November 21st, Saturday.
With the onset of the Minor Snow solar term, the weather was getting colder.
Waking up in the morning, Sylveon stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, its ribbon lightly touching the condensation on the glass.
"Bui?" Sylveon tilted its head curiously, looking at the dewdrop on its ribbon.
"Because winter is here."
Lu Ye pulled on a white cashmere sweater.
"You guys be careful too. Don’t catch a cold."
In his sleep, the well-fed and plump Growlithe drooled unconsciously.
"Chagi duyi~ (๑╹◡╹)ﾉ"
A small flame flickered at the tip of its finger. Togepi stared at the orange-red fire with surprise and delight.
"Play with fire, and you’ll wet the bed!"
Like a nagging father, Teacher Lu promptly extinguished the flame and gave Togepi a stern yet patient lecture.
"Chagi duyi!" Togepi giggled happily and reached out its tiny hands toward Lu Ye.
"Alright, alright… I get it."
Lifting Togepi high into the air, Lu Ye glanced over at the water tank beside him and sighed.
"I can handle little flames just fine… No need for Water Gun, okay?"
At his words, the strong Aura that had been surging inside the water tank quickly calmed down.
Lu Ye wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
If Squirtle had acted, he had a feeling the whole house would’ve been flooded.
In the living room, Gengar kicked over the cleaning robot while continuing its chores.
Trying to disrupt my Substitute training? Not a chance!
Lu Ye settled onto the couch, initially planning to cuddle Sylveon for a bit.
Unfortunately, Sylveon strongly resisted.
With no other choice, Lu Ye grabbed the ever-clueless Growlithe instead and aggressively ruffled its head.
He opened his laptop, preparing lesson plans for next week and drafting game design documents.
The quiet morning passed in a haze of work and drowsiness.
By late morning, soft rustling sounds came from the master bedroom.
Lu Ye paused for a moment—then suddenly remembered.
Cynthia stayed over last night!
The bedroom door opened. Cynthia stepped out, her bare face looking slightly pale and weary. She lazily scratched her messy golden hair.
She was dressed in her usual black trench coat, a luxurious jet-black scarf wrapped around her neck, and her golden hair was clipped with two black-patterned hairpins.
No matter the angle, she was an absolute beauty—flawless.
"Morning," Cynthia greeted lazily.
On the dining table sat a steaming cup of rich black coffee and perfectly toasted bread.
As he spread Honey on a slice of toast, Lu Ye handed a piece to Sylveon.
"Heading to Sinnoh today?"
"Yeah… There’s a lot to take care of this time, so I won’t be back in Kanto for a while."
Resting her elbows on the table, Cynthia propped her chin on one hand, stirring her coffee as she gazed out the window, deep in thought.
Lu Ye admired her profile and nodded approvingly.
"One thing at a time. You’ll get through it all eventually."
"Yeah, you’re right."
The soft morning light cast a hazy glow over her face. Golden strands of hair fell gently, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
As the year-end approached, the major leagues were all busy preparing for their respective tournaments.
As Sinnoh’s Champion, Cynthia had no choice but to immerse herself in various meetings and responsibilities.
Heading Out for a Month
This trip meant he wouldn't see her for about a month.
Cynthia leaned against the doorframe, fastening the heels of her high-heeled shoes. She turned back and half-jokingly asked,
"Like one day apart feels like three years," Lu Ye nodded without hesitation.
"That was way too quick!"
"If even speaking from the heart requires careful thought, wouldn’t that be too dull?"
Cynthia stood up, studying Lu Ye as if appraising him.
After a long pause, she smiled and said,
That afternoon, Gengar went to Saffron Gym to work as a coach.
At home, Lu Ye was brushing Sylveon's fur while casually browsing shopping apps.
With the colder weather, it was time to get some warmer clothes.
Thanks to Gengar's natural -5°C temperature debuff, if he didn’t dress warmly enough, he wouldn't dare let Gengar float behind him.
Suddenly, his gaze landed on a sale for winter pajamas.
Lu Ye: [Image] Supposedly made from Wooloo wool from Galar’s Yarrow Ranch… It's on discount for group purchases!
The image showcased full-body Pokémon-themed pajamas, including Eevee, Pikachu, Gengar, and more.
Gold: "Teacher Lu! You’re so stingy!"
Brock: "That’s not how you should see it." He said seriously, "Saving money means better resources for training Pokémon!"
Blue: "Ooh, I have a seller for these!" She immediately volunteered. "Teacher Lu, buy from me, buy from me!"
Misty: "Even the Masters' Chat Group needs group purchases now…?" She sighed and rubbed her temples.
Something about the atmosphere in this group chat felt… off.
In the end, Brock ended up buying nine sets in one go—for all his younger siblings.
Lu Ye got Gengar a Pikachu pajama set and himself a Gengar pajama set.
The sizes for Growlithe and Togepi weren’t quite right, so he bought a few bunny ears for them as compensation.
As for Sylveon, it already had long ears, so in the end, he bought a "White Vanilla" toy as a teaser wand.
For Squirtle, Blue—who had raised a Blastoise before—recommended a Water Stone to help improve its water quality.
Blue grinned. "Thanks for your business!"
"…Got any more? I’ll buy everything."
A certain unnamed sister-complex spoke up.
Gold: "?? What's wrong with you?!"
Silver: "Shut up. If I have extras, I’ll send them to your place."
Gold: "Like hell I wanna wear matching pajamas with you!!"
In Viridian City, Erika blushed, hugging her Pikachu tightly.
She still wished to wear the same outfit as Red at least once in her life!
Although Blue was a bit of a scammer, she was efficient.
That very night, the packages arrived. Lu Ye eagerly began unboxing them.
"Hmm… so this is how you wear it?"
Dressed in Gengar-themed purple pajamas, Lu Ye pulled the hood over his head and looked around.
"Feels like… I just got closer to Gengar on a whole new level!"
A round, chubby Pikachu suddenly leaped out of the bedroom.
Pulling off the hood revealed Gengar’s wide, toothy grin.
As for Growlithe and Togepi, both now had bunny ears on their heads, wobbling adorably.
Sylveon sat primly on the couch, lifting its chin in disdain.
A "White Vanilla" teaser wand suddenly dangled in front of its eyes.
Lu Ye smirked, "Wanna play?"
Sylveon's ears turned red. It hesitated for a long time before finally reaching out with its soft little paw.
As the night deepened, the quiet group chat suddenly chimed.
Crystal sent a picture.
In the image, Gold and Silver were both wearing matching pajamas, their expressions stiff.
Gold: "DELETE THAT IMMEDIATELY!"
For once, the usually calm Silver looked genuinely surprised.
"When… did you take that?!"
Crystal covered her mouth and giggled. "While you two were bickering."
Gold: Damn it, I didn’t even notice!
After Gold’s furious protests, Crystal reluctantly retracted the message.
Lu Ye: Damn, I missed it!
Sabrina: "I have it saved."
[Group Member Uploaded a New Image to the Group Album]
Steven: [Well done.jpg]
"Hahaha! This is too cute!" Lorelei burst out laughing.
Lance chuckled. "Didn’t expect Silver to have such a childish side."
Silver silently facepalmed.
There was no denying it—their couple aesthetic was way too strong.
That publicly exposed pajama photo was now forever preserved in the group album.
Satisfied, Lu Ye put down his phone and got ready for bed.
As he yawned and made space in the blanket for the Sylveon who quietly burrowed in, he called out,
"Gengar, lights out."