Pokemon Paldea [202-204] (Patreon)

Chapter 202: Nemona's Astonishing Wisdom

Now more cheerful and outgoing than ever, Iono—the social terror—walked straight over and poked Lucas with an arm hidden in her long, wide sleeves, not caring at all about Nemona's curious gaze from the side.

Lucas took out another bag of bread and nodded. "Of course, this is yours. I bought it from Melanchony's place."

"Yay!"

Iono cheered as she took the bag, a suspicious sparkle of drool seemingly appearing at the corner of her mouth.

Ever since she and Lucas became friends, she'd grown fond of this bakery's bread too. Unfortunately, she'd been too busy to buy any lately, so Lucas's timely delivery was a real lifesaver.

Hugging the bag, Iono happily ran to an empty seat, her eyes shining as she pulled out a piece of bread and nibbled on it like a little hamster.

Nemona, a well-bred young lady, quietly savored the delicious bread, then gently rubbed her tummy and sighed, "I'm so full, I can't eat another bite."

"Me too I've way exceeded today's calorie count. Time to start another round of nerve-wracking dieting tomorrow"

Lucas and Alcremie had already eaten, so they just watched in silence as the two girls finished off the entire bag. When their mouths were finally free, Lucas spoke, "Iono, how's your channel doing lately?"

Since he'd just caught up with Nemona, Lucas turned his attention to Iono's situation.

Iono, half-hiding her face with her sleeve, hesitated. "It's awful My follower growth has been flat these past months, barely holding steady without losing fans"

"Wonder how long it'll take before I get a surge like a Volt Tackle~"

"Uh, that's up to you to work on."

"Nooo, Lucas, can't you give me some trending topics for free? I'm at my wits' end here~"

Lucas stopped Iono from getting any closer, palming her head to keep her at bay, and said coldly, "No. If you want to chase trends, collaborate with famous bloggers. Why come to me when I'm not even well-known?"

Nemona, listening in, blinked. Was Miss Iono worrying about getting famous?

Although Nemona was a battle-obsessed airhead, she was still the daughter of a major company's CEO. Raised in such an environment, her insight was naturally sharp.

Nemona's bright mind quickly came up with an idea. She suggested, "Miss Iono, what's your usual video style? I have an idea!"

Both Lucas and Iono immediately turned to her.

"So, what do you think of this plan, Miss Iono?"

Nemona wasn't sure how her suggestion would sound to a pro streamer like Iono, so she looked a bit uneasy.

"Aaahhh!!"

Iono froze for a moment, then suddenly erupted, yelling as she dove into Nemona's arms, pressing cheek to cheek.

Rubbing her face against Nemona's, Iono exclaimed, "Nemona, you're a genius~! Your unique idea is a golden road to becoming a top streamer and internet celeb! I'm so moved I feel paralyzed by ten thousand volts"

"I can't wait to film a video like this! And with both of you here, how about a live, electrifying Pokémon battle?"

"I'll record the whole thing!"

Lucas, who'd listened quietly, felt a question mark appear over his head. Nemona's idea really was novel: have Iono commentate on exciting Pokémon battles as a streamer. Such videos might actually become popular and bring Iono a wave of fans.

But why was the first video to be about a match between himself and Nemona, instead of Iono's own gym battles?

Lucas was about to decline, counting on Nemona to side with him as usual.

But, as fate would have it, Nemona, her mind full of battles, immediately switched sides and eagerly said, "Let's battle, let's battle!"

Lucas: "."

What a headache!

…

Moments later, Lucas and Nemona stood on opposite sides of the field, ready for a teacher-student showdown.

Lucas stood on the left, Nemona on the right, with Iono (Alcremie perched on her head) darting around, camera in hand, eager to catch every highlight.

Lucas asked, "Are your Pokémon still in good shape?"

Nemona had just finished a gym challenge—her Pokémon must be tired.

Nemona clenched her right fist, her gaze determined. "Teacher Lucas, my Pawmot didn't fight in the gym battle."

Lucas's breath caught, then he relaxed.

He knew exactly what that meant.

This girl really was something else.

Iono exclaimed in disbelief, "Wait~ Nemona wasn't going all-out when she battled me? Unbelievable!"

Nemona apologized to Iono, putting her hands together, then threw her Poké Ball and announced, "Pawmot, let's show Teacher Lucas how much we've improved!"

"Pawmot!"

Pawmot raised its arms energetically—its fluffy fur, determined eyes, and strong arms showing just how well Nemona had raised it.

"Then I'll count on you, Arcanine."

Lucas also released his majestic Arcanine. He thought about it—Alcremie disliked battling, Swampert and Dragonite would be too overwhelming, so only Arcanine was suitable, and wouldn't crush Nemona's fighting spirit.

