"You heard something?" Ruby closed his eyes. "I didn't hear anything."
Steven stood up, his expression serious as he looked at Sapphire. "Are you sure you heard something, Sapphire?"
"I… I'm not entirely sure," Sapphire scratched her head, "It sounded like it came from the meteorite… but it disappeared right away."
Lu Ye stood up, brushing his wet hair back. He sighed and said,
"If it's true… then it must've been Jirachi's telepathy."
"Jirachi resonates with those with pure hearts and awakens when the comet descends… If nothing else, this meteorite might be the real deal."
Steven nodded slightly. "It seems Sapphire was the only one who heard Jirachi's call."
"Huh? Why Sapphire?" Ruby asked, surprised.
A vein popped on Sapphire's forehead as she clenched her fists. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ruby quickly waved his hands in panic. "I just mean… Jirachi has great taste!"
"In any case," Steven said thoughtfully, "Sapphire, hold onto this meteorite and keep an eye on it."
"Got it!" Sapphire nodded firmly.
"Oh, Teacher Lu, you can borrow Chic's flames to dry your clothes!"
"Really? Thanks."
Chic was Sapphire's affectionate nickname for her Blaziken.
It was undeniable—having a Fire-type Pokémon while camping was incredibly convenient.
After changing into dry clothes, Lu Ye muttered to himself, "Maybe I should catch a Fire-type Pokémon too…"
But then he hesitated, realizing the potential for house fires would multiply exponentially.
His expression shifted. "Not in this lifetime!"
---
Outside the tent, Sapphire sat on a large rock, swinging her legs and hugging the meteorite.
"Teacher Lu seems to know a lot about Jirachi," she said.
Ruby leaned against the rock, resting his head on his arms.
"As expected. Like my master, champions are always so knowledgeable."
"You know a lot about Celebi, don't you?" Sapphire said with a smile.
Ruby gazed at the darkening sky and smiled faintly. "I just hope it's happy."
"The song is back," Sapphire whispered. "It's coming from the meteorite."
"I don't hear anything," Ruby scratched his head awkwardly. "Could it be… I'm not pure anymore?"
"Get lost!" Sapphire shoved Ruby aside.
Ruby grinned. "I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here with you!"
Sapphire initially wanted to get angry, but her face turned red instead. Finally, she just let out a soft "Hmm."
---
As night deepened, Lu Ye cast his fishing line into the stream, glancing at the lovey-dovey pair with a sigh.
Why? I thought I was prepared, yet I still ended up eating dog food!
Steven cast his line as well, remarking in surprise, "Teacher Lu, you're quite skilled at fishing."
"I'm alright," Lu Ye replied calmly.
[Fishing Lv3 (34/100)]
SPLASH!
With the sound of water, his fishing proficiency increased noticeably.
A creamy Pokémon that resembled a water serpent broke through the surface, its pink locks cascading like a veil.
"Milotic?" Lu Ye was stunned.
"Oh, that's Ruby's Milotic," Steven explained. "It's just playing in the water."
Milotic glanced at Lu Ye and smiled sweetly.
"Hello there."
Lu Ye greeted it, tossing a Pokéblock onto the water.
Milotic leaped gracefully, catching the treat mid-air before splashing back into the stream.
Five minutes later...
"Huh? Milotic again?"
Another five minutes passed.
"You're here again?"
And five minutes later...
Lu Ye took a deep breath, pulling up his line. His expression shifted.
"I'm out of treats! Please stop biting the hook!"
Milotic tilted its head, its pink locks swaying as it gave a bashful smile.
---
"Phew!" Blaziken exhaled a flame, igniting a warm orange campfire.
The sky was heavy with thick clouds, and the stars were dim and faint.
"Will there really be a meteor shower?" Sapphire asked, holding the meteorite with a worried look.
"Let's wait a bit longer," Steven reassured her, sitting by the fire with his jacket draped over his arm. The flames illuminated his pale blue hair.
"Jirachi's awakening lasts for seven days. There's no rush."
Ruby, wearing glasses, silently knitted by the campfire.
"Is that for Sapphire?" Steven asked, sipping his tea.
"Yeah… I make all her clothes," Ruby replied. "She's terrible with needlework and can't learn no matter how hard she tries…"
Sapphire bared her sharp teeth, wanting to scare Ruby, but ultimately just sipped her tea grumpily.
