August 28th, Friday.

Lu Ye rode Tropius down to the mountain town, where Ruby and Sapphire bowed deeply.

“Well then, Teacher Lu, we’ll take our leave!” Sapphire said earnestly.

Ruby, on the verge of tears, added, “Teacher Lu, please send me a copy of Sylveon’s Contest footage next time!”

“Of course,” Lu Ye nodded.

“By the way, are you still in touch with Red?”

“Red-senpai!” the couple chimed in unison. “Isn’t he still training on Mt. Silver?”

“It’s a long story.” Lu Ye pulled out his phone and displayed a QR code. “Anyway… why not join our group chat?”

Although Ruby and Sapphire were a bit scatterbrained, they were Pokédex holders. Adding them to the group would make staying in touch much easier.

The two exchanged glances and smiled. “Then we’ll trouble you for that!”

Lu Ye smirked to himself.

Two more new recruits—excellent.

Meanwhile, Gold was complaining in the group chat.

“Teacher Lu, when’s the next game coming out? I’m so sick of playing Gold Miner!”

Old Man Iron laughed heartily.

“Why not play Plants vs. Zombies?”

Gold: “I can’t beat it!”

Iron: “Then cheat!”

Gold paused for a moment.

Huh… that actually makes sense?

Just then, Sapphire and Ruby’s addition to the chat caused a stir.

Blue, ever lively, exclaimed, “Ah, welcome, newcomers!”

Gold: “Whoa, the couple from Hoenn? Did you meet Teacher Lu too?”

Ruby and Sapphire looked at each other in surprise.

Who would’ve thought we’d meet other senior trainers like this?

Green, glancing at his phone, recalled Ruby’s showy style and meticulously covered head. Though not as strong as Gold, he was still a formidable opponent.

“We met Teacher Lu and Steven during our travels,” Sapphire explained, “and even encountered Jirachi!”

Gold nodded sagely.

“Oh, that same sea monster we met before? Tough to handle, huh?”

Ruby clarified, “It was a different Jirachi. We sent it safely back to the stars.”

Gold: “Man, I wanted to see Jirachi too!”

Sabrina added fuel to the fire. “Teacher Lu didn’t even invite Erika. Why would he invite you?”

Erika smiled gently. “Ah, I was wandering in Donghuang for three days without a guide, you know.”

Deciding it was best to avoid this drama, Lu Ye wisely went silent.

Shortly after, his phone buzzed with a call from Matori.

“The squad you mentioned is directly under Giovanni’s command, so I can’t reassign them. However, you’re authorized to issue them missions,” she said. “That effectively makes them part of your team.”

Lu Ye sighed. “Just issuing tasks? Can’t I officially recruit them into my company?”

Matori’s temple twitched.

So you’re planning to poach them while I do all the work?!

She steadied herself. “The Jirachi mission was a failure. Please urge them to retreat as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance.”

Though disappointed, Lu Ye thought of the trio’s important role in giving Ash’s Pikachu valuable experience.

A Rocket team that didn’t chase Pikachu would lose its soul.

“Well, next time I see them, I’ll make sure to… ‘supervise’ them properly,” Lu Ye muttered with a sigh.

The festival entered its final day.

At the ever-busy Meowth ice cream stall, Lu Ye glanced down at Sylveon, trailing behind him with ribbons still firmly wrapped around his arm.

“Eevee…” Sylveon pretended not to notice but was utterly betrayed by the conspicuous ribbons.

Reaching the stall, Lu Ye gave the trio a meaningful look, and Meowth quickly flipped the “Closed” sign.

“What are your orders?” they asked in unison.

“Although the mission failed, your performance was commendable,” Lu Ye said sternly.

The trio froze.

“But we were just selling ice cream, Meowth!” Meowth stammered.

“Yeah, we didn’t even help with the mission!” Jessie and James added nervously.

Lu Ye chuckled inwardly.

If you three focused on making money, the entire Rocket organization could become your empire.

Still, he couldn’t deny their pure dedication. Jessie could have retired and married, James could have inherited his family fortune, and Meowth could have been a top-tier translator. Yet, they chose to stick together for a shared dream—a testament to true idealism.

“Believe in yourselves. Your talents won’t go unnoticed,” Lu Ye said with a nod.

“Transfer 30% of your earnings to my account, and your next mission is to continue pursuing Pikachu. Understood?”

Moved to tears, the trio saluted.

“Yes, sir! We’ll complete the mission for sure!”

Like hell you will, Lu Ye thought.

Ash, I’m working so hard to give you grinding opportunities!

“Alright, you’re dismissed.” Lu Ye smiled. “Looking forward to our next encounter.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Jirachi incident had finally concluded.

Looking back, Lu Ye had shared unforgettable moments with Cynthia and their trio of “third wheels.”

In addition, Squirtle had learned Aqua Tail, and Eevee had evolved into Sylveon.

For Pokémon, evolution marked a significant leap in life.

For Lu Ye, watching his “daughter” grow up brought a mix of pride and melancholy.

On the train back to Modu, Lu Ye cradled Sylveon in his arms, drawing curious glances from passengers.

Lu Ye met their stares without a hint of embarrassment.

What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a real man before?

Sylveon’s silky fur, a result of high-quality Pokéblock feedings, was irresistible. Lu Ye couldn’t stop running his hands through it.

His Sylveon was slightly smaller than average, resembling a feline more than anything else.

He toyed with its ribbons, tying and untying bows as if he’d found the ultimate fidget toy.

“Eevee! (#｀皿´)” Sylveon growled indignantly.

Back home, Gastly dumped their bags on the couch and collapsed lazily.

“Gengarrr… (Finally home…)”

Lu Ye flopped onto the sofa as well. “I’m not cooking tonight. Let’s order takeout.”

“Gengarrr! (≧ω≦)/” Gastly grabbed Lu Ye’s phone eagerly, scrolling through food delivery options.

Squirtle, returning from its perimeter check, adjusted its sunglasses and gave a cautious nod.

The area was secure; no one had followed them.

Lu Ye chuckled and shook his head.

Tomorrow, he’d need to sort through livestream footage and prioritize the development of a new game.

For the sake of his Pokémon, he had to keep earning money.

As the night deepened, Lu Ye fell into a peaceful slumber.

In its cozy cat bed, Sylveon suddenly opened its sapphire eyes.

Gastly, rubbing its hands together mischievously, let out a snicker.

Finally evolved…

Shadow Ball, Reflect, Light Screen… Time for a new training regimen!

Sylveon bared its teeth excitedly.

That night, the neighborhood Meowths were reminded of the terror of being ruled by Eevee once more!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read