Morning.
Lumiose City.
Inside a ward at Jaune District First Hospital.
“Officer Jenny, that’s pretty much what happened.”
“So you’re saying…
when faced with Excadrill’s attack with nowhere to run, you suddenly erupted with an unprecedented surge of power, blew Excadrill away with a single punch, tackled it into a brawl, repeatedly slammed Poké Balls against its head, beat it senseless, and finally caught it with one last throw?”
“Exactly.
Word has it that the ancient people of the Hisui region fought Pokémon just like that.
Who knows, maybe I have their bloodline flowing through my veins.
You could say…
I underwent a Mega Evolution atavism.”
“…”
Clad in her tailored police uniform that highlighted her mature, poised figure, Officer Jenny stared at her notepad for a moment, then leveled an unamused *are you kidding me* look at Mishiro on the hospital bed.
She knew he was talking absolute nonsense, but the three Lumiose Gang members at the scene had been knocked out early on and had no idea how Excadrill had been defeated.
According to her investigation, Mishiro was the sole remaining member of the White Gym, owned no Pokémon of his own, and possessed zero capability to withstand an attack from an Excadrill.
She suspected someone else had been present, defeated the Excadrill, and left, allowing Mishiro to swoop in and snag the catch.
Yet she hadn’t expected this free-rider to be so uncooperative, refusing to hand over Excadrill’s Poké Ball no matter what.
“This isn’t about taking credit, this is about your life!”
Officer Jenny tried to persuade him again.
Incidents involving wild Pokémon invading the city had risen noticeably over the past few weeks.
Just last week, a wild Malamar had used Hypnosis in an amusement park to abduct seven children.
When the police finally tracked the Malamar down in the sewers, it was using its psychic powers to hang the kids upside down in midair, attempting to teach them how Inkay evolved.
She didn’t want Mishiro acting recklessly.
Having checked his background, she knew he had been an exemplary student before his parents went missing; he ought to understand that novice Trainers couldn’t tame powerful wild Pokémon.
Unfortunately, Mishiro continued to play dumb.
Left with no recourse, Officer Jenny had to give up.
After all, she wasn’t part of Team Rocket in Kanto; she didn’t have the authority to forcibly confiscate a Trainer’s Pokémon…
Watching Officer Jenny leave, Mishiro finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Pretty as she was, dealing with an officer of the law was far too stressful for a law-abiding citizen like him.
He glanced at the motionless Poké Ball in his hand and then at Squishy, who was snoring softly inside his pocket.
Remembering the thrill of last night felt almost like a dream.
“Well, whatever the case, at least business is officially open.”
Mishiro climbed out of bed.
His injuries weren’t severe, but the three Lumiose Gang members in the adjacent beds were in a miserable state.
Not only were they hospitalized, but because they were suspected of harassing him, Officer Jenny was paying them extra special attention—they were looking at a few days in the detention center right after discharge.
“Rest up, guys.
Remember to eat your meals on time.”
After offering a friendly wave to the three glaring gang members, Mishiro completed his discharge paperwork and headed out.
He planned to hit the stores for supplies before heading home to handle real business.
It wasn’t convenient to take Excadrill to a Pokémon Center right now, so he would have to nurse it back to health himself.
Fortunately, he was a former Pokémon Breeder student, making basic medical care a breeze.
Besides, the Novice Breeder Talent he had unlocked last night made him a natural in this field.
He felt confident that his current skill set surpassed many commercial Pokémon daycare owners.
“Right, almost forgot again—refresh intel.”
Waiting at the taxi stand across from the hospital, Mishiro remembered the system.
It really lacked presence, but yesterday’s intel about Ash had piqued his curiosity, leaving him mildly hopeful for today’s draw.
[Ding—Intel Refreshed]
[Today’s Intel: Students from Unova’s Blueberry Academy, renowned for training Trainers, have arrived at Étoile School in Lumiose City for a three-month exchange program.]
“Right here in Lumiose City?
Wait, why does Étoile School sound so familiar…
Hang on, that’s my school!
I haven’t been back since term started—I almost forgot I’m still a student.”
Mishiro muttered to himself.
Though he felt attending classes was hardly necessary anymore, the school was packed with Trainer-track students.
