Chapter 152

"Yes?" Ruby closed his eyes. "But I didn't hear it."

Steven stood up and gazed at Sapphire intently. "Are you certain you heard the sound, Sapphire?"

"I... I'm not entirely sure," Sapphire admitted, scratching his head. "It was like it came from the Meteorite... but it disappeared almost instantly."

Luke got to his feet, brushed back his damp hair, and said resignedly, "If it's true, then it might be Jirachi's telepathy."

"Jirachi responds to innocent people and awakens when the comet descends... so, if I'm not mistaken, this should be the genuine Meteorite," Steven remarked, nodding slightly.

"Hey, why just Sapphire?" Ruby asked in surprise.

Sapphire's forehead creased as he clenched his fist. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ruby, blushing with embarrassment, waved his hands frantically. "I just meant... Jirachi must have excellent judgment!"

"In any case," Steven interjected thoughtfully, "Sapphire, hold onto this stone for now and keep an eye on the situation."

"Alright!" Sapphire nodded.

"By the way, Teacher Luke, you could use Blaziken's flames to dry your clothes!"

"Really, please."

"Childish," Sapphire affectionately referred to Blaziken, "is a handy Fire-type Pokémon to have when camping."

Luke changed into fresh clothing and mused, "Perhaps I should get a Fire-type Pokémon too?"

But after contemplating it, he realized the risk of accidentally setting the tent on fire was too high.

Luke's expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed, "It's impossible for me to catch a Fire-type Pokémon in this lifetime!"

...

Outside the tent, Sapphire sat on a large rock, holding the Meteorite and swinging his legs.

"Teacher Luke seems to know Jirachi quite well," Ruby remarked as he lay next to Sapphire, using his arms as a pillow.

"It seems like Masters and Champions are all quite knowledgeable," Sapphire noted with a smile.

"Don't you know Celebi well?" Ruby asked.

Gazing up at the fading evening sky, Ruby smiled and replied, "I hope Celebi can lead a happy life."

"The ringing is starting again," Sapphire whispered. "It's coming from the Meteorite."

"I still didn't hear it," Ruby confessed, scratching his head and blushing with embarrassment. "Could it be that I'm no longer pure?"

Sapphire playfully pushed Ruby away. "Get lost!"

Ruby grinned. "If I go, I'll just end up following you!"

...

As the night grew late, Luke, observing the young couple's antics, sighed and cast his Fishing Rod into the stream.

"Why?"

He had prepared for tomorrow morning, but he was still treated to a taste of lovey-dovey moments!

Steven, equally bemused, abandoned his own Fishing Rod and said, "You're quite skilled at fishing, Teacher Luke."

"It's nothing," Luke replied nonchalantly.

[Fishing Lv3 (34/100)]

"Splash..."

The water's surface was disturbed as the fishing proficiency made a significant leap.

A cream-colored Pokémon resembling a graceful water serpent emerged, its cherry-colored streamers gracefully fluttering as it broke the surface.

"Milotic?" Luke was taken aback.

"Ah, that's Ruby's Milotic, just frolicking in the water," Steven explained with a faint smile.

"Fur!" Milotic fixed its gaze on Luke and flashed a sweet smile.

"Hello," Luke greeted and tossed a Pokéblock onto the water.

Milotic displayed a graceful dance, gracefully catching the Pokéblock and splashing crystal-clear water around.

Five minutes passed.

"Is Milotic coming again?"

Another five minutes.

"Still here?"

Five minutes later.

Luke took a deep breath, raised his Fishing Rod, and his expression shifted slightly. "I'm really out of bait! Please, no more bites!"

"Fur!" Milotic playfully wagged its tail, offering a shy smile.

...

"Whoa!" Blaziken breathed out a burst of fire, lighting up the campfire with an orange-yellow glow.

The sky hung low, dark clouds looming, and starlight was scarce.

"Do you think there will really be a meteor shower?" Sapphire, clutching the stone, asked with a hint of concern.

"Just be patient a little while longer," Steven reassured.

Sitting by the campfire, Steven had his suit jacket draped over his arms, and the campfire's glow cast an orange hue on his light blue hair.

"Jirachi took its time recovering for seven days," Ruby remarked as he sat nearby, wearing glasses and carefully sewing wool around the campfire.

"For Sapphire?" Steven took a sip of tea.

"Yes... I came to make her some headscarves," Ruby nodded. "Her hands and fingers are clumsy, so she can't learn needlework..."

Steven  grinned, showing his tiger-like teeth. He had wanted to tease Ruby, but in the end, he simply sipped his tea in silence.

Over the campfire, a pot of steaming curry was cooking.

