The blue sea, the forest canopy, and the light rail—these were the calling cards of Coumarine City.
Together with Santalune City, it was known as the twin tourist destinations along Kalos's western coast.
The entire city was built around a deep-water bay, with a light rail line running between the northern and southern shores.
At this moment, aboard one of the light rail trains, Hayato Sora held Cinccino in his arms as they enjoyed the view of the city.
"Isn't it beautiful, Cinccino?"
"Chii~"
Perched by the window, Cinccino stretched out its tiny paws, its large eyes filled with amazement.
Coumarine City had two distinct sections—one on both sides of the coastline, and another built high atop the cliffs.
The train they were on now happened to run right between the two areas, giving them a perfect panoramic view of the entire city.
"Chii—!"
Cinccino suddenly cried out, grabbing Hayato Sora's collar with one paw while pointing outside the window with the other.
Just moments ago, a Gogoat had dashed past the train along the mountainside, followed by a large herd of Skiddo.
These Pokémon treated steep cliffs as if they were flat ground.
"Don't worry. Gogoat are experts at climbing cliffs."
Hayato Sora gently reassured the timid Cinccino and motioned for it to look up again.
Cinccino cautiously opened its eyes and happened to meet the gaze of a Skiddo outside the window. The two stared at each other through the glass.
"Skiddo?"
The Skiddo tilted its head curiously, thinking to itself that the little Pokémon on the other side looked adorable.
The light rail and the herd continued moving side by side.
Soon, more and more Skiddo gathered outside the window.
They had all been attracted by Cinccino.
"My, what an adorable Pokémon."
Turning around, Hayato Sora saw a kind-looking elderly man.
His appearance and clothing were exactly the same as when Hayato Sora had last seen him.
Even his posture hadn't changed.
He remained slightly hunched, one hand behind his back, the other holding a pair of large gardening shears.
"Gym Leader Ramos."
Hayato Sora bowed respectfully.
He still carried the Plant Badge he had earned at the end of his journey.
In fact, Hayato Sora had even decided to stop on Route 12 and purchase a ranch because of Ramos's earlier suggestion.
Ramos slowly opened his eyes a sliver, his face always carrying a gentle smile.
"Oh, it's you, young Hayato Sora."
"So, how is ranch life treating you? If you've encountered any difficulties, don't hesitate to ask."
Ramos was exactly that kind of Gym Leader.
Using his wealth of experience and wisdom, he often helped young Trainers solve their problems.
He was deeply beloved by young Trainers and was affectionately called "the old tree that still blossoms."
Whether it was life advice or training guidance, he always offered the perfect suggestion.
"Thanks to your advice, I was able to buy that ranch. It's already running smoothly now."
Hayato Sora smiled as he explained, then pointed to Cinccino in his arms.
"This is a Pokémon I caught at the ranch. A cute and capable little helper."
His tone carried a trace of pride.
"Chii!"
Hearing this praise, Cinccino shyly buried its face into Hayato Sora's chest.
Its small face faintly flushed with embarrassment, though its big ears stood proudly upright.
"Hahaha!"
Ramos laughed heartily as he watched the interaction between the Trainer and Pokémon.
"I can see that Cinccino is very popular. In the future, your ranch might just end up being managed by her."
The two continued chatting aboard the light rail.
Their conversation mainly revolved around ranch management and Pokémon training. Most of the time, Ramos spoke while Hayato Sora asked questions.
From Ramos, Hayato Sora learned quite a bit of valuable knowledge—things that would be extremely helpful for running his ranch.
Before they parted ways, Ramos gave him a small bag of seeds and reminded him to visit the Coumarine Gym whenever he had time.
Hayato Sora agreed immediately and promised to bring some produce from his ranch.
As he watched Ramos leave toward the Gym, the old man mounted a Gogoat, with a herd of Skiddo following closely behind.
So the herd they had seen earlier actually belonged to Ramos.
Leaving the station and following the bustling crowd, Hayato Sora and Cinccino arrived at Coumarine Plaza.
People and Pokémon moved about everywhere.
You could even see Pokémon native to many different regions.
Cinccino clung tightly to Hayato Sora while curiously observing everything around them.
It was the first time the little Pokémon had ever seen such a lively place.
There were Pokémon everywhere—almost as numerous as grains of rice.
At the center of the plaza stood a towering giant tree.
A crowd had gathered beneath it.
From time to time, words like "moves" and "free" could be heard.
"Free eggs?"
Driven by curiosity, Hayato Sora moved closer.
After all, it was human nature to check out something that was giving away free stuff.
After listening for a moment, he realized they weren't giving away eggs.
They were giving away TMs (Technical Machines).
The organizer would ask riddles.
Anyone who guessed correctly would receive a TM.
"Everyone, quiet down! Let's listen to the first question."
The crowd instantly fell silent.
Everyone pricked up their ears.
Whether they were Trainers or not, people had gathered to join the fun.
"Listen carefully. Which move am I describing?"
"It makes the opponent lose their ability to concentrate and lowers their Special Attack."
"Growl!"
A child excitedly shouted an answer, his face full of anticipation.
"Not correct, little friend."
"Astonish!"
"Roar!"
"..."
Answers came one after another, but none were correct.
For ordinary people and beginner Trainers nearby, guessing a move purely from a description was quite difficult.
As far as Hayato Sora knew, there were already over 900 known Pokémon moves.
It took nearly five minutes before a novice Trainer with an Impidimp finally guessed the correct answer.
He received a TM for Snarl as the prize.
The first round had successfully energized the crowd.
Even before the second round began, people were already urging the host to continue.
"Alright, please listen to the next question. Which move am I describing?"
"It emits a charming cry that deals mental damage to the opponent. The attack never misses."
One second…
"Disarming Voice."
"Congratulations, young man! That's correct."
"Here is the TM for Disarming Voice. Please take it."
The round ended so quickly that everyone turned to look at Hayato Sora in shock.
A moment later, the crowd collectively groaned in frustration.
It had been such an easy question.
After giving away two TMs, the atmosphere had already reached its peak.
After thanking the host again, Hayato Sora took Cinccino and quietly left the crowd.
With his knowledge, it would practically be unfair advantage.
If he stayed, nobody else would win anything.
Besides, he had actual business to take care of in Coumarine City.
Winning one TM that **Cinccino could learn—Disarming Voice—**was more than enough.
"Cinccino, want to learn it?"
Hayato Sora waved the TM in front of Cinccino.
"It's a move that produces a really beautiful sound. With how cute you are, even I might get completely charmed."
Thinking about how Hayato Sora often hugged her without letting go, Cinccino blushed.
"Chii…"
Alright then. If the Trainer wanted it, she would learn it—just a little.
Yes!
In the future, he could listen to a lullaby before sleeping.
First teach Disarming Voice, then later let Cinccino learn Sing.
Perfect plan!
And if he added Charm to the mix…
Just imagining it made Hayato Sora feel like his heart was melting.
With that, Hayato Sora began explaining the key points of learning Disarming Voice to Cinccino as they walked.
Soon, they arrived at a shop in Coumarine City that specialized in selling ranch Pokémon.
Only here could one find ranch Pokémon imported from the Paldea region.
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