The night enveloped Celestic Town in tranquility.
The trio arrived with bubbling excitement.
Passing through the museum's backyard led to Cynthia's residence.
Warm orange light spilled from the windows, illuminating the chaotic training grounds where Blastoise still diligently performed push-ups.
Blastoise cautiously lifted its gaze, scanning the newcomers with aura-enhanced perception.
Only after confirming their identities did it nod in approval. "Blastoise."
"What's it saying?" Jessie asked curiously.
"That we're not Ditto imposters and can go in, meow!"
James wiped sweat as Blastoise's cannons slowly retracted.
Executive's Blastoise... way too cautious!
Inside, Natsume concluded the day's training session.
He entered the kitchen where Gengar produced their portable [Rotom · Oven Form].
Natsume prepared freshly baked bread—also known as Pokémon Poffins—
Functionally similar to Johto's Pokéblocks or Galar's Pokémon Curry, essential coursework for any Breeder.
Moreover, Natsume fully embraced his identity as Chef Supreme.
Precisely on schedule, he assumed command of the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Splash—
Cynthia's golden hair cascaded over her shoulders as she leaned forward, rinsing vibrant red tomatoes.
Natsume stole a glance at her focused profile—delicate features glowing under the water's reflection.
"These are Spicy variety."
Cynthia blinked. "I saw them in the fridge... Thought they'd taste good."
Remembering Cynthia's culinary skills (or lack thereof), Natsume chuckled.
"These are Tamato Berries—the Friendship-boosting kind."
Inspecting the berry, Cynthia sighed and set it aside.
Berries in this world never ceased to amaze.
Dragonfruit was Spicy... Tomatoes were Spicy...
Natsume picked up the washed Tamato Berry, contemplating.
Maybe Spicy tomatoes weren't so bad after all...
"Sylveon~" Sylveon coiled a ribbon around Natsume's arm, azure eyes sparkling as it observed the cooking process.
Its long, rabbit-like ears twitched adorably.
Knock—
"Pardon the intrusion!"
The trio bowed awkwardly, rubbing their hands.
"Mind if we join for dinner?"
"Wobbuffet!" (That's right!)
Surveying the kitchen, Natsume realized tonight's feast required more rice.
With Rotom's help... maybe it could cook faster.
"Rotom... would you consider a Rice Cooker Form?"
The legendary kitchen appliance shuddered:
"System Overload, Rotom! o(TヘTo)"
...
After a dinner that felt like a cozy family party.
Carolina was once again amazed by Natsume-sensei's culinary skills.
Team Rocket clasped their hands together, bowing with sincerity. "Thanks for the meal! (Ｔ▽Ｔ)"
The little ones were enjoying the Pokéblocks Natsume-sensei had made.
"Gengar~ (￣～￣)" Gengar tossed a few gem-like cubes into the air, then caught them all with a flick of its long tongue.
"Garchomp! (╬ﾟдﾟ)" Garchomp, who had been carefully skewering one with its scythe, stared in disbelief.
Meowth glanced between Natsume and Cynthia, rubbing its paws.
"Well, we'll be taking our leave now, meow!"
"Eh? You're not staying longer?" Jessie paused mid-bite, a piece of bread in her mouth.
James and Meowth's expressions twisted simultaneously.
Don't let your gluttony blind you to the mood, you idiot!
"Sorry for the intrusion, Natsume-sensei!"
Meowth and James grabbed Jessie by the arms, snatched half a loaf of bread on their way out, and bolted.
"See you tomorrow!"
The room settled back into quiet.
Carolina sat in her chair, leaning on her cane, murmuring to herself. "They're reliable… and quite skilled with their hands."
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
"Quite skilled" is an understatement.
Give them a blueprint, and they could probably build a Zygarde-themed mecha!
Cynthia smiled softly.
"Grandmother, have the analysis results come in?"
"I consulted Mossdeep Space Center. The meteorite samples share an extremely similar composition."
Carolina spoke slowly. "According to records, this artifact—the 'Spear Key'—is the key to Mount Coronet."
"Mount Coronet is shrouded in dense fog, but the 'Spear Key' can guide those with a Pure Heart, unwavering will, and wisdom to the correct path."
