The damp, chilly night wind blew against their faces.
Jubilife City was cloaked in night, a light drizzle falling softly.
Cynthia walked ahead, her figure graceful. She turned her pale face slightly, lifting her chin. “Get in.”
“This… isn’t the way to Jubilife City, is it?” Inside the spacious car, Lu Ye looked out the window in surprise.
Cynthia gripped the top of the steering wheel with one hand, tapping it lightly with her finger. “Mm… we’re going to True Sand Town.”
Jubilife was a mountain city built atop mining veins, with winding mountain roads stretching toward a quiet town far away.
Lu Ye gave an “Oh”: “No wonder the drive keeps getting more remote…” “Wait.” Lu Ye blinked. “Where am I supposed to sleep tonight?”
“At my place.” Cynthia kept her eyes on the road, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity. “Why, where else?”
“I was planning to rent a hotel room for half a month.”
“I’ll pass on the apartment…” Lu Ye cleared his throat. “I’m afraid the neighbors and property management would start complaining.”
“Then just stay at True Sand Town for now…” Cynthia gave a slight nod, glancing at Lu Ye in the rearview mirror with a faint smile. “This way, at least you’ll have a place to stay.”
“I have nothing to offer in return—please allow me to pledge myself to you.” Lu Ye said solemnly.
“Keep dreaming.” Cynthia smirked, then added as if suddenly remembering, “Actually, I do have some documents I’ll need your help with…”
Lu Ye turned and exchanged a look with Gengar sitting in the back seat.
“Gengar, what’s your take?”
“Gengarr! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧” Gengar grinned, giving a big thumbs-up.
“All right.” Lu Ye turned back around and declared: “I suppose I can reluctantly help you translate those papers!”
“Much appreciated.” Cynthia gave a light smile.
“If you’re really grateful, you could always pledge yourself to me.”
“So in the end… it’ll still have to be me offering myself?”
“Do I really have to pick one of those two?” Cynthia sighed helplessly.
“GRAAAH!!” From the back seat, the silent Garchomp suddenly let out a roar.
The black sedan cut through the rainy night, slowly disappearing into the darkness.
True Sand Town sat on the outskirts of Jubilife City, a coastal town famous for its beaches. Professor Sakuragi, an expert in evolution research, also had his lab here.
Lu Ye stroked his chin. He couldn’t help but recall the time Professor Sakuragi had invited him here.
“Never thought I’d come to Sinnoh after all this back-and-forth…” Lu Ye mused inwardly.
But, as he’d told Ash— In the Sinnoh region, maybe he’d encounter new lives, and weave new stories…
Under the heavy night sky, rows of green trees along the road slipped past. Cynthia’s villa stood not far from the beach.
The car pulled into the gate, revealing a dew-drenched lawn.
“Looks like it could grow Energy Roots… maybe even Revival Herbs,” Lu Ye muttered.
“If the lawn gets out of hand, Rotom can handle it,” Lu Ye said casually.
Rotom Pokédex, who had been dozing, jolted awake.
I’m just a Pokédex, Rotom! Σ(°△°|||)︴ This kind of pressure really isn’t okay~ o(╥﹏╥)o
Thud— The car door shut. A two-story villa with a loft stood before them.
“The second-floor terrace overlooks True Sand Beach.” Cynthia thought for a moment, then added, “When it’s quiet, you can hear the rustling of the palm trees.”
“That’s why I often stay here.” Cynthia smiled lightly. “It’s close to Professor Sakuragi’s lab too, makes research work convenient.”
“Being Champion’s a busy job too…” Lu Ye commented.
Cynthia pressed her forehead and said softly, “League business takes me across Mount Coronet to Sunyshore City.” “Each round trip takes two to three days… so I let Lucian handle the unimportant stuff.”
“What about the important things?”
Cynthia pretended to be serious: “Important matters are handled personally by the League Chairman.”
