Tuesday, August 17th.

The massive hole in the living room floor remained unrepaired.

Holding Eevee in his arms, Lu Ye stared at the gaping chasm connecting the two floors and sighed deeply.

"I was so naïve… I thought I’d only need to guard against Squirtle digging while awake, not while dreaming too…"

Aura truly was an incredible ability. Whether for healing, detecting, or even training, it significantly accelerated a Pokémon’s growth.

"It’s already this strong now…" Lu Ye muttered, his face darkening.

"If it evolves into a Blastoise, how unstoppable will it be?!"

"Squirtle! (/ω＼)"

"That wasn’t a compliment!" Lu Ye retorted, shaking his head as he grabbed Eevee by the scruff and set it on the couch.

Heading to the kitchen, he prepared Pokéblocks for breakfast and chugged a cold bottle of MooMoo Milk.

In the scorching summer heat, nothing soothed Lu Ye’s heart quite like ice-cold milk.

"Haunter! Stop drinking soda for breakfast—it’s bad for your stomach," Lu Ye said, frowning.

"Wait, do you even have a stomach?"

"Haunter! (≧∇≦)ﾉ"

With a loud pop, Haunter cracked open a soda can and let out a contented sigh.

Today’s agenda involved meeting a graphic designer recommended by the headhunting agency.

At a café, the manager greeted Lu Ye with a respectful bow and handed over a résumé.

"The artist we’re recommending is from the Alola Region. Her style is quite distinctive."

"Alola?" Lu Ye was taken aback as he skimmed the résumé.

"That’s really far from Modu City!"

"Every artist has their own pursuits," the manager said with a smile.

"She even traveled to Vermilion Harbor in Kanto to paint the sunsets there."

As the manager explained, Lu Ye studied the résumé and photo. The girl in the picture had chestnut-colored hair, a blank expression, and a paint-streaked dress. Her face and hair were also smudged with colorful splashes of paint.

"Mallow…" Lu Ye murmured.

Wasn’t she the captain in Alola who oversaw the Fairy-type Z-Crystal?

But in the anime, Mallow was clearly an adult.

This girl, barely sixteen, was still petite and hadn’t fully matured.

Lu Ye looked skyward.

It seems this world’s timeline is still before Sun & Moon.

Wait… if even TV characters exist here, does that mean Ash is just starting his journey in this world?!

Shrugging off the thought, Lu Ye chuckled.

"Not that it matters. I’m not aiming to be a Pokémon Master anyway!"

Regardless, Mallow’s artistic skill was undeniable. In Sun & Moon, three years later, she was Alola’s top artist.

Recruiting her for the studio would be a huge win.

"Does she charge by the illustration?" Lu Ye asked.

"You’d have to negotiate directly with her," the manager replied apologetically.

"She’s a bit temperamental. We agreed to help her find work, but she rarely sticks with a job for long."

"Artists can be eccentric, as long as the work’s good," Lu Ye nodded.

The studio currently consisted of just Lu Ye and Liang Dayou as programmers. While they occasionally relied on Jun’ō for help, it wasn’t sustainable to keep freeloading off Team Rocket.

He spent the day drafting ideas at the café and, by sunset, made his way to meet Mallow at the address provided.

By the Huangpu River, bands were setting up equipment for a street performance. Magnemites buzzed excitedly, and flocks of Pidgey flew past the golden sunset.

Lu Ye smirked to himself.

Back when I played games, I hated those street performers. Every one of their sturdy Magnemites spammed Thunder Wave!

He arrived at the Port of Modu, where the river’s silt created a golden delta. Wingull glided across the amber sky, and distant white sails drifted by.

On the horizon, the Eastern Battle Tower glimmered as neon lights flickered to life, evoking the impressionistic beauty of a Monet painting.

"No wonder she came here to paint," Lu Ye muttered, stroking his chin.

"Could you stay like that?"

A crisp voice called out behind him.

Turning, Lu Ye saw a petite girl with chestnut hair, paint smudges on her face, and a sketchpad in hand. She was testing perspective with her brush.

"Please hold that pose," she said calmly but firmly. "It’s beautiful."

Lu Ye blinked.

I came to recruit you, and now I’m your model?

"I’ll pay you modeling fees!" she added.

Lu Ye struck a contemplative pose.

"How’s this?"

She nodded quickly, her brush flying across the canvas. After a few swift strokes, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your effort."

Curious, Lu Ye leaned over to examine the sketch.

"Hmm… can’t really tell what this is supposed to be."

The impressionist painting was a blur of shapes—barely distinguishable as a human figure with an Eevee on its head.

"Eevee?" Eevee tilted its head, intrigued by the sketch.

"It doesn’t matter what it depicts," Mallow said softly, twisting a strand of hair. "As long as the emotions between people and Pokémon are genuine, my brush can capture them."

At that moment, a small Ribombee flitted past and perched on her slender shoulder, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

"My name’s Mallow," she said, extending a paint-smudged hand, only to withdraw it shyly.

"I know. I came to recruit you."

Mallow blinked in surprise before murmuring, "I’m sorry… but I’m planning to return to Alola."

Lu Ye nodded understandingly.

For a sixteen-year-old, traveling alone overseas was undoubtedly tough.

He smiled. "If you’re not interested, just pay me my modeling fee."

Mallow froze.

"I… I don’t have any money left…"

"WHAT?!" Lu Ye exclaimed.

"You wasted half an hour of my time!"

Startled by his outburst, Mallow’s eyes welled up with tears.

"I… I’ve been saving for my boat ticket home… I missed so many ships already… and had to take odd jobs just to survive…"

Tears streaming, she smeared the paint on her cheeks as she rubbed her face.

"But I can give you this painting instead!"

Lu Ye sighed, stroking his chin.

Why do I feel like a villain here?

"Fine, I was just joking." He waved it off. "The next boat to Alola is in three days. How about taking one last commission in the meantime?"

Mallow hesitated, then asked timidly, "How much… for a commission?"

"Ten thousand?" Lu Ye offered. "I’ll raise it if that’s not enough."

Investing in a future Alola art prodigy couldn’t hurt.

"Ten… ten thousand?!" Mallow sniffled, her eyes lighting up like ¥ symbols.

"That’s not much at all!"

You didn’t look so confident a moment ago!

"Alright, I’ll handle your travel arrangements," Lu Ye said. "I’ll make sure you don’t miss your ship this time."

Mallow stared at him, her faith in his sincerity bolstered by the bond between him and Eevee.

Clutching her Granbull tightly, she exclaimed, "We’re going home, Granbull!"

"Granbull…"

The pink bulldog Pokémon rolled on the ground, whining affectionately.

Patting Granbull’s belly, Mallow sniffled, "Finally, we can afford boxed lunches again…"

Lu Ye’s expression turned complicated.

I knew artists struggled, but not to this extent!

As Eevee perched on Lu Ye’s shoulder, it watched Granbull’s antics with a twinge of jealousy.

Glancing at Lu Ye’s profile, Eevee blushed and turned away.

I’m not going to act all spoiled like that!

But…

Sneaking another peek at Lu Ye’s thoughtful expression, Eevee tugged its ears down, covering its flushed cheeks.

Maybe being pampered just once… wouldn’t hurt.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read