If he went there to advertise, he might actually manage to scrape through the end-of-year Gym evaluation.
All of that, however, hinged on him having enough strength to handle challenge-seekers at the Gym.
Step one was resolving his grudge with Excadrill.
Granted, the White Gym was technically a Normal-type Gym.
Using an Excadrill shouldn’t be an issue, though…
Mishiro already had a few ideas brewing.
He wouldn’t restrict himself strictly to Pokémon types; the key was establishing a unique identity.
As he sank into his planning, a warm, fragrant scent drifted past his nose.
Before he could react, a hand rested quietly on his shoulder from behind, making his body tense.
Mishiro turned around to find a tall, striking woman with long, magenta hair wearing a sexy black crop top.
She wore a pair of fiery red sunglasses to disguise her identity, though it was hard to tell what good such a disguise actually did.
“You’re…!”
Mishiro’s pupils contracted.
He had never expected to encounter this person here—a woman who, by all logic, should have had zero intersection with his life.
She was the star of the Kalos Holo Caster news network, as well as a member of the Kalos Elite Four!
Malva!
She was a high-profile celebrity.
As the lead news anchor for Lumiose City’s Holo Caster broadcasts, her face graced posters and screens on practically every street corner.
Yet, with his memories restored, Mishiro knew another truth: Malva’s real identity was a high-ranking Admin of the villainous Team Flare, operating undercover within the Kalos Pokémon League as a mole.
Whether Team Flare actually existed in this world, however, remained to be confirmed.
Seeing Mishiro’s shock, Malva’s lips curled into a subtle smirk.
Unsurprised, she lowered her sunglasses slightly with a slender finger, revealing ruby-like eyes that locked onto him.
Her tone was light and playful.
“Fufu~ You’re Mishiro from the White Gym, aren’t you?
I believe this is our first face-to-face meeting.
Shall we have a little chat somewhere quiet and comfortable?~”
Mishiro: “???”
*What is that supposed to mean?*
*Are you trying to take me on an adult elevator ride?*
*Is this conversation even PG-rated?*
Naturally, things did not develop into the scenario Mishiro feared.
Malva drove him in her sleek, discreet luxury sports car to a quiet, low-traffic café on the edge of the district.
“Would you like anything to drink?”
“Uhh…
anything’s fine.”
“A young man should be more decisive~”
Malva brushed past him with crossed arms, her tone flirty, before ordering two cups of Pyroar Coffee.
The two then sat opposite each other in a quiet corner by the window.
“Um…”
Mishiro took a sip of coffee and voiced his question.
He didn’t believe someone like her would look him up for no reason.
Sure enough, after taking a gentle sip of her coffee, Malva closed her eyes in quiet contemplation for a moment before speaking.
“Actually, I’ve been quietly observing you for a while now.
To be frank, your performance was quite disappointing…
until last night, that is.”
“Though I don’t know how you managed to defeat that Excadrill…
everyone has their secrets, so I won’t pry.
But going as far as fabricating a wild story just to keep that Excadrill—your real goal is to revive the Gym, isn’t it?”
Feeling as if her eyes were seeing right through him despite her sunglasses, Mishiro’s expression turned serious.
He gave a firm nod.
“That’s right.
My parents may no longer be around, but since this Gym is what they left behind, I have to protect it!”
“A fine answer!”
Malva nodded in satisfaction.
She took off her sunglasses, placing them on the table, her playful demeanor vanishing into an expression of utmost gravity.
“In that case, I will help you—just as we helped your parents through the Gym’s toughest times back then.”
“Huh?
Wait, what…?”
“Don’t interrupt me!” Malva lowered her voice, her tone growing heavy.
“Pay close attention to what I’m about to say.
Even if you refuse, you must never repeat a word of this to anyone.
Otherwise, even I might not be able to protect you.”
“…”
Hearing her tone, Mishiro straightened up, matching her seriousness.
*Don’t worry, I’m a transmigrator—nothing scares me.*
Then, Malva dropped a absolute bombshell.
“Perhaps you didn’t know, but your parents’ status as Gym Leaders was merely a cover for the outside world.
In truth, just like me, they were high-ranking Admins of a powerful organization dedicated to achieving a grand ideal—Team Flare.”
“???”
*WTF?!*