"J-Just ordinary?"
Ruby was taken aback, carefully examining Eevee before muttering to himself, "That doesn't make sense… Could it be some other Coordination technique?"
"Alright, stop standing around like an idiot!"
Sapphire smacked Ruby on the back of his head, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Go help Natsume-sensei with the luggage!"
"Ouch! That hurts! Why don't you go?"
"I'm a girl!"
"Since when do girls wrestle Donphan with their bare hands?!"
As the couple started bickering again, Steven shook his head helplessly and turned to Natsume. "Natsume-sensei, there's one more thing I'd like to trouble you with during this trip."
Natsume was deep in thought.
Ruby, you're one to talk—weren't you the one who chased off a Salamence at the age of five?!
"Of course, go ahead," Natsume replied, snapping out of his thoughts with a smile. "It's not about Jirachi, is it?"
While the comet was indeed related to Jirachi, not every comet could summon a mythical Pokémon. What were the odds…
"You already know about it?"
Steven's calm, light-blue eyes showed a flicker of surprise before he smiled.
"I suppose… there's no hiding anything from Natsume-sensei."
Natsume: ???
"Natsume-sensei, have you encountered Jirachi before?" Sapphire crouched down, whispering in surprise.
"Huh… Isn't that normal?" Ruby sighed. "He's the Champion of Touran, after all!"
"But… isn't Touran's Champion named Keisuke?"
"It's perfectly normal for a region to have multiple Champions," Ruby explained, wagging his finger. "Hoenn has both Master and Senior Steven, right?"
"I see," Sapphire nodded thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, Natsume-sensei tried his best to maintain a calm demeanor, licking his lips. "R-Really? Jirachi?"
"It's just a guess."
Steven said, "If it really is Jirachi's meteorite, my goal is to safely return it to the stars."
Natsume stroked his chin.
With Steven around, there shouldn't be any unexpected incidents.
Plus, Cynthia might show up later.
"Where's the meteorite? Can I take a look?"
Steven nodded, pulling out a Poké Ball. A red light flickered.
A one-eyed Beldum, its claws gripping a rugged meteorite, handed the stone to Steven.
"You can try sensing it," Steven said, passing the meteorite to Natsume. "Perhaps you can awaken it."
Natsume was slightly stunned.
Jirachi, a legendary Pokémon that awakens once every thousand years, can only be roused by a pure heart and song…
This should be a piece of cake, right?
Natsume took the stone, but when the meteorite showed no reaction, he couldn't help but frown.
"This thing must be fake!"
If even someone as pure-hearted as me can't awaken it, how could this possibly be Jirachi?!
Steven chuckled. "It might just not be the right time yet."
From behind, Sapphire called out, "Mr. Steven, Natsume-sensei! Let's go camping!"
"Tororo found a great spot nearby. We can fly there!"
"Tororo?" Natsume was puzzled. "What Pokémon's nickname is that?"
Before he could finish, a long, melodious cry echoed through the mountains.
From the distant rocky peaks, a Tropius flapped its massive wings, cutting through the sea of clouds.
The strong winds blew fiercely as Tropius slowly landed, lowering its long neck to nuzzle Sapphire affectionately.
"Haunter?"
Haunter's eyes lit up as it floated under Tropius's neck and stealthily plucked a bunch of bananas.
Everyone: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
"Haunter! (￣～￣)"
Haunter munched on a banana, handing one to Natsume.
"Oh, thanks."
Natsume took it, peeled it, and took a couple of bites before realizing something was off.
"Go apologize, Haunter!"
Haunter suddenly understood, plucking two more bunches of bananas and handing them to Ruby and Steven…
"Tropius…" Tropius lay on the ground meekly, tears welling up in its eyes, too scared to speak.
Sapphire laughed, patting Tropius's head. "It's fine! I love eating Tororo's fruit too!"
Steven handed the banana back to Haunter, smiling. "Let's go. We'll set up camp first."
"Haunter! (*⊙~⊙)"
...
This was Natsume-sensei's first time riding a Flying Pokémon.
The wind rushed past them, and even though Tropius's wings blocked most of it, it was still hard to keep his eyes open.
