Pokemon Paldea [199-201] (Patreon)

Chapter 199: I'm So Glad I Met You

"Well then, we'll have the suspect Pokémon, Grafaiai, in temporary custody at the Los Platos Town Police Department. Thank you for your help, Teacher Lucas."

Officer Jenny, exuding a dignified aura, gave Lucas a respectful salute—but her composure faltered in the next instant.

Because she saw the Arcanine slowly padding up behind Lucas.

Officer Jenny's pupils trembled with shock. Covering her mouth, she looked at Arcanine and asked, "Teacher Lucas, is this your Pokémon?"

Before Lucas could answer, the Growlithe next to Officer Jenny's eyes lit up, and it joyfully dashed over to Arcanine, circling it with envy written all over its face.

Growlithe recognized friends by both scent and appearance. Even though Arcanine looked very different now, its scent was unmistakable—only now tinged with a faint, sharp smell of sulfur.

Growlithe was amazed at how much its playmate from earlier in the day had changed—and transformed into the mighty form it had always dreamed of becoming. For a moment, the entire farm entrance was filled with Growlithe's excited barking.

Noticing Officer Jenny's thoughtful expression, Lucas smiled. "Judging by Growlithe's reaction, you probably know who it is, right?"

"Arcanine!?"

After Lucas's confirmation, Officer Jenny couldn't help but exclaim. She was amazed at the drastic difference in Arcanine's regional form—Pokémon truly are wondrous creatures.

Just like that somewhat chubby Talonflame (actually Moltres).

"Officer Jenny, the suspect Pokémon has been transported."

A young officer jogged up to Jenny, giving her a quiet report.

"Alright, I got it. You all head back first—Growlithe and I will return on the police motorcycle." Officer Jenny nodded and issued her orders with practiced ease. Looking over at the still-excited Growlithe, she frowned and called, "Growlithe, time to go!"

Growlithe paused mid-play. Though it still wanted to hang out with Arcanine, its training had instilled obedience, so it drooped its tail and reluctantly returned to Jenny's side.

Jenny gave it a helpless glance, then turned to Lucas with an apologetic smile. "I'll be going too. We'll contact you by phone for further details on the case, since you're also one of the victims."

Lucas nodded, then hesitated briefly before asking, "Officer Jenny, if Grafaiai is confirmed as the poisoner, what happens to it?"

Jenny paused, then smiled. "It'll be sent to a Pokémon management facility built by the League. That's where Pokémon belonging to captured criminals are kept. They'll receive education, and professionals will determine whether they're fit to be released into remote wilderness areas, or possibly be adopted by new trainers. Don't worry, we'll make sure it's taken care of."

"And regarding the case of Grafaiai being abandoned, we're investigating that as well. Abandoning Pokémon is absolutely forbidden, and we'll do our best to track down the responsible party."

With that, Officer Jenny gave Lucas a sharp salute, hopped onto her police motorcycle, and rode off with the obedient Growlithe.

Watching them leave, Lucas sighed. "This is probably the best ending for you, Grafaiai."

"Your crimes can't just be erased, but those who made you this way will eventually be brought to justice too."

"Ceruledge~."

Ceruledge bounced over to Lucas's side, its gaze distant and thoughtful.

It also felt that this was a good outcome.

After indulging in a brief moment of melancholy, Lucas composed himself. He showed an expression Ceruledge had never seen before, making the Pokémon a little nervous.

Lucas grinned, showing his canine teeth—clearly feeling a little giddy.

"Didn't expect you to see me this way, Ceruledge. But I'm happy."

Lucas suddenly lunged forward, hugging the stunned Ceruledge, who realized—thanks to Moltres' translation—that its innermost thoughts had been completely exposed. Lucas pressed close to Ceruledge, who stood stiffly like a wooden plank, and spoke softly.

"You're cool to the touch—hugging you feels so nice. And about what you said, I want to say this in return:"

"I'm really glad I met you."

