Lijia, having rented a hotel near The Bund to begin her tour the next day, stood to take her leave.
Upon inquiry, Lu Ye discovered that the recruitment period lasted a week—meaning Lijia had six more days of paid vacation.
Lu Ye’s expression turned complicated.
"Truly impressive, Lijia."
"Just drop me off here."
Standing at the entrance, Lijia folded her hands over her skirt and smiled softly.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality."
Lu Ye nodded, then suddenly asked, "Have you joined the group yet?"
"The foodie group, or you could call it the dining friends group."
Lijia blinked in surprise, her cheeks tinged with red, and nodded resolutely.
"Please add me—I insist!"
[Group Admin ‘Teacher Lu’ has invited ‘Yamazakura’ to join the chat group.]
"Oh," Lijia murmured. "Red mentioned this group before."
"Yeah?" Lu Ye’s interest was piqued. "Is he still training on Mt. Silver?"
"Of course," Lijia said, blinking.
To find Red, one only needed to camp out in Pallet Town, Viridian Gym, or Mt. Silver.
Gold: "Welcome, newcomer! Please share a photo, your measurements, and your relationship status!"
[Group Member ‘Gold’ has been muted by Admin ‘Green’ for 5 minutes.]
Brock: "Oh, it’s Lijia! Welcome!"
With another new member, Lu Ye’s group of fellow Trainers had grown. It was truly a moment to celebrate!
"So many familiar faces," Lijia said with a smile. "This is quite entertaining."
Lu Ye felt a sense of pride.
From just Gold, the group had grown to over ten members. He couldn’t help but feel gratified!
After waving goodbye, Lijia stood under the night sky, her eyes sparkling.
"By the way, Teacher Lu," she asked suddenly, "did you study obstetrics too?"
The title banner on his wall, Master of Gynecology, had clearly left a deep impression.
Lu Ye froze before nodding solemnly.
"I’m quite skilled at massage therapy."
Lijia’s eyes widened. "As expected of Teacher Lu!"
Lu Ye’s inner monologue:
"Damn this system… it might just unlock a Massage Skill one day."
Lu Ye kept his expression neutral and nodded again.
Back in his room, Lu Ye stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the cracks in the wall.
Haunter, mimicking his posture, floated nearby with its hands on its “hips.”
Look at how amazing I am!
The renovation team wouldn’t arrive until the next day. It felt like only two days had passed since the last repairs were completed.
"Sister Liu’s house construction… truly top-notch quality."
Crouching down, he reached out to Eevee, who approached with wide, curious eyes.
"You want to learn Shadow Ball too, don’t you?"
Eevee paused for a moment before nodding.
Lu Ye groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Start training with Haunter first. Once you’ve got the technique down, I’ll provide the resources."
Eevee wagged its tail excitedly, flashing its tiny fangs. "Vee!"
Watching this, Squirtle clenched its fists tightly.
Squirtle’s inner monologue:
"Master trusts me too. I absolutely can’t fall behind!"
Better focus on my Aqua Tail training!
Verdanturf Town, Hoenn Region
A Wailord leapt from the azure sea as sunlight shimmered on a gray villa.
Inside, a man with light blue hair and piercing eyes ceremoniously donned a suit and sat at his computer.
Opening Gold Miner, he spent two hours digging stones to secure his lead on the leaderboard.
Satisfied, Steven Stone finally set down his mouse.
His phone vibrated. Glancing at the caller ID, he was surprised but answered with a smile.
"Aren’t you two on your honeymoon? What brings you to call me?"
"We’re not on a honeymoon! We’re helping Professor Birch complete the Pokédex—ouch, that hurts! Stop, Sofia, that hurts!"
The voice changed to a lively female tone.
"Mr. Steven! Could you arrange two visas for Donghuang? We’d like to see the comet!"
The Millennium Comet’s prime viewing location was near Xiangchu in Donghuang. But these two had no interest in astronomy…
Steven suddenly understood.
Excuses. This is obviously a ploy to celebrate the Qixi Festival!
"Of course," Steven replied with a smile. "I actually have a favor to ask you two as well."
"You brute! Give me the phone back—I’ll talk to Mr. Steven myself!"
Steven held the noisy phone away from his ear, smiling helplessly.
"Either of you can explain—it’s fine!"
"Mr. Steven, Ruby’s been subdued. Are you still there?"
Steven wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Steven’s inner monologue:
"Ruby… should be fine, right?"
"Ahem. Here’s the deal," Steven explained.
"Verdanturf’s Space Center has asked me to deliver a meteorite, suspected to be tied to Jirachi, to the comet observation site. This could also be a great chance for you two to gather data."
"Jirachi—the super-cute Pokémon?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Can I capture it?!"
"Quiet, Ruby! Let Mr. Steven finish!"
"Apologies, Ruby," Steven said with a chuckle. "I’ve already discussed it with the Space Center. If it’s confirmed to be Jirachi, releasing it back to the wild is the best option."
Ruby paused, then nodded solemnly.
Archie had once exploited Jirachi’s power to create a fake sea monster—a terrifying force. Moreover, Jirachi’s awakening lasted only seven days; its true home was the vast cosmos.
"I understand," Ruby said seriously. "If it really is Jirachi, I’ll ensure its safety!"
Sofia, about to speak, held back when she saw Ruby’s determined expression, her cheeks quietly flushing.
Steven laughed. "That won’t be necessary. I’ll personally escort the meteorite."
"And while I’m there, I have a friend in Donghuang. Maybe we can all watch the meteor shower together."
Ruby’s expression shifted slightly.
With Steven escorting it, who would dare cause trouble?
Wait… does this mean they’d get a free trip to Donghuang to see the comet shower?
Sofia exclaimed, "Mr. Steven has a friend! Are they a Trainer?"
Steven tapped his chin, thinking for a moment. His light blue eyes lit up.
"Yes, a Trainer who fought Lance to a standstill," he said with a smile.
The couple gasped audibly.
"That’s terrifying!" Sofia stammered. "What if they’re difficult to get along with and don’t want us tagging along?"
"Teacher Lu is very easygoing," Steven reassured them. "Don’t worry—I’ll handle the visas.
"Also, the meteor shower lasts a whole week. You can celebrate Qixi Festival while you’re there."
Blushing furiously, the couple scratched their cheeks awkwardly.
"Alright, see you tomorrow."
"Thank you, Mr. Steven!"
After hanging up, Sofia’s eyes sparkled as she grabbed Ruby’s shoulders and shook him.
"We’ll be watching the meteor shower with TWO Champions! Isn’t that amazing?"
"Stop shaking me!" Ruby stammered.
"I wonder what Teacher Lu excels at," Sofia mused. "Maybe I can learn something."
"Don’t be silly and challenge a Champion," Ruby scoffed.
Sofia smirked. "But what if Teacher Lu is a Coordinator like Wallace?"
Ruby snorted, pulling out his Pokéblock case.
"In terms of coordination, I’m only a hair’s breadth behind Wallace.
"I might not beat Teacher Lu in battle, but in Pokéblock crafting? He’s no match for me!"