The matte-finished Dusk Ball rested quietly in its holder's groove.
Its orange-red middle band contrasted with the dark green camouflage pattern, giving it a sleek, tactical aesthetic.
Natsume examined it with a satisfied nod.
"Not bad luck this time... At least it's not a regular Poké Ball."
Dusk Ball —boosts catch rates for Pokémon encountered at night or in caves and tunnels.
The "Dusk Ball" seen in movies—the one that could send Pokémon into frenzied rage—was likely an illegal Team Rocket modification.
Not that it mattered. Using that in official League matches would get you disqualified instantly.
Natsume tossed the [Dusk Ball] in his palm, pressed the central button to shrink it, and clipped it to his belt.
"Save it for the next Pokémon."
He muttered, "Worst case, I can sell it for tens of thousands."
Standard Poké Balls were cheap, but rare specialty balls?
Far from the "1,000 poke-dollars" price tag in game shops.
Great Balls (blue) were luxury items even Gym Leaders rationed. Ultra Balls (black and yellow)? Elite Four-tier exclusives.
Natsume cared about ball types.
As an egg-hatching enthusiast, he'd gone through great lengths to ensure offspring inherited their parents' Poké Balls...
"Sirfetch'd! (ω＼)"
Meanwhile, under Natsume's gentle persuasion, Sirfetch'd had reluctantly taken up egg-sitting duties.
Natsume: "Why the heck are you blushing?!"
Sirfetch'd set its sword and shield aside, circling the egg with intense scrutiny.
Finally, it found the perfect position—settling onto the egg, wings tucked in snugly.
"Sirfetch'd~! (/▽＼)" (Comfy!)
Natsume coughed into his fist. "Take the Rainbow Wing too. It should have a Flame Body effect."
Pokémon with Flame Body drastically sped up egg-hatching.
Natsume figured Ho-Oh's sacred feather—infused with Sacred Fire—should work similarly.
Rainbow Wing: ???
Are you trying to make me go dark and sic Marshadow on you?!
Noticing the feather dimming, Natsume refreshed it with Aura of Ripple, restoring its glow.
Fine. Egg duty beats being an air purifier!
Night deepened. Close to midnight.
With the egg entrusted to Sirfetch'd, Natsume prepped for tomorrow and headed to bed.
Lake Valor's schedule: morning fishing tournament, afternoon water speed races. Judging duties in the evening.
Tonight, the team behaved—no secret meetings or brawls.
Just Gengar snoozing on the ceiling, Blastoise in its tank, Arcanine sprawled on the rug, and Sylveon hogging the bed.
Only Sirfetch'd stood guard, staring solemnly at the egg.
"The day you hatch, Lake Valor itself will call your name."
"One day, I'll retire... and you, my heir, shall take the throne!"
"Sirfetch'd! (′-`)σ"
The mere thought of delegating battles made Sirfetch'd snicker.
No more work! Just naps and snacks!
Best. Plan. Ever.
The egg warmed faintly as night deepened. Natsume, using Sylveon's ribbon as a pillow, drifted into dreams...
...
March 27, Saturday.
Gengar whooshed the curtains open.
Standing by the window overlooking the lake, Gengar planted its stubby hands on its hips, bared its teeth, and nodded approvingly.
Another sunny day~ Gengar!
Natsume let out a yawn and opened his eyes, only to find the little one had sneaked onto the bed again.
"Sylveon! (`~′)" Sylveon glared at Natsume with its big, doll-like blue eyes, clearly annoyed.
"Sorry, I must've rolled onto your… uh, ribbon." Natsume offered an apologetic smile.
A knock came at the door.
Rotom Pokédex took the steaming breakfast from Indeedee's hands and carried it to the table with its mechanical arms.
Chewing on toast, Natsume glanced at the retreating Indeedee.
Good guy, [Indeedee] + [room service], Space Team's fierce enforcer!
The boss really has that Team Rocket background—part-time waiter, part-time security guard. Strategic genius!
In the chat group, Ash had invited Fantina to join, and she was now exchanging pleasantries with Sabrina.
"Miss Sabrina, I'm so looking forward to your new movie~" Fantina covered her mouth with a graceful laugh.
Sabrina replied flatly, "Not planning to film anything anytime soon."
"Huh? But your Unova movie was a huge hit, wasn't it?"
Sabrina couldn't be bothered to explain but, out of courtesy to the group, said, "Just don't feel like it."
Truth was, Sabrina only accepted roles after consulting Fate's Spoon.
Lately, the divinations warned against travel—something big was coming…
If the spoon said no, Sabrina listened.
