Daisy began training with Swablu the following morning.
It was not a planned session.
Nor did it take place in one of the breeding center’s prepared fields.
Lucian found her in the gardens behind the mansion, walking in circles while Swablu attempted to remain on top of her head.
The Pokémon clung to Daisy’s blonde hair with her feet.
Whenever Daisy changed direction, her cotton wings opened to maintain her balance.
“Slower,” Daisy said.
Swablu sang.
The girl took another step.
She tripped over a root.
Swablu took flight before they could both fall.
Daisy managed to recover her balance and looked around to make sure no one had seen her.
Lucian stood several meters away.
Beldum floated beside him.
Growlithe sat on the path.
All three were watching her.
“How long have you been standing there?” she asked.
“Long enough.”
Daisy looked toward Swablu.
“We’re practicing.”
“It certainly looks that way.”
“I want to learn how to walk with her on my head.”
Lucian examined the ground around her.
The footprints formed at least six circles.
“Why?”
“In Contests, some Coordinators enter the stage with their Pokémon. I want us to move without getting in each other’s way.”
The idea was reasonable.
The method needed adjustments.
“Swablu balances herself with her wings. If you walk in small circles, she has to constantly correct her position.”
Daisy opened her notebook.
“What should we do?”
“First, practice walking in a straight line. Then add wide changes in direction.”
“Do you want to help us?”
The question came too quickly to be casual.
Lucian looked at his companions.
Growlithe immediately stood.
Beldum transmitted interest.
“We also need to train our coordination.”
Daisy smiled.
Elena appeared from the side of the mansion carrying four small wooden rings.
“I brought these.”
Lucian looked at her.
“Did you know we were here?”
“Daisy walked past my room with Swablu on her head. It was difficult not to notice.”
She placed the rings on the grass.
“We can make a path.”
In less than ten minutes, they organized an exercise.
Daisy would walk between the rings with Swablu on her head.
Growlithe would move beside her without running ahead, while Beldum carried a small blue ribbon above the group.
Speed was not the objective.
They had to maintain the formation.
The first attempt ended when Growlithe saw a Butterfree and abandoned the path.
The second failed because Beldum lowered the ribbon too far and Swablu attempted to catch it.
During the third, Daisy looked upward to check her partner’s position and tripped over one of the rings.
“You don’t need to watch her constantly,” Lucian said.
“You need to trust that she will warn you if she loses her balance.”
“How?”
Swablu produced two short notes.
Daisy looked at her.
“Does that mean you need me to stop?”
The Pokémon repeated the sound.
“Then use signals,” Elena proposed.
“One note to continue, two to stop, and three to change direction.”
“That is too rigid for a Contest,” Lucian said, “but it will work as a starting point.”
Elena shrugged.
“They can change it later.”
The fourth attempt was better.
Daisy moved without looking upward.
Swablu adjusted her wings with small movements.
Growlithe walked beside her, although he had to restrain himself from running.
Beldum kept the ribbon at a constant height.
They reached the final ring without making a mistake.
Daisy raised her arms.
“We did it!”
Swablu opened her wings and sang.
Growlithe barked.
Beldum made the ribbon spin.
Elena turned toward Lucian.
“My idea worked.”
“Our idea.”
“I invented the signals.”
“And I corrected the route.”
“Then it belonged to both of us.”
Lucian accepted that.
Daisy lowered Swablu and held her in front of her.
“When we’re better, we can do it with music.”
Swablu touched her nose with her beak.
Lucian activated Analysis.
[Swablu]
[Sex: Female]
[Approximate Age: 1 year]
[Type: Normal/Flying]
[Ability: Natural Cure]
[Potential: Purple Mid]
[Strength: Initial Mid]
[Foundation: Solid]
[Physical Condition: Recovered.]
[Mental Condition: Happy.]
[Moves:]
[Peck — Proficient.]
[Growl — Proficient.]
