Friday, February 27th.

Because of the magnetic interference from Mt. Coronet, transporting the Adamant Orb by air wasn’t a wise option.
Cynthia arranged for a white SUV from a rental company—with an extra-wide interior that could accommodate several little ones.

Still, big ones like Arcanine were going to be a tight squeeze.
“Arroo! ᕦ(･ㅂ･)ᕤ” Arcanine insisted, I’ll just run alongside the car. I can go three days and nights, no sweat.

Lu Ye didn’t hesitate to return Arcanine to its Poké Ball.

Five seats in the back, two up front.
The passengers: Gengar hugging Togepi, Garchomp, Lucario, Blastoise, and Sirfetch’d.
Lu Ye sat up front with Sylveon in his arms, glanced back, and muttered,
“This is totally a zoo field trip!”

“Quack!” Sirfetch’d sat heavy on the seat, its chubby frame hiding its duck feet completely.
“Geng~” Gengar copied the others and buckled its seatbelt, flashing a toothy grin.
Seatbelt’s on—let’s hit the road!

“Do you even have a license?” Cynthia asked.
“I do. But we can have Rotom drive,” Lu Ye said. “It’s got an F1 racing license.”
“Uh… Is that really safe?”

Cynthia watched as Rotom turned into a streak of lightning and shot into the dashboard. The console chimed:
“Rotom-SUV mode activated! Continuing navigation for you!”

Lu Ye: “Nice! Auto-driving with built-in GPS!”

Cynthia leaned back her seat, picked up the duck, and absentmindedly stroked its soft feathers while drowsily saying,
“We’ll arrive in Kizuna City this afternoon… I’ve booked us a hot spring inn there.”
“We can camp for lunch,” Lu Ye said. “I brought simple ingredients in the trunk. Making curry won’t be a problem.”

Cynthia’s sleepiness vanished, her eyes lighting up.
“Quack! (´థ౪థ)σ” The duck shivered, sensing the malice of the world.

Lu Ye glanced at the giant leek and shield in the backseat.
Sirfetch’d weighed 120kg—and that sword and shield probably made up 100kg of it.
Compared to Zacian and Zamazenta, who could just hold theirs in their mouths—
Now that’s what I call real legendary sword-and-shield beasts! (leans back dramatically)

The early spring morning was radiant. Distant mountain ranges streaked past as the scenery flew by, picturesque and calm.

Cynthia: “Don’t you think we’re speeding a little?”
“I’ve got an F1 championship license, Roto!” Rotom bragged proudly.

From the outside, one would see a trail of sparks as the SUV bounced along, even lifting off the ground briefly.

Lu Ye smacked the console. “What do you think this is, an AE86?! Drive safely!”

“Understood, Roto! o(TヘTo)”

Rotom-the-wannabe-racer reluctantly downshifted and cruised along the country road.

“Geng~ (￣～￣)” Gengar munched on chips, cradling Togepi with one arm.
“Chagiduyi~ (ﾉ´▽｀)ﾉ♪” Togepi wiggled its little feet, happily playing Plants vs. Zombies on a handheld.

Garchomp and Lucario leaned in, curious about Togepi’s game.
“Graa…” Garchomp licked her lips and poked at Gengar’s chips.
“Geng?” Gengar blinked, then smirked, waving the chips teasingly in front of her.
Wanna snack? Trade it for a move tutor session!

“Graa!!” Garchomp roared in frustration.
Why are this Trainer and his Pokémon so alike!?

Meanwhile, the supposed star of this trip—the Adamant Orb—sat lonely in the backseat.
“Ka-meh…ヾ(⌐■_■)” Blastoise stared at the case.
No doubt about it this time… That thing’s definitely a bomb!

Lu Ye glanced at the case and, curious, casually sent out a wave of Aura.
In the next moment, his expression turned strange.

The Adamant Orb responded.
It basically said: Feels good~ More, please~

“…Looks like Dialga isn’t all that noble either,” Lu Ye sweatdropped.
“Seriously, what kind of deity’s into bondage play?!”
(Note: In the anime, the time-space duo was once bound by red chains at Spear Pillar.)

While Rotom drove, Cynthia pulled out a mythology book and began reading seriously.
The warm spring sun hit her profile; her black hair ornament swayed gently.

Noticing his gaze, Cynthia tilted her face slightly and smiled.
Lu Ye didn’t disturb her, instead playing with Sylveon in his arms while browsing social media.

Group Chat:
Ash: “I saw Suicune today!”
Misty: “Suicune’s such a gentle and powerful Legendary…”

Misty had once earned Suicune’s recognition—one of the few Trainers to do so.
Even Kris, the famed "Suicune Catcher," had once failed and nearly gave up.
And let’s not forget Mina-kun of Johto, a devoted Suicune fangirl who had chased it for over a decade.

