Chapter 192
Friday, October 4th.
After the special welcoming ceremony concluded, the whole group, led by Gold, made their way to the Breeding House located on the outskirts of Goldenrod City. Despite Gold's numerous heroic exploits in Johto Region, these adventures were not widely publicized due to certain considerations. As a result, Gold's life was still somewhat confined to a balance between Breeding House and Mt. Silver. He received an allowance from the Johto Alliance and the kind support of Crystal, making his day-to-day existence rather comfortable.
Although the exact nature of their relationship wasn't entirely clear, Gold frequently assisted Crystal at the Trainer Academy. It became evident that Gold possessed a higher emotional intelligence compared to a certain Fighter...
In Johto, at the Breeding House, Gold found himself proclaiming, "I'm so hungry, I could eat a Snorlax!"
Gold leaned against the Breeding House railing, pushing it back and forth with his billiard cue, completely oblivious to the Grandma of the Breeding House who was shooting him an annoyed look.
"Sorry for the trouble," Crystal said, her palms pressed together apologetically, flashing a warm smile.
Grandma responded with a slight nod and directed her gaze towards Luke. "And who might this be?"
"He's the Master who defeated Dragon Tamer Lance!" Gold declared, a hint of awe in his tone. "He even made me feel a touch of brilliance!"
"Hey, don't you dare tap my head with that cane!"
After watching Gold's fleeing from the now-upset Grandma of the Breeding House, Luke cleared his throat and inquired, "Has he always been like this?"
Crystal responded with an awkward chuckle. "Well, that's just how he is—straightforward."
"Please, have a seat, guests," the Grandpa, wearing reading glasses, said with a gentle smile. He poured a cup of tea for Luke and stroked his beard. "It's quite rare to have visitors. We're not prepared, so please forgive us."
Luke smiled warmly and replied, "I hope I'm not intruding."
The Breeding House couple, while not the most physically appealing, were indeed a pair of hidden experts. They shared a history with Pryce, Mr. Steel, Agatha, and Professor Oak from their younger days. Interestingly, Agatha and Samuel Oak had also been childhood sweethearts. However, due to ideological differences, they eventually went their separate ways. This was one of the reasons why Agatha continued to harbor feelings for Professor Oak.
Gold was frolicking in the Breeding House courtyard, joyfully playing with the small Pokémon. Meanwhile, Crystal watched the scene with a smile, her hands cradling her cheeks.
In the kitchen, Luke showed off his culinary skills and eventually said, "Grandma, let me handle the cooking. I don't want to trouble you."
Grandma looked at Luke skeptically and asked, "Can you even tell the difference between salt and sugar?"
Luke chuckled, but truthfully, he was quite the chef. The dish he prepared featured mushrooms from Ilex Forest bursting with flavor, combined with tender chicken. A bowl of thick, fragrant soup sat atop the rice.
Gold couldn't contain his excitement and took a spoonful, savoring the flavorful dish. Breeding House Grandma rested her cheek on her hand, her face slightly flushed as she tasted the rice, recalling the vibrant years of her youth in that single bite.
At two in the afternoon, it was time for the scheduled meeting with Professor Bill. Silver had also sent a message, arranging to meet in a Goldenrod City alley. Crystal had to return to the Trainer school established by Mr. Earl.
Gold, sporting his goggles and confidently leaning against a pillar, saw them off.
"Aren't you coming with me?" Luke asked.
"I'm afraid I'll end up in a brawl as soon as I meet that guy," Gold replied, curving his lips into a smile. "However, if he wants to see me, he'll definitely come find me himself!"
Luke was slightly surprised but agreed. "I see."
The Johto group may be small, but Gold described it as a bond of trust among comrades-in-arms.
Grinning, Haunter floated beside Luke, waving its paw at Gold. Gold couldn't help but recall the morning's sneak attack and gritted his teeth in frustration. Nevertheless, he pulled out a metal item from his pocket.
"Here, this is for you," Gold said, turning his head away and clenching his fist. "It was given to me by Breeding House Grandma as a helper's reward, but Polibo has already evolved, so I don't have much use for it."
"It's also a reward for the morning surprise attack," Gold added nonchalantly.
The metal item indeed looked familiar. Luke scanned it with the system.
[Kings Rock: It is regarded as a token of the king, after carrying it and attacking, sometimes it will make opponent Flinch when it causes damage. (King's will!)]
The value of the item was evident, but Haunter appeared disinterested, not even bothering to stick out its tongue and lick it.
"jie jie~!" Haunter shook its head, disgusted.
"Hey, this really stings!" Gold exclaimed.
"jie jie~!" Haunter stuck out its tongue and made a face.
However, this was Gold's intention all along.
Luke took the Kings Rock from Gold's shoulder and patted him, feeling a bit touched. He said, "Don't worry, next time when I record a material, I'll take it easy on you."
Gold hesitated for a moment, brushed his bangs aside, and responded, "No need, if there are any new tactics, you can go all out!"
...
As they bid farewell to Gold, their group chat started buzzing with notifications.
Gold: "Challenged Teacher Luke, I almost had him!"
Crystal sighed, feeling somewhat regretful. "But then again, Teacher Luke didn't get serious. With only two Pokémon, the tactic was executed perfectly. It's hard to imagine what it would be like when Teacher Luke commands a full team of six Pokémon."
Blue chimed in, "6v6, huh?"
Gold coughed dryly and said, "It wouldn't make a difference; I'd still lose in just a few seconds."
Blue raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the conversation.
Gold might be reckless, but in the field of wild battles, he displayed a rather offensive playstyle. "Teacher Luke, are you an expert in this format?"
Red, who had been quiet for a while, clenched his fists, feeling excited. Playing with Pokémon was much more thrilling than watching from the sidelines.
Red: "@Teacher Luke, come to Mt. Silver!"
Luke's expression shifted slightly, and he cleared his throat, saying, "Absolutely, I will."
Lorelei added, "By the way, it's been quite some time since we've had a Pokémon battle."
The wild battle format had been canceled at the Alliance conference. The conversation in the group then shifted to nostalgic reminiscences from the older members of the group, Red and Lorelei.
Despite Lorelei being the older aunt in the group, her Mr. Rime had proven to be a formidable asset in wild battles.
"Let's savor these moments," Luke wiped away a bead of sweat and muttered to himself. "My rookie physique can't really afford to lose in this format."
According to incomplete statistics, in the recent special article, Red had been frozen twice, petrified once, and even drowned twice. Surviving through all that truly lived up to his title as "The Fighter."
Luke decided to disconnect from the chat and headed to Goldenrod City with Kings Rock.
...
Goldenrod City, as Johto's most bustling metropolis, boasted comprehensive communication and exchange facilities.
This trip was primarily to allow Haunter to complete its evolution.
In the agreed-upon alley, Luke laid eyes on a cold and red-haired boy dressed in black.
The "Exchanger," Silver.
Silver, with his head bowed, glanced at the photos on his phone and nodded silently in Luke's direction.
Luke scrutinized this legendary figure, Giovanni's biological son, while thoughtfully stroking his chin. After all, in name, this "Exchanger" was still his young master.
"Let's go," Luke said, wasting no time. "We'll head to Professor Bill's laboratory first."
Silver silently nodded and couldn't help but steal a glance at the Haunter on Luke's shoulder, looking slightly surprised. After accumulating such strength, why would you choose to evolve? It seemed that Luke was indeed a very cautious Trainer.