August 25th, Tuesday
Undella Town, Unova Region
Waves gently lapped at the golden beach, where a row of luxurious seaside villas lined the shore.
On the balcony of one villa, a tall, blonde woman in a light blue swimsuit gazed out at the beach. Though the swimsuit wasn't overly revealing, it still highlighted her graceful figure.
"Want some juice?"
A cool, slightly immature voice came from behind her.
The speaker was a girl of about sixteen, with cascading golden curls that reached her calves and an oversized white hat perched jauntily on her head.
"Of course, thank you, Caitlin," Cynthia replied without turning around, a smile on her lips as she continued to admire the view.
"What kind of juice?"
Cynthia turned to face her, her expression briefly pensive.
The girl smirked mischievously, clearly enjoying her little prank.
"I'm kidding. I'll choose for you," Caitlin said, satisfied.
Cynthia exhaled in relief.
Caitlin poured juice into a cocktail glass, using her telekinesis to float it toward Cynthia.
"So, what brings you to Unova for a vacation?" Caitlin asked casually.
"I just finished some League duties and have a week off," Cynthia said, sipping the cool juice. "Ripple Town seemed like the perfect place to escape the heat."
"All you're doing is changing where you read books and play games," Caitlin teased with a pout.
"And occasionally," Cynthia added with a smile, raising a finger, "I challenge strong Trainers!"
Caitlin's smile widened. "If that's what you're looking for, Battle Castle is always ready…"
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Cynthia's phone ringing.
"Excuse me," Cynthia said, picking up her phone from the table. Curious, she glanced at the caller ID. "Lu Ye?"
"Yes, I'm on vacation right now… Qixi? What kind of festival is that?"
Caitlin stood nearby, twisting her curls around her fingers with mild annoyance.
"Travel to Donghuang? Hmm… I suppose I could, but I might be a bit late," Cynthia replied thoughtfully, a smile forming. "I was just considering how to spend the holiday myself."
"Alright… no problem."
After hanging up, Caitlin asked softly, "Who was that?"
"A friend from the Donghuang Region," Cynthia replied with a faint smile.
"Are you planning to travel to Donghuang?" Caitlin asked hesitantly. "We could go together."
Caitlin opened her mouth to continue but eventually dropped her head dejectedly.
"No… I slipped away for this trip. I still have Elite Four duties to handle."
Cynthia gently patted Caitlin's head like a small pet.
"Mm…" Caitlin made a dissatisfied sound but didn't pull away.
"I'm not leaving just yet," Cynthia reassured her with a smile. "I'll visit your Battle Castle first."
Caitlin's eyes lit up, and her golden curls floated joyfully.
"Let's go now!"
---
Lu Ye hung up the phone, feeling proud of himself.
"Turns out, inviting Cynthia wasn't so hard after all!"
Tomorrow was Qixi, and according to the astronomical forecast, a comet shower would be visible near Xiangchu.
Lu Ye hadn't traveled all summer, so this was the perfect opportunity to take his Pokémon on an adventure.
"I wonder how late she'll be," Lu Ye muttered as he packed. "As long as she doesn't ghost me…"
"Haunter!"
Haunter gleefully prepared the luggage, bouncing around with excitement. It was the Pokémon's first time going on a trip, and they couldn't contain their energy.
"Don't pack dumbbells!" Lu Ye cried. "And Eevee, do you really need to bring the treadmill?"
"Vee?" (Why not?)
Eevee scratched its head innocently.
Seeing its sparkling eyes, Lu Ye sighed.
"Fine, just the treadmill. But that's it! Haunter, you'll help me carry it."
"Haunter!" Haunter proudly puffed out its chest.
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
Squirtle shouted determinedly, huffing as it dragged the fish tank out of the room.
Unimpressed, Lu Ye said, "The fish tank stays."
"Squirtle! ∑(っ°Д°;)っ"
Squirtle froze, then suddenly understood.
Squirtle's inner monologue, 'Master wants me to train outside, where the environment will challenge me. Only in unfamiliar settings can I grow stronger!'
"Squirtle…" (So that's it…)
It nodded slowly, stroking its chin thoughtfully.
---
As Lu Ye finished packing, his phone vibrated.
"At this hour? Who's calling?"
"Teacher Lu, want to climb Xiangchu Mountain tomorrow?"
Steven Stone's warm, gentle voice came through. "I have two juniors planning to visit Donghuang as well."
"Sure, no problem. Are you coming too?"
"Yes, but I won't stay long. I need to complete an observatory task."
Lu Ye blinked.
Lu Ye's inner monologue, 'Every time I plan to meet Cynthia, Steven shows up…'
Still, Lu Ye owed Steven for the installment plan. Clearing his throat, he replied, "No problem. Cynthia might come too."
"Really?" Steven sounded surprised.
Steven's inner monologue. 'Seems Cynthia and Teacher Lu are closer than I thought…'
"What are your juniors' names?" Lu Ye asked.
"Ruby and Sapphire."
The foolish couple!
He hadn't even met Gold yet, and now he had to deal with this pair!
Suddenly, Lu Ye clutched his chest, his breath hitching.
Lu Ye's inner monologue, 'It's Qixi, and I'm stuck watching them flaunt their relationship?! No way! I'll flaunt with Cynthia too!'
"See you tomorrow then," Steven said with a smile. "By the way, do you know if Gold Miner is getting a sequel? I'm almost finished with the current version."
Lu Ye twitched. 'It's only been a few days since release, and you're almost done? Steven, you grind too hard!'
---
After ending the call, Lu Ye planned the trip.
The journey would last three to seven days, with tents available for rent near the observation site.
Camping with Pokémon… just the thought excited him.
Opening his livestream, Lu Ye posted a notice:
[Out for an Outdoor Adventure. See you in three days with new tactics. -Love, Teacher Lu.]
The chat erupted:
"Teacher Lu, drop dead!"
"Three days away for new strategies? Worth it!"
"Who believes he's just going on an adventure? He's obviously off to thwart some evil organization!"
"Or maybe Teacher Lu IS part of an evil organization, hahaha!"
---
In Lu Ye's group chat, news of his trip sparked envy.
[Gold: Ugh, the daycare is so busy. I wish I could go on a trip too.]
[Yellow: A meteor shower… I want to see it too! (sobs)]
[Erika: I'd love to go, but Teacher Lu didn't invite me. (sigh)]
Lu Ye froze, 'Right! Erika is touring Donghuang right now!'
Steven sent a polite voice message: "Probably because I invited Teacher Lu first. I apologize for the trouble of dealing with my juniors."
Watching silently, Lorelei removed her glasses, wiped the lenses, and sighed.
"How nice… traveling with such a good man…"
Green seized the moment to promote her shop:
[Green: Special Qixi discounts on gifts! Buy now for 20% off!]
Lu Ye asked curiously, "How many sales?"
Green laughed sheepishly.
[Green: So far, only Red bought something.]
[Gold: I'll buy one too], Gold chimed in suddenly.
The chat exploded with gossip.
Group's inner monologue, 'Gold, you sly dog! Even you have a girlfriend?!'