August 25th, Tuesday
Ripple Town, Unova Region
Waves gently lapped at the golden beach, where a row of luxurious seaside villas lined the shore.
On the balcony of one villa, a tall, blonde woman in a light blue swimsuit gazed out at the beach. Though the swimsuit wasn’t overly revealing, it still highlighted her graceful figure.
“Want so juice?”
A cool, slightly immature voice ca from behind her.
The speaker was a girl of about sixteen, with cascading golden curls that reached her calves and an oversized white hat perched jauntily on her head.
“Of course, thank you, Caitlin,” Cynthia replied without turning around, a smile on her lips as she continued to admire the view.
“What kind of juice?”
Cynthia turned to face her, her expression briefly pensive.
The girl smirked mischievously, clearly enjoying her little prank.
“I’m kidding. I’ll choose for you,” Caitlin said, satisfied.
Cynthia exhaled in relief.
Caitlin poured juice into a cocktail glass, using her telekinesis to float it toward Cynthia.
“So, what brings you to Unova for a vacation?” Caitlin asked casually.
“I just finished so League duties and have a week off,” Cynthia said, sipping the cool juice. “Ripple Town seed like the perfect place to escape the heat.”
“All you’re doing is changing where you read books and play gas,” Caitlin teased with a pout.
“And occasionally,” Cynthia added with a smile, raising a finger, “I challenge strong Trainers!”
Caitlin’s smile widened. “If that’s what you’re looking for, Battle Castle is always ready…”
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Cynthia’s phone ringing.
“Excuse ,” Cynthia said, picking up her phone from the table. Curious, she glanced at the caller ID. “Lu Ye?”
“Yes, I’m on vacation right now… Qixi? What kind of festival is that?”
Caitlin stood nearby, twisting her curls around her fingers with mild annoyance.
“Travel to Donghuang? Hmm… I suppose I could, but I might be a bit late,” Cynthia replied thoughtfully, a smile forming. “I was just considering how to spend the holiday myself.”
“Alright… no problem.”
After hanging up, Caitlin asked softly, “Who was that?”
“A friend from the Donghuang League,” Cynthia replied with a faint smile.
“Are you planning to travel to Donghuang?” Caitlin asked hesitantly. “We could go together.”
Caitlin opened her mouth to continue but eventually dropped her head dejectedly.
“No… I slipped away for this trip. I still have Elite Four duties to handle.”
Cynthia gently patted Caitlin’s head like a small pet.
“Mm…” Caitlin made a dissatisfied sound but didn’t pull away.
“I’m not leaving just yet,” Cynthia reassured her with a smile. “I’ll visit your Battle Castle first.”
Caitlin’s eyes lit up, and her golden curls floated joyfully.
“Let’s go now!”
Lu Ye hung up the phone, feeling proud of himself.
“Turns out, inviting Cynthia wasn’t so hard after all!”
Tomorrow was Qixi, and according to the astronomical forecast, a cot shower would be visible near Xiangchu.
Lu Ye hadn’t traveled all sumr, so this was the perfect opportunity to take his Pokémon on an adventure.
“I wonder how late she’ll be,” Lu Ye muttered as he packed. “As long as she doesn’t ghost …”
“Gengarrr!”
Haunter gleefully prepared the luggage, bouncing around with excitent. It was the Pokémon’s first ti going on a trip, and they couldn’t contain their energy.
“Don’t pack dumbbells!” Lu Ye cried. “And Eevee, do you really need to bring the treadmill?”
“Vee?” (Why not?)
Eevee scratched its head innocently.
Seeing its sparkling eyes, Lu Ye sighed.
“Fine, just the treadmill. But that’s it! Haunter, you’ll help
carry it.”
“Gengarrr!” Haunter proudly puffed out its chest.
“Squirtle! Squirtle!”
Squirtle shouted determinedly, huffing as it dragged the fish tank out of the room.
Unimpressed, Lu Ye said, “The fish tank stays.”
“Squirtle! ∑(っ°Д°;)っ”
Squirtle froze, then suddenly understood.
Squirtle’s inner monologue:
"Master wants
to train outside, where the environnt will challenge . Only in unfamiliar settings can I grow stronger!"
“Squirtle…” (So that’s it…)
It nodded slowly, stroking its chin thoughtfully.
As Lu Ye finished packing, his phone vibrated.
“At this hour? Who’s calling?”
“Teacher Lu, want to climb Xiangchu Mountain tomorrow?”
Steven Stone’s warm, gentle voice ca through. “I have two juniors planning to visit Donghuang as well.”
“Sure, no problem. Are you coming too?”
“Yes, but I won’t stay long. I need to complete an observatory task.”
Lu Ye blinked.
Lu Ye’s inner monologue:
"Every ti I plan to et Cynthia, Steven shows up…"
Still, Lu Ye owed Steven for the installnt plan. Clearing his throat, he replied, “No problem. Cynthia might co too.”
“Really?” Steven sounded surprised.
Steven’s inner monologue:
"Seems Cynthia and Teacher Lu are closer than I thought…"
“What are your juniors’ nas?” Lu Ye asked.
“Ruby and Sofia.”
The foolish couple!
He hadn’t even t Gold yet, and now he had to deal with this pair!
Suddenly, Lu Ye clutched his chest, his breath hitching.
Lu Ye’s inner monologue:
"It’s Qixi, and I’m stuck watching them flaunt their relationship?! No way! I’ll flaunt with Cynthia too!"
“See you tomorrow then,” Steven said with a smile. “By the way, do you know if Gold Miner is getting a sequel? I’m almost finished with the current version.”
Lu Ye twitched.
Lu Ye’s inner monologue:
"It’s only been a few days since release, and you’re almost done? Steven, you grind too hard!"
After ending the call, Lu Ye planned the trip.
The journey would last three to seven days, with tents available for rent near the observation site.
Camping with Pokémon… just the thought excited him.
Opening his livestream, Lu Ye posted a notice:
[Out for an outdoor adventure. See you in three days with new tactics. Love, Teacher Lu.]
The chat erupted:
"Teacher Lu, drop dead!"
"Three days away for new strategies? Worth it!"
"Who believes he’s just going on an adventure? He’s obviously off to thwart so evil organization!"
"Or maybe Teacher Lu IS part of an evil organization, hahaha!"
In Lu Ye’s group chat, news of his trip sparked envy.
Gold: "Ugh, the daycare is so busy. I wish I could go on a trip too."
Yellow: "A teor shower… I want to see it too! (sobs)"
Lijia: "I’d love to go, but Teacher Lu didn’t invite . (sigh)"
Lu Ye froze.
Lu Ye’s inner monologue:
"Right! Lijia is touring Donghuang right now!"
Steven sent a polite voice ssage:
"Probably because I invited Teacher Lu first. I apologize for the trouble of dealing with my juniors."
Watching silently, Lorelei removed her glasses, wiped the lenses, and sighed.
"How nice… traveling with such a good man…"
Blue seized the mont to promote her shop:
"Special Qixi discounts on gifts! Buy now for 20% off!"
Lu Ye asked curiously, “How many sales?”
Blue laughed sheepishly. “So far, only Red bought sothing.”
"I’ll buy one too," Gold chid in suddenly.
The chat exploded with gossip.
Group’s inner monologue:
"Gold, you sly dog! Even you have a girlfriend?!"
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