Chapter 475: A Beach Date with Mengmengda
March 24th, Wednesday.
In the rain-soaked Sinnoh, a good day of clear weather finally arrived.
Lu Ye stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, squinting as he surveyed the bright blue sky.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting golden beams, bathing Masago Town in a gentle morning glow.
Tyndall effect.
Recalling this vague scientific term, Lu Ye stepped out onto the open balcony and froze.
Damn the Tyndall effect!
That was Arcanine training the move "Sunny Day"!
"Awwooo~!凸(｀0´)凸"
The sturdy Arcanine howled proudly, its fiery red mane reflecting the golden light, as a blazing sun rose from its mouth into the sky. In an instant, the clouds parted, and a ray of morning light shone down on Arcanine, its mane fluttering in the glow.
"Haunter~" Haunter, wearing sunglasses, tilted its head to gaze at the sun while sipping chilled fruit juice.
Then Haunter nodded to Arcanine and gave a thumbs-up: "Haunter!"
"Awwooo!ᕦ(･ㅂ･)ᕤ" Arcanine proudly lifted its head, wagging its tail up and down.
Lu Ye leaned on the railing with both arms, overlooking the yard with a mixed feeling.
Just got back from Kanto, and you guys are already training?
Is that necessary? So eager!
But... once Pokémon officially launches, its sales will definitely be enough for Teacher Lu to escape poverty and become wealthy.
At that time, raising just seven little guys will still be quite easy!
Lu Ye smirked and, hearing Rotom's speaker mode broadcast, couldn’t resist wanting to go downstairs for some activity.
"Stretching exercises, one, two, three, four... Rotom!"
On the lawn meticulously tended by Haunter, a small herb garden was dotted with Revival Root, catalyzed by Blastoise’s aura.
Right now, the tender new shoots swayed along with the BGM in the breeze, utterly ‘fresh and lively.’
"Chajiduyi~ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ﾉﾞ"
Even Togepi started bouncing, its little stubby hands shaking excitedly in a jumping exercise!
Lu Ye: "Forgot... Togepi, you can’t clap your little hands."
"Chajiduyi~(｡•́︿•̀｡)"
"No worries, Haunter can’t reach its toes either."
Lu Ye chuckled.
His words were like a sharp sword, poking the purple little chubby guy beside him.
"Haunter!Σ(っ°Д°;
)っ"
Haunter bent down, stretching both short hands down with all its might.
Today, I have to touch it!
"Gah!❀_(:3」∠)_" The plump, snowy white Sirfetch’d lay nearby, resting its head on its shield, sunbathing.
The sunshine feels so good~~
No training today, another day to slack off~(o≖◡≖)✧
According to the schedule, today was a rare day off.
After working a week in Kanto, Lu Ye returned to Masago Town to drink tea, pet his turtle, raise Sylveon, and play with Togepi.
In the afternoon, he could even go on a beach date with Mengmengda—
"Life," Lu Ye sighed, "is just like this!"
After morning exercise, Lu Ye pushed the ‘Rotom bike’ to the town market to buy groceries.
Togepi sat in the front basket, Haunter floated beside with a smile, and Sylveon walked proudly shoulder to shoulder.
As they walked, a snowy white ribbon quietly wrapped around Lu Ye’s arm, as if declaring 'territorial claim.'
The Pokémon around Masago Town already recognized this big sister figure and trembled in hiding.
The pink-white little demon was approaching Masago Town…
Her Royal Highness the ultra-cute Sylveon was arriving at her loyal research institute’s backyard!
At the town market, several fruit and vegetable stalls had their awnings extended;
Aipom helped an old lady carry heavy goods, and Bidoof, carrying berries in its mouth, fled in panic.
"Thief caught!" an uncle with a headscarf shouted.
Aipom perched on the old lady’s shoulder, its tail easily blocking Bidoof.
The old lady bent down to pat it and smiled kindly:
"If you want to eat, just come to my shop, but stealing still requires an apology."
Bidoof nodded blankly, lowered its head to the uncle, then quickly left, disappearing from sight.
"Really," the uncle muttered, arms crossed, "just an apology is enough... I’m not blaming it."
The market returned to bustling, with Murkrow flying overhead and people cooperating with their Pokémon in daily life.
Wearing a light-colored shirt and pushing a bicycle, the handsome young man caught the attention of the stall owners.
"What will you buy?" the old lady smiled, "Long time no see, been busy outside?"
"Yeah, I was on a business trip for a while." Lu Ye scratched his cheek, "Today I’m on vacation."