But then again, Nemona would probably just keep battling with a smile, and if anyone's spirit was in danger, it would be his, not hers.

Arcanine's appearance immediately caught Nemona and Iono's attention. Nemona already knew Lucas's Growlithe was special, but seeing this even-more-special Arcanine made her even more excited.

For Iono, it was different. She knew Lucas's egg had hatched into a Growlithe, but she hadn't expected it to evolve into such a unique Arcanine.

This was the highlight!

Iono's eyes gleamed like spotlights, zooming her camera in on Arcanine's face.

She had a feeling this was the turning point of her life!

Even though she'd promised not to show Lucas and Nemona on camera for now, just this special Arcanine would be a huge topic.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Arcanine charged forward, clashing with Pawmot's electrically-charged paw—the battle had begun.

Chapter 203: Kalos

The battle ended with Lucas and Arcanine's overwhelming victory.

Nemona's talent was extraordinary, but she hadn't matured yet. Based on Lucas's estimate, with just Pawmot, she could reach the fourth gym.

But his Arcanine had not only been trained by top mentors, but also evolved after absorbing huge amounts of magma energy with the help of Moltres.

Lucas figured Arcanine could sweep through Reggie's team.

Of course, unlike Moltres and Dragonite, Arcanine would have a harder time.

"Extreme Speed is so fast! Even my Pawmot can't keep up with Arcanine's charge. It's a total defeat for me."

Nemona wasn't discouraged by her loss. To her, every battle is a chance to grow. As long as she keeps learning, she, Pawmot, Ursaring, and Goomy will all get stronger.

Strong enough to make Teacher Lucas go all-out—or even surpass him.

Plus, during the battle, even before Arcanine used Extreme Speed, Pawmot's Double Shock still landed a strong hit—even if it only made Arcanine stumble for a moment, it was enough for the optimistic Nemona.

This time, she only made Arcanine stumble. Next time, she'd make it defend against her attacks.

Iono hugged her camera like a treasure. The footage of Arcanine's cool moves would make a fantastic commentary video and surely bring in tons of fans.

After a while, Iono noticed the sky darkening and saw Nemona staring after Lucas as he left. She thought the girl was feeling down.

Iono skipped over to cheer her up, "Don't be discouraged, Nemona He's the first new Champion in years. Losing to your teacher isn't shameful"

"If you ask me, you're even more talented~ He just has more experience, that's all. It's hard to say who'll win next time."

"When he gets back from Kalos, just challenge him again~"

But as Iono circled around to face Nemona, she was stunned.

There was none of the reluctance or frustration she'd expected—only an overwhelming fighting spirit so intense even Iono felt pressured by Nemona's resolve.

Iono was shocked to realize just how pure a battle maniac Nemona was.

…

Meanwhile, at the Airport—

Lucas, having checked in, was already seated in first class on a flight to the Kalos region. The seat was spacious, and the attendants were attentive.

Anyway, this trip was all on Geeta's tab.

Alcremie looked around like a curious child, fascinated by everything.

After a noticeable jolt, the engines roared, and the plane took off as night finally fell over Paldea.

Lucas poked the Alcremie, who was fiddling with the seat controls, and raised his phone. "Look outside."

"Alcremie~?"

Alcremie pressed close to the window and was stunned by the dreamlike, dazzling night view.

Levincia City's skyscrapers rose in a tangle of neon lights that shot into the sky, dazzlingly colorful. The city was a sea of lights, making Alcremie feel like she was in a fairy tale.

Lucas explained, "This is Levincia City's famous sight—one of Paldea's top ten views, called the 'Million Volt Skyline.'"

"Mafu!"

Alcremie watched the view until they left the city and the lights faded from sight, then reluctantly turned away, happily curling up in Lucas's arms and locking the memory away in her most treasured box.

…

Kalos Region

A place full of romance and freedom.

Unlike Kanto or Sinnoh, which are practically on the other side of the world from Paldea, Kalos is actually quite close.

Leaving from Levincia City, Lucas arrived at the heart of Kalos—the bustling Lumiose City—the very next morning.

Lumiose is a massive metropolis and the most populated city in Kalos.

Stepping out of the airport, one can immediately see the city's iconic Prism Tower.

Lucas recalled all the stories around this tower.

It was not only the location of Clemont's gym, but also the famous place where Ash's Pikachu made that fateful leap of faith.

But Lucas didn't go sightseeing; after handling his business at the Pokémon Butler Academy, he'd have plenty of time to look around.

For now, he had only one goal: head to Electric Bath Town, home of the academy, and pick out a suitable butler Pokémon.

He left Lumiose, released Dragonite, and used his phone's navigation, setting off for Electric Bath Town.

