Green wore a look full of curiosity.
[Green: Huh? Who are you planning to buy it for?]
[Gold: For Crystal, of course, she gave me chocolates before, so I should return the favor].
Gold replied without hesitation, his expression calm.
Lu Ye suddenly understood.
Crystal, abbreviated to Crys, her talent was "The Catcher." She was currently assisting Professor Oak in collecting Pokémon data.
In some ways, Gold and Crys seemed like a perfect match…
[Lorelei: Don't say such hurtful things so casually!] Lorelei hugged her head, her eyes moist.
[Lance: No way, there's nobody here who hasn't received chocolates on Valentine's Day, right?] Lance teased
[Group Member 'Lance' has been muted by Group Owner 'Teacher Lu' for 5 minutes.]
Gold's eyes lit up, and he shouted,
[Gold: Masaka! Teacher Lu hasn't received Valentine's Day gifts before!]
[Group Member 'Gold' has been muted by Group Owner 'Teacher Lu' for 5 minutes.]
The rarely active Red glanced at the chat and commented, "So, you have to return the favor when you receive chocolates, huh?"
[Red: @Yellow, what gift do you want for Qixi Festival?]
Yellow's face turned red. Before she could even feel touched, Red tagged Misty again.
[Red: @Misty, I'll return the favor for you too.]
[Yellow: ???]
[Lu Ye: ???]
This was such a blatant display of affection!
[Group Admin 'Red' has been muted by Group Owner 'Teacher Lu' for 5 minutes.]
Three mutes in a row—Teacher Lu was going wild!
---
Gold picked out a crystal snow globe for Crys.
Despite his penchant for trouble, Gold showed surprising thoughtfulness in certain matters.
His emotional intelligence was clearly higher than that of a certain battle legend.
With Qixi approaching, the traditional festival originating from Donghuang was influencing everyone in the group.
Blue received a Qixi gift from Red—a Charizard figurine.
"It's very detailed…"
Murmuring to himself, Blue clicked his tongue and placed the figurine next to his championship trophy.
Sabrina received letters from fans, Brock celebrated with his siblings, Lorelei stayed home watching Kanto Love Stories...
Yellow had hoped to invite Red to a movie, but unfortunately, he had headed to Mt. Silver again, dashing her plans.
---
In Hoenn, a certain pair of foolish lovers were packing their bags, preparing to head to Donghuang.
"Ruby, does this hair accessory look good on me?" Sapphire stood nervously in front of a mirror, tying a red headband in her hair.
"It looks great."
"You didn't even turn your head!" Sapphire pinched Ruby's neck harshly.
"Cough! Because nothing can compare to how you look in my heart!"
"You're clearly saying I'm not pretty!"
"I was wrong, my dear ancestor. Just pretend I didn't say anything."
"No way. If you don't explain yourself today, don't even think about sleeping!"
---
Sevii Islands, Team Rocket's base.
Matori answered a secure line, her tone respectful.
"This is Matori. What are your orders?"
A man's hoarse yet powerful voice came through the receiver.
"What's the status of the comet data you gathered?"
"Based on the information retrieved from the Mossdeep Space Center, it's highly likely related to Giratina's revival ceremony," Matori reported. "However, Donghuang's security is tight, and the meteorite seems to be under the escort of a champion."
Giovanni tapped the sofa lightly, his raspy voice calm.
"Then it's not worth risking anything foolish. Recall all our personnel."
Matori hesitated slightly before replying, "To be honest, due to strict regulations, I had already ordered the recall in advance…"
"What is it?" Giovanni frowned.
"A small team refused to comply with the recall order for some reason," Matori said awkwardly.
Giovanni sighed.
He didn't need Matori to elaborate—he already knew who they were.
"Let them be," Giovanni said, rubbing his forehead in resignation.
"Prepare an escape route for them… those three fools…"
Matori froze, not understanding why Giovanni was so invested in these three individuals.
But upon further thought, whether it was during the confrontation with Team Plasma in Unova or the "Tempest Plan," those three had made significant contributions…
"I understand," Matori replied respectfully.
---
Wednesday, August 26th.