"What a shame!" Roxie pouted, her fangs showing. "I wanted to compose a theme song for Sister Sabrina's movie!"
Lt. Surge smugly thumbed his chest and grinned. "Kid, you're too green. She'd obviously hire a real musical genius for that!"
"Oh!" Roxie's eyes sparkled with realization. "As expected of Senior Lt. Surge!"
"Heh~" Lt. Surge crossed his arms, basking in the praise.
Gold shouted, "Stop scamming the newbie, you shameless old man!"
"Hey, hedgehog boy, watch your mouth!" The Lt. Surgenarrowed his eyes.
The next second, Gold posted a comparison of Lt. Surge's and Roxie's follower counts.
Lt. Surge was instantly K.O.'d, slinking away in silence.
Roxie declared, "It's just that Lt. Surge's talent hasn't been recognized yet!"
Natsume chimed in, "Give it a hundred years. They'll probably crown him the 'Electro Music Prodigy' posthumously!"
Lt. Surge scratched his head sheepishly, suddenly feeling like Natsume-sensei was a real one.
Ash called out, "Natsume-sensei, we're already at the lakeside getting ready to fish! Hurry up!"
"Be right there."
...
Lake Valor's surface mirrored the blue sky and white clouds as flocks of Starly soared overhead.
The shore was packed with tourists. Fishermen perched on Water-type Pokémon adjusted their rods, chatting and laughing.
The moment Natsume appeared, he drew countless stares.
But no one bothered him—just polite requests for autographs and photos.
Natsume obliged each one before finally regrouping with Ash and the others.
"Where's Green? Vendor area?" Natsume glanced around.
"Sister Green's sulking," Ash whispered. "Apparently, a competitor released a rival product with better cost-performance!"
Nice one, Team Rocket! Natsume frowned sympathetically. "That's too bad…"
Jasmine had gone to watch the contest performances at the main stage.
Yellow, wearing a straw hat and gripping her fishing rod, blushed and muttered,
"I'm definitely winning the fishing tournament this time!"
"I won't lose either!"
Ash tossed a Poké Ball, and Buizel struck the same pose as him, arms crossed.
"My Buizel's a pro at catching fish!"
Natsume blinked.
Using Pokémon to catch fish… Does that even count as fishing?
Might as well have Rotom electrocute the whole pond!
…Wait, no. That's illegal.
Natsume brandished the "Super Rod" he'd somehow acquired from the System and declared:
"Let's go sign up!"
Today, as a true fisherman, I refuse to go home empty-handed!
...
On the pristine lake, anglers lounged on Starmie and Lapras, lazily casting their lines.
A blue-haired fisherman from Alola gazed in awe at a distant figure and muttered to his friend:
"Natsume-sensei's keep net is overflowing, isn't it?"
"Yeah… Ten consecutive catches without a single miss!" his friend murmured. "It's like Lugia itself is guiding his rod!"
"Or maybe Kyogre."
The blue-haired man chuckled. "You'll laugh, but my little girl dreams of hooking a Kyogre one day."
"Hah! There you go again, bragging about your daughter!"
The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers:
"Natsume-sensei strikes again!! Eleven casts, eleven catches! Let's see what he's reeled in this time—"
"Uh… another Magikarp. Ahem! Let's check on the other contestants!"
Yellow's rod bent sharply, her face lighting up.
At the end of her line, a rare Gorebyss blinked happily.
"Incredible! Contestant Yellow·Dai·Yellow from Kanto is surging ahead in points!"
The announcer grumbled internally: What kind of name is that?!
Onshore, Wallace had slipped away during intermission to observe.
Dressed in an artistically flowing white cape and matching hat, he pocketed one hand and studied the big screen.
It displayed Yellow, gently cradling the Gorebyss as if communicating with it.
That child… She can understand Pokémon. Soothe their hearts.
Wallace instantly recognized her gift, smiling before shaking his head ruefully.
If only she'd been there during Hoenn's crisis… The damage from the clash of legends might've been mitigated.
"Mr. Wallace, the second half begins soon," an assistant reminded him.
"Right. On my way."
Wallace turned, his cape fluttering.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed a suited, light-blue-haired youth handed him a Champion's cape before vanishing into the sunlight.
...
By noon, the fishing tournament concluded.
Natsume took second place with a staggering "18 Magikarp," earning a Water Stone.
Yellow won the championship, shyly clutching her trophy and tugging her hat over her face for the cameras.
Natsume stared at his Water Stone, conflicted.
Should've known… Magikarp thrive everywhere. Even Lake Valor's infested with these indestructible things!
Eighteen in a row… That's gotta be some kind of record.
