After resting sufficiently and preparing well in Nimbasa City,
Lorze left the city where so many beautiful memories remained with his wives,
arriving at the next stop of their Unova journey—Eindoak Town.
Eindoak was a city located on the fringes of the Unova region,
where ancient-style houses stood in neat, uniform rows.
The residential buildings were all built from bright orange-red bricks,
the tone so vibrant it naturally evoked a sense of confidence and pride.
Through these residential structures, one could catch a glimpse of the prosperity of the ancient Kingdom of the Vale.
After all, Eindoak was once the center of royal power,
though now only the remaining Sword of the Vale atop the cliff stood as a symbol of the old kingdom.
The city's alleys weren't exactly bustling with crowds, but they carried a warm, lived-in atmosphere.
The People of the Vale, living and working here in peace, wore traditional clothing
that bore a slight resemblance to the primitive garments of Ridley's tribe.
The difference was that Eindoak was not completely closed off like Ridley's village,
so modern elements could be seen in both the culture and infrastructure.
Truth be told... having a phone signal was truly convenient;
Lorze strolled through the streets while video-calling his wives back home.
Furthermore... Eindoak had even developed its own tourism industry,
especially during battle tournaments which attracted many outsiders,
so its GDP completely crushed Ridley's tribe.
However, it wasn't peak tourist season right now,
so there were few foreign tourists in the city.
Lorze, dressed in a way that clashed with the local attire, stood out quite a bit.
Sitting on Lorze's shoulders were Meloetta and Jirachi, both dressed in cute Lolita outfits.
Leaning against his arms were Florges in a sundress and Leavanny.
The feeling of being surrounded by beautiful Pokémon girls made Lorze feel incomparably blissful.
Strolling through these quaint streets, hearing the chirping of Pidove and the barking of Lillipup,
his heart felt peaceful and relaxed.
Lorze and his Pokémon wives thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.
"Vini?"
However, a small invisible creature in the air was curiously peeping at Lorze—
this young man with different clothes who was quite handsome,
along with those affectionate Pokémon girls by his side...
That's right, she was the true purpose of Lorze's visit to Eindoak—Victini!
Victini always wandered through Eindoak in an invisible state,
much like the Eon twins or Celebi.
In her invisible state, Victini followed Lorze all the way.
The figure sitting on Lorze's shoulder felt particularly familiar to Victini,
but she bit her tiny paw, not quite daring to believe it.
After all, under Lorze's meticulous grooming,
the already cute Meloetta had become even more charming.
The gorgeous Lolita dress paired with a small top hat created a significant difference in appearance,
especially from behind, so it was normal for Victini to be uncertain.
Just then, that figure pointed to the side and let out a cry,
a cry that Victini could understand perfectly.
That exclamation was...
"Big Brother Lorze, look! It's Victini!"
Eh!?
Victini was startled by the sudden shout.
She had clearly stayed invisible the whole time—had she still been discovered!?
Feeling a bit shy, she hurriedly floated onto the roof tiles to hide,
pricking up her long, sharp V-shaped ears to listen to the surrounding movements.
But... Victini didn't hear the sounds she expected.
After a long while, she mustered the courage to poke her small, pointed head out to observe.
She realized she had misinterpreted the situation.
The "Victini" in that Pokémon's cry referred to a small roadside stall,
which was covered in various decorations made in her image.
Lorze stopped in front of the stall to admire the goods.
Truly, these Victini dolls, charms, and carved wooden necklaces were crafted quite vividly.
One could see the maker's heart and exquisite sewing skills.
The stall owner, Janta, was dressed in the traditional attire of the People of the Vale.
Though a few wrinkles of age marked her face, they couldn't hide her beautiful features.
Moreover, she possessed a potent "MILF" aura.
It was easy to see that Janta had been a top-tier beauty in her youth.
Seeing Lorze's keen interest in her wares, Janta enthusiastically introduced her handmade trinkets.
"These are dolls of Victini, the Pokémon that symbolizes victory.
It's said to be a Pokémon that has lived in this town since ancient times,
though almost no one has ever seen it, hehe."
