. "Consider it your advance on expenses!"

"Then… this is truly goodbye, Teacher Lu."

N smiled, nodded, and turned his back toward the park exit.

Lu Ye watched the green-haired youth's retreating figure with a different premonition than before.

This farewell—when they met again, it might be years later…

Even the Pokémon development team was beginning to forget N's dream of liberating Pokémon.

How would N continue to hold on?

Lu Ye shook his head;

perhaps because reality is harsh, N's conviction seemed all the more precious.

He looked at the newsboy cap in his hand;

Teacher Lu's expression became subtly complicated.

Wait.

Holding this…

How am I going to explain this to Mengmengda later?

…

Half an hour later.

Teacher Lu sat on a park bench side by side with Cynthia, savoring ice cream.

Cynthia smiled softly as she licked her ice cream and glanced at Lu Ye, "You look nervous?"

"Me? That's just your imagination." Lu Ye had already slipped the cap into the Reversed World.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes, "Then why are you sweating?"

"Ha, it's just hot… ahem, actually there is something I need to tell you!"

Lu Ye looked at Meloetta perched on Cynthia's shoulder, licked its own ice cream, and said seriously, "Little V, come out and meet everyone."

Victini appeared from hiding and shyly glanced at Cynthia, scratching its head, "Nimi~"

Cynthia's eyes sparkled in surprise, "A Victory Pokémon… Victini?"

"Yes… I met it in Ein Doach and it came along…" Lu Ye said.

"Explain what 'came along' means," Cynthia sighed lightly.

"'Came along' means I brought Victini and Meloetta back to Miare City with me."

Lu Ye slapped his thigh, "That's exactly what 'came along' means!"

Cynthia arched an eyebrow and elongated the tail of her words, "Oh—"

Victini, meeting Cynthia for the first time, handed her the balloon: "Nimi!"

Cynthia blinked and asked with a faint smile, "For me?"

"Nimi!" Victini grinned with its buckteeth and nodded happily.

"Thank you." Cynthia smiled gently and looked at Meloetta on her shoulder.

"Melo~" Meloetta sulked while licking the ice cream, seeming a little jealous.

"There you go~" Cynthia curved her eyes and wrapped the balloon string around Meloetta's wrist, "That way the balloon won't fly away."

"Nimi~˚*̥(∗*⁰͈꒨⁰͈)*̥" Victini, who had been clutching the balloon and refusing to let go, was astonished at such a technique.

Lu Ye chuckled, "Alright, I’ll go buy more balloons… anyone want one, raise your hand!"

For a short while, the amusement park echoed with the joyful laughter of Pokémon.

Lu Ye: "Pupitar seems to have no hands… uh, I'll make it up to you next time!"

"Shaji!!!(இωஇ)"

The ticket girl watched the small family and the crowd of little creatures, propping her face in her hands.

So sweet… another shipping hit again!