Monday, November 23rd.
Amid the grayish night, steam rose from the hot springs, and faint starlight could be seen in the distance.
"Alright, after soaking in the hot springs, let's go watch a movie," Red said, waving his hand, "See you later."
"S-See you later..." Yellow replied in a voice as soft as a whisper.
The hot springs were divided into two baths, and Pokémon were allowed inside. Naturally, Teacher Lu brought all his Poké Balls with him.
Inside the changing room, Red took off his shirt and smiled. "Snorlax loves hot springs too."
Lu Ye paused for a moment. "I remember… Snorlax, as in..."
"Ah, yeah, Snorlax."
—Boom!
With a heavy thud, Snorlax plopped into the hot spring, sending a massive column of water surging into the air. It took several seconds before the water came crashing back down.
"Snor..."
Snorlax, with a towel resting on its head, let out a deep, contented grunt before sinking into the water and dozing off in pure relaxation.
"This guy is still the same as ever," Red laughed.
The water level in the hot spring had noticeably risen.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flickered beneath the steaming surface.
"Gengarr!" Gengar emerged from underwater, blowing bubbles and performing an elegant butterfly stroke.
On the edge of the spring, Squirtle cast a nervous glance at the nearby Venusaur, who had its eyes closed, quietly enjoying the warmth.
Master's friends… are all this strong?!
A sharp glint flashed in Squirtle's eyes.
I have to keep training steadily!
Despite being a Fire-type, Growlithe was still dog-paddling through the water, carefully carrying Togepi on its back.
Meanwhile, Teacher Lu was holding a reluctant Sylveon, combing through its soft, snowy-white fur.
"Veeon..." Sylveon's ears twitched slightly, looking incredibly adorable.
"You two get along really well," Red remarked.
A Pikachu lay lazily on Red's head.
"We've been through a lot together," Lu Ye mused.
Sylveon lowered its ears and submerged its head under the water, leaving only its bright blue eyes visible as it blew bubbles.
A Trainer's strength wasn't just about a Pokémon's level.
Perhaps, you could tell from the way they treated their Pokémon.
Emotion, bonds, the connection between humans and Pokémon—maybe that was what truly made a Trainer powerful.
With that thought, a faint smile appeared on Red's face.
---
Steam rose from the hot spring's surface as a wooden tray carrying fresh fruit floated by.
Gengar, Squirtle, and Togepi sat in a neat row from largest to smallest, each with a towel on their head, their little feet dangling at the edge of the water.
Meanwhile, Red struggled to pull Snorlax out of the hot spring, "Come on, wake up, Snorlax! We're leaving!"
"Snor..." Snorlax let out a long yawn.
Watching as Snorlax barely budged a centimeter, Lu Ye's eye twitched.
Is this… the true strength of a Pallet Town native?!
In the end, Teacher Lu rummaged through Gengar's dimensional stash and pulled out a can of Pokéblocks, placing it at the exit of the hot spring.
As soon as he opened the lid, a fragrant aroma wafted through the air.
Snorlax's eyes snapped open, glowing with a dangerous red light.
"SNORLAX!!"
—Boom!!
The hot spring's entrance was blown open, leaving behind a Snorlax-shaped hole in the wall.
Red wiped his sweat awkwardly. "Thanks… Teacher Lu."
"No problem."
---
Hearing the commotion, Yellow hurried over.
"What happened?"
"Nothing—" Red was about to respond when he suddenly froze.
Yellow's usual high ponytail had been let down, cascading over her shoulders, giving off a faint, pleasant fragrance.
"R-Red-senpai?" Yellow asked shyly, her face flushed.
"Stunned, huh?" Lu Ye teased, nudging Red with his elbow.
"I just suddenly remembered..." Red scratched his head and said with a look of realization, "Yellow is a girl!"
Lu Ye: ???
Wait… is that supposed to be a compliment among battle-hardened Trainers?!
Yellow, seemingly used to this, simply gave a bashful smile.