"It’s good for young people to have ambition but remember to rest too~ Here, take this, and I’ll throw in a free Oran Berry!"
The old lady winked, "I know you like this!"
"Haunter! (￣▽￣)／"
"Haha, Haunter gets one too, this Oran Berry is for you... if I give more, I’ll lose money today."
Standing in the sunshine, Lu Ye chatted casually with the elder.
"Can we borrow that speaker tonight? The town’s seems broken, taken for repair."
"No problem," Lu Ye immediately agreed, "Rotom, use speaker mode tonight and dance in the square!"
"Understood… received, Roto~"
Since Teacher Lu mostly cooked himself, the local stall owners knew him well and smiled, asking:
"Why isn’t Haunter running errands today?"
"My girlfriend’s back today, so I picked fresher ingredients."
The stall owner paused a second, sighed deeply, full of regret:
"What a pity, really a pity!"
Pity what... I just took all the fresh ingredients?
Lu Ye glanced at the time, handing large and small bags to floating Haunter.
"Let’s go, Mengmengda should be here soon."
"Haunter!ヽ(￣▽￣)ﾉ" Haunter carried a vegetable basket in the left hand and berries in the right, a domestic whiz.
Berries can also be exchanged in the system.
This was to support the old lady’s business, with equally good quality.
"Chajiduyi~(ﾉﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ"
Togepi, sitting in the basket, reached out to Haunter asking for a bag.
Then Togepi hugged a basket even bigger than itself, smiling with satisfaction.
It was spring;
pink cherry blossoms bloomed massively at the mountain foot, while snow still capped the peaks, resembling Sylveon licking frosting from afar.
Lu Ye pushed the bike across the tramway heading to Jubilife City;
the signal light turned from green to red.
The train passed by, the sky bright blue with wispy clouds drifting.
...
Back at home, the messenger Pidgey carried a satchel, delivering mail into the mailbox.
Because of Liu Bo’s Pidgey leaving a deep impression on Lu Ye, he gave it an extra look.
The Pidgey glanced at Lu Ye, waddled like a penguin, and headed to the next household with its satchel.
"Let me see... today’s mail."
Lu Ye opened the mailbox, muttering, "Hopefully not Steam’s spring sale?"
Opening the letter, a long electricity bill came into view.
Teacher Lu’s expression grew complicated as he crumpled the bill, then unfolded it again.
"Forget it... keep the receipt, maybe I can get Matori to reimburse it."
I’ve bled and contributed for Team Rocket!
As a mentor, claiming a few reimbursements is only reasonable, right?
"Ka-ao!!"
Before entering the door, the roar of Garchomp echoed in the courtyard.
Lu Ye parked his bike, greeting Garchomp with a hand stretch;
Lucario, who was meditating, opened his red eyes.
Sensing the strange aura, Lucario’s expression shifted subtly but he finally closed his eyes, pretending not to see.
Standing on the high steps, side facing the sun, a blonde beauty in black crossed her arms, a delicate fair face lifting into a faint smile.
"Haunter missed you," Lu Ye said.
"Haunter! (￣▽￣)／" Haunter responded immediately.
Cynthia smiled faintly, her eyes crescent moons.
"I missed you too."
...
Inside the living room.
Glaceon shook its drooping hair, licking its paw upon seeing the long-missed Sylveon, "Efu~"
"Sylveon!" Sylveon proudly lifted its head, its disdainful gaze making Glaceon shiver.
Spiritomb stretched its eerie round branches, hiding in the sunny spot as a cosplay potted plant.
Gastrodon and Milotic were at the rooftop pool;
one sipping clear water, the other lazily stretching its waist.
"Pok~~"
Togekiss circled outside under the clear sky, performing gorgeous flying stunts, tracing a cloud trail.
"Chajiduyi!" Togepi clapped its little hands excitedly, giggling nonstop.
Cynthia withdrew her gaze from the window, scooped a spoonful of ice cream, and placed it on her red lips.
"Delicious~"
"I learned it secretly. That Baidai City restaurant makes it. Next time I’ll make Feiyun City ice cream for you."
"What will you want in return?" Cynthia asked with interest, eyeing the cherry on the ice cream.
"A swimsuit is fine." Lu Ye didn’t hesitate.
"That’s really your answer." Cynthia rested her chin on one hand, golden hair covering her side profile, eyes gentle and clear.
Lu Ye imitated her, propping his chin with one hand, eyes locking with hers.
"I don’t care about the swimsuit;
what matters is I like you."
Cynthia smiled softly, lowering her chin, holding the ice cream cup with both hands.
