"That's great! Thank you, Leader Grey!"
After getting Grey's answer, Lacey broke into a bright smile.
She really hadn't expected that while coming home for summer vacation, she'd run into a streamer she liked so much.
"Then I'll get going first so I don't interrupt you. See you later!"
Lacey waved goodbye to Grey and dragged her suitcase toward home.
On the way, she didn't forget to call her father—Clay—and share how happy she was about the chance encounter.
"Leader Grey... if I remember right, he's the Gym Leader of that Fighting dojo in Kanto, isn't he? Young and promising. The Unova League has been trying to figure out how to recruit him lately."
Hearing what Lacey said, Clay thought of the message Alder had sent in the group chat recently.
There was a hint of exhaustion in his voice.
Recruit him how?
And even if they really did manage it, the second Kanto found out, they might bring the Elite Four over for negotiations.
"Yeah! You should've seen Leader Grey when he was streaming, Dad. I was on the plane earlier, and I saw him use Meloetta to battle a Snivy. It was so elegant!"
The moment the conversation turned to Grey's stream, Lacey became positively eloquent, eager to tell Clay everything about Grey's heroic presence online.
"And Leader Grey's tactics are so flexible. It feels like no matter what kind of Pokémon he's using, he can always find a strategy that fits!"
"Oh, oh, so he can command Meloetta... wait, what?!"
Clay was still down in Twist Mountain mining. His first reaction was that the signal was probably bad and he'd misheard something.
"I said he commanded Meloetta. You know, our Unova Mythical Pokémon. Meloetta. The one that sings."
Lacey was more of a book-smart student, and worried her dad might not know what kind of Pokémon Meloetta was, so she kindly added an extra plain-language explanation.
Clay: "..."
Clay very much wanted to say, Daughter, sometimes you really don't have to explain things that clearly.
He was a veteran Gym Leader in Unova. He wasn't some uncultured brute.
And a Pokémon like Meloetta was famous enough that even three-year-olds had heard of it.
But that wasn't the issue.
The issue was how Grey had gotten mixed up with Meloetta in the first place.
So what she was telling him was that on his very first day in Unova, a Gym Leader from Kanto had somehow gotten close to a local Mythical Pokémon that people here almost never even saw?
And could even command it in battle?
What, so outsiders were just more appealing than locals now?
It wasn't exactly jealousy.
It was just a little hard to process.
"Dad, what's wrong? Is the signal in the mine bad?"
When Clay didn't answer for a while, Lacey asked again.
"Haha, yeah. The signal isn't very good down here. Once Dad finishes up, I'll come spend time with you."
Clay hung up the phone, no longer looking anything like the imposing man people saw in public.
At that moment, he was just a kind father.
He had always doted on his daughter.
Setting down the mining pick in his hand, he turned on the Group Chat for the Unova League beneath the beam of his headlamp.
[Driftveil Gym Clay: Everyone, latest news. Looks like Grey may have caught Meloetta?]
[Bug Artist Burgh: Wasn't that yesterday's news? Clay, don't tell me you've been so obsessed with mining that you only just found out.]
[Model bookings DM me: The latest latest news is that Grey caught Keldeo. This morning, no less.]
[Fallen Noble: There's another rumor going around too. Leader Grey seems to be on pretty good terms with the hidden king of Team Plasma. N.]
[Fallen Noble: N is the Trainer acknowledged by Zekrom. As the hero of ideals, he probably has Zekrom with him.]
[Best-selling Light Novel Author: Wait, then if N attacked the Unova League, even if all of us went together, wouldn't Zekrom just wipe us out?]
[Opelucid Drayden: ...]
[Don't bother the old man if you're out: ...]
[...]
As soon as Shauntal sent that, the whole group chat fell silent.
Crude, but not wrong.
If N really decided to attack the Unova League, they would just be lining up to get themselves knocked out.
So Grey was really mixed up with N now?
No, wait...
More accurately, N had gone looking for Grey?
The Unova League higher-ups who knew Grey fairly well all felt it was far more likely that N had approached Grey first.