As Janta spoke vividly about Victini,
Lorze and Meloetta picked out the charm that looked the cutest and most realistic to them.
"This is so cute, Meloetta wants one!"
Meloetta picked up a wooden carved necklace.
Lorze recognized it instantly as the same model Iris bought in the movie.
However, the price tag made him draw a sharp breath:
Things in tourist areas... are truly expensive!
But seeing that Meloetta liked it so much, Lorze generously bought it.
Even though the markup was a bit severe,
it gave him more leverage to ask Janta for information about Victini.
"Big Sister, I'll take this one!
Also, could you tell me a bit more about Victini?"
If he had simply asked questions, he might have been chased away as a troublesome brat.
But since he was a customer supporting her business, he became someone to be treated well.
Not to mention, Lorze called this forty-something-year-old woman "Big Sister."
His sweet mouth made Janta smile like springtime as she began to tell the stories of Victini.
"Hehehe~ Of course. It's said that Victini grants people power.
A long time ago, its power supposedly protected the Sword of the Vale over there.
That's about all I know, hehe."
Sitting on Lorze's shoulder, Meloetta swung her slender little legs and nodded repeatedly.
"Little Sister Victini is truly remarkable."
"Yeah, it seems Victini is a good girl. It would be nice to meet her."
All of this was seen by Victini up on the roof.
Hearing herself being praised, she actually scratched her head shyly, a cute blush spreading across her face.
Unfortunately, Lorze couldn't see that healing smile right now.
Faced with Lorze's wish to meet Victini, Janta only smiled noncommittally.
So many people desperately wanted to see Victini; it was no easy task.
"It's a pity you didn't come at the right time, young man.
If you came in autumn during the harvest, it would be lively.
The Harvest Festival in Eindoak is the grandest festival of the year.
There's also a Trainer battle tournament that attracts many tourists!
In that tournament... one might even get Victini's help to seize the championship."
"Mhm, thank you, Big Sister!
But I was just passing by, so I came to take a look.
If I'm free during the Harvest Festival in autumn, I'll definitely come back!"
"Hehehe, take care~"
Even as he said it, Lorze felt that after this trip,
he probably wouldn't be returning to Unova for a while.
After leaving Janta's stall, Lorze and his wives continued their stroll through Eindoak's alleys.
At that moment, a delicate girl with blue hair and blue eyes, dressed similarly to Janta,
stepped out from the shop behind the stall. This was her daughter, Carlita.
"Mom, who were you talking to just now?"
"Oh, it was nothing. Just a young man from out of town.
He was very nice and polite, asking me about Victini, hehe~"
"Victini... why was he asking about Victini?"
Carlita furrowed her brows. An outsider specifically asking about Victini?
If it were the Harvest Festival, it wouldn't be strange,
as the tournament always attracted many foreign Trainers,
and it was understandable for a few to be interested in Victini.
But it wasn't that time.
Visiting Eindoak specifically to ask about Victini during the off-season was a bit sensitive.
It was hard not to be suspicious.
After all, Victini was the legendary Pokémon that brought victory,
and Carlita was convinced many villains coveted its power.
The perceptive girl sensed something amiss.
After asking which way Lorze had gone,
Carlita released her Hydreigon and gave chase on its back.
Even if it was uncertain whether Victini truly existed, bad people were very real.
The young and spirited Carlita wanted to trail Lorze and observe him secretly.
At the very least, she had to ensure he wouldn't pose a threat to everyone,
especially her brother's career.
Meanwhile, Janta simply maintained her usual kind smile and shook her head dismissively.
"Young people, their energy is truly boundless."
Before they knew it, Lorze and his Pokémon wives had arrived at a high-altitude platform.
The view here was excellent; leaning against the railing,
one could overlook the entire layout of Eindoak Town.
But in reality, Lorze hadn't wandered here randomly.
This was the exact spot where Victini appeared in the movie,
so Lorze had planned this out carefully.
It happened to be noon.
After a whole morning of walking, Lorze and his Pokémon wives were starving,
so they set up a picnic on the grass.
