Chapter 69: Living Together Again

On the outskirts of Grampa Canyon, Gary stood with his hands on his hips, incredulously questioning his situation.

"I, Gary Oak, the direct grandson of Professor Oak, an honorary professor at Celadon University, a genius scholar of the Indigo League, and the discoverer of the ancient Pokémon in Grampa Canyon—am banned from entry?"

Gary was shocked; how could he be locked out?

"Sorry, but according to the league's precise instructions, you must wait for Elite Four member Lorelei to lead the team before entering Grampa Canyon. The entire canyon is currently under lockdown," Officer Jenny stated firmly.

"Well… okay." With no anger left after Jenny's reprimand, Gary had no choice but to settle down at the nearby Pokémon Center.

Fortunately, as a famous canyon park, the infrastructure around here was quite good; otherwise, Gary would have had to pitch a tent and camp out.

Lying on the bed in the Pokémon Center, Gary stared blankly at the ceiling. Eevee lay beside him, licking its evolution core and getting more excited...

It had been a while since he last saw Lorelei; he wondered how she was doing.

"Hey! Your grandfather is calling you! Your grandfather is calling you! Answer the phone!" The ringtone from his pocket interrupted his thoughts.

Gary's mouth twitched; his grandpa was too playful...

"Hello… Grandpa, where did you get that ringtone? It's too childish," he immediately teased upon answering.

"Ha ha! Isn't it great? I recorded it when I was in Johto recently. A little girl named Hutao helped me with it. It's simple and clear—one listen and you know it's me calling!" Professor Oak replied with interest.

"Why did you suddenly think of calling me?" Gary asked curiously.

"Well, since you made a discovery in Grampa Canyon, the league is taking it very seriously and has organized a research team. I'm the captain," Professor Oak chuckled.

"Wait? So you guys are coming too?" Gary frowned slightly.

"Not exactly; we're mainly providing technical support from the outside. We'll only enter once you and the Elite Four confirm what's inside," Professor Oak explained.

"Oh~ that's good." Gary nodded. If a bunch of scholars saw him chasing after fossils like Kabuto, they might just have a heart attack…

"Anyway, that's how it is. You do well, and once I meet up with the research team from Pewter City, we'll join you," Professor Oak instructed.

"Alright, Grandpa. Don't worry; I'll hang up now." After ending the call, Gary shook his head. It seemed this opportunity was rare; he needed to have a good discussion with Lorelei!

Ding-dong~ Just as he thought about it, a message popped up on his phone.

(Gary, I'm almost at Grampa Canyon. Are you coming to pick me up?)

The text came with a location...

With a sudden burst of energy, Gary jumped out of bed. "Let's go, Eevee! We're going to pick up Lorelei!"

Eevee, who had been fiddling with its evolution core, nodded excitedly, stowing it away before jumping onto Gary's shoulder.

After fixing his hair in front of the mirror, Gary patted himself on the shoulder. "You really are something else, Gary—so damn handsome!"

Wearing a black high-collared T-shirt paired with purple pants and white high-top sneakers along with a white windbreaker made him look mature and tall.

"Now I look like I'm eighteen!" Satisfied with his outfit, he finally stepped out holding Eevee.

At the rest area of Grampa Canyon's toll booth, Gary sat on a bench holding Eevee.

Before long, a stretched limousine drove up.

The door opened, and down stepped the ice queen with red hair—Lorelei.

Still wearing her classic half-frame glasses and black OL uniform paired with sharp high heels that complemented her perfectly proportioned long legs—her aura radiated cold elegance!

"Lorelei! Long time no see." Gary smiled as he approached her.

As their eyes met, Lorelei instantly melted from her icy demeanor into warmth. "Yeah~ To be precise, it's been one month and thirteen days."

"Uh… it really has been a while." Gary scratched his head; he didn't expect her to remember so precisely.

"Eevee!" sniffed at Lorelei, suddenly brightening up and happily chirping.

Lorelei smiled slightly. "What a clever little one! You can smell my Glaceon's scent, right?"

"Glaceon?" Gary blinked in surprise.

"Yes! Ever since I learned about Glaceon, I raised an Eevee. Back when I was at Ice Island in my hometown, that little one encountered some special ice and evolved," she explained with a smile.

"I see! Congratulations, Lorelei." Gary nodded with a smile.

"I owe it all to you." Her soft gaze lingered on him intently.

"Ahem! Let's not talk about this here; you've traveled far. Let's head back to the Pokémon Center," Gary coughed twice in response feeling slightly guilty.

Lorelei shook her head. "No need; I have a small villa nearby. Let's go there instead~"

With a puzzled expression on his face—were all Elite Four members this carefree? Did they all own properties everywhere?

After casually picking up some groceries from the supermarket, Gary followed Lorelei back to her villa.

The two-story cabin in the woods had a cozy flowerbed surrounded by wooden fences—a very warm atmosphere.

After putting away the groceries in the fridge, Gary looked around at the simply furnished living room. "This place is quite nice."

Sitting on the sofa beside him, Lorelei stretched lazily; her waist revealed an astonishing glimpse of white that left everyone parched for water.

"I don't like staying in dorms; so whenever I can get somewhere nice, I'll buy a small place if possible. It's not too expensive sometimes," she explained with a smile.

"The environment here is indeed great." Gary nodded in agreement.

"You can stay here for these few days; I'll go get you some blankets," she said casually.

Gary's face froze for a moment. "B-blankets…"

"Ahem! What I meant was—do you want some tea? I'll go grab some cups!" Her face slightly flushed as she explained herself hurriedly.

"Oh! Cups! Sure thing! Thanks, Lorelei!" Gary nodded eagerly.

After brewing some black tea and pulling out some cookies from his bag, they finally sat down to chat together.

"So you want to use those numerous Kabuto fossils there to help your Pokémon gain experience?" Lorelei asked curiously while holding her cup of tea.

"Yes! Exactly! So I need someone who can handle things well to help me," Gary awkwardly laughed. "Is that alright… sister?"

Calling her "sister" directly sweetened her heart; the ice queen gently sipped her tea while her right hand trembled slightly. "No problem! After all, we need to clear out those ancient Pokémon before letting the research team enter—this small matter is something an Elite Four member like me can decide on."

Watching as she self-sabotaged herself while being so self-assured made Gary feel moved as he nodded.

"Then let's rest for tonight and set off tomorrow. Let me cook something delicious for dinner!"

Lorelei's eyes sparkled as she nodded enthusiastically. "I'm looking forward to it~"