Still, the fact that Grey and N were together caught them off guard.
Could it be that Grey simply didn't know who N really was?
That was actually pretty possible.
After all, only the upper ranks of the Unova League knew much about N's real identity.
With Zekrom in his hands, he was already the kind of threat that could shake most regions.
There weren't many regions with the strength to face N directly, and even fewer with the nerve to do it.
Aside from Galar's Champion Leon, maybe only Kanto, overflowing with talented Trainers, would have that kind of boldness.
The chat soon became lively again, with Gym Leaders from all over voicing their opinions.
Among them, Grimsley's message pushed everyone's interest in Grey's journey up another level.
[Fallen Noble: Come to think of it, Miss Caitlin seems to be traveling with Grey too.]
Caitlin had signed a contract with Unova and was supposed to serve as one of the Elite Four.
So she counted as half a Unovan already.
And now Caitlin was with Grey and N.
An out-of-region League Gym Leader, a local Elite Four member, and the future leader of the region's villainous organization.
No matter how you looked at it, those three did not seem like the sort who should be traveling together.
Since it was Grimsley who posted that message, people believed it even more. His reputation for intelligence work was trusted by the entire League.
[Alder is away, don't call: Hahaha, the League really should be left to the younger generation after all!]
[Marshal: ...Master, please come back to the League already.]
Once Marshal posted that, it was like a drop of water falling into the sea.
Barely a ripple.
Alder offered no follow-up.
And before long, the Unova League simply let the matter go.
...
...
Nimbasa City, Nimbasa Amusement Park.
After that brief interruption with Lacey, it was finally Grey's turn to board the Ferris wheel.
"Are the three of you riding together?"
Seeing Grey, Caitlin, and N walking side by side, the staff member assumed all three of them were getting on together.
"Grey, Miss Caitlin, you two go ahead first. I'll wait for the next car."
N stepped aside on his own.
Because in this situation, he really was the third wheel.
Besides, with his special ability, he could clearly feel other people's emotions.
And from what he sensed, Caitlin had been especially looking forward to this Ferris wheel ride.
So he gave up his spot.
Come to think of it, it seemed like almost every special ability came with some degree of emotional perception.
Aura, psychic power, Viridian Force, and N's own ability.
They all worked differently, but when it came to sensing emotions, almost every truly powerful gifted person seemed to have that in common.
"All right, then Caitlin and I will go first."
Grey took Caitlin's hand, his palm gently wrapping around her cool fingers as he led her toward the Ferris wheel.
Caitlin's delicate face turned red.
She had more than enough power to push Grey away whenever she wanted.
But she didn't do that.
Instead, she let Grey lead her forward.
Step by step, light on her feet.
Until they boarded the Ferris wheel.
The cabin door slid shut without a sound, cutting off the noise of the city outside.
Click...
With the faint mechanical hum of the ride beginning to move, they slowly started to rise.
Caitlin's profile reflected in the glass, overlapping with the countless lights gradually flickering to life in the distance.
Below them, Nimbasa City's neon lights flowed like a river of stars, standing in sharp contrast to the dark forest outside the city behind them.
By the time they reached the highest point, the entire sleepless city lay spread out beneath them.
"So beautiful..."
Caitlin unconsciously leaned closer to the glass, her breath fogging the window into a hazy little moon.
This was her first time ever riding a Ferris wheel. Back in Sinnoh, she had spent most of her time at the Battle Castle.
A place like an amusement park was completely new to her.
"Yeah, it really is beautiful. Nightfall, blazing lights, and from up here, as we rise higher and higher, the whole city looks like a grain of sand in a vast sea."
Nimbasa's lights were reflected in Grey's eyes.
But soon enough, his gaze shifted back to Caitlin.
"Aren't you going to keep looking at the view?"
Caitlin turned her head slightly, both hands pressed against the glass, her voice growing softer and softer.
Though honestly, her voice was always soft.
"The view is beautiful, sure. But I'd rather spend more time looking at the person right in front of me."