"Pika!"
Red's Pikachu wrapped its tail around its partner, giving its trainer a judgmental glare.
That's all you got?
Lu Ye put on a cardigan, stepped into his wooden sandals, and prepared to leave the two of them some alone time.
But just as he was about to leave, his phone rang.
Lu Ye paused, glanced at the screen, and accepted the video call—Cynthia's elegant face appeared.
"It's snowing in Sinnoh," Cynthia said. "The first snow."
Lu Ye looked up at the sky—it was a dull gray, with no sign of snowfall.
"When it starts snowing here, I'll call you too," he said.
"Alright."
Nearby, Yellow and Red stood frozen, their mouths shaped like an 'O.'
"R-Red-senpai!"
Yellow stammered, whispering, "Is that…?"
"Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia," Red replied, equally shocked as he nodded.
"Is someone else there?" Cynthia asked.
"Just a world champion… and his girlfriend," Lu Ye replied casually.
Or… one of his girlfriends, he thought to himself.
"Girlfriend?!"
Red and Yellow's faces instantly turned bright red.
"Red?"
Cynthia's voice carried a hint of curiosity.
"How's his hand injury?"
Lu Ye turned his camera around.
Red greeted her politely. "Hello."
Cynthia nodded with a gentle smile. "It's been a while. How have you been?"
"I'm still recovering."
"I see…"
After a bit of small talk, Cynthia said, "Thanks for taking care of Lu Ye during this time."
"Oh, no, not at all!" Red said awkwardly.
If we're talking about rank…
I think I'm still pretty far from Teacher Lu.
Cynthia had called because she was bored at her hotel, and since the first snow had arrived early in Sinnoh, she figured she'd share the moment.
"I don't have anything else to say," Cynthia said.
"I do," Lu Ye replied.
"What is it?"
"You look really cute today," Lu Ye said with a completely straight face.
Cynthia's ears turned red. She cleared her throat unnaturally and immediately hung up the call.
---
After that little episode, Red and Yellow headed out to watch a movie.
The town's streets were decorated with bright lights, and in the outdoor plaza, an old black-and-white film was playing.
As they walked side by side, Yellow suddenly spoke.
"Teacher Lu and Cynthia… w-what kind of relationship do they have?"
Red shook his head and sighed.
"Teacher Lu is amazing..."
After a pause, he added, "In every possible way."
Yellow fell silent for a moment, then mumbled softly, almost as if talking to herself, "Would people… think that about us too…?"
"Hm? What was that?"
"N-Nothing!" Yellow quickly shook her head.
Red thought for a moment, then suddenly smacked his palm with his fist, "Oh, right! I still need to help Teacher Lu contact Mr. Blaine!"
"Huh?"
"Teacher Lu wants to challenge the Gym, right?" Red said while scrolling through his phone. "It'd be a hassle if he couldn't find the Gym Leader. If we contact him in advance and have Mr. Blaine go to him, it'll be much easier."
"That makes sense…" Yellow blinked.
"This should be the number," Red dialed the call and explained the situation.
"You'll head to the inn right now?" Red asked with a chuckle.
"Of course! Against someone like Teacher Lu, I'll have to give it my all!"
---
After sending the two off, Teacher Lu found himself with nothing much to do at the hot spring inn.
Then, a private message popped up—Lorelei was snooping for gossip.
[Lorelei: So? How'd it go?]
[Lu Ye: Not bad. I sent them off to watch a movie.]
[Lorelei: What a shame, There's another poor soul on Seafoam Islands.] Lorelei sighed.
[Lu Ye: Who else is on Seafoam?]
[Lorelei: I'm here keeping Misty company… Should we tell Red?]
Lu Ye's expression turned complicated.
Has the White Album season arrived again?!
Choice 1: Go watch the outdoor movie.
Choice 2: Go to Seafoam Islands.
Lu Ye felt a headache coming on.
[Lu Ye: Yeah, no thanks…]
[Lorelei: But Misty was here first!]