[Disarming Voice — Beginner.]
[Sing — Beginner.]
[Safeguard — Beginner.]
[Special Traits:]
[Exceptional vocal control.]
[High sensitivity to air currents.]
[Compatibility with Daisy Oak: Exceptional.]
[Recommended Path: Special fighter focused on aerial control, support, sound-based moves, and elegant combinations.]
She did not possess Potential as high as Beldum or Growlithe.
That did not diminish her value.
Purple Mid was still exceptional for a young Pokémon, and her compatibility with Daisy mattered more than any classification.
“She has excellent vocal control,” Lucian said.
“You could combine Sing and Disarming Voice in the future, but first, she needs to learn how to distinguish between them under pressure.”
Daisy wrote down the observation.
“Can you make a plan for me like the ones you created for Beldum and Growlithe?”
Lucian did not answer immediately.
The Development Plan was a system function, but he could share recommendations without revealing its existence.
“I can help you prepare one. However, your grandfather and Alaric will need to review it.”
“Why both of them?”
“Oak knows Swablu’s anatomy and behavior. My grandfather knows a great deal about training and Foundations. If they disagree, they will argue until they uncover every mistake.”
Daisy considered the idea.
“What if they never agree?”
“Then we will have two plans and know exactly where they differ.”
“That is also useful.”
Elena remained silent.
Lucian noticed her watching Daisy write and then looking toward the three Pokémon.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
It was the same answer he usually gave when something was wrong.
“Elena.”
She picked up one of the rings.
“Everyone has something to train.”
“You can help us.”
“That isn’t the same.”
Lucian understood.
Daisy had Swablu and wanted to become a Coordinator.
Lucian had two partners and wanted to become a Trainer, breeder, and researcher.
Elena did not yet have a Pokémon or a chosen path.
During the last few days, she had found herself standing among everyone else’s plans.
Lucian approached her.
“You don’t have to decide now.”
“You already decided.”
“I have memories and knowledge that made me think about those things earlier than normal.”
He could not explain where those memories came from.
“And Daisy decided too.”
The blonde girl closed her notebook.
“I only decided that I want to become a Coordinator. I don’t know where I’ll study, which region I’ll start in, or what I’ll do if Swablu doesn’t like Contests.”
Swablu released a protesting sound.
Daisy stroked her head.
“I know you want to try. But we might change our minds later.”
Elena looked toward Lucian.
“What if I never find anything?”
“Then you’ll try many things until you find it.”
“What if it takes too long?”
“We’re five.”
She lowered her gaze toward the ring.
Adrian was standing in the distance, speaking with one of the caretakers.
Elena watched him.
“Dad knows every trail, tribe, and dangerous place. Whenever something happens, everyone calls him. I want to be able to do that.”
Lucian smiled.
“Then you have a beginning.”
“But I also want to travel.”
“You can return after seeing the world. Learning how other reserves, breeding centers, and territories operate could help you protect Celestia.”
Elena raised her gaze.
The idea appeared new to her.
“Can I travel with you?”
“When we’re older, yes.”
“Do you promise?”
Lucian remembered the promises from the previous night.
“I promise you’ll have a place beside me if you choose to come.”
Daisy approached.
“And you can participate in Contests with us even if you aren’t a Coordinator.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because they’re fun.”
Elena considered it.
“Only if I can beat you.”
Daisy smiled.
“You can try.”
The sadness disappeared.
Beldum descended toward Elena.
“Guardian.”
Lucian translated.
She touched his metallic surface.
“Yes. I’ll be a guardian.”
Growlithe approached and placed one paw against her leg, as if approving her decision.
The training continued until breakfast.
Afterward, Oak requested that Lucian, Beldum, and Growlithe come to the laboratory.
This time, there were no astral fragments on the tables.
Alaric had ensured they remained separated.
Oak prepared a series of noninvasive tests to examine Beldum’s magnetic fields, perception, and the residual energy inside his core.
