Coming out of the cave, Cole found himself facing a lush green meadow. At its far end stood a large tree with a wooden cabin beside it.
'That must be Mabel's place.' He thought, "Heliolisk, Brionne, let's go!"
He rushed toward the cabin with his two Pokémon.
As he approached, Cole discovered several flower beds adorning the front, filled with both vibrant and delicate blooms.
In the midst of the garden stood a beautiful Lurantis, watering the plants with graceful movements. The occasional aura it released revealed its extraordinary power.
Lurantis noticed Cole and his companions, greeting them with a friendly wave.
"Lura~" — Hello there, young man.
"Hello, I'd like to see Mabel." Cole said.
"Lura~" — Oh, I see. Please wait a moment.
Lurantis nodded politely, then turned and called out.
Under the distant tree, an elderly lady dozed in a lounge chair. Next to her, a Slurpuff napped in a smaller chair, their peaceful expressions mirror images of each other.
At Lurantis's call, Mabel slowly opened her eyes, squinted at the boy, and beckoned him over.
Cole quickly ran over with his two Pokémon.
"Young man, I see you defeated Noivern. Not bad at all." Mabel said with a smile.
She had deliberately placed the Noivern and Zubat there to test visitors — both to deter those who overestimated themselves and to gauge the strength of potential disciples.
"Mabel, I'm Cole Sage, I came to..."
Just as Cole was about to state his purpose, she interrupted him.
"Cole, is it?" Mabel glanced at the sky, "After crossing those mountains to get here, you must be hungry. I haven't had lunch either — let's eat together."
She rose from her chair and gently nudged the sleeping Slurpuff.
"Puff?"
Slurpuff sat up with a confused expression. That's when Cole noticed the Mega Stone tied in its hair — he had initially mistaken it for a simple decorative gem.
"Come now, how long are you going to sleep?" Mabel patted its head.
"Puff... Puff..." — But you were sleeping with me!
Slurpuff grumbled while rubbing its eyes.
"Young man, come along." Mabel beckoned to Cole.
Cole had no choice but to follow her inside. Though modest in size, the house was adorned with elegant decorations that conveyed a timeless beauty.
To his surprise, Mabel did her own cooking.
Cole quickly offered, "Let me help too."
"Sure." Mabel smiled kindly, "You're a good young man."
He smiled shyly and released his Hatterene to assist, knowing it was more capable than him at such tasks.
Mabel gave Hatterene an appraising look. While she allowed their help, she remained firmly in charge of the cooking.
Despite her age, she moved with nimble efficiency. Her cooking skills were remarkable, and soon delicious aromas wafted through the kitchen.
Several times Cole attempted to bring up his reason for visiting, but Mabel skillfully deflected each attempt. Now he understood why Nurse Joy had called her difficult to talk to, even though she maintained a gentle manner, warm smile, and unfailing politeness.
Mabel prepared a modest but sufficient meal. When the food was set on the table, Cole ate in uncomfortable silence.
During the meal, the elderly woman barely touched her food, watching Cole intently as he finished everything on his plate.
Despite the excellent cooking, he could hardly taste anything.
After Slurpuff cleared away the dishes, Cole attempted once more, "Mabel, I..."
But she cut him off again.
"Young Cole, where are you from?"
"I'm from Coumarine City."
"Coumarine? That's not too far." Mabel nodded.
After being interrupted so many times, Cole suspected she had no interest in helping him — or even hearing his request. His shoulders slumped in disappointment.
Noticing his dejected expression, Mabel stood up, "Now that we've finished lunch, let's do some activity."
Cole wondered what she had in mind. It turned out to be flower arranging. Mabel led him to the flower room, where Lurantis was bringing in fresh flowers and plants.
"Young man, release all your Pokémon too, let everyone join in."
Cole nodded and released Heliolisk, Brionne, Carbink, Larvitar, Chikorita, Hatterene, and the Spurr siblings. Captain Talonflame, being too large for the flower room, had to remain in its Poké Ball.
Mabel examined his Pokémon with an approving nod. They all looked healthy.
"Let's begin then. You can use any flowers here, and if you need more, ask Lurantis."
Everyone nodded, and the flower arranging began.
Two hours flew by as everyone completed their arrangements.
Mabel, a true master of the craft, created an arrangement that resembled a piece of fine art.
On Cole's side, Larvitar and Carbink showed their complete lack of artistic sense, haphazardly combining bright flowers in an indescribable way. The pair retreated to a corner, giggling at their own creation.
Brionne started with enthusiasm but quickly lost patience, resulting in a messy, unappealing arrangement.
Chikorita and Heliolisk's creations were mediocre — while not particularly artistic, they weren't outright eyesores either.
Hatterene, working alongside the Spurr siblings, demonstrated the finest aesthetic sense. Yet despite its beautiful arrangement, Cole noticed it was merely mimicking Mabel's style without any genuine creative spirit. Mabel evidently noticed this too, shaking her head with disappointment.