Ceruledge froze for a moment, then slowly hugged him back.

It felt the same way, deep down.

…

In the living room, a serious roundtable meeting was underway.

Lucas looked around at all the Pokémon present, coughed lightly, and began: "With the Grafaiai incident over, it's time to plan the last few days of our break."

"The day after tomorrow is March 21. We'll be heading to the Kalos region for a few days, just like we did in Alola. The main goal is to bring back a steward for the farm—ideally a Psychic-type, since that would be really convenient for us."

"And then there's Siebold's invitation—we'll probably have to battle him. Anyone want to volunteer?"

"Woof woof!"

Arcanine was the first to raise a paw, eager to join.

Since evolving, it had unlimited energy. Battling Luxray and the others often ended in one-sided beatings; when it wanted to spar with Politoed, the latter was always busy practicing Rain Dance near the big wet rock and ignored its invitations.

If there was going to be a fight, it had to go.

Lucas's lips twitched. Siebold was one of Kalos's Elite Four, and a Water-type specialist—Arcanine might have new tricks against Water-types since it evolved in a volcano, but it was still a bit short of Elite Four level.

Then again, they might battle other trainers, so bringing Arcanine along seemed reasonable.

"Alright, Arcanine, you're in. Anyone else?"

As Lucas patted Arcanine's massive, happy head, he looked to his side—and was surprised to see Swampert, who usually disliked going out, raise its hand.

"Swampert~."

Swampert lifted its right hand, gazing calmly.

Since Lucas would be battling a Water-type specialist, as the team's Water powerhouse, it had every reason to join. Let's see if that so-called Mega Blastoise's Hydro Cannon can stand up to its fists.

After Swampert volunteered, picking the rest was easy.

Unlike the group training in Alola, they didn't need to bring many Pokémon. The final lineup was set: Swampert, Dragonite, Arcanine, and Alcremie.

Alcremie volunteered because it was curious about Kalos's desserts and wanted to study them.

Chapter 200: Iono and Nemona's Invitation, the Bakery of Levincia City

Alcremie wanted to try all sorts of Kalos desserts, especially the chocolate cream cake in a town called Camphrier, famous throughout Kalos.

That town happened to be near Lumiose City, home to the Pokémon Butler Academy, so they could visit on the way.

Alcremie had found all this info online using Lucas's phone.

To this day, Lucas still didn't know how Alcremie learned to use a phone—but seeing it eager to learn new dessert recipes online, he decided not to ask. This was good enough.

…

On the morning, after handling farm chores and asking Luxray and the others to watch over things, Lucas said goodbye to his Pokémon and set off, riding Dragonite to a corner of the Paldea region—Levincia City.

Levincia City was a hub of advanced technology and had flights to all major regions.

Lucas and Kukui's flight to Alola had departed from Levincia Airport, and the flight to Kalos would be from there as well.

Tonight's flight to Kalos was the only one, so Lucas decided to spend the day exploring Levincia City. Conveniently, two people had invited him to watch a gym challenge.

The invitations came from Iono, the new gym leader and livestreamer at Levincia Gym, and Lucas's prized pupil, future Paldea Champion, Nemona.

Lucas had spent a month or two in Levincia City before, during which he met Iono when she was still a rookie gym leader.

Strolling the streets lined with skyscrapers, Lucas felt nostalgic.

Huge billboards dominated the view; adults in business attire and students with backpacks hurried past the crosswalks. If not for the Poké Balls at his waist, Lucas would have thought he'd traveled back in time.

Here, the city was always ablaze with light, day or night. Neon signs shone beautifully at night—but it was daytime now, so the effect was muted.

Lucas released Alcremie, letting the curious Pokémon sit on his shoulder. Smiling, he said, "There's a bakery in Levincia City I highly recommend—their pastries are great. Let's try some and buy a few as gifts for Iono and Nemona."