Lorze had an intuition that Victini was "stalking" them.
He didn't believe Victini's stomach wouldn't be growling after an entire morning.
"These are Macarons I carefully prepared for today's lunch. Everyone, come and eat~"
As Lorze brought out the colorful round cookies,
the wives were triggered into their primal animal instincts and pounced,
fighting to get a bite—the Macarons Lorze made were simply too delicious...
If you were slow, they'd be gone!
"Hey, hey? Honestly, don't be in such a rush. There's enough for everyone."
Just as Lorze suspected,
watching Lorze and his Pokémon sitting in a circle,
laughing and playing while they ate, the invisible Victini felt incomparably envious.
Her stomach unpromisingly let out a "gurgle" sound.
She wanted to taste their delicious food too, especially those colorful round cookies.
Just looking at them made Victini drool.
Just as Victini was getting extremely greedy,
Lorze and his wives were suddenly attracted by some noise to the side.
They actually abandoned the pile of delicacies and left!
Victini didn't have a very strong moral compass.
Right now, she only wanted to take advantage of Lorze's absence to steal a snack.
Just a little one.
The invisible Victini picked up a pink Macaron.
First, she scrutinized it carefully.
The cookie's body, smooth as glaze, foretold a sweet sacrifice.
Victini flared her small nose, sniffing the rich aroma intensely.
Then, she wolfed it down in one gulp, not even tasting it!
The "V-girl" scratched her head in some embarrassment.
She decided to eat another one, and this time she had to savor it properly!
She picked up a Macaron with her claws and put it in her mouth.
This time, Victini bit down very, very slowly...
As her sharp fangs pierced the cookie, the surface made a tiny crunching sound,
like fresh snow giving way.
Then, it was gently caught by the moist, soft almond meringue inside—
the sensation was like stepping through a thin layer of ice only to find a velvet swaddle underneath.
Victini was stunned.
"Bini!?"
The luscious filling instantly melted into a warm current on Victini's lilac tongue,
sliding down her throat like silk, evoking the fragrance of roses, caramel, or sea salt.
The sweetness was like a precisely tuned instrument,
vibrating at the boundary between crisp and soft, solid and void.
Before the slight graininess of the almonds had completely dissolved,
the cream had already spread like a cloud, leaving a duet of frosting and nuts between her teeth...
Victini seemed to close her eyes and chew slowly,
dedicating her whole soul to enjoying the delicacy in her mouth.
The final aftertaste was a perfectly balanced sweetness,
like moonlight passing through lace curtains, casting a soft shadow on the taste buds.
This fleeting, perfect balance made one willing to drown
in the melancholy dream built by that Macaron's sugar shell.
So delicious!
Chewing the soft Macaron in her mouth,
Victini felt light and airy as if she had fallen into a fairyland.
She couldn't help but kick her small legs,
and even the tiny wings on her butt fluttered more forcefully.
Victini couldn't understand how a tiny pastry could evoke such a soul-stirring feeling,
sweet as if she were falling in love.
She felt... there was probably nothing more blissful than this.
Little did she know, all of this was being watched by Lorze and his wives, who were hiding to the side.
They had used this food on purpose to lure Victini out.
Lorze and Meloetta looked at each other and smiled tacitly: She's hooked!
As the saying goes, "one's hands are short after taking from others, one's mouth is soft after eating from others."
Starting with the reunion of Meloetta and Victini,
they were going to make a very good friend~
Just as Victini reached for a second Macaron,
her invisible tiny claw was suddenly grasped.
Victini instinctively wanted to break free and flee, but Meloetta called out to her.
"Little Sister Victini, look who I am!"
That voice was also incomparably familiar to Victini.
Only then was she willing to calm down and look at the person before her.
Previously she couldn't be sure because she only saw the back,
but now, seeing the face, she could finally confirm:
This familiar figure was her long-lost good friend, Big Sister Meloetta!
"Mmh, Big Sister Meloetta!?"
Victini finally was willing to drop her invisibility.
Excitedly, she hugged Meloetta.
They truly hadn't seen each other for a long, long time.
It had been at least a thousand years...