Lucian stayed beside his partner throughout the process.
“I will place these sensors near you,” Oak explained.
“You will not feel pain. If you wish to stop, move away or tell Lucian.”
Beldum examined the small devices.
“No touch.”
“They will not touch your body.”
The professor placed them on stands around the platform.
Beldum accepted.
Oak activated a magnetic current at minimum intensity.
The instruments recorded the Pokémon’s natural response.
Lucian used Analysis at the same time.
[Core stable.]
[Magnetic response balanced.]
[Astral Resonance: 2.7%.]
[No external activity detected.]
Oak reviewed the data.
“His field is almost eighteen percent denser than the recorded average for a Beldum of his age.”
“His core possesses exceptional purity,” Lucian said.
“Does the system provide a measurement?”
“Not an exact percentage. It classifies it that way.”
“And his Potential?”
Lucian looked toward Alaric.
His grandfather had allowed Oak to learn a limited version of the ability.
He knew Lucian could evaluate development and compatibility, but he did not have access to every detail of the system.
“Diamond Low.”
Oak stopped writing.
“I’ve never heard of that classification.”
“My system uses its own scale.”
Lucian explained the categories from White to Rainbow, along with the Low, Mid, and High stages.
Oak listened without interrupting.
“Then Diamond is above Gold and below Red.”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean in practical terms?”
“That Beldum has the capacity to greatly surpass the normal limits of his species if he receives proper development. It does not guarantee he will reach that future.”
Oak observed the silver Pokémon.
“Can your system improve Potential?”
“It displays possible paths. Evolution, Foundation, bloodline awakening, compatible resources, and other factors. But it also warns about the risks.”
“Good.”
Lucian had expected more excitement.
Oak noticed his surprise.
“A tool capable of identifying talent can accomplish a great deal of good. It can also cause Trainers to abandon Pokémon considered inferior.”
“My grandfather said the same thing.”
“Occasionally, Alaric is right.”
“I heard that,” Alaric said from across the room.
Oak pretended to concentrate on the data.
Then they examined Growlithe.
The puppy was far more willing to participate, at least until he discovered that the tests required him to remain still.
The first sensor fell when Growlithe attempted to chase his reflection.
The second ended up covered in saliva.
During the third, Beldum used telekinesis to keep the puppy seated.
“That is cheating,” Oak said.
“It is teamwork,” Lucian replied.
Growlithe attempted to escape.
Beldum increased the force.
“Teamwork requires both participants to agree.”
Lucian asked Beldum to release him.
They eventually completed the measurements by placing a dish of food in front of Growlithe.
The puppy remained motionless while waiting for permission to eat.
Oak confirmed his excellent physical condition, lung capacity, and resistance to heat.
“His development is above average for his age,” he said.
“Adrian and the breeding center did excellent work.”
“His Potential is Gold Low,” Lucian replied, “but there is a path to improve it before and during his evolution.”
“Will you use the Flame Core?”
“Not until he reaches Intermediate Strength, masters Morning Sun, and we fully study the resource.”
Oak smiled.
“I hoped you would say that.”
“Was that another test?”
“Everything can become a test if you ask the correct question.”
Alaric snorted.
“That is what Samuel says when he forgets to prepare an examination.”
The evaluation continued throughout the morning.
Oak did not treat Lucian like a child repeating memorized information.
He presented problems.
How would he adjust Beldum’s food after an intense training session?
What would he do if Growlithe increased Ember’s power but lost accuracy?
How could he distinguish a natural limit from a deficiency caused by poor breeding?
Lucian did not answer everything correctly.
During one question about the body temperature of Fire-type Pokémon, he failed to account for the island’s humid climate.
In another, he designed an exercise too advanced for Growlithe’s joints.
Oak pointed out the mistakes without mocking him.
Lucian wrote them down.
He liked that.
The professor did not need to be less correct for Alaric to remain important.