Clear skies.
With Eevee perched on his shoulder, Gastly hovering nearby, and Squirtle at his waist, Lu Ye embarked on a journey to Xiangchu.
The train was filled with astronomy enthusiasts, heading to Wulingyuan to observe the upcoming comet and meteor shower.
Apparently, there were numerous observation points, and with luck, one could find an uncrowded spot.
By the afternoon, Lu Ye had reached Wulingyuan's scenic nature reserve, marveling at its breathtaking natural wonders.
Distant rock pillars, sharp as if carved by swords, towered into the clouds.
Amid the faint white mist, Swablu and Natu flapped their wings, rare avian Pokémon gliding gracefully.
Verdant pine forests adorned the peaks, while reflections danced on emerald waters. Cable cars moved through the clouds as flocks of Pidgey soared...
"Eevee…" Perched on Lu Ye's shoulder, Eevee gazed in awe.
"Haunter, carry the bags," Lu Ye coughed. "We still need to buy tickets!"
"Haunter!" Haunter cheerfully nodded, carrying a bag two to three times its size.
The meeting point with Steven was near the observatory.
While admiring the distinctive peaks, Lu Ye heard distant voices.
"Sapphire, slow down!"
"Hurry up! We're almost there!"
Leading the way was a man in a suit with light blue hair, shaking his head in exasperation.
Spotting Lu Ye, the man's eyes lit up, and he greeted him with a smile. "Teacher Lu."
This was Lu Ye's first meeting with the famed "rock maniac," Steven. He curiously studied the legendary figure while stroking his chin.
Not bad. His looks are nearly on par with mine!
"The meteor shower isn't until evening. Did we come too early?" Lu Ye asked.
"Twilight is almost upon us," Steven replied, gazing at the distant forest with a smile.
"With some luck, we might see a meteor tonight."
Behind him, Ruby and Sapphire whispered.
"So that's Teacher Lu? He looks so young."
"Mind your manners, Ruby!"
Steven introduced them, "These two are Ruby and Sapphire, the Pokédex holders from the Hoenn region."
"And this is…"
Lu Ye interjected, "A gaming content creator, Teacher Lu."
Sapphire, with her red headband, stared at Lu Ye with shining eyes.
"Teacher Lu! I heard you tied in a battle with Lance. Is that true?"
Lu Ye coughed, nodding slowly.
"That's incredible!" Sapphire exclaimed, amazed.
She had expected Teacher Lu to be an elderly scholar with gray hair, but he looked barely older than herself and Ruby.
"Eeek!"
Ruby suddenly exclaimed, his eyes fixed on Eevee.
"Teacher Lu, is this your Pokémon? It's too cute!"
"Eevee?" The Pokémon cast Ruby a disdainful glance and turned away.
"Can I pet it?" Ruby pleaded, clasping his hands together and giving Lu Ye a pitiful look.
Steven chuckled. "Ruby's a coordinator and can't resist cute Pokémon."
Lu Ye glanced at Eevee.
"Sorry, this one doesn't like strangers touching it."
Ruby sighed in disappointment, though he couldn't help but admire Eevee's appearance and demeanor.
Whether its coat or physique, this Eevee was refined to perfection.
Could it be… is Teacher Lu really a coordinator?
"Haunter!" Haunter happily emerged from Lu Ye's shadow, startling Ruby.
"Wait a second!" Ruby exclaimed, looking surprised. "This Haunter… it's perfectly trained for cleverness!"
"What are you talking about, Ruby?" Sapphire asked, confused.
Ruby's talent, "Charm Seer," allowed him to discern a Pokémon's coordination and personality potential.
Both of Lu Ye's Pokémon had astonishing attributes in cleverness and cuteness, leaving Ruby amazed.
"Teacher Lu, are you a coordinator?" Ruby asked, excited to meet a kindred spirit.
Steven's pale blue eyes glimmered with curiosity, this being the first he'd heard of such a possibility. Could Teacher Lu be following the same path as Wallace?
"A coordinator?" Lu Ye shook his head.
"I just fed them some ordinary Pokéblocks."