“No wonder you’re the boss.”
“You flatter me.” Cynthia chuckled.
Lu Ye looked up at the villa before him. It was smaller than the one in Kanto, but clearly quite high-end in terms of decoration. The top floor had a few patio umbrellas—unclear if they shaded a hot spring or a pool.
Suddenly… Lu Ye found himself looking forward to seeing Cynthia in swimwear.
“Can’t decide? I’ll just help her pick, then it won’t be hard at all!”
Cynthia opened the door. Soft lighting flicked on.
Suddenly, Cynthia seemed to realize something. Her cheeks flushed slightly. “Uh…”
Lu Ye rubbed his chin and glanced around the messy living room: Large tomes stacked everywhere, crumpled drafts scattered about, empty coffee cans lying on the floor.
“You wait outside for a bit…” Cynthia said softly, her face turning red. “Let me tidy up first.”
Her recent research projects had been intense. Cynthia hadn’t let the housekeeper disturb her work. Now that she’d suddenly gone to the airport to greet Lu Ye… this chaotic living room was the result.
“No need to go through all that trouble…” Lu Ye tossed out two Poké Balls. “Gengar, Rotom—I’m counting on you!”
“Gengarr!” Gengar’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t seen such a wonderfully messy house in ages.
Now’s the perfect time to practice Shadow Clone techniques!
Poof! Several Gengars appeared in the room and began tidying up with loud “heave-ho!” chants.
“Careful with the files and books!” Lu Ye shouted.
“Gengarr!” Gengar’s eyes glowed blue, lifting all the documents telekinetically and stacking them neatly.
“I’m ready, Rot—” Rotom the cleaning bot sprang online—only to be mercilessly kicked aside by Gengar.
Rotom lay flat on the ground, on the verge of tears. “Beep beep… incomprehensible, Rotom! o(TヘTo)”
Cynthia folded her arms, one hand on her chin, eyes flickering with thought.
“Next time… should I have Lucario try housework too?”
Cynthia shook her head, glancing at the now-tidy living room. Suddenly, she clapped her hands in realization: “I still need to prepare your room for the night!”
“No need, we can just squeeze in together.”
“Then you’ll just have to make do with the couch,” Cynthia said cheerfully.
Lu Ye looked conflicted: “I’m a traditional guy, but if that’s what you prefer…”
A heavy book flew toward him, and a slip of paper fluttered out.
With the reflexes of a true ‘Super Modu Resident’, Lu Ye caught both at once and squinted at the symbols on the paper.
“Legends of Palkia and Dialga?”
“Looks like it,” Cynthia nodded, smiling. “It’s a rubbing from a newly unearthed tablet in Eterna City.”
“So I’m translating these tonight?” Lu Ye waved the slip.
If he could crack them. Cynthia’s eyes sparkled. Even this year’s research summit… might bring a gold medal.
Cynthia herself didn’t care about accolades. But with Lu Ye’s insights, he could easily become a doctorate-level specialist in Pokémon ancient language. This summit might be the perfect opportunity.
As a joint research project— Cynthia, as a mythologist, would certainly include Lu Ye’s name on her findings…
In the blink of an eye, Lu Ye placed the translated script on the coffee table and handed it to Cynthia.
Cynthia came back to her senses, surprise flashing in her eyes. “You didn’t need… any reference materials or tablets?”
“Got hands, right?” Lu Ye coughed into his fist. “Though I can’t guarantee it’s 100% accurate…”
Cynthia lowered her head, reading through the translation, her eyes gleaming.
Accuracy aside, that was clearly just modesty.
More importantly— The research bottleneck of recent days suddenly felt as if it had broken open…
“What do you want to eat?” Cynthia stood up, smiling brightly. “I’ll cook us a midnight snack!”
Lu Ye paused. He and Gengar both froze.
“Gengarr! Σ(°△°|||)︴”
“Don’t move—let a professional handle it!”