Lucian could learn from both of them.
When they finished, Oak closed his notebook.
“You possess an extraordinary Foundation for your age, but you still think too much in terms of ideal results.”
“What do you mean?”
“You design plans assuming Pokémon will respond as the data predicts. In practice, they become tired, distracted, change their preferences, and sometimes do exactly the opposite of what you expect.”
Growlithe was attempting to bite his own tail.
Beldum was discreetly moving one of Oak’s sensors toward the edge of the table.
Lucian caught the device before it fell.
“I understand your point.”
“That is learned by working with many different individuals. In Pallet Town, you can help me with Pokémon arriving from across the region.”
Alaric opened a folder.
“I prepared the conditions.”
Oak blinked.
“You already agreed?”
“I agreed to consider it. Then I observed your work with Lucian and determined that your flaws might be tolerable under supervision.”
“Your confidence moves me.”
Alaric ignored the comment.
“The first stay will begin one week after his sixth birthday. It will last one month. Lucian will travel with Beldum and Growlithe. We will communicate daily.”
“Weekly,” Oak proposed.
“Daily.”
“Every three days.”
“Daily.”
“I accept.”
It had not been a negotiation.
“Lucian will continue following his training plan,” Alaric continued.
“He will not participate in dangerous expeditions, come into contact with astral samples without my authorization, or appear in scientific publications.”
“Agreed.”
“He will eat according to a regular schedule.”
Oak appeared offended.
“I eat regularly.”
Daisy, who had just entered with Swablu, shook her head.
“No, you don’t.”
“Does everyone in my family intend to side with Alaric?”
Swablu sang.
“Even your Pokémon,” the elderly man said.
Oak accepted the conditions.
Lucian signed the document alongside them.
It was not a Trainer contract.
The remaining days of the visit passed quickly.
Daisy and Lucian prepared Swablu’s first plan.
It was not as detailed as those produced by the system, but it included flight exercises, vocal control, rest, and games designed to strengthen their bond.
Elena added a rescue section.
Swablu would learn to carry light objects and mark locations from the air.
Daisy accepted because a Coordinator also needed to care for others.
Oak copied historical records related to meteorites.
Alaric only gave him access to files that did not compromise the colony’s secret.
They argued over every page.
Growlithe and Swablu learned to play without the puppy attempting to bite her wings.
Beldum allowed Oak to take a microscopic sample from his metallic surface.
In exchange, the professor had to promise that he would not attempt to clone him, reproduce him, or write an article titled “The Silver Beldum of Celestia Island.”
Oak claimed he had never considered that title.
Alaric did not believe him.
On the final morning, everyone returned to the harbor.
The seaplane was waiting beside the pier.
Machoke loaded the equipment crates while Oak checked six times that the astral container remained isolated.
Daisy knelt in front of Growlithe.
“We’ll see each other next year.”
The puppy licked her cheek.
Then she carefully embraced Beldum.
The Pokémon remained rigid for the first second.
Then he moved slightly closer.
“Cloud girl returns.”
Lucian translated.
“I’ll return before you come to Pallet Town,” Daisy promised.
Elena gave her a small bag.
“These are flower seeds from the island. You can plant them beside your house.”
“When they grow, I’ll send you drawings.”
They hugged.
Their silent rivalry had not disappeared.
But friendship now existed alongside it.
Daisy approached Lucian.
She removed a small cloud-shaped hair clip similar to the one she wore.
This one was dark blue and had a silver star at its center.
“I made it with Mara yesterday.”
“Is it for my hair?”
Daisy looked at him.
“Maybe not.”
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
She took the blue ribbon tied around his wrist and attached the small cloud beside the knot.
“That way, you’ll remember Pallet Town and the island at the same time.”
Lucian looked at both objects.
Elena’s ribbon.
Daisy’s cloud.
“I’ll keep it.”
“Don’t keep it in a box. Wear it.”
“That is what I meant.”
