The lights glowed warmly against the winter night.
Togepi and Sirfetch'd lay sprawled in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, drawing together in the cozy light. Seeing this, Luke chuckled, reaching down to rub Sylveon's head as she nestled in his arms.
"Buyi!" Sylveon grumbled in mild protest but made no effort to pull away. She wore a small pink-purple orb around her neck—a Life Orb from the last inter-school exchange competition. With her sensitive ribbons, she could absorb its life energy, though it would lose its power bonus in the process. But when it came to training, sometimes you had to invest a bit of "krypton gold."
Meanwhile, Squirtle was polishing his shell, having spent the afternoon "raiding dungeons" with Sylveon.
"Jennie!(oﾟvﾟ)ノ" Squirtle beamed as he scrubbed his shell. Nothing like a clean shell for extra motivation!
As for Arcanine, he had taken to persistently blasting moves in the sunroom, his dedication to mastering Flare Blitz practically unstoppable. Luke watched it all with a mix of pride and amusement.
Who knew adding a "slacker" like Sirfetch'd would fire everyone up?
Just then, Oleana from the Pokémon Company brought some news.
"Thanks to the popularity of the Pokémon cards, our Sinnoh expansion pack is progressing smoothly," Oleana informed him. "We've also moved up the release date for the Auto Chess project—it should be ready by the end of the year."
"Thanks for all your hard work," Luke replied gratefully. "Is there anything else I can help with?"
Oleana adjusted her thin-rimmed glasses, smiling. "As captain of the Pokémon Company, it's better for you to set the direction than dive into the details yourself."
Luke blinked, taking it in. So I really can just… delegate?
"Although," Oleana added, "Saffron City's game company has a promotional event planned. You'll only need to make an appearance and answer a few questions from the press."
"What about the reporters' questions?"
Oleana's eyes glinted with the professionalism of a seasoned secretary. "I've prepared a script for you."
Luke paused, realizing. So that's why Boss Giovanni always looks so relaxed in interviews…
"No problem," he said, clearing his throat. "Oh, and please say hi to Damien and Mina for me… I'd like to avoid baldness becoming our company's culture!"
Later, as Togepi and Sirfetch'd doodled together, Luke continued his research on Sirfetch'd's diet.
In the Galar region, green onions are a rare treat. Sirfetch'd would often duel each other just to protect their prized leeks. But since coming to Luke's house, Sirfetch'd no longer needed to worry about that. With the ordered green onions on the way, Luke muttered, "If we planted them in a pot, they could grow leaves too, right?"
Overhearing, Sirfetch'd suddenly shivered. Something feels wrong… is someone planning to mess with my precious leek? He looked around defensively, his feathers bristling.
Seeing Sirfetch'd's guarded expression, Luke laughed. No doubt—the leek really is part of his soul.
He put the thought aside, glancing at the clock. She'll be here soon. Better get dinner ready!
A tall, blonde woman in a black fleece coat walked toward the warmly lit house. Cynthia's lips lifted in a soft smile as she neared the entrance. Before she could knock, Gengar floated out to greet her.
"Kou Jie!"
"Your senses are sharp, as always," Cynthia said with a smile, patting Gengar's head.
Gengar chuckled, "Kou Jie!(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧" Proudly attuned, he could distinguish the sound of her heels from a mile away—not to mention Ms. Erika's clogs and Sabrina's boots.
When Cynthia entered, a cozy warmth greeted her, along with the faint scent of… green onions? She raised an eyebrow. Is tonight's dinner leek-themed?
Her question was answered almost immediately.
"Quack!? (┬┬﹏┬┬)"
Sirfetch'd stood frozen in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at the imposing Garchomp by Cynthia's side. Good grief… this is even scarier than Arcanine!!
Sirfetch'd stood frozen, shielding himself with his leek like a knight facing a dragon, eyeing Cynthia's Garchomp with a mix of dread and determination.
Cynthia chuckled, watching the scene unfold. "Is this your new Pokémon?"
Luke nodded, his tone amused. "Yep. Just as dashing as me."
Sirfetch'd, with his bold eyebrows and focused gaze, might have looked imposing—but Luke knew better. Beneath that brave front was a soul who embraced slacking as an art form. And yet, when no one was watching, he'd been secretly training, a fact that made Luke feel an odd mix of pride and exasperation.
Cynthia nodded approvingly. "He's got spirit. If he wants to challenge Garchomp, it's all right."
Garchomp gave an approving nod, respecting the courage of a Pokémon that didn't back down even when faced with overwhelming strength.
Luke, sensing Sirfetch'd's growing terror, quickly intervened. "No need. He's still just a kid."
Sirfetch'd let out a relieved sigh, feeling immense gratitude toward his "bastard" trainer.
Cynthia let the matter drop, focusing instead on the dinner that Luke had prepared. Garchomp, however, threw a look at Sirfetch'd as he followed Cynthia inside. One day, we'll have that duel.
Sirfetch'd relaxed, gripping his leek with new resolve. He'd be ready… someday.
Under the warm glow of the ceiling lights, Cynthia sat across from Luke, her elegance flawless as she picked up her chopsticks. Her golden hair fell gracefully as she brought a morsel to her lips, smiling in quiet appreciation.
"Thank you for the wonderful meal." She took a small breath, savoring the flavors.
Luke smiled. "No need to be so formal."
As the meal wound down, Gengar lazily slumped onto the couch, belly full, watching as the cleaning robots buzzed into action around the room. Cynthia kicked off her shoes and wandered over to where Sirfetch'd had settled, seemingly intent on inspecting his plumage.
"Quack~!!" Sirfetch'd tried to dodge, but Cynthia was quick, fluffing his feathers with a satisfied grin.
"He's like a cuddly duck," Luke noted.
"What's a cuddly duck?" Cynthia asked, laughing.
Luke pondered. "A duck like Sirfetch'd—very cute, just like him."
Sirfetch'd relaxed, letting Cynthia pet him, his eyes half-closed in bliss. This is actually pretty nice...
Meanwhile, in Fuchsia City, Koga stood outside Janine's window, masked and stealthy as ever. Inside, his daughter sat, sharpening her kunai, but she turned sharply when she caught his scent.
"Who's there?" she called.
Koga sighed and removed his mask, stepping forward. "Janine, you've made impressive progress."
"No, Father," Janine replied, wrinkling her nose. "It's the Muk on your shoulder… the smell gave you away."
Koga coughed, shifting Muk off his shoulder with a sheepish glance. As he scanned her room, something caught his eye: a poster that looked suspiciously like Luke.
"Ah, so it's that Luke," Koga mused, recalling his own respect for Luke's achievements. He ignored Janine's growing embarrassment, instead falling into fatherly advice. "Janine, you're at that age… maybe the Gym Leader from Violet City would be a suitable match."
Janine's cheeks flushed with a mix of irritation and mortification. She clenched her fists. Doesn't he get that I followed his path for training, not matchmaking? But as Koga mentioned Falkner, she paused. They did share a lot in common—both raised in the shadow of their fathers, each running a gym and striving to honor their family's legacy.
And besides… Luke was still someone she admired deeply, a master of poisons and strategy.
"Teacher Luke will be in Saffron City soon, hosting a promotional event," Janine whispered to herself, clutching her shuriken. "It's the perfect chance… to seek his guidance."