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Chapter 32 - Chapter 32. Foggy Forest

Chapter 32. Foggy Forest

At their feet, center-parted stared enviously at Pikachu's tail.

Hugging his little blanket, he toddled over and lifted his own tail toward Natsume.

"Pika pika pi!"

Coach, I want to learn this!

"What are you trying to do?"

Seeing center-parted suddenly stick his rear at him, Natsume thought for a moment, then solemnly lifted his foot.

"Pika—"

Center-parted went flying.

A butt presented—no reason not to kick.

Center-parted stood up clutching his backside, eyes brimming with tears.

Uh-oh, what if his Trainer starts taking the other guy's side?

Behind him, Natsume's voice came one after another:

"To digest the specially formulated steel reagent, your daily exercise has to double, or your joints will stiffen."

Center-parted's ears suddenly perked up.

"Could it be! Is center-parted about to stop being lazy?"

Ash looked at him, full of hope.

"Pi—"

Center-parted pulled his little blanket over himself, offering a gentle refusal.

"Hey, what's with that? Natsume, aren't you going to do something about him?"

Ash pointed at center-parted, clearly perplexed.

"Why would I need to?"

Natsume took the sandwich Brock handed him and looked at Ash, puzzled.

"Uh, because center-parted's way too lazy—slacking off in training and all that…"

Ash wasn't used to Natsume's indifferent attitude.

"I mean, Natsume, aren't you also going to enter the Indigo Plateau Conference?"

Chewing her sandwich, Misty mumbled in agreement.

"As for that, my previous philosophy for raising Pokémon was to go with the flow and respect a Pokémon's nature," Natsume said without turning his head.

"Previous? What about now?" everyone asked, curious.

"Now I've realized that if you do that, the Pokémon you raise will end up both lazy and gluttonous."

"If you already know that, why indulge him like this?" Misty asked, baffled.

"Because I've figured it out."

Natsume took a slow bite of his sandwich and spoke unhurriedly:

"Respecting nature doesn't mean letting things slide.

It means finding a way to draw out latent potential."

Suddenly, Natsume's gaze sharpened, and his whole demeanor shifted from gentle to keen.

"Do you know this?" Natsume said mysteriously:

"Have you ever seen a Magikarp during the period before it evolves into Gyarados?

It curls up in a deep pool for three whole seasons, its scales as dull as gravel."

"Natsume, you mean center-parted is about to get strong?"

"No, Natsume must be saying he's now found the direction of center-parted's potential!"

Unlike Ash and Misty's daily squabbling, Brock seemed to get something out of it; after all, he had studied a lot of Pokémon-raising knowledge on his own.

Compared to laymen, Brock understood better what Natsume was getting at, and he couldn't help asking:

"Natsume, can you tell me center-parted's future training path? I'm really curious."

"At the moment, I can't see any future."

Brock: "…"

"By the way, where are we heading next?"

Suddenly, Misty and Ash stopped arguing and turned to look at Natsume and Brock.

"In terms of what's nearby, Vermilion City is closer."

Brock stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"Great, then let's go to Vermilion City!

A trip aboard the luxury liner S.S. Anne—totally worth the price!"

Longing shone in Misty's eyes.

"Okay, let's head out!"

Wiping his mouth, Ash sprang to his feet, full of energy.

In a certain forest, thick fog blanketed everything.

"Natsume, where did you bring us?"

In the heavy fog, Ash looked around in confusion.

"Sluurp~ No idea.

Anyway, the Rotom Phone's navigation shows there's a school nearby."

Beside him sat a white tablecloth and a little vase—an afternoon tea setup.

Sitting on a chair from who-knows-where, Natsume held a cup of coffee.

"Pi—ka!"

Center-parted copied Natsume's pose, cradling a cup of juice and taking a sip.

"Pika—chu!"

Good stuff—yum!

"It's going to get dark! Aren't you two even a little anxious?" Misty glared at Natsume, fists clenched.

"Being anxious won't help.

Might as well sit and rest properly."

Natsume sat upright in his chair, the picture of ease.

"Ah!!! How can you be like this? Brock has been handling our logistics and he hasn't given up—

Brock, what are you doing?"

At the other end of the table, Brock was also holding a cup of coffee.

He took a sip, a look of rapture appearing on his face:

"Beans from the morning mist atop Mount Coronet in the Sinnoh region."

Sniffing the aroma, Brock's rapture deepened:

"Slow-roasted by volcanic geothermal heat, with a unique smoky mineral profile.

This is rare, quality stuff—absolutely not to be missed!"

"Sounds amazing."

Ash, who had been searching for a path, looked over curiously:

"Natsume, give me and Pikachu a cup too."

"I want one as well."

Hearing Brock's commentary, Misty leaned in curiously.

"Kids should drink less."

Natsume handed each of them a cup of juice.

"Tangerine Float Juice, bottled in the Orange Archipelago…"

Seeing the price label sticker still unpeeled on the cup, Misty's mouth twitched.

"All right, after we drink, what about our dinner?"

"Pika pika—"

After downing his juice in just a few gulps, Ash felt even hungrier.

"No idea.

Since Natsume said we can stay at the school and use the cafeteria, I didn't cook."

Brock cradled his coffee, still deeply enraptured.

"Then where is the school?

Natsume—Natsume, where'd you go?"

Misty suddenly noticed that Natsume at the far end of the table had already vanished, leaving only center-parted staring blankly at the empty seat.

In the fog, lights flickered faintly.

If you got close enough, you could roughly make out that it was a building.

On the top floor, in an office with floor-to-ceiling windows, two figures faced off.

"Natsume, my Pokémon mimicry system broke down a while ago.

I'm afraid I can't lend it out!"

Rising from his office chair, a white-bearded old man stared at the harmless-looking young man opposite him as if facing a great enemy.

"Ding! The fog simulation practicum has concluded.

Next practicum: snow simulation—students, please prepare."

The campus broadcast resounded, and with a blast of wind, the fog cloaking the entire forest suddenly dispersed.

A sprawling campus area appeared clearly before outsiders' eyes.

"Ahem, ahem."

The white-bearded old man coughed twice, and the mood turned a little awkward.

"Don't worry, Dean Jim.

I've left Professor Oak's Laboratory and I'm on a journey."

As Natsume spoke, he helped himself to a handful of coffee beans from the little tin on the desk.

Jim ignored Natsume's small move, eyeing him suspiciously:

"So?

What are you here for?"

"I—"

Before Natsume could finish, Jim cut him off:

"No lending to students.

No lending of facilities.

Most importantly, no lending of Pokémon!"

Thinking this still wasn't comprehensive, Jim added:

"Even with paperwork from Professor Oak and the League—no!"

"Don't be so tense, Dean Jim."

Natsume pulled out a chair and sat down.

"I'm just passing through.

No place to sleep.

No place to eat.

My stomach's growling."

Natsume looked utterly pitiful.

"Really?"

Perhaps thanks to many past negative experiences, Dean Jim still maintained a skeptical attitude.

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