"Lucas, Anistar City is just ahead."
Steven stood atop Metagross, pointing at the city ahead as he spoke to Lucas, who was sitting on Latias's back.
"Anistar City... I remember the Gym Leader of Anistar City is Olympia, right?"
Lucas recalled the information in his mind and then asked.
Steven nodded. "That's right. It's said she has the ability to foresee the future."
Foresee the future? Did you also absorb a Time Ripple?
Lucas suddenly thought of Koutai and muttered silently to himself.
However, it seemed that the Psychic-type Gym Leaders in the Pokémon world all had some special abilities; most of them possessed Psychic powers.
For example, Sabrina of Saffron City, Elite Caitlin of the Unova region, and Olympia of the Kalos region.
Lucas pulled out his phone and sent a message to Cynthia, saying he had arrived at Anistar City in Kalos.
The next second, Cynthia's video call came through.
Lucas answered the call. On the screen, Cynthia was standing on Garchomp's back, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
"You've reached Anistar City?"
Hearing Cynthia's voice mixed with the sound of the wind, Lucas gave a loud affirmative grunt.
"Didn't we agree that I would go with you?"
"What did you say?"
Cynthia had Garchomp stop, and Lucas also had Latias stop. Then he heard Cynthia say, "Didn't we agree to wait for me to take you there?"
Lucas scratched his head. "Because I happened to be free these past two days. After this, I'll be attending the Wallace Cup hosted by Wallace as a special guest, then there's the Lily of the Valley Conference, and later the Grand Festival that Dawn is participating in. So, I took advantage of these free days to come directly."
"Weren't you busy with something? The sighting of the giant Pokémon in the Mt. Coronet range—I didn't want to disturb you."
Lucas said with a smile, "Besides, Steven came along with me this time."
Cynthia nodded as she listened to Lucas's explanation. "Steven is there too?"
Steven gave a grunt of affirmation from the side.
"The Trainer of the Meowstic is Gym Leader Olympia of Anistar City. You can just go to the Gym to find her, but—"
Cynthia's voice trailed off.
"But what?"
Lucas asked.
"She will most likely check if you are qualified to adopt them through a battle."
"A battle?"
Cynthia nodded. "And it's a Double Battle. I originally thought about going there to help you fight, but I didn't expect you to have already gone."
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "It's fine. Although I've never fought a Double Battle, I don't think I'll lose."
"Oh?"
"I am the legendary Breeding House owner, after all. Just you wait."
"Then, I wish you success in battle."
Cynthia gave a light chuckle and said.
Hanging up the phone, Lucas looked at Steven. "It seems a battle is unavoidable."
After Lucas finished speaking, he let out a somewhat depressed sigh.
"Actually, I could step in and do it for you."
Metagross moved alongside Latias. Steven stood upon it, looking at Lucas and speaking with a smile.
"No need, I trust my partners."
Lucas exhaled. "Latias, full speed ahead!"
"Roger."
Steven watched the figure leaving a trail in the sky. "Metagross, let's speed up as well."
A second white trail was left behind in the same spot.
In front of the Gym entrance, Lucas jumped down from Latias's back. At Lucas's request, Latias turned invisible and followed by his side.
Just as Lucas was about to push the door open and walk in, he was called back by Ninetales, who had jumped out of its Poké Ball.
Lucas turned around. Ninetales's nine tails all swarmed over, continuously brushing against his body and hair until all the snowflakes on him were cleared away. Only then did it stop its movements and nod toward him.
Standing to the side, Steven glanced at the now impeccably clean Lucas, then at his own suit, which also had many snowflakes. He then turned to look at Metagross.
???
Metagross tilted its head and looked at Steven.
You want it too?
With that, it raised its large arm.
Steven dodged to the side and shook his head.
Afraid of the pain.
Seeing this, Lucas snorted in his heart.
What's the use of being handsome?
You're not as gentle as our Ninetales baby.
Lucas felt incredibly smug.
But that head tilt from Metagross just now—why was it inexplicably cute?
Pushing open the door and entering the Anistar Gym, led by the front desk, Lucas and Steven arrived at the battle field. At this moment, Olympia was engaged in a Double Battle with a Trainer challenging the Gym.
Lucas and Steven found a place to sit and wait for the Gym challenge to end.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Olympia walked over to the two of them and spoke to Lucas and Steven.
Lucas and Steven stood up and greeted Olympia.
The Olympia before him looked just as she did in Lucas's memories: her purple hair tied up high, star-shaped earrings, wearing a white cloak. When she spread the cloak, the inside could be seen to have the appearance of a starry sky, and she had two rings on her hands.
"I assume you are the Trainer who has come to adopt those two little cuties?"
Olympia looked at Lucas and asked.
"Yes, the Breeding House is looking forward to their arrival."
Lucas said with a smile.
"Breeding House? You run a Breeding House?"
Olympia looked at Lucas, her eyes constantly sizing him up.
Did Cynthia not tell her that I run a Breeding House?
"Yes, I run a Breeding House in Twinleaf Town in the Sinnoh region. I hope the Pokémon living in the Breeding House can be happy and joyful."
Lucas said this, but the Olympia in front of him didn't respond. Rather, she was standing there, looking a bit like how he usually looked when he was spacing out.
"Gym Leader Olympia?"
"Gym Leader Olympia?"
"My apologies."
Olympia snapped back to her senses and quickly apologized.
Lucas didn't know what was wrong with her and just assumed it was part of her personality. "I wonder if I could go see the Meowstic?"
Olympia nodded. "Of course."
Lucas followed behind Olympia to a room where two Meowstic were taking care of some small Pokémon.
One was blue, and one was white.
They were clearly siblings.
Lucas liked them at first sight.
So cute, so fluffy—"
I want them so much—"
Lucas's eyes sparkled.
"They are my Pokémon, and they were hatched from two other Meowstic. They were born at the same time and evolved at the same time. They don't have much talent for battle, but when it comes to caretaking, they seem to have an extraordinary gift."
Olympia introduced, "Since my Meowstic have laid a few more pokémon eggs, I want to find a trustworthy Trainer for them. After all, they are so good at taking care of children and Pokémon; keeping them at the Gym seems like a waste of their potential."
"What do you think?"
Lucas came back to his senses. "They're very cute. Our Breeding House also has a Gothitelle who is very good at taking care of others, a Lilligant, as well as a Mime Jr. and an Alcremie. I believe they will get along well."
Those are all Pokémon that are quite difficult to raise.
Olympia thought to herself.
As a Psychic-type Gym Leader, she knew that raising a Gothitelle well was a rare feat.
And for Lilligant, you could tell how well it was raised just by looking at the flower on its head.
And there's also a Mime Jr.—"
He seems to be a very gentle Trainer.
Olympia recalled the images she had just seen in her mind.
A Lilligant evolving under the moon, a Gothitelle evolving to protect—"
"Although I have already accepted you, you are still taking away the children of two Pokémon. Therefore, you still need to use your strength to earn their recognition."
Lucas smiled. "As it should be."
"Good. You can interact with them for a while first. I'll go to the field to prepare. When you're ready, come over."
Olympia turned to leave, but as if remembering something, she stopped, turned back to look at Lucas, and said, "It's a Double Battle."
"Understood, I'll go find Gym Leader Olympia once I'm ready."
After Olympia left, Lucas looked at Steven. Steven shook his head, indicating that he should just go in, and that he would wait for him outside.
Lucas nodded, then pushed the door open and walked in, accompanied by Latias, Ninetales, and Gengar, who had jumped out from the shadows.