"Read books."
"And then?"
"Study."
"You don't do anything else?"
"No."
Listening to Platinum's concise, almost mechanical answers, Logan found himself at a complete loss for words.
"You don't go to school?"
"When I was younger, my family hired private tutors. After completing my foundational education, I've mostly studied on my own. Occasionally, the family butler teaches me new things as well."
Platinum was dressed in a long gown trimmed with layers of lace, revealing a slender, lotus-root–like calf. Crystal high heels adorned her delicate feet, and her smooth, dark-blue hair was fastened at both temples with elegant hair clips. Her hands rested lightly over her abdomen, her posture refined and composed—far too mature for someone her age.
Logan glanced sideways at Yellow beside him.
The little girl was brimming with excitement, eyes sparkling as she looked around, letting out delighted exclamations from time to time and chattering nonstop to Logan. This was how a child her age was supposed to behave.
Compared to that, Platinum seemed as if she'd grown up without ever having a childhood.
"Well, elite education for rich families is understandable," Logan said casually. "So what do you usually study, Miss Heiress~?"
Though he addressed her as Miss Heiress, there was no respect in his tone—only playful teasing. Surprisingly, Platinum didn't dislike the title at all. In fact, it seemed she was far more comfortable with it than being called by her name.
"Mostly Pokémon-related knowledge. Occasionally, I also study corporate management. As the sole heir of the Berlitz family, I'll eventually need to manage the family enterprise—on top of becoming a researcher."
After a brief pause, she added calmly,
"…Don't underestimate me because of my age. I read several books every day. Even students at Rainbow University might not know more than I do."
Her words were composed and steady, but the slight upward curve at the corner of her lips betrayed her quiet pride.
"Wow, Platinum is amazing!" Yellow exclaimed sincerely, not a trace of jealousy in her voice.
"Yeah, yeah, she's amazing," Logan replied perfunctorily. "Unlike Yellow, who can only fish and draw pictures. It's already impressive enough if she can recognize all the letters."
"Big brother, you're mean~~!"
Yellow protested playfully, pounding his chest with tiny fists, laughing happily without the slightest bit of anger.
"Heehee~"
A soft laugh rang out.
Logan turned sharply.
"…You laughed, didn't you, Platinum?"
"I did not. You saw wrong."
Platinum instantly put on a straight face, demonstrating an elite-level mastery of emotional control. Even Logan couldn't tell whether she'd truly laughed—but he'd definitely heard it.
What a tsundere kid, he thought.
"There's a saying," Logan said, "that among all professions, every path can produce a master. Even if someone only draws or fishes, as long as they push it to the extreme, they can still succeed. Besides, Yellow has exceptional talent—talent to become a Trainer."
"That's not as good as you make it sound~"
Yellow's face flushed bright red. She lowered her head shyly, fiddling with her fingers.
Platinum watched from the side, envy flashing briefly in her eyes. She wished she could laugh so freely too—but the dignity drilled into her as a Berlitz heiress made that impossible.
"That phrase… which book is it from?" she asked blankly. "And what exactly is a 'master'?"
Logan blinked. He hadn't expected her to take it so literally. So she really was a bit airheaded—extremely knowledgeable, yet oddly lacking in everyday flexibility.
"Just think of it as meaning 'great expert,'" he said.
"Oh."
Platinum nodded, though she still felt vaguely unsettled, secretly blaming herself for not having read enough books.
"Big brother, where are we going now?" Yellow asked, her energy already restored.
Logan didn't answer. He simply pointed ahead.
Yellow and Platinum followed his finger and saw three figures approaching a beautifully dressed young woman—accompanied by a Sylveon.
"Ah! It's the same kind of Eevee as big brother's!" Yellow cried out.
She'd seen Eevee evolve into Sylveon back at Mt. Moon during the battle involving Bruno and Lorelei.
Perched on Logan's shoulder, Eevee narrowed its eyes happily and chirped, "Eevui~!"
"That's Sylveon—Eevee's Fairy-type evolution," Platinum explained fluently. "It's extremely rare. The Fairy type was only discovered about three years ago by Professor Oak and other researchers. Sylveon's evolution became possible precisely because of that discovery."
"…Evolution is also one of Professor Rowan's main research directions, as well as my father's. It's likely I'll pursue that field in the future."
Once the topic turned academic, Platinum spoke smoothly and confidently. As she talked, she kept glancing at the Eevee on Logan's shoulder.
After meeting Logan for the first time, she'd secretly looked into his past—watched recordings of the Indigo League. She knew that his Eevee possessed a near-mythical ability: unlimited evolution and reversion.
If not for Logan's status as Kanto Champion, countless researchers would've already swarmed him, begging to study that Eevee. To evolution specialists, it was nothing short of a living miracle.
Of course, no one knew the truth—that this Eevee was the sole survivor of countless inhumane experiments.
Logan had kept a single archived copy of Team Rocket's Eevee Modification Project before destroying all remaining data. Neither he nor Professor Oak intended to reveal those atrocities.
If such data ever became public, there would undoubtedly be deranged researchers attempting to recreate the experiments—turning Eevee as a species into a catastrophe.
Instead, they publicly explained it as a genetic mutation. With Professor Oak backing the claim, the world accepted it without question. After all, mutant Pokémon weren't unheard of.
Perhaps sensing something behind her, or hearing Eevee's call, the girl walking with Sylveon stopped and turned around.
When she saw the three of them, she froze—then gasped. Her kimono-like, butterfly-winged outfit fluttered softly as she raised her sleeve to cover her lips.
"…Oh! It's the Kanto Champion!"
Only then did she lower her sleeve. She looked from Logan to Eevee on his shoulder, smiling brightly. When she noticed the two little girls beside him, her eyes lit up as if she'd discovered a new world.
Such a handsome, beautiful, and adorable combination!
Just standing there was enchanting.
The thoughts of girls were always hard to predict.
"I was curious when I saw your Sylveon," Logan said calmly. "So I came over to take a closer look."
Being caught following someone wasn't exactly admirable. Logan offered an excuse—though it wasn't entirely false.
"I see!"
The girl nodded in realization. She bowed formally, graceful and composed.
"Nice to meet you, Kanto Champion. My name is Valerie. I'm a Trainer. Please take care of me."
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