On the fire, a steaming pot of curry simmered.
Lu Ye added a few drops of spicy Cheri Berry juice, nodding in satisfaction.
"Alright, time to eat."
"This looks amazing!" Sapphire's eyes lit up.
Ruby swallowed hard. "This… this is Charizard-level curry, isn't it?"
Suddenly, everyone turned to see Steven serving himself a second helping of curry.
Ruby twitched.
Mr. Steven, show some restraint!
"This is delicious!" Sapphire mumbled through a mouthful. "Ruby, you've got to try it!"
Ruby took a bite, tears streaming down his face.
"Finally, no more of Sapphire's cooking!"
Lu Ye chuckled and shook his head.
In the system interface, his cooking skill had leveled up, further enhancing its effects.
[Cooking Lv4: Significantly improves your culinary skills, including knife work, ingredient selection, and heat control. (What? You're a master chef?!)]
---
The campfire illuminated the little Pokémon's faces as Lu Ye got up to feed them.
Ruby had the same idea, but after taking a few steps, he froze.
"Feefee! Why are you over by Teacher Lu?!"
"Milooo~" Milotic shyly lowered its head, its pink locks swaying.
Not only Milotic but also Sapphire's Tropius and Blaziken, and even Steven's shiny Metagross had surrounded Lu Ye.
Standing under the moonlight, Lu Ye sternly commanded,
"One Pokéblock each. No cutting in line!"
Even the imposing silver Metagross lowered its head, obediently waiting in line.
"Haunter!" Haunter's mouth was stuffed with Pokéblocks as it floated smugly through the line, earning jealous glares.
Ruby was stunned.
Even… even Mr. Steven's Metagross fell for it?!
Ruby's pupils contracted as he noticed something.
The supposedly basic Oran Pokéblocks in Lu Ye's hands sparkled like gems.
This quality… was far beyond Ruby's abilities.
Even Master Wallace might not be able to make Pokéblocks this perfect…
"Teacher Lu…" Ruby swallowed nervously. "You call this… ordinary Pokéblocks?"
"Huh? You mean these?" Lu Ye looked puzzled as he handed an Oran Pokéblock to Eevee on his shoulder.
"Eevee!" The little Pokémon turned its head away disdainfully.
"They're just basic ones," Lu Ye scratched his head. "Isn't this as simple as having hands?"
What?!
Ruby felt as though a stampede of Tauros had trampled through his mind. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Well, it seems there won't be a meteor shower tonight."
Sapphire hugged her knees, placing the meteorite aside with a long sigh.
Ruby sat down beside her, his expression complicated.
"Teacher Lu really seems like a coordination champion."
"Isn't he a breeder? His cooking is so good…"
"And yet… he tied with Lance?"
The couple fell silent for three seconds before speaking in unison.
"That's amazing…"
---
Meanwhile, Steven gazed at the thick clouds and sighed.
"What bad luck," he said. "Even if Jirachi awakens, it won't resonate with the stars in this weather…"
Lu Ye wasn't worried about the meteor shower.
Dense fog rose between the peaks, the temperature dropped, and the sky was shrouded in dark clouds.
"I guess Cynthia won't make it today," Lu Ye sighed internally.
"By the way, did you send your location to Cynthia?" Steven asked.
"I did, but the signal here is poor. It might not be accurate."
"No problem." Steven smiled. "I sent her the exact coordinates."
"Huh?" Lu Ye blinked.
Is the Pokémon world's phone tech this advanced? It can pinpoint coordinates?
Should I consider getting a Rotom Phone myself?
"Mr. Steven, do you know how much a Rotom costs?" Lu Ye asked.
"About 3,000,000 Pokedollars," Steven replied. "They can now be mass-produced, but their output is still quite limited."
Lu Ye was dumbfounded.
No wonder Professor Kukui in the TV series could casually give away a Rotom Pokédex…
Ash really is the League's golden boy.
Still, that price… if I work hard, maybe I can afford one someday?
Suddenly, Lu Ye's phone vibrated.
[Cabbage Ice Cream: I'm almost there.]
Lu Ye: ???
You're almost here?!
He quickly looked toward the horizon beyond the peaks.
The sky was heavy with clouds, devoid of light. At the farthest visible point—
A Garchomp tore through the thick cloud cover, moonlight pouring through the rift.
Standing atop the Garchomp was a blonde woman, striding as though walking on moonlight.