August 28th, Friday.
Lu Ye rode Tropius down to the mountain town, where Ruby and Sapphire bowed deeply.
“Well then, Teacher Lu, we’ll take our leave!” Sapphire said earnestly.
Ruby, on the verge of tears, added, “Teacher Lu, please send
a copy of Sylveon’s Contest footage next ti!”
“Of course,” Lu Ye nodded.
“By the way, are you still in touch with Red?”
“Red-senpai!” the couple chid in unison. “Isn’t he still training on Mt. Silver?”
“It’s a long story.” Lu Ye pulled out his phone and displayed a QR code. “Anyway… why not join our group chat?”
Although Ruby and Sapphire were a bit scatterbrained, they were Pokédex holders. Adding them to the group would make staying in touch much easier.
The two exchanged glances and smiled. “Then we’ll trouble you for that!”
Lu Ye smirked to himself.
Two more new recruits—excellent.
anwhile, Gold was complaining in the group chat.
“Teacher Lu, when’s the next ga coming out? I’m so sick of playing Gold Miner!”
Old Man Iron laughed heartily.
“Why not play Plants vs. Zombies?”
Gold: “I can’t beat it!”
Iron: “Then cheat!”
Gold paused for a mont.
Huh… that actually makes sense?
Just then, Sapphire and Ruby’s addition to the chat caused a stir.
Blue, ever lively, exclaid, “Ah, welco, newcors!”
Gold: “Whoa, the couple from Hoenn? Did you et Teacher Lu too?”
Ruby and Sapphire looked at each other in surprise.
Who would’ve thought we’d et other senior trainers like this?
Green, glancing at his phone, recalled Ruby’s showy style and ticulously covered head. Though not as strong as Gold, he was still a formidable opponent.
“We t Teacher Lu and Steven during our travels,” Sapphire explained, “and even encountered Jirachi!”
Gold nodded sagely.
“Oh, that sa sea monster we t before? Tough to handle, huh?”
Ruby clarified, “It was a different Jirachi. We sent it safely back to the stars.”
Gold: “Man, I wanted to see Jirachi too!”
Sabrina added fuel to the fire. “Teacher Lu didn’t even invite Erika. Why would he invite you?”
Erika smiled gently. “Ah, I was wandering in Donghuang for three days without a guide, you know.”
Deciding it was best to avoid this drama, Lu Ye wisely went silent.
Shortly after, his phone buzzed with a call from Matori.
“The squad you ntioned is directly under Giovanni’s command, so I can’t reassign them. However, you’re authorized to issue them missions,” she said. “That effectively makes them part of your team.”
Lu Ye sighed. “Just issuing tasks? Can’t I officially recruit them into my company?”
Matori’s temple twitched.
So you’re planning to poach them while I do all the work?!
She steadied herself. “The Jirachi mission was a failure. Please urge them to retreat as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance.”
Though disappointed, Lu Ye thought of the trio’s important role in giving Ash’s Pikachu valuable experience.
A Rocket team that didn’t chase Pikachu would lose its soul.
“Well, next ti I see them, I’ll make sure to… ‘supervise’ them properly,” Lu Ye muttered with a sigh.
The festival entered its final day.
At the ever-busy owth ice cream stall, Lu Ye glanced down at Sylveon, trailing behind him with ribbons still firmly wrapped around his arm.
“Eevee…” Sylveon pretended not to notice but was utterly betrayed by the conspicuous ribbons.
Reaching the stall, Lu Ye gave the trio a aningful look, and owth quickly flipped the “Closed” sign.
“What are your orders?” they asked in unison.
“Although the mission failed, your performance was comndable,” Lu Ye said sternly.
The trio froze.
“But we were just selling ice cream, owth!” owth stamred.
“Yeah, we didn’t even help with the mission!” Jessie and Jas added nervously.
Lu Ye chuckled inwardly.
If you three focused on making money, the entire Rocket organization could beco your empire.
Still, he couldn’t deny their pure dedication. Jessie could have retired and married, Jas could have inherited his family fortune, and owth could have been a top-tier translator. Yet, they chose to stick together for a shared dream—a testant to true idealism.
“Believe in yourselves. Your talents won’t go unnoticed,” Lu Ye said with a nod.
“Transfer 30% of your earnings to my account, and your next mission is to continue pursuing Pikachu. Understood?”
Moved to tears, the trio saluted.
“Yes, sir! We’ll complete the mission for sure!”
Like hell you will, Lu Ye thought.
Ash, I’m working so hard to give you grinding opportunities!
“Alright, you’re dismissed.” Lu Ye smiled. “Looking forward to our next encounter.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Jirachi incident had finally concluded.
Looking back, Lu Ye had shared unforgettable monts with Cynthia and their trio of “third wheels.”
In addition, Squirtle had learned Aqua Tail, and Eevee had evolved into Sylveon.
For Pokémon, evolution marked a significant leap in life.
For Lu Ye, watching his “daughter” grow up brought a mix of pride and lancholy.
On the train back to Modu, Lu Ye cradled Sylveon in his arms, drawing curious glances from passengers.
Lu Ye t their stares without a hint of embarrassnt.
What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a real man before?
Sylveon’s silky fur, a result of high-quality Pokéblock feedings, was irresistible. Lu Ye couldn’t stop running his hands through it.
His Sylveon was slightly smaller than average, resembling a feline more than anything else.
He toyed with its ribbons, tying and untying bows as if he’d found the ultimate fidget toy.
“Eevee! (#｀皿??)” Sylveon growled indignantly.
Back ho, Gastly dumped their bags on the couch and collapsed lazily.
“Gengarrr… (Finally ho…)”
Lu Ye flopped onto the sofa as well. “I’m not cooking tonight. Let’s order takeout.”
“Gengarrr! (≧ω≦)/” Gastly grabbed Lu Ye’s phone eagerly, scrolling through food delivery options.
Squirtle, returning from its periter check, adjusted its sunglasses and gave a cautious nod.
The area was secure; no one had followed them.
Lu Ye chuckled and shook his head.
Tomorrow, he’d need to sort through livestream footage and prioritize the developnt of a new ga.
For the sake of his Pokémon, he had to keep earning money.
As the night deepened, Lu Ye fell into a peaceful slumber.
In its cozy cat bed, Sylveon suddenly opened its sapphire eyes.
Gastly, rubbing its hands together mischievously, let out a snicker.
Finally evolved…
Shadow Ball, Reflect, Light Screen… Ti for a new training regin!
Sylveon bared its teeth excitedly.
That night, the neighborhood owths were reminded of the terror of being ruled by Eevee once more!
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