"Alcremie~"

Alcremie cupped its cheeks in anticipation, and so, perched on Lucas's shoulder, it accompanied him to a bakery called "Memory Lane Bread."

The shop was warmly decorated. Through the clear glass, the neatly arranged, freshly baked pastries looked mouthwatering.

As Lucas pushed open the door, a familiar bell chimed, and he walked in with a nostalgic smile.

"Welcome—feel free to look around."

The greeting wasn't particularly enthusiastic, but not cold either.

At the counter sat a mature man with a ponytail, dressed in a pristine chef's uniform with a red scarf. He had a lollipop in his mouth, unmoving.

Lucas knew he was battling his smoking addiction with candy.

Smiling, Lucas called, "Mr. Melancholy, it's been a while."

This guy was his old boss in Levincia. Back then, Lucas had worked here to save money and pick up some baking skills.

Melancholy froze mid-phone-scroll, looked up, and broke into a grin. "What brings you to Levincia City!?"

Lucas, already at ease, grabbed a tray and tongs and started picking bread, answering, "Just passing through for a day. I've missed your bread, so I came to buy some, and to use as gifts."

"You really spent almost two months here, eating staff meals as an excuse to save up for training resources—and you never got tired of it!" Melancholy teased. Then, noticing the curious Pokémon on Lucas's shoulder, he gasped, "Alcremie!? Did you catch an Alcremie?"

Even after evolving, Alcremie was still lively and cheerful. Instead of being scared by Melancholy's shout, it waved happily.

Melancholy clutched his chest, letting out a dramatic groan.

Lucas put down the tray and tongs, covering Alcremie's ears. "Come on, Mr. Melancholy, tone it down. She's still a kid. I know you want an Alcremie assistant of your own, but please don't drool over mine."

"You're practically salivating."

Melancholy reflexively wiped his mouth—only to find it dry. Realizing he'd been tricked, he grumbled, "Whatever, I'll meet my destined Alcremie one day. Until then, I don't need anyone else's!"

"So, how's your journey going? How many badges have you earned?"

Lucas dropped a cocoa-orange bread into his tray and winked, "Uh, actually, I've retired."

Melancholy's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Lucas didn't hide anything, picking out a lemon-tea bagel for Alcremie, and explained, "But only because I've already earned all eight badges and passed the Champion Exam."

"Come on, say it—call me Champion!"

"Get outta here! You're retired—don't get cocky."

Melancholy waved him off, but the pride in his eyes betrayed him.

The air stilled for a second, and his voice turned hoarse: "Still, I've got to say it—you really are incredible. Congratulations on becoming Champion."

"I always knew it. Of all the trainers I've met, no one's more talented or hardworking than you. I saw this coming."

"Haha, now I can brag to my neighbors—'The Champion once worked at my little bakery!' How's that?"

"Doesn't that totally beat their distant relatives who cleared some gym or other?"

"Thank you, Mr. Melancholy."

Lucas hadn't expected such complete trust, with not a hint of doubt from the man who helped him so much.

After holding it in for a while, all he could offer was a simple, heartfelt thank you.

Chapter 201: Levincia Gym, Nemona's Growth

Levincia City's central plaza was, as its name suggested, right in the city center—and it was also the site of gym battles.

After enjoying pastries with Alcremie, Lucas carried two bags of carefully packed bread and walked to the plaza.

Even from the street, he could see electric flashes from the battle in the arena—clearly a gym challenge had started.

When he reached the edge of the field, Lucas raised an eyebrow and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What a… bleak scene."

The massive field was lit up by a fierce battle between two Pokémon. Yet, despite being a gym challenge, the audience was sparse—scattered fans in "I <3 Iono" shirts, obviously here for her livestream.

"As a rookie leader, her popularity's still low. She's got a long way to go before she's a big streamer."

Shaking his head, Lucas focused on the battle.

On the left stood Gym Leader Iono, with long blue-and-pink hair and cute Magnemite hairpins, dressed in oversized, trendy clothes.