"That phrase is too cliché!"
"I like Mengmengda."
"Try another one." Cynthia’s eyes lowered, scooping another spoonful;
the cold, sweet-and-sour flavor just masked the flush on her cheeks.
"I like Cynthia."
Silence filled the room;
outside sunlight fell on the round table, Cynthia’s silky golden hair, glossy lips, and elegant white neck line.
She lifted the glass cup, spooning ice cream one bite at a time, cheeks faintly flushed.
Lu Ye watched the droplets on the glass, then lifted his gaze to hers, holding her palm with one hand.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Ice cream makes hands cold easily."
The warmth from her palm felt like holding a melting piece of ice;
a faint sting followed by a whitening mind and racing heartbeat.
Then Cynthia softly exhaled;
her beautiful chest rose and fell.
"Let’s go to the beach this afternoon."
Cynthia was calm and composed, like a proud doe, smiling elegantly and gently.
"Uh…" Lu Ye lowered his head, looking at their intertwined fingers, Cynthia’s slender, strong hand.
A shift in the game plan?!
"I’ve booked the entire Masago Beach."
Cynthia leaned forward, her long golden hair brushing past her arm, chest, and lips.
A warm breath brushed Lu Ye’s ear as Cynthia’s cheeks flushed;
she whispered in a low voice:
"I’ll only wear it for you to see."
...
Masago Beach.
Lu Ye’s gaze darkened as he looked at the blushing Mengmengda.
Cynthia still wore the black hair accessory;
her golden hair hung over her chest, dressed in a sky-blue shirt.
On the beach, it was a very natural outfit, but...
You call this a swimsuit?
Not even a bikini—just a beach shirt!?
‘Forget it.’
Lu Ye appraised Cynthia from head to toe—smooth, long legs;
slender, shapely waist;
golden hair flowing like a waterfall.
‘Knowing Cynthia’s personality, her willingness to come to the beach means she must have struggled a lot with this decision.’
"Had enough looking?" Cynthia asked with a radiant smile.
"Not in a lifetime."
Cynthia shook her head gently, wearing a look of ‘I lost to you.’
"Want to swim?" Lu Ye smiled, "I can teach you hand by hand."
"No need, I have Milotic." Cynthia folded her slender arms, smiling.
Lu Ye sighed regretfully.
I didn’t expect even I, Lu, could have moments of failure!
Waves crashed against the rocks, the ocean’s surface reflected shimmering gold light, a silver-winged gull flapped its wings, and a Gyarados leaped from the sea.
"Haunter! (ノ￣▽￣)"
"Chajiduyi~ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ﾉﾞ"
Haunter and Togepi were building a sandcastle;
the rising tide was about to swallow it!
"Gah!!ᕙ༼°益°༽ᕗ"
If Togepi starts throwing a tantrum, there’s no end to it today!
Nobody is going to disturb my day off!!
Sirfetch’d fiercely swung its leek;
the blade grew violently bright, forming a broad sword several meters long, slicing the big wave!
Boom!!
The wave shattered into pieces;
Sirfetch’d stood amid the splashing water, eyes closed, posing coolly.
Done... thud!!
The crashing wave drenched Sirfetch’d, turning it into a soaking wet duck.
Meanwhile, the sandcastle built by Haunter and Togepi was still swallowed by the waves.
Haunter and Togepi looked at each other, not disappointed but covering their mouths, giggling mischievously.
"Gah! (´థ౪థ)σ"
Don’t think I don’t know you’re laughing at me~!
Lu Ye and Cynthia lay in beach chairs, smiling as they watched the scene.
"Togepi is so cute," Cynthia said, sipping juice, smiling brightly.
"Cynthia is cute too." Lu Ye rested his head on his arm, gazing at the snowy-white horizon.
Cynthia rolled her eyes, then suddenly smiled, pointing toward the beach, voice unusually gentle:
"Teacher~ what do you think of that fancy move?"
"Woof~!" Milotic leapt from the water, its cherry-colored hair reflecting light, spraying sparkling mist.
Lu Ye got into the mood and nodded to comment:
"Not bad, but for fancy points, still a bit behind Arcanine."
"Oh?" Cynthia blinked like a student eager to learn.
They both looked toward Arcanine’s direction.
"Awwooo!!ᕦ(･ㅂ･)ᕤ"
Arcanine dug furiously in the sand, finally digging a big hole, burying itself inside, then sweeping sand over itself with its tail.
"Awwooo...(๑´ㅂ`๑)"
Arcanine lay in the sandpit basking in the sun, eyes half-closed, tongue out, showing a wise little look.
