Thursday, August 19.
A surprise visitor had appeared at Lu Ye's house.
A girl with a cold expression and short chestnut hair was sprawled over an easel, diligently refining her work. Her dress was splattered with paint, making her look like she had just stepped out of an art studio.
Holding Eevee in his arms, Lu Ye muttered, "I can't quite figure out what's off… Just tweak it a bit more. Go for something colorful but with a hint of simplicity."
Mina's grip on her paintbrush tightened with a creak.
These dreadful clients!
Seeing how reliable the new recruit was, Teacher Lu nodded with satisfaction. With Mina's involvement, game production had sped up considerably, and the visual quality had significantly improved.
Just the thought of spending an entire evening mining with Cynthia made Lu Ye feel a little giddy.
Meanwhile, the Pokémon were mingling cheerfully on the sidelines.
Eevee was knocking on Granbull's head in a show of dominance, looking like a pint-sized bully.
Granbull, tears streaming down his face, dared not complain.
Haunter, hands clasped together, cradled a humming Ribombee like it was the most precious thing in the world. The tiny Ribombee perched delicately, pecking at Haunter's palm.
"Haunter! (◍´꒳`◍)"
Haunter's expression was one of pure bliss, as if his soul had been healed.
With a paintbrush propped against her lips, Mina pouted.
"Mister, your Haunter seems to really get along with Ribombee."
"Minus 500 Pokedollars."
Lu Ye chuckled. "Of course. Pokémon reflect their trainers, after all!"
Mina froze, her brush slipping from her hand and falling to the floor.
Five hundred... gone just like that?
Haunter's so adorable—it's nothing like you.
You're clearly a cunning villain!
Lu Ye examined Mina's draft.
While the style was a bit abstract, under Teacher Lu's supervision, the illustrations were quite refined.
A graphic artist for 10,000 Pokedollars ? Totally worth it...
Especially since with deductions, I'll probably only have to pay 5,000 Pokedollars.
"Stay for dinner," Lu Ye offered with a smile. "Living off takeout isn't good for your growth."
Mina paused, twisting her hair before softly murmuring, "Oh, okay."
---
Moments later.
Granbull and Ribombee had their heads buried in bowls, tears of joy streaming down their faces as they devoured the food.
What is this?! It's too delicious!
Lu Ye patted his pink-haired bully dog with a sigh.
Even Haunter turned his nose up at those Energy Pokéblocks, yet you two are eating like it's heaven.
You've really been through a lot, haven't you?
Mina nibbled on her curry like a hamster, pointing at a banner on the wall.
"Um... Boss, what does 'Master of Gynecology' mean?"
Lu Ye froze and glanced at the banner hanging on the wall.
"Hmm… Probably a title even more impressive than Pokémon Master," he said, stroking his chin.
"Wow!" The chestnut-haired girl's eyes lit up with admiration.
---
Two days later.
Dayou called to inform Lu Ye that the online testing for Gold Miner had begun.
With her tasks complete, Mina prepared to board a ferry back to Alola.
At the azure port, white ships bobbed at the dock.
Yawning, Lu Ye escorted Mina to her boat.
"Stay in touch when you're back in Alola. I might need your help with future projects," he said, slipping a business card into her hand.
The chestnut-haired girl, carrying her art board, lifted her paint-streaked face and bowed deeply.
"Thank you so much, Boss!"
"No need to thank me," Lu Ye said, scratching his head while thinking to himself.
I paid her a 10,000-Pokedollars salary, and in the end, it barely cost me 3,000 Pokedollars…
What a bargain!
Mina placed her art board aside and pulled out a hand-drawn sketchbook from her bag.
The cover featured a crayon illustration of Haunter, a smirking Eevee, and a Squirtle dressed like a secret agent.
Flipping through, the pages were filled with colorful comic panels, showcasing her dedication.
"This is… my thank-you gift," Mina said with a grin.
"Hmm…" Lu Ye pointed at the man on the cover.
"I understand everything else, but why is my heart black?"
Mina tugged at her eyelid and stuck out her tongue before dashing onto the ferry.
The ship's horn sounded long and deep, the ferry creating waves as it sailed away alongside flocks of startled Wingull.
Lu Ye scratched his head.
He opened the sketchbook, his face turning peculiar.
"A gift for Little Eevee— 'Baby Doll Eyes'."
Why is your thank-you gift a move manual?
Aren't training manuals free?!
Stuffing the sketchbook into his bag, Teacher Lu gritted his teeth.
"Just this once!"
---
In the group chat, Gold was complaining about Togekiss hogging the game console.
[Gold: Togekiss Taro has been glued to the console for three days! Won't it ruin its eyesight?]
Whitney mercilessly exposed him.
[Whitney: You just want to play yourself!]
[Gold: Woman! You talk too much!]
[Whitney: ??!]
Yellow chuckled.
[Yellow: Togekiss Taro's personality is just like yours, Gold.]
Gold scratched his head and sighed.
He'd originally planned to battle Grandpa Wattson, but the problem was... he couldn't even reclaim the console from Togekiss Taro!
Despite nearing seventy, Grandpa Wattson was a cheerful trend-follower.
Excited, he pinged Gold.
[Wattson: Gold, have you seen Teacher Lu's new game? Let's play online together!]
Gold glanced at his computer.
A Pichu with side bangs was clutching the mouse, grinning as it browsed some questionable website.
Wait… why is a Pichu looking up Pikachu egg-hatching guides?
Gold held his forehead, groaning.
"Are my Pokémon… a little off?"
Gold's breeding center had a reputation because Pokémon hatched there often inherited his personality.
No one dared ask Gold to hatch eggs anymore. The last one—a baby Snorlax descended from Red's Snorlax—had been entrusted to Diamond, a younger Trainer in Sinnoh.
At this rate, the breeding center was headed for bankruptcy!
Gold slumped over his desk, typing weakly.
[Gold: What's Teacher Lu's new game? Is it fun?]
Wattson stroked his chin and opened the game interface.
[Wattson: I'm playing it now… Oh! Gold Miner! Seems to be a level-based game?]
Because of Wattson and Gold, the group chat had nearly turned into a gaming forum...
Though unintentionally, it was excellent promotion.
Teacher Lu, uncharacteristically, didn't mute Gold and cheerfully opened the chat interface.
There were two private messages—one from Sabrina and one from Green.
[Sabrina: How's your progress with Calm Mind?]
[Lu Ye: Still haven't found a suitable Awakening Stone… Seriously, the quality requirements are way too high!]
[Sabrina: You could ask Devon Corporation. They're top-notch in mining. (Pikachu making a cute face.jpg)]
Lu Ye blinked and nodded thoughtfully.
That's true… I've worked with Devon Corporation before. Asking wouldn't hurt.
And come to think of it, Red's Pikachu really is popular—even Sabrina couldn't resist using its stickers…
No way. Squirtle can't lose out!
[Lu Ye: (I wouldn't dare speak up.jpg)]
---
Green's message was about following up on Squirtle's training.
To Lu Ye's surprise, Green had been keeping tabs on Squirtle's development just from a single inquiry.
Lu Ye felt a pang of gratitude.
[Green: Based on the timeline and progress, Squirtle is ready for the next stage of training! (Grin)]
Lu Ye froze, a jolt running through his heart.
Caught off guard, his phone slipped from his hand and landed on the sofa.