Grey chuckled, then picked up Riolu and settled it in his lap, rubbing its head.
"Rio?" (Why am I involved in this?)
Riolu looked completely baffled after suddenly being scooped up. The two of you are flirting, so why are you using me as a prop?
"Force of habit."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Grey noticed Caitlin seemed a little lost, her pale hands with nowhere to go, unsure of what to do.
To Caitlin, that line had landed like a direct hit.
"Do... do you act like this with every girl?"
Caitlin felt like she couldn't just let herself get blown away by a sugar-coated attack. She placed both hands on her knees and leaned slightly forward, trying to look like she was interrogating him.
But with her face so red, she only looked adorable.
There wasn't the slightest bit of threat in it.
"Only with you."
Grey rested one hand against his cheek while the other continued stroking Riolu's fur.
And honestly, the texture really was nice.
"Mm..."
Whether it was because Grey's words were too powerful, or because it was a little stuffy inside the Ferris wheel cabin, Caitlin's face turned completely red.
"Relax. There's still plenty of time. No matter what it is, there'll always be a chance."
Grey said something that left Caitlin a little confused.
But that wasn't important anymore.
"Oh right, we still need to take a picture."
Before the Ferris wheel had completely descended, Grey stood up, shifted over, and sat down right beside Caitlin. He pulled out his phone and snapped several selfies of the two of them in quick succession.
After doing a tiny bit of editing, he sent them to Cynthia.
...
...
Sinnoh region, Pokémon League.
[Dojo Annihilape: We made it to Nimbasa City. With me around, Caitlin hasn't run into any danger. Miss Cynthia, you don't need to worry. image.jpg]
The moment Cynthia saw that Grey had finally sent her a message, the tension she'd been carrying around for days finally loosened.
Over the past week, both Grey and Caitlin had been messaging her less and less often.
It had her on edge, wondering if the two of them would come back with half their lives missing.
Thankfully, Grey had finally contacted her.
And it was a message about Caitlin.
It should be good news, right?
Thinking that, Cynthia tapped open her phone and entered her chat with Grey.
And then she saw the photo of Caitlin leaning against Grey's shoulder.
Cynthia: ???
This was bad.
What exactly was going on with those two?!
That scholarly-looking Grey really was Kanto's blond delinquent, wasn't he?
At the sight of that photo, the heart Cynthia had been anxiously holding up finally dropped dead on the spot.
She pressed a hand to her chest, dizzy with anger, not even knowing what to say.
Her best friend had really been whisked away by some Kanto pretty boy!
So the two of you hadn't gone to Unova on business at all—you'd gone on a honeymoon, hadn't you?!
A whole week long, no less, and somehow you even managed to make it romantic!
[Archaeologist Cabbage: ?]
[Dojo Annihilape: Miss Cynthia, as long as I'm here, you can relax. Caitlin is perfectly safe.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: ...]
You're exactly why I can't relax!
When there was danger, Grey was absolutely the most reassuring person to have around. There was no questioning that.
But when there wasn't any danger, Grey was the very person who made everyone worry the most.
Guard against fire, guard against thieves, and guard against Grey!
Kanto pretty boy!
Shameless!
[Dojo Annihilape: Miss Cynthia, my Ferris wheel ride is almost over, so you should get some rest too. Bye.]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: Mm... have fun in Unova, you two!!]
In the end, seeing the almost lovestruck look in her best friend's eyes, along with that utterly uncontrollable smile, Cynthia finally softened.
Caitlin's family and the psychic power she possessed had left her mind teetering on the edge of its limits almost every day of her life.
Because of that, Caitlin had rarely smiled much since childhood.
Only when she was with Cynthia did she really relax enough to show even a faint smile.
Then, about a month ago, Caitlin had told her that she'd met a streamer online who could help her control her psychic power.
Cynthia had gone to look too.
He was a small streamer, a Gym Leader from Kanto, but not one of the official eight Gym Leaders.
If you didn't know better, you'd think he was some random backwater Gym Leader—so how had he bewitched Caitlin this badly?