Cynthia couldn’t help smiling and said:
"As the smart group, it’s sure to get high marks."
"Of course, after all, I’m the coordinator master of the Fancy Contest."
"Hmm?" Cynthia looked at Lu Ye.
"Wallace begged me to be a judge;
I couldn’t refuse, so I reluctantly agreed," Lu Ye said casually.
Cynthia took it as a joke and smiled silently.
"At the beach, you really have to swim."
Lu Ye stood up and started warm-up exercises, shouting:
"Blastoise, let’s race backstroke later!!"
Blastoise also joined the sandcastle building, stacking a three-meter-high war fortress, drawing Haunter’s impressed clicks.
Hearing Lu Ye’s call, Blastoise turned and gave a thumbs-up.
"Kame!ヾ(⌐■_■)"
The warm breeze was comfortable, the sea blue, nearby hills blooming with cherry blossoms.
Cynthia suddenly planned to swim too.
With her smooth, long legs, Cynthia slowly stood, glanced at Lu Ye, her fair cheeks blushing lightly, whispering:
"Actually, I’m wearing a swimsuit underneath..."
"Huh?!"
Cynthia’s fingers rested on the light blue shirt’s buttons.
Sunlight scattered down, faintly revealing the black swimsuit underneath.
The rustle of fabric, a glimpse of pure white, Cynthia crossed her arms, lowering her gaze, cheeks flushed deeply.
Teacher Lu remained motionless.
...
At sunset, the waves dyed golden by the afterglow, the gentle sound of the sea soothed the mood.
"Sylveon~" Sylveon’s snowy white figure bathed in the sunset, ribbons swaying, utterly adorable.
"Let’s go back."
Cynthia brushed the sand off and looked at Lu Ye;
her gray eyes were clear and moving.
From her eyes, Lu Ye could see the sunset about to sink beneath the sea, breathtakingly beautiful.
Lu Ye smiled faintly, nodding contentedly:
"Let’s go back;
I’ll cook dinner!"
Suddenly, excited noises erupted behind them.
Howls, Garchomp swinging its twin scythes, even Lucario gave a perfunctory call.
Then, surrounded by the whole group, the two slowly walked toward Masago Town.
"There’s one more thing I forgot to tell you."
"What?"
"The Lunar Wing is the reward for the Regigigas incident."
Cynthia smiled faintly.
"And catching the poacher is a Pokémon egg... it might even be a pseudo-legendary."
Teacher Lu’s mind immediately went blank.
Spring was warm, but a familiar chill crept up his spine.
"Pseudo-pseudo-legendary?"
Cynthia recounted the Sinnoh League’s handling plan in a low voice:
"It needs to find a worthy trainer to entrust it to."
"Of course, you won’t be forced to catch it;
after all..."
Cynthia tucked hair behind her ear, smiling gently: "Encounters between lives are always complicated."
Teacher Lu pressed his lips.
Logically, if it was a pseudo-legendary like Beldum, it wouldn’t be hard to raise...
After all, if it doesn’t evolve, the expenses are low;
it could even be used as fitness equipment.
But if it’s a Dratini or a Larvitar, those big spenders...
Lu Ye couldn’t help shivering.
But Cynthia’s words somewhat moved Teacher Lu.
He had witnessed with his own eyes the brutal Salamence and Tyranitar under Hunter J and poacher Aron’s hands.
Abuse from trainers and endless battles bred hatred in them.
The offspring still inside the egg might meet a better trainer and live a luckier life...
"I really am a fool like Ash..."
Lu Ye shook his head self-mockingly and said to Cynthia:
"I’ll just be responsible for hatching;
if we’re incompatible or it doesn’t adapt... we can send it back."
Cynthia’s eyes flickered, smiling brightly as she nodded.
There’s a theory in the hatching world that Pokémon hatched personally by the trainer will have similar personalities.
And in daily life, the Pokémon’s character will become more alike the trainer’s.
She looked forward to seeing what kind of life would be born from this Pokémon egg.
"Then, in a few days, I’ll deliver the egg to you," Cynthia smiled.
"Are you going back to the Sinnoh League?"
Cynthia nodded slightly.
Lu Ye sighed regretfully:
"I’ll be a judge at the Mikuri Cup in a few days... just have Aaron send it to Lake Valor."
Cynthia blinked in surprise:
"Really, Mikuri invited you to be a Fancy Contest judge?"
Lu Ye nodded faintly and cleared his throat.
"I really am... the coordinator master."
...