In his memory, there was no Electric Bath Town in the games; it'd never been mentioned.

But a big region can't have just a few cities—just like in the anime, there are all sorts of towns. Electric Bath is one of them.

Lucas had already read up on Electric Bath Town. As its name suggests, it's very friendly to Electric-type Pokémon.

All over the city, there are publicly accessible charging stations invented by a famous scientist. They emit electric showers that Electric Pokémon find very comfortable.

These showers not only recharge Electric Pokémon, but also relieve their fatigue.

So, the city attracts many Electric Pokémon and their trainers.

Landing outside Electric Bath Town and recalling Dragonite, Lucas carried Alcremie to the city entrance.

As he walked through the streets, he saw charging stations every so often, with trainers letting their Pokémon recharge. Judging by those Pokémon's expressions, it was clearly very pleasant.

Unfortunately, he'd realized too late—otherwise, he'd have brought Luxray to enjoy it.

Lucas sighed and cursed his oversight, asking locals for directions as he made his way to his destination: the Pokémon Butler Academy.

Chapter 204: Pokémon Butler Academy

"This is… impressive."

Lucas raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Academy's front gate. It looked more like a private estate than a school.

A huge, black-painted iron gate blocked the way. Before Lucas could contact anyone, a blue glow surrounded the gate, which slowly opened under mysterious power. A floating Pokémon bowed slightly to him.

This Pokémon looked similar to the one that had come to his farm, but with different details—mostly white with some indigo.

It was a female Meowstic, though Lucas didn't know her relation to the male one.

She was even more elegant than the male, and wrote with psychic power in the air: "Welcome, Mr. Lucas. I'll be guiding your tour of the academy. Please observe the students and make your choice."

Lucas nodded. "Thank you for your guidance."

Geeta had explained the process: since Lucas had passed the academy's review, he could choose any butler Pokémon seeking employment—he'd never face a situation where a Pokémon he liked didn't want the job.

Meowstic gestured for Lucas to follow and turned to lead him inside.

As he glanced at the gate, she wrote in the air: "You must be wondering about my relation to the examiner who visited your farm. He's my brother."

Lucas was surprised—they were siblings.

Inside, a long stone path stretched inward, paved with pebbles and stones. It was comfortable to walk on.

On either side, lush green lawns were meticulously maintained.

After a while, Lucas saw a stunning garden, and finally, some Pokémon.

Beside neatly arranged, unknown plants, a vibrant, elegant pink Pokémon danced gracefully, its red scythe-arms trimming a wild purple-leaf plum into a perfect sphere without missing a beat—an incredible display of skill.

Nearby, by a decorative bridge, a gorgeous Comfey was carefully tending to blooming flowers.

"They're all outstanding students," Meowstic's psychic text explained. "Their skills as butlers are top-tier, and they all pursue their own interests. You can select according to their specialties—gardening, tea ceremony, chess, cooking, repairs, painting, woodworking, bartending, and more."

As they progressed, whenever Lucas looked at a Pokémon, Meowstic provided timely introductions.

Like the Lurantis and Comfey just now, there was a Gallade practicing woodworking, a Froslass elegantly mixing drinks, and a pair of Tsareena practicing massage on each other.

Watching them stomp on each other with their long legs, Lucas gulped—one stomp like that could probably break someone's back.

That's not massage—that's murder.

"Their massage skills are still basic, so they haven't mastered their strength," Meowstic's psychic text assured him.

Lucas nodded, curious. "Is writing human letters with psychic power your and your brother's specialty?"

She paused. "For a competent butler, literacy is basic. How else to communicate clearly or flawlessly complete tasks? All Pokémon who graduate here are among the smartest of their kind—especially us Psychic-types. We can't speak aloud, but after training, we can write letters like this. It's a school secret."

"I see," Lucas nodded, genuinely impressed.

He realized this Academy, which he'd never heard of, was truly top-notch. Every butler Pokémon here was elite.

In the Pokémon world, intelligent Pokémon should be like this—not just battling, but also taking part in every aspect of human life to make the world whole.

Chatting with Pokémon who could truly understand and respond to him was a unique joy. Lucas started sharing a story: "Actually, there are Pokémon who can speak human language."

Meowstic turned, curious. "Telepathy? That's a rare gift. My brother and I can't do it."

"No," Lucas shook his head. "This Pokémon can literally speak using its own voice, conversing fluently with humans."

"Oh? How? I'm very curious."

Meowstic looked amazed—she'd never heard of a Pokémon who could speak without telepathy.

Lucas recounted the tale of a wild Meowth who fell in love with a pet Meowth named Meowzie, concluding: "Since then, that Meowth became unique in the world. It can't use moves that should come naturally, and its battle skills are weak."