“Good.”
Swablu flew from her shoulder and touched Lucian’s forehead with one wing.
Growlithe barked farewell.
Beldum transmitted an image of the clouds returning.
Oak boarded the seaplane.
Daisy stopped on the first step.
“Don’t forget your promise.”
“I’ll turn six in seven months.”
“That is a long time.”
“You’ll return before then.”
“Even so.”
Lucian raised his wrist.
“I won’t forget.”
Daisy entered the aircraft.
The door closed.
The seaplane moved away from the pier and gained speed across the water.
Finally, it rose into the air.
Lucian watched until it disappeared among the clouds.
Elena stood beside him.
“You like her.”
It was not a question.
“She is interesting.”
“That isn’t what I said.”
Lucian continued watching the sky.
“I like her too.”
Elena took his hand.
“Good.”
Lucian looked at her.
“Good?”
“Yes. I like Daisy.”
She paused.
“But I am still your best friend.”
“I never said otherwise.”
“I wanted to make sure.”
Beldum positioned himself behind them.
Growlithe sat on Lucian’s feet.
Alaric watched the sky where Oak had disappeared.
“One year,” he said.
“Seven months,” Lucian corrected.
“A period short enough to prepare you and long enough for Samuel to forget half of the conditions.”
“Daisy will remind him.”
“That is why I agreed.”
They returned to the mansion.
The following months were filled with training, study, and gradual changes.
Beldum learned to control five discs simultaneously.
Growlithe achieved more than eighty percent accuracy with Ember.
Lucian strengthened his mental barrier and began communicating telepathically across greater distances.
Elena began orientation training with Adrian and learned the names of every trail in the southern sector.
Daisy sent letters from Pallet Town.
Some included drawings of Swablu.
Others contained questions about Contests, training, or the Pokémon living on the island.
Lucian answered all of them.
When he turned six, he received three gifts.
Alaric gave him the first complete journal of Selene Starfall.
Elena gave him a compass engraved with the words, “So you always return.”
Daisy sent a dark blue scarf covered in small silver stars.
One week later, Lucian returned to the harbor.
He carried a backpack, Selene’s journals, and his partners’ Poké Balls.
Beldum floated on his right.
Growlithe walked on his left.
The ribbon and cloud remained tied around his wrist.
The seaplane was waiting.
Alaric stopped in front of him.
“One month.”
“I know.”
“Daily communication.”
“I know.”
“You will not accompany Samuel on any expeditions.”
“Grandfather.”
“Repeat it.”
Lucian sighed.
“I will not accompany Professor Oak on any dangerous expedition.”
“No expeditions.”
“No expeditions without your authorization.”
Alaric observed him.
“Acceptable.”
Elena embraced Lucian tightly.
“Come back.”
“I always do.”
“You said that before climbing a forbidden mountain.”
“This time, I’m only going to Pallet Town.”
“With Professor Oak.”
Lucian could not argue that this increased the danger.
He returned the embrace.
“I’ll write.”
“Every day.”
“Once a week.”
“Every day.”
Lucian looked toward Alaric.
His grandfather appeared satisfied.
“Now I understand where she learned it.”
Elena did not release him until the pilot announced their departure.
Lucian boarded the seaplane.
Beldum and Growlithe followed him.
He took a seat beside the window.
When the aircraft began moving, he saw Alaric, Elena, Mara, Adrian, Atlas, and Asterion waiting on the pier.
His family.
His home.
The seaplane rose.
Celestia Island began to shrink beneath the clouds.
Lucian placed one hand over Elena’s compass and the other on the scarf Daisy had sent him.
For the first time since his birth, he was leaving the island without his grandfather.
Across the sea waited Pallet Town.
Professor Oak’s laboratory.
New Pokémon.
New research.
And a blonde girl with a cotton-winged partner who had been waiting seven months for him to arrive.
Lucian smiled.
His world had just become a little larger.