Ash: “It was so cool! It even saved me!”
Kris: “Suicune only appears before pure-hearted Trainers. Sadly, Mr. Mizuki’s been seeking it for years without a single sighting.”
Gold: “Who’s Mizuki?”

Marshal: “Some Suicune-obsessed weirdo?”
Gold: “Ohhh, I remember now!”
Siebold: “I still prefer Entei. 😎”
He added, “What about you guys—any favorite Pokémon?”
Then immediately replied to himself: “Aww, nobody responded… Haha!”

Lu Ye blinked at the chat.
He vaguely remembered this episode.
Ash encountered the North Wind’s embodiment—Suicune—and was saved after falling off a cliff.
Out of all the Legendaries Ash’s ridden, Suicune had top-tier presence.
Not to mention it was the classiest of the three Legendary Beasts in the Special Chapters.

Still… was that fall really unrelated to the camera crew?
Only a Legendary could've shown up so dramatically otherwise…

—

Browsing chats, snacking with Sylveon, enjoying the scenery, and sneaking glances at Cynthia—
Such was Lu Ye’s simple, uneventful, and low-key spring outing.

Lunchtime.
They stopped in a wide-open field near Mt. Coronet. A sea of blooming yellow rapeseed flowers stretched across the plains.

“Sirfetch’d, grab the ingredients from the trunk!” Lu Ye called, setting up a folding table.
“Quack~! (´థ౪థ)σ” Sirfetch’d realized he wasn’t on the menu and sighed in relief.
Oh thank Arceus, the duck lives another day!

Cynthia folded her arms and rested her chin thoughtfully on one hand.
Then she suddenly declared, “Speaking of camping!”
“Camping calls for curry—” Lu Ye jumped in.
“—Made best with duck leek!”

“Quack! (´థ౪థ)σ” Sirfetch’d trembled, holding the ingredients with a tearful stare.
Nooo, I celebrated too soon!!

“You know that routine?” Cynthia asked in surprise.
“It’s a kind of Sinnoh comedy bit, right?” Lu Ye said casually. “Sort of like Eastern Hua’s ‘Three and a Half Lines’ routine.”

Cynthia nodded, her eyes turning to crescents. “I’ve got two juniors who love that skit. They're a comedy duo.”
“Yuqian and Guo Degang?”
“Eh?”
“They’re a comedy duo from Donghua.”

Lu Ye had a guess who she meant.
Pearl and Diamond—the main characters from the Diamond & Pearl Adventure manga.
He always liked that pair: smoking, drinking, hot-headed antics, and stand-up routines.

Maybe… he’d get to meet them in Sinnoh someday.

The spring sun was bright.
Cynthia stood at the edge of the rapeseed field, hands in the pockets of her black coat.
The breeze lifted her golden hair; she flicked it back with one hand. Her black coat fluttered in the wind.

She looked over her shoulder—
And for some reason, smiled faintly.

“Just a bit longer—almost ready to eat!” Lu Ye called.
“Today’s menu: Cheri Berry Curry, Charizard level!”
“Okay~!”

Cynthia leaped lightly off the slope, her golden hair swaying. The black ribbons in her hair looked adorably out of place.
“Garchomp, go grab some before it’s gone!”
“Graa?”
Cynthia nudged Garchomp. “Hurry or Gengar’s gonna finish it all!”
“Geng~ (*⊙~⊙)” Gengar was already licking the plate clean. Locking eyes with Garchomp, it extended its tongue and licked even faster.
“Graa!! Σ(っ°Д°;)っ”
Hey! Leave some for me, you greedy ghost!

The spring air was soft and gentle.
Lu Ye, wearing an apron, stirred the pot over a portable stove.
Golden rapeseed fields bloomed behind him; wind turbines spun in the distance across the plains.

Cynthia ran alongside Arcanine, her laughter light and free, breathtaking in its beauty—so much so, it was hard to look directly at her.

And suddenly, Lu Ye understood.
A big part of why he’d loved Diamond & Pearl growing up…
Was because of this Sinnoh Champion.

“Cynthia!” he called, cupping his hands like a mic.
“What?” Cynthia turned, tucking back her hair.
“You’re beautiful!”
Cynthia blinked, then smiled sweetly.
“Thanks. So are you!”

How could Mr. Lu not be beautiful?
This Trainer, on par with Steven in looks, standing beside Cynthia, truly looked like a figure from a painting.

Golden fields, winding streams, blue skies, distant mountains, playful Pokémon—
A scene forever etched in memory.

They packed up and resumed their journey toward Kizuna City.
As night fell, the hot spring resort was already within sight.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read