[Lu Ye: Uh…]
[Lorelei: See, Red's just too nice. It's a pity… Childhood friends never win against the mysterious new girl.]
Lorelei said, taking off her glasses to wipe them. She sighed dramatically.
[Lu Ye: How do you know all this, Auntie Lorelei?!]
A-Auntie?!
Lorelei's temple twitched.
[Lorelei: Just because you can beat Lance doesn't mean you can beat me!]
Lu Ye thought to himself: I can't beat Lance either…
[Lu Ye: Well then, let's chat some other time!]
[Lorelei: I'M WRITING THIS DOWN!]
After putting the phone down, Lu Ye found himself lost in thought.
Wait a minute… Am I getting influenced by Gold?
Even someone as cautious as me… has started playing with fire!
---
Technically, Red and Yellow went out under the excuse of Gym battles.
But collecting Gym Badges? Not happening.
Lu Ye didn't even know where Cinnabar Gym was.
Yawning, he was about to head to bed when Growlithe suddenly barked at the door.
Lu Ye opened it to see a tall man wearing sunglasses, a wig, and a ridiculously fake handlebar mustache.
"Can I help you?" Lu Ye squinted at him. There was something oddly familiar about this guy.
"It's about the damages at the hot spring…" The man hesitated.
Lu Ye winced. "Sorry… I'll pay for it!"
"Oh, that won't be necessary," The man stroked his mustache, "A battle with me will do!"
Lu Ye froze.
Wait… You guys in the Pokémon World give out prize money AND cover renovation costs through battles?!
Then, as if a realization hit him, Lu Ye's expression grew more complicated.
"Wait a minute… Don't tell me…" Teacher Lu hesitated, "Mr. Blaine?"
"W-What?! No way!" The man nervously adjusted his wig, "How did you see through such a brilliant disguise?!"
Lu Ye was speechless, "It's written in the tourist guide. It says the owner of this hot spring inn is named Blaine…"
Blaine paused, then took off his wig and fanned himself with it, "…Right. I forgot about that."
"Ahem! Anyway!"
Blaine clenched his fist and coughed. "Red asked me to come. He said you were looking for Cinnabar Gym."
"Come, let's settle this in battle!"
Even at his age, Blaine still clenched his fists with enthusiasm, eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"I refuse," Lu Ye said flatly.
"Huh?" Blaine blinked.
"I don't plan to challenge the Gym," Lu Ye shrugged.
"O-Oh… Well, getting rejected is part of life," Blaine muttered, his fiery spirit completely extinguished.
As he turned to leave, something tugged at his pants.
Growlithe's eyes were gleaming with determination as it wagged its tail excitedly.
Back in Saffron Gym, I didn't get to perform well…
This time, I'll prove myself to my Trainer!
"Arrooo~~!! (｀0´)"
Lu Ye's face stiffened.
"You've got one determined Pokémon," Blaine smirked, adjusting his sunglasses as his bald head shone under the lights.
"Come on, kid. A battle is all about passion—youth is meant to burn brightly!"
Growlithe panted, staring up at Lu Ye with eager eyes.
Since joining the team, I… have never truly made my Trainer proud.
I've always caused trouble. Always made him worry.
But… just like Gengar, I also want to make my Trainer smile.
"Arrooo!!" (This is my moment! Winning this Gym Battle… will definitely make my Trainer happy!)
Lu Ye stared into Growlithe's dark, determined eyes and hesitated.
Without Legendary Pokémon, Blaine was only a second-tier Gym Leader.
He was still a researcher, after all—not quite on Sabrina's level.
Besides… Squirtle was always there as backup for type advantage.
Lu Ye suddenly let out a long sigh.
Trainers… sometimes, they have to respond to their Pokémon too, huh?
"I understand."
Lu Ye recalled Growlithe into its Luxury Ball, took a deep breath, and his eyes sharpened.
"Mr. Blaine, I accept your challenge!"