Cole's own arrangement fell somewhere between the efforts of Chikorita, Heliolisk, and Brionne — neither impressive nor terrible.
"Ah~" Mabel sighed as they finished, "Young man, you should return home. Though I don't know your purpose in coming here, I cannot help you."
"Mabel..."
Cole attempted to speak, but she silenced him with a raised hand.
Just then, Nurse Joy's final hint flashed in his mind.
"Mabel, are you seeking a worthy disciple?"
Mabel's eyes widened in surprise.
"Young man, how did you learn of this?" Though her residence on Pomace Mountain wasn't secret, few knew of her search for a disciple.
Cole replied truthfully, "Nurse Joy told me."
Understanding crossed Mabel's face as she thought of that old Joy — everything now made sense.
"Was the flower arranging part of your test?" Cole asked.
"Indeed it was." Mabel nodded.
"Can you really assess my talent through flower arranging alone?" Cole challenged.
"Of course not." Mabel replied, "But talent isn't everything in becoming a trainer. The process of flower arranging reveals much about a person. While I may not know your full potential as a trainer, I can see you're not the right fit to be my disciple!"
Cole was stunned. He grasped Mabel's meaning — she wasn't necessarily seeking the most talented disciple, but rather one whose nature aligned with her own.
Missing the chance to become a Champion's disciple was certainly regrettable.
After a moment of silence, he looked at her and said, "If I can help you find a worthy disciple, would you help me?"
Mabel was taken aback, then broke into a bright smile, "If you can help me find a disciple, I'll agree to any condition, as long as it's within my power and doesn't violate ethics or League laws."
Cole said firmly, "Then it's a deal."
"It's a deal." Mabel couldn't help but wonder what surprises he might bring her.
"Then I'll take my leave for today." Cole stood to bid farewell.
Mabel nodded, "Alright, Lurantis, please see young Cole out."
With Lurantis as escort, he safely passed through the cave.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
On the way back to Shalour, Hatterene looked guilty.
"Hatte~ Hatte~" — I'm sorry, boss, it's because of me that you had to go through all this trouble.
Cole patted it reassuringly, "What are you saying? Aren't you my partner? I'll definitely find a way to heal you."
The Spurr siblings also kept comforting it, saying that no matter what, they would stay by its side. Hatterene was deeply moved, its eyes filling with tears as it looked at Cole and the two little ones.
Back in Shalour, Cole found an inn to stay temporarily and began thinking about what kind of disciple to find for Mabel.
The first person he thought of was Diantha — she would be the future Champion of the Kalos region. Wasn't Mabel looking for a successor? Who could be more suitable than Diantha?
At this thought, Cole became excited and immediately called her.
[Hello, oh it's Cole! You already knew? Did Lysandre tell you?]
Diantha's cheerful voice came through the phone, though her words left him confused.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
[Eh?] Diantha was also surprised, [Um... weren't you calling because you knew I was going to Cyllage?]
Cole's face lit up at this news — Diantha was coming to Cyllage? This couldn't be more perfect!
It turned out Lysandre's company had invested in a movie starring Diantha as the lead actress. The filming was set in Cyllage, and she had planned to surprise Cole with a visit.
When he called just now, Diantha had assumed Lysandre had told him about her plans, but it was purely coincidental.
"No, I'm calling about something else..."
Cole told Diantha about Mabel's search for a disciple and asked if she would be interested.
Upon hearing this, Diantha let out a series of excited screams.
[Ahhh!!! Cole, are you serious? Champion Mabel wants to take on a disciple?]
Cole replied, "Of course it's true. I just came back from Mabel's place today — I failed her test."
[I got it, wait for me in Shalour, I'm coming right over. You must wait for me!]
"So you agree?" Cole asked.
[Of course! Why would I pass up such a rare opportunity? You know what? Champion Mabel is the person I admire most — becoming her disciple would be a dream come true.]
The usually composed Diantha could barely contain her excitement.
Seeing her agree, Cole felt relieved. Though becoming Mabel's disciple was an incredible opportunity, he had worried Diantha might not be interested.
Since Mabel was her idol, this couldn't be more perfect.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
Diantha was already near Cyllage, and after receiving his call, she immediately switched to an express flyer, arriving in Shalour the next afternoon to meet Cole.
To participate in this test, Diantha requested leave from the film crew. Since Lysandre was the movie's primary investor, his word was all it took for them to approve.
At this time, Diantha was still just a teenage girl, not yet the famous star she would become. Though she already had some recognition, without Lysandre's influence, getting permission from the film crew would have been difficult.
When she met up with Cole, her excitement was palpable — she wanted to head straight to take the test.
Though he was also anxious — each day of delay was costing him money — he advised her: "You're going to meet your idol. You should freshen up first rather than arrive looking travel-worn."
Knowing how particular Mabel was, Cole worried that arriving disheveled might create a poor first impression.
Time spent sharpening the axe is not wasted in chopping wood — proper preparation was not just practical but a matter of respect.
Fortunately, Diantha heeded his advice and took time to freshen up at his inn before they set out together.
✲✲✲
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