Luke took out a Cheri Berry and squeezed a few drops into the pot to add some spiciness, then nodded in satisfaction. "It's ready."

"It looks amazing!" Sapphire's eyes sparkled.

Ruby, swallowing hard, exclaimed, "This is Charizard-level curry!"

Suddenly, everyone turned to look as Steven poured a second spoonful of curry into his bowl.

Ruby's eyebrow twitched. "You could have shown a little restraint, Mr. Steven!"

"Yum! This is delicious!" Sapphire exclaimed with his mouth full. "Ruby, you have to try it!"

Ruby, having just tasted the curry, couldn't help but shed a tear. "Finally, I don't have to eat Sapphire's cooking anymore!"

Luke shook his head with amusement. In the system list, his cooking skill had been upgraded by 1 Level, and the effectiveness of his medicines had become more potent.

[Cooking Lv4: Significantly improves your cooking skills, including knife skills, ingredient selection, fire control, and more. (What? You're turning out to be quite the chef!)]

...

The campfire illuminated the faces of the group.

Luke got up to feed the Pokémon, but Ruby was taken aback after just a few steps.

"Mimi! Why are you with Teacher Luke?" Ruby exclaimed.

"Fur?" Milotic shook its cherry-like tassels and lowered its head bashfully.

Not only Ruby's Milotic but also Sapphire's Tropius and Blaziken, along with Steven's Royal Flash Metagross...

All the Pokémon gathered around Teacher Luke.

Luke stood beneath the moonlight and spoke solemnly, "One person, one piece, no one gets more!"

Even the powerful silver-white Metagross bowed its head and lined up obediently.

"Jie jie~!" Haunter, with its mouth full of Pokéblock, floated up and down the line, earning envious glances.

Ruby was dumbfounded. Even Mr. Steven's Metagross had submitted to Teacher Luke's authority?

Upon closer inspection, Ruby's pupils contracted slightly.

Though it was just a basic Oran Berry Pokéblock, in Teacher Luke's hands, it looked like a crystal-clear, nearly transparent gem.

Such quality was completely beyond Ruby's capabilities. Even Master Wallace might not be able to make a more perfect Pokéblock...

"Teacher Luke..." Ruby swallowed hard and stammered, "You call this... ordinary Pokéblock?"

"Huh? Are you talking about this?" Luke was slightly surprised and handed the Oran Berry Pokéblock to Eevee on his shoulder.

"Vui~!" Eevee turned away, looking uninterested.

Luke scratched his head. "Isn't it just a matter of technique?"

Nani?!

It felt like ten thousand Rapidash were galloping through Ruby's heart.

Ruby widened his eyes.

...

"It appears there won't be any meteor shower tonight," Sapphire said with a sigh, holding the Meteorite against his knees.

Ruby returned to sit beside Sapphire with an odd expression. "Teacher Luke is quite the Coordinator Champion, huh?"

"And he's not just a ordinary Breeder either. Also his cooking is fantastic..." Sapphire mused.

"Then, could he also be on par with Mr. Lance at battle?" The Silly Couple was silent for a moment before sighing in unison, "That would be incredible..."

Meanwhile, Steven gazed at the thick dark clouds and sighed. "It's not a coincidence."

"In weather like this, even if Jirachi has fully recovered, it won't be able to reach the stars..." Luke commented, untroubled by the absence of the meteor shower.

Cynthia might not be able to make it tonight, he thought.

"By the way, Teacher Luke, did you send your location to Cynthia?" Steven inquired.

"Yes, but the signal here isn't great, so it might not be very accurate," Luke replied.

"That's fine." Steven smiled slightly. "I've already sent her the exact latitude and longitude coordinates."

"Really?" Luke was slightly surprised. Pokémon World's mobile phones seemed quite advanced, with precise location-sharing capabilities.

Luke contemplated for a moment. "By the way, Mr. Steven, do you happen to know the price of a Rotom?"

"It's probably over three million Pokédollars. Although Rotom Pokédex can be mass-produced now, it's still quite rare," Steven explained.

Luke was left speechless. In the TV series, Professor Oak (Alola form) had given Ash a Rotom Pokédex for free...

It seemed that being a direct member of the Pokémon League had its perks.

At that price, Luke thought, he might be able to afford one someday...

Suddenly, Luke's phone vibrated.

[100 Kinds of Ice Cream: I'm almost there.]

Luke's eyes widened. Almost here?

He quickly turned his gaze to the sky beyond the rocky peak.

The sky was shrouded in thick, dark clouds, with no hint of light. However, at the farthest visible point...

A Garchomp pierced through the heavy cloud cover, and moonlight poured down through the gaps.

Atop the Garchomp stood a blonde woman, as if she were walking in the moonlight.