From that point on, Cynthia had been afraid Caitlin would get tricked away by some no-name little streamer.
She'd gone and looked up information on Grey herself, only to find that he was a newly appointed Gym Leader. He was still somewhat lacking in terms of pure strength, but at least he was a Trainer who regularly captured Team Rocket members, which made Cynthia feel a little better.
At least he wasn't that kind of pretty boy.
Later on, Grey's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. He captured Team Rocket's Four Executives one after another, and not long ago in the Gym tournament, he successfully defeated Koga, who was at Elite Four level, tying Giovanni for first place in the standings.
He was practically at the peak of what an ordinary person could achieve.
And a Trainer like that... maybe being with Caitlin really wasn't so bad after all.
Still, a pretty boy was a pretty boy!
With that thought, Cynthia changed Grey's contact name.
Dojo Annihilape ×
Kanto Pretty Boy
No, this still made her mad when she thought about it!
Cynthia really couldn't swallow this.
She had to find a chance to get him back somehow.
But how exactly was she supposed to get revenge in a reasonable way?
Cynthia wasn't sure.
Ding-dong~
Just then, a friend named [Galar's Unbeaten Monarch] sent her a message.
[Galar's Unbeaten Monarch: Miss Cynthia, Galar is thinking about holding a global tournament soon. It's still in the trial stage, but would you be interested in taking part? There will definitely be no shortage of Champion-level Trainers, so you don't need to worry about that.]
A tournament?
Seeing Leon's message, Cynthia raised a brow slightly.
Honestly, she hadn't been very interested in that sort of thing lately. It didn't feel nearly as rewarding as archaeology.
Wait...
A global tournament?!
The moment she saw the phrase global, Cynthia felt that Grey might have a chance to take part too.
Come to think of it...
Did Leon know Grey?
Then again, Grey even knew a Trainer like Steven, so maybe he knew Leon too.
And if they knew each other, then Grey might well receive an invitation.
And if he got invited, then there would be a chance they might face each other in battle.
At that thought, imagining herself standing across from Grey, Cynthia's lips curled upward ever so slightly as her long fingers began tapping on the screen.
[Archaeologist Cabbage: All right. Send me the tournament details once everything is settled. Also, if it's convenient, I think you should invite some Trainers from Kanto too.]
[Galar's Unbeaten Monarch: Got it. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the suggestion, Miss Cynthia. Charizard thumbs-up.jpg]
[Archaeologist Cabbage: Milotic nodding lightly.jpg]
Their conversation ended there.
Cynthia was in an excellent mood now. Looking at the stack of documents waiting to be reviewed in front of her, she decided it was time to fulfill her duties as Champion.
Ten minutes later—
Aaron pushed open the door. "Cynthia, you called me over. What's up?"
...
...
Unova region, Nimbasa City.
"What do you mean, Green? You're saying all the Pokémon at the dojo suddenly ran off and vanished?"
The moment he got off the Ferris wheel, Grey received a call from Green.
And the very first thing she said was that all the Pokémon in the dojo had run away.
"Uh, not all of them vanished exactly. There just aren't many left at the dojo."
"Just tell me who ran... no, forget it. Just tell me who didn't run."
Hearing Green's report, Grey decided that asking who had stayed behind would save time.
"Only Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop were still ther—oh, wait, they just ran off too. I think they were carrying something?"
"Got it. So they all slipped away, huh."
Grey rubbed his forehead, unable to understand why every last one of his Pokémon had suddenly taken off.
Was the dojo too small, so they felt like they couldn't really stretch themselves there?
Or did they think that since Grey hadn't taken them to Unova, they'd just go out and have fun on their own?
One thing he was fairly sure about was that they hadn't really abandoned him.
He just couldn't understand why they'd left without saying anything.
If they wanted to go out and play, the least they could've done was tell someone first.
"It's fine. Bumiao has already gone after them. Grey, don't worry too much. If anything happens, I'll let you know right away."
"By the way... when's your birthday?"
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