"Natsume-sensei! We're almost there!"
Ruby, wearing goggles and holding onto Tropius's long neck, turned to shout but suddenly froze.
Natsume was wearing sunglasses, lying flat on Tropius's back in a streamlined position, calmly gazing ahead.
"This reduces wind resistance, dummy!"
Sapphire mimicked Natsume-sensei's posture, shouting, "Watch out for that Pidgeotto up ahead!"
Ruby tilted his head, easily dodging the speeding Pidgeotto, though a drop of cold sweat still rolled down his forehead.
Natsume-sensei is truly a professional!
Steven, who had been standing, saw the three of them lying down and bent over as well.
"What are you all doing?" Steven asked curiously.
"Copying Natsume-sensei," the dumb couple said in unison.
Steven nodded, still a bit confused.
Then what is Natsume-sensei doing?
...
Tropius landed on the rocky peak, carrying everyone.
Nearby was a broadleaf forest where Sentret and Mankey scurried about, and not far away was a clear stream.
Tropius folded its wings and approached the stream to drink, while Sapphire jumped down from its back, cheering.
"We're here!"
Natsume, still wearing his sunglasses, stepped onto the gravel, his legs wobbling slightly but managing to stay upright.
How can anyone stand flying on these terrifying things?!
Natsume took a deep breath and made a solemn vow.
I must install guardrails on Flying Pokémon saddles in the future!
Steven: "Natsume-sensei, are you okay?"
"I'm fine… It's just my first time riding something like this."
Steven nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder he was lying flat.
It seems Natsume-sensei's usual mounts are high-speed Pokémon like Aerodactyl or Salamence.
"I'll set up the tent!" Sapphire volunteered.
"Ruby, go scout the area!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Ruby said, standing up reluctantly.
The tent was set up quickly, with Sapphire's Blaziken helping out.
Natsume looked away, stroking his chin as he glanced at the meteorite in Steven's hand. "What if it's fake?"
"That's fine too."
Steven smiled. "Either way, this is a relaxing and enjoyable journey."
Natsume nodded.
The original purpose of this trip was just to have fun. Jirachi was just an unexpected side quest…
...
As dusk approached, the setting sun cast a golden glow over the shimmering water, and the sea of clouds burned a fiery red.
Eevee, perched on Natsume's shoulder, swayed its tail, gradually dozing off.
Squirtle was practicing moves in the stream.
Haunter was busy plucking fruit from Tropius…
"Haunter!" Haunter held a pile of fruit, nodding in satisfaction.
Tropius, tears in its eyes, remembered its Trainer's instructions and dared not complain.
Natsume lay on the cool gravel, resting his head on his arm, gazing at the sky.
Steven sat nearby, holding the meteorite and staring at it for a long time before smiling. "If it wakes up now, it might even make it in time for dinner."
"I'll handle dinner."
Natsume smiled. "I'm quite skilled at cooking."
Steven nodded, pulling a harmonica from his suit pocket.
A beam of red light shot out from a Poké Ball.
A majestic, silver Metagross appeared, allowing the blue-haired man to lean against it as it slowly closed its crimson eyes.
Steven leaned against Metagross, closed his eyes, and began to play the harmonica.
The melodious music filled the air as the dusk deepened. Suddenly, a towering water column erupted from the stream.
"Squirtle!"
A boulder in the stream shattered, and Squirtle struck a proud bodybuilder pose.
At the same time, the entire stream's water swirled into a vortex.
Aqua Tail, mastered!
The falling water droplets splashed down like a heavy rain.
Natsume brushed his wet bangs aside, his expression complicated.
Steven, who had dodged in time, looked concerned. "Are you okay, Natsume-sensei?"
"Squirtle!" Natsume gritted his teeth.
"Squirtle! (≧ω≦)/" Squirtle happily raised its little paw.
Natsume, no need to get too excited. This is just my duty!
Sapphire sat on a rock, swinging her legs and smiling as she watched the scene. "Natsume-sensei and his Pokémon have such a great bond."
Suddenly, Sapphire paused.
"Mr. Steven!" she called out.
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