Not long afterward, Serena made a complete round trip between her home and Vaniville Town's Pokémon Center.
Only after returning home did she finally open the Moon Ball that Ash had transferred to her.
"Pop—!"
The Poké Ball opened.
A pink Pokémon with a star-shaped silhouette appeared before Serena and Grace.
Cleffa's ears were brown, and it had two tiny black eyes and a small mouth. A little curl adorned its forehead, while its tail curved gently behind it.
Those soft curves gave the impression that the little Pokémon was huddled into a tiny ball, making its small, adorable appearance even more pronounced.
Historically, Cleffa was first discovered in the Johto region.
Because of its star-like shape, people believed it to be the reincarnation of a shooting star.
Many legends claimed that Cleffa arrived on the backs of meteors.
As a result, wherever a meteor landed, sightings of Cleffa often followed.
On nights filled with meteor showers, people could occasionally spot groups of Cleffa dancing together in circles beneath the stars.
Bathed in starlight, their dancing figures resembled living embodiments of the heavens themselves.
It was said that anyone fortunate enough to witness such a sight would soon experience good fortune.
Cleffa also loved gazing at the night sky and had a particular fascination with Minior.
Because of all these traits, countless people firmly believed that Cleffa truly were children of the stars.
"Wow!!"
"So cute~!"
The moment Cleffa appeared, Serena's eyes sparkled with delight.
"It's alright, I guess."
"Barely."
"Still not as cute as my Rhyhorn. (←_←)"
Grace casually swallowed a bite of pastry, took a sip of tea, and delivered her evaluation.
"Cleffa, don't listen to my mom."
"You're absolutely adorable."
"Can I give you a hug?"
Serena crouched down, practically glowing with excitement.
"Cle-ffa~"
"Cle-ffa~ (^_^)!!"
Cleffa spread her little arms, ready to leap into the embrace of her new trainer.
Then she suddenly remembered Ash's instructions before the transfer.
"Cle-ffa~"
Using her tiny hands, Cleffa removed a necklace hanging around her neck and carefully offered it to Serena.
"Is this... the gift Ash told me about?"
"Wow!! It's beautiful!"
The moment she saw the necklace, Serena was both stunned and deeply touched.
What made it even more emotional was the sight of an adorable Cleffa presenting it to her with both hands.
For a brief moment, Serena's imagination ran wild.
She pictured herself marrying Ash in the future.
A cute flower girl walking toward them, carrying the wedding rings.
The image instantly struck her straight in the heart.
Her eyes reddened, and tears of happiness began gathering in the corners.
Meanwhile, Grace glanced sideways at the necklace before calmly offering an appraisal.
"A Heart Scale."
"An item that can help Pokémon relearn moves."
"Market value is around 35,000 Pokédollars."
"The gemstone is an Imperial Topaz."
"The aristocrat among topaz gemstones."
"And judging from the pale brown color that matches your hair, it's a particularly rare variety."
"At this size, even as an unmounted gemstone, it's worth over 500,000."
"A custom necklace made from a Heart Scale and an Imperial Topaz..."
"Hmm..."
"My rough estimate would put its value at around one million."
Grace raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't expect that little brat to be so generous."
As an adult with plenty of life experience, she could estimate the necklace's value at a glance.
Despite her lingering resentment over Ash stealing her precious daughter away, Grace actually followed his activities quite closely.
She even followed his TrainerNet account and had joined the fan group for Ash's Skill Disc online store.
After observing him for a long time, she had gradually formed a very favorable impression.
Smart.
Mature.
Reliable.
Hardworking.
Filial.
Kind.
Talented.
Responsible.
A genuinely outstanding young man.
Sooner or later, Serena was going to fall in love with someone.
If it had to happen, Grace couldn't deny that Ash was an excellent choice.
Especially after remembering how Ash had taken care of Serena during Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp—
Helping her overcome her shyness.
Helping her become more confident.
For that alone, Grace felt deeply grateful.
And now...
Not only had Ash entrusted Serena with a rare Pokémon.
He had also gifted her a gemstone necklace worth over a million Pokédollars.
Her approval of this future son-in-law rose yet another level.
For families like theirs, a gift of this value could practically serve as a marriage proposal.
Of course, despite how pleased she felt inside, Grace refused to show it openly.
After all, her daughter was only six years old when Ash had effectively stolen her heart.
Even though Serena had been the one to confess first...
Grace still couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.
"ONE MILLION?! Σ(°口°;)!!"
Unlike her mother, Serena had no idea what was going on inside Grace 's head.
She was completely shocked by the estimated value.
When Ash mentioned buying her a gift, she had assumed it would be something small and thoughtful.
Even after seeing the necklace, she'd simply thought it was pretty.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined it was worth that much.
The hand that had been eagerly reaching to put it on froze in midair.
Maybe...
Maybe I should wait until our wedding day before wearing it? (///▽///)
If Ash could hear her thoughts, he would probably laugh himself speechless.
Then sigh at the terrifying power of money.
No wonder rich heirs and billionaire bachelors in TV dramas always showered girls with expensive gifts.
Money really was a universal cheat code.
"Look at you."
"It's just a necklace worth a million."
"Why are you acting like you've never seen anything before?"
Grace said dismissively, though her tone carried an unmistakable hint of jealousy.
"Cle-ffa~ (^_^)/"
At that moment, Cleffa dug around behind her curled tail.
After a bit of searching, she pulled out a small blue velvet jewelry box and offered it to Grace.
"For me?"
"That little brat bought me a gift too? ^_^"
The sour expression on Grace 's face instantly vanished.
A smile appeared immediately.
"Let's see what my future son-in-law got me."
She eagerly opened the box.
The instant she saw the contents, her eyes lit up like twin spotlights.
"What beautiful sapphires!"
"And they're shaped like marlins!"
"Elegant, yet powerful."
"Refined, but still full of strength."
"Considering the craftsmanship and the quality of these sapphires, they must be worth at least 100,000."
Grace couldn't stop admiring them.
Then she smacked her lips in satisfaction.
"Not bad."
"My future son-in-law really understands people."
Turning toward her daughter, she immediately pointed a finger at Serena and declared:
"Serena!"
"As your mother, I officially order you to marry Ash!"
The speed at which Grace's attitude had transformed—
From 'that brat', to 'that little punk', to 'my wonderful son-in-law'—
Was nothing short of miraculous.
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