Chapter 156: Please Take Care of Me from Now On
The night sky was cool and clear, the Milky Way stretching across the heavens. The gentle breeze stilled, leaving only the soft sounds of the world.
Lu Ye felt a stir in his heart as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Eevee…"
A pair of azure eyes, as vast as the sky, reflected the starlight.
Delicate, ribbon-like feelers extended from a bow on the Pokémon's neck, wrapping tightly around Lu Ye's arm. The little creature turned its head bashfully, its pinkish ears twitching slightly as its snowy fur swayed in the breeze.
"A Sylveon," Cynthia said softly.
Lu Ye hadn't expected Eevee to evolve in such a setting. Upon reflection, though, Jirachi's departure must have deeply moved the little one, and its use of the Fairy-type move Baby-Doll Eyes fulfilled the evolution requirements.
Even the ribbon bandages he had once used to treat its wounds might have left a lasting impression.
"Works for me," Lu Ye said with a smile, gently stroking the Pokémon's head. Its fur was surprisingly silky. "After all, daughters are bound to grow up someday."
"Eevee…" Sylveon squinted contentedly, nuzzling into Lu Ye's palm.
Jirachi's departure, coupled with Eevee's evolution, left Lu Ye feeling a bittersweet sense of loss. But regardless of how it evolved, the bond they shared remained unchanged.
That was Lu Ye's guiding principle when it came to interacting with Pokémon.
"Sylveon is quite rare," Steven said with a smile. "Only an Eevee with a deep bond of trust with its trainer can evolve into one. It must really trust you, Teacher Lu."
Lu Ye blinked and glanced down at the little one.
Sylveon puffed its cheeks and turned its head away, but the feelers on its neck remained tightly wrapped around his arm.
Lu Ye chuckled softly. This little one was as much of a tsundere as ever.
Cynthia reached out to stroke Garchomp, smiling warmly. "Meeting and bonding with Pokémon is truly a wonderful thing."
"Roar…" Garchomp lowered its head affectionately, closing its eyes.
"I knew it!" Ruby whispered excitedly. "Teacher Lu has to be a Coordinator!"
"Don't ruin the mood, you idiot!" Sapphire snapped, wiping tears from her eyes before leaping at Ruby, who caught her in his arms.
"For now, let's not disturb them." Ruby nodded solemnly. "Bonds and trust… I think that's the secret to Teacher Lu's strength."
Sapphire, eyes still teary, nodded in agreement.
Lu Ye held Sylveon in his arms, his thoughts wandering. I'll have to get used to this. No more perching Eevee on my shoulder.
But then he considered Sylveon's long, slender limbs and thought, Couldn't it double as a scarf around my neck?
Studying the little one, Lu Ye nodded thoughtfully. "That might actually work…"
"Eevee?" Sylveon tilted its head, blinking its bright blue eyes in confusion.
"Gengarrr!" Gastly and Squirtle popped out of their Poké Balls, circling Sylveon and gawking in amazement.
Sylveon shot them an icy glare, and they froze, trembling. Even though it was now more elegant, its temper hadn't mellowed one bit!
Having evolved, Sylveon had learned the Fairy-type move Disarming Voice. Along with Baby-Doll Eyes and Charm, it now knew three Fairy-type moves. However, thanks to its Pixilate ability, Normal-type moves like Quick Attack were now stronger than Disarming Voice.
Lu Ye scratched his chin. It feels like my Pokémon's EVs are all over the place… Oh well, as long as it looks good!
As a gentle breeze swept by, Lu Ye gazed at Sylveon's pink feelers and smiled.
"In any case, please take care of me from now on, Eevee!"
Sylveon tilted its head before flashing a sweet smile. "Eevee!"
Unable to resist, Lu Ye ruffled its snowy fur and murmured, "Yep, real men raise Sylveon!"
"Eevee! (#｀皿´)"
"Speaking of which, don't you think it's time to untie the feelers from my arm?"
"Eevee! o(´^｀)o"
Under the vast night sky, Jirachi disappeared with the comet, leaving behind a galaxy of stars.
Lu Ye reclined on the grass, cradling Sylveon, while Gastly floated above and Squirtle peeked out of its shell. Steven and the others followed suit, lying on the ground to stargaze.
"That's the Ursaring and Teddiursa constellation, also known as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor," Steven explained.
"And that one is the Milotic constellation, or Hydra…"
"Is there a Jirachi constellation, Mr. Steven?" Sapphire asked.
"Jirachi…" Steven mused, glancing at the sky just as a star twinkled briefly. He smiled softly. "That one, perhaps."
[Achievement Unlocked: "The Seven Nights' Wishing Star"]
[Reward: Wishing Star and Jirachi's Wish Tag (commemorative item)]
Though the wish tag no longer held any power, it served as a precious memento of their journey.
The Galar region's Dynamax Bands were crafted from Wishing Stars, which were fragments of Eternatus. The Wishing Star in Lu Ye's system seemed to be linked to Jirachi. It might also be used to craft a Dynamax Band, though that was of little relevance to him for now.
Toying with the Wishing Star, Lu Ye muttered, "Meteorites in the Pokémon world sure are fascinating… Eternatus, Jirachi, Deoxys—they're practically a mahjong table waiting to happen!"
As for the [James's Collection] item, Lu Ye had surprisingly struck gold, pulling a Luxury Ball.
The black-and-gold Luxury Ball was matte and heavy in his hand, capable of increasing a Pokémon's friendliness when caught. It could also fetch a high price…
Lu Ye's expression turned skeptical. "This thing wasn't stolen from James's stash, was it?"
[System items are projections. Rest assured, they're safe to use.]
Lu Ye froze. Great. My system is secretly from the Emiya family, projecting items like a pro.
Still, the Luxury Ball was beautifully crafted. After admiring it for a moment, he returned it to his system's inventory.
With everything wrapped up, Cynthia mounted Garchomp with a smile. "That was a delightful trip, Teacher Lu."
"As long as you were happy," Lu Ye replied.
"Oh, by the way, since you're interested in Sinnoh mythology, there's an academic conference next month in Sootopolis City. Would you like to attend?" Cynthia asked with a playful glint in her eye.
Lu Ye hesitated. That was just idle talk. I can't even read academic papers!
But after stroking his chin, he thought, If I don't speak, no one will know I'm clueless!
He cleared his throat. "Of course, I'll be there."
Cynthia nodded with a smile and called out, "Let's go, Glaceon!"
Glaceon hesitated, casting a longing glance at Sylveon before sneaking a lick on Sylveon's neck.
"Eevee?!" Sylveon turned bright red, puffing its cheeks indignantly.
Satisfied, Glaceon licked its paw and returned to its Poké Ball in a flash of red light.
"Eevee! (╬◣д◢)"
Steven climbed aboard his shimmering silver Metagross, which hovered effortlessly, jets of air propelling it upward. "See you next time, Teacher Lu," he said with a smile.
Ruby and Sapphire prepared to leave but stopped when Lu Ye called out, "Um… can Tropius give me another ride down?"
He coughed awkwardly. "I still don't have a Flying-type Pokémon…"
The couple exchanged a glance, their expressions full of admiration. Only Teacher Lu would start with Dragon-types for his rides!
[Inorin Note:
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