"Whatever. Blastoise can use it as a decoration for his fish tank."
He glanced at Yellow, now hiding under her hat, and frowned.
How the hell did Red ever mistake her for a guy?
The epitome of "drawn as a girl, written as a boy."
"This is bull!" Ash, disqualified for having Buizel slack off underwater, kicked the dirt. "The rules never said I couldn't!"
"Who taught you that move?" Natsume asked.
"Senior Gold! He said if all else fails, just dive in yourself and stuff the fish into the net—"
Natsume paused.
Weed or minnows—a true fisherman never admits defeat!
...
Lunch was at a lakeside seven-star hotel.
Jasmine, back from the contests, happily dug into her meal using a "one-week free dining" coupon.
Natsume ordered extra for Ash and Yellow. Yellow fidgeted.
"Is… is this really okay?"
"You're the fishing champion. The publicity's worth more than the meal."
Natsume focused on his seafood dish. "I'll explain it to the manager later."
Yellow clasped her hands. "Thank you for the food!"
Ash and Pikachu were already scarfing down their meals messily. Between bites, Ash mumbled:
"Natsume-sensei, you joining the water speed race later?"
"What's the prize?"
"Another Water Stone!"
Natsume's eyebrow twitched.
Now Blastoise's tank can have two decorations!
The lake shimmered under the midday sun.
After lunch, Natsume swung by the vendor area. The Meowth-branded stall was packed.
"Here's your Sylveon plushie!"
"We've got Milotic too! Oh, Sylveon's sold out already…"
"Thanks for your patronage, meow!"
Natsume didn't interrupt.
At Green's stall, he bought an iced cola and cracked it open.
"Ahhh—nothing beats a cold soda in this heat!"
Green, fanning herself with a cap in her black dress, shot a glare at the rival stall.
"I'm closing early today!"
"Don't sweat it. Customers'll come."
Natsume offered comfort before inquiring, "By the way, I wanted to ask about Blastoise's water jet technique..."
"What water jet?" Green blinked.
"You know, the trick where you use Blastoise's Hydro Pump to fly," Natsume said earnestly. "As thanks, I'll take care of all your merchandise here—"
He thumped his chest. "Natsume's treat!"
Green paused slightly, narrowed her eyes, and curled her lips: "Really now?"
Why did this suddenly feel like dealing with a shady merchant?
Natsume cleared his throat. "Absolutely!"
"It's super simple!" Green laughed. "Just train your Blastoise to control the water jet's thrust. Once mastered, you can hover briefly!"
"You can even adjust the flight arc—perfect for quick escapes!"
Natsume looked up at the sky.
Given his Blastoise's cannon power...hovering might be tricky.
Hell...wouldn't he just rocket into the stratosphere!?
"W-well, worth a try," Natsume said hoarsely. "Do you have an instruction manual? I'll have Gengar study it later."
"Huh?" Green looked puzzled. "I could write one up, but...why Gengar?"
Natsume opened his mouth, then hesitated.
...
Time flew by, and soon it was afternoon—the water speed race's opening ceremony.
Organized by the "Wetland Preservation Association," the races aimed to promote environmental awareness and sharpen trainers' vigilance.
Though the connection to racing was unclear...Pastoria City's Gym Leader, the muscle-bound "Masked Maverick" Wake, had arrived at Lake Valor too.
"Ahem, everyone!"
Wake, shirtless and wearing his philosophically intense mask, addressed the crowd:
"In this water speed race, contestants may command their Pokémon to interfere with others and engage in aquatic battles!"
"This old man will also enter with his Pokémon!" Wake pointed at himself, laughing heartily. "If I win the championship, I'll donate the entire prize pool!"
The crowd erupted in murmurs, some questioning the fairness.
Yellow quietly explained, "Mr. Wake is devoted to his hometown's development...he donates nearly all his battle and boxing prizes."
Natsume nodded slowly.
Wake was the image of a generous, free-spirited hero.
Sure, his outfit was...philosophical. But his dedication was admirable.
Amid the chatter, Wake threw his arms wide and roared:
"Alright, let's enjoy the competition!"
Ash's eyes burned with excitement, instantly inspired by Wake:
"Natsume-sensei, I'm joining too!"
Natsume pondered briefly. Considering the lucrative prize, he understood Wake's scheme.
Lure contestants with a huge reward, then win it back yourself.
A bit underhanded, but technically legal.
After all...some Champions loved stomping rookie tournaments.
"An aquatic battle...with interference?"
Natsume's eyes gleamed as he glanced at the Dive Ball in his palm, smiling.
"Perfect chance to test Green's technique..."
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