Her delicate, adorable face wore her trademark bright grin and showed her signature sharklike teeth. She called out, "Show them what you've got, Bellibolt! Release all your stored electricity—Discharge!"

Bellibolt's generator belly glowed, and in a flash, it unleashed a blinding surge of electricity from the orbs on its head, as dazzling as sunlight.

On the right stood Lucas's star pupil, Nemona.

After nearly a month of traveling, she had grown—more energetic, more confident, and even more of a battle fanatic.

Nemona raised her fist and shouted to her towering bear Pokémon, "Ursaring! Show your guts—break through that electricity!"

Yes, it was Ursaring, evolved from Teddiursa.

Ursaring's fierce face made it one of the last Pokémon rookie trainers wanted to meet in the wild—its temper matched its looks.

Yet, this fierce Ursaring gazed at Nemona with trust, let out a thunderous roar, and charged straight into the electric blast.

Ursaring's fighting was wild and fierce—somehow, it even chopped through Bellibolt's electricity, then brought its paw down on Bellibolt's head to end the battle.

"Alcremie~"

Alcremie covered its eyes, unsettled by the violence.

Lucas, on the other hand, noticed something: before touching the electricity, Ursaring's fur was already crackling with sparks.

"I see… Guts was triggered by paralysis, massively boosting its strength."

"Impressive, Nemona."

Iono, having lost, went to interact with her disappointed fans. She valued them deeply, knowing her streaming career depended on them.

While chatting, Iono glanced at her livestream stats. Seeing only about a thousand viewers, she felt a bit dejected—but as a streamer, she kept up a bright smile for group photos and autographs.

Meanwhile, Nemona, out of battle mode, finally noticed Lucas sitting on a nearby bench. She beamed with joy.

Great—Teacher Lucas came to watch her gym challenge.

It was her last gym match of spring break—her family was calling her home soon, so she'd have to put off her fourth badge challenge.

So, on this special day, she wanted Lucas to see her progress.

"Teacher Lucas~!"

Nemona waved and jogged over, hands on her knees, panting. "Hehe, I cleared the Levincia Gym!"

"You okay? Need a break?" Lucas smiled wryly. Nemona's stamina clearly hadn't improved at all. He scooped Alcremie onto his lap, freeing up the seat for her.

Nemona, clutching her pounding heart, sat down and caught her breath.

Lucas smiled again. "I saw your battle. It was great."

Nemona grinned, soaking in the praise. Then she looked at Alcremie and gasped, "Alcremie?! Did Milcery evolve too?"

Lucas handed Alcremie over. "Why so surprised? Your Teddiursa evolved into Ursaring, so Milcery evolving into Alcremie is only natural."

"Mmm Alcremie's so cute! And you smell so sweet"

Nemona happily nuzzled Alcremie—she genuinely loved Pokémon, all of them.

After a while, Nemona calmed down, sat up proudly with Alcremie on her head, and said, "Not just Ursaring—my Pawmo evolved into Pawmot too!"

"And this little guy hatched as my new partner."

Nemona took out a Poké Ball and released a soft, purple Pokémon.

It was sleeping soundly. After showing Lucas, she recalled it.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Goomy?"

Nemona grinned. "Of course you'd know, Teacher Lucas. Yup, it's a baby from an egg my dad gave me—still too little to train."

"Very nice. Dragon-types have great potential—raise it well, and it'll become a strong ally." Lucas nodded, then handed her a bag. "Here, some bakery bread as a gift. Hope you like it."

Nemona's eyes lit up. "Huh, a gift? I love it! Thanks, Teacher Lucas!"

"Heyyy—isn't this the new Champion? Can't believe you really showed up for Iono's challenge! And what's that—a gift? Is there one for Iono too?"

Iono, having said goodbye to her fans, immediately noticed the bag in Nemona's hand, her eyes shining.