"It's also the key to balancing the forces of time and space."
Carolina's explanation aligned perfectly with the System's description of the [Spear Key].
But how to stabilize time and space, and why they were imbalanced in the first place, remained a mystery.
Natsume recalled the movie The Rise of Darkrai, where Dialga and Palkia clashed, and frowned.
"Is there anything I can do?" Cynthia asked.
Carolina shook her head, reaching out to stroke her granddaughter's golden hair.
"Time and space… they are eternal, distant concepts."
"As your grandmother, my advice is this."
Her voice was gentle, weathered by age. "Cherish the present. That's enough."
Natsume's heart stirred.
In Pokémon Adventures, parallel timelines had appeared before.
Celebi altered history, reviving the fallen Steven and others.
It was a tragic scene—
Yet, thanks to Pokémon, those regrets were mended.
Perhaps that was the true charm of the Pokémon world.
Natsume's eyes gleamed.
So, there were worlds without Moe-Moe… and worlds without Pokémon.
(In Pokémon: I Choose You!, Ash dreamed of a world without Pokémon—until he remembered Pikachu.)
But he lived in the present, meeting new lives, forging new bonds…
Cherishing the now was enough.
Instinctively, Natsume glanced sideways—meeting Cynthia's deep gray eyes.
A pause.
Cynthia smiled faintly and nodded.
"Hmph!"
Carolina arched an eyebrow and snorted.
"Pay attention!"
What followed was another lengthy lecture from Professor Carolina.
Natsume chuckled helplessly, fingertips brushing the Poké Ball at his waist, finding comfort in its presence.
Cynthia rested her chin on her hand, listening intently.
Natsume only remembered—
Under the table, Cynthia's cool, soft hand slipped into his… and held on tight.
...
Over the next two days,
the little ones continued their rigorous training under Cynthia's guidance, bolstered by legendary-tier resources.
Gengar showed the most improvement, mastering "Gravity" with increasing finesse.
In the courtyard training area:
"Blastoise!" Blastoise endured Gengar's "Gravity" pressing down on its shell, trembling under the strain.
Then, taking a deep breath, it began its weighted exercises…
Natsume's eyelid twitched, his mood complicated.
Looks like…
The next meeting with the Renovation Captain isn't far off!
Team Rocket's trio stayed behind at Celestic Town Museum as security guards.
The entire museum's security system had been overhauled—now eerily professional.
In terms of part-time work, only the ever-capable Brock could rival them…
Aside from guiding Gengar and personally training Garchomp,
Cynthia spent most of her time buried in research.
Her conference paper saw significant progress over those three days.
Professor Carolina, meanwhile, grew even fonder of Natsume-sensei.
Once, while Cynthia was busy researching,
Carolina pulled out a cherished photo frame, grinning as she handed it to Natsume.
"Here, let me show you pictures of Cynthia as a child…"
"Let's see."
Curious, Natsume looked at the golden-haired, lively little girl in the photo—and froze.
Oh no.
This is… dangerously cute!
...
Chat Group:
Gold: "Natsume-sensei, when's the new game dropping? This wait is killing me!"
Old Man Wattson: "Already done with Pokémon Legendary?"
Gold: "Togebo stole my account…"
Green: "Heard it's April? Can we sell beta access?"
Steven: "'No one remembers the trash games released on time.' —Natsume-sensei's words."
Gold: "Haven't seen Natsume-sensei online lately. Otherwise, I'd challenge him to a battle."
Natsume-sensei: "?"
Gold: "Ah! Natsume-sensei! Battle me! I'm feeling confident!"
Natsume-sensei: "Away for a few days. Rematch when I'm back tomorrow."
Lance: "Related to the Sinnoh poaching case?" (recalling Natsume's DM.)
Natsume-sensei: "Sort of."
Next step: contact Sinnoh's Rocket branch and raid Hunter J's base.
The rescued Pokémon can choose release or stay.
Reputation boost + good impression for the kid—
Boss Giovanni would be thrilled!
Ruby: "Natsume-sensei! Can you guest-star at this year's Wallace Cup?"
Natsume-sensei: "You and your Master aren't enough?"
Ruby's a top Coordinator, and Wallace is the Contest Champion.
Why invite a mere LV3 like me?
Ruby: "I wanted to go, but… I've got travel plans."
Sapphire cutting in: "With me! We're visiting Alola!"
Ruby: "Hey—give my phone back—!"
Auntie Lorelei accidentally playing the voice clip, slowly removing her glasses: ?
Can we kick them?
This sweetness is unbearable!!
Stay calm… they're a cute couple—
Lorelei took a deep breath, then furiously scribbled in her notebook.
Damn you, Gold!
This grudge is eternal!
...
Ruby: "@Natsume-sensei, judges don't battle. Wallace is paying well—Contest prizes rival Leagues!"
Natsume-sensei: "Oh?"
Money's irrelevant.
But getting paid to watch others perform—
Is this the legendary paid slacking?!
Natsume still had a [Skill Level-Up Ticket].
If needed, he could upgrade to [Flawless Commands Lv4]—
Top Coordinator-tier, for more professional judging.
But Contests could wait.
For now, Natsume-sensei just wanted to return to Sandgem Town and sleep…
March 4th, Thursday.
Cynthia prepared to return to the Sinnoh League.
At their farewell, Professor Carolina arrived, leaning on her cane.
"I have a favor to ask." She hesitated.
Natsume: "Go ahead."
"The Spear Key… I'd like to study it a while longer."
Carolina spoke carefully. "I'll return it when you need it. For now…"
"Of course."
Natsume smiled. "If it leads to breakthroughs, all the better."
Natsume didn't urgently need the [Spear Key].
Honestly, what would I even do with it?
Buff it daily with [Aura of Ripple], like [Rainbow Wing]?
Carolina, as an expert, might uncover something invaluable.
"Thank you…"
Relieved, Carolina smiled meaningfully.
"Keep up the good work!"
Natsume: "Huh?"
Cynthia, standing nearby in her black coat, overheard and averted her gaze—her cheeks faintly pink.
...
Breezes rustled the wilderness grass; the ancient town lay serene.
At the outskirts, Carolina suddenly said:
"Oh, those three will stay in Celestic Town a bit longer."
Natsume nodded.
If they saw us off, they'd probably bawl and cling to me.
Better they earn honest wages here than chase Pikachu.
"Gengar~! (￣▽￣)／"
Gengar floated beside Natsume, waving goodbye.
The elderly woman watched Natsume and her granddaughter, smiling softly.
"I'd like a word with Cynthia."
Cynthia knelt beside her grandmother, black coat pooling on the ground.
Carolina whispered: "I approve."
Cynthia blinked, her hair ornaments swaying, then smiled.
"Your granddaughter's judgment is never wrong…"
Carolina huffed, then turned to Natsume.
She studied him silently, her gaze piercing.
Natsume met her eyes and grinned.
"What you can't do alone,"
he declared, "becomes possible with Pokémon."
"And if it's with your granddaughter—"
He lowered his voice. "Nothing's impossible."
Carolina scoffed, turning away loudly.
"Go on! Chingling, finally some peace!"
Cynthia tucked windblown hair behind her ear, smiling wryly.
Ding-a-ling—
The large bell on Carolina's hair chimed softly.
...
Celestic Town arc: concluded.
The [Spear Key] from Solaceon Ruins remained with Professor Carolina.
Carolina narrowed her eyes.
With the [Lustrous Orb] and [Adamant Orb]…
Perhaps we can decipher the spatial anomalies at Eterna Forest…
For Natsume-sensei,
Sinnoh Champion's private tutoring + orb buffs =
His Pokémon had grown significantly stronger—
Natsume glanced at Cynthia, touched.
"Don't thank me."
Cynthia rested a hand on the steering wheel, amused.
"Your training plans and Gengar's hard work paid off."
"Gengar!"
Natsume-sensei stared.
I had training plans?!
Oh right—
Letting Pokémon train themselves was the plan.
Natsume facepalmed, emotions in turmoil.
Daily Sylveon cuddles, Arcanine walks, Togepi card games, cooking on schedule…
And they still reached Elite Four level?!
He couldn't laugh. Tears pooled in his stomach as he patted his own shoulder:
"Well done, Natsume-sensei."
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