East Suburbs, Jubilife City.
While Austin was having a quiet, patient exchange with Feebas by the pond, a Charizard cut through the morning sky at high speed.
A handsome young man with a relaxed confidence, a pendant resting on his chest, and neatly kept brown hair descended into the area.
"Thanks, Charizard."
He recalled the Pokémon into its Poké Ball with an easy motion.
"Wait, are you Champion Blue?"
A female voice stopped him.
Blue turned and saw Bell, who was watering plants. A Growlithe sat obediently at her side.
He nodded lightly. "That's right. Former Champion. I'm the Viridian Gym Leader now."
Even after stepping down, Blue carried himself with pride, but without arrogance.
Bell laughed and waved her hand. "That's fine. Former Champion is still Champion."
She had heard the stories about the fastest Champion in history.
"I like you. Could I get an autograph?"
"No problem," Blue said as he signed. He glanced at the Growlithe. "This one has good potential."
Bell covered her mouth and smiled. "Really? Agni said the same thing."
"Agni?"
Blue paused, slightly puzzled.
Bell pointed toward the Breeding House. "Austin's Arcanine. The owner's son. Agni comes by every afternoon to teach the little Growlithe some moves."
Then she asked, curious, "Why did you suddenly come to Jubilife City?"
Blue rested one hand on his hip and smiled faintly. "I came to find him."
"Oh? That sounds interesting."
"I was entrusted by someone," Blue replied. "Whether it's interesting or not depends on what I see."
"I think it will be," Bell said.
Blue ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. "Now you've got me curious. I'll be going."
"Take care."
He waved once and walked off.
…
The reputation of the Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House had grown quickly. Visitors arrived from the city and nearby towns almost every day.
Even before nine in the morning, people were already moving along the path.
"Hey, isn't that Blue?"
"I'm not sure."
"It really looks like him. But isn't he from Kanto? What's he doing here?"
The whispers grew louder as Blue stepped inside the Breeding House grounds.
He ignored the chatter and focused instead on the environment. The layout, the cleanliness, the Pokémon behavior.
In the distance, Dai Yui was feeding Incineroar. Nearby, Ao recorded berry growth data, carefully noting changes.
Mizuki guided a few newcomers while they cleaned Miltank stalls.
What caught Blue's attention most was the Pokémon training together.
Arcanine
Lucario and a Shiny Metagross.
"A Shiny Metagross reading and practicing from a book?"
Blue raised an eyebrow.
He believed in self-training Pokémon, but watching one read and practice on its own was rare even by his standards.
The Lucario and Arcanine were exceptionally trained.
Metagross stood out even more. Calm, focused, and clearly capable of independent growth.
Blue owned an Arcanine himself. He had also seen Crystal's.
From his experience, Austin's Arcanine was well-bred.
Overall, Blue was impressed with the Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House.
Austin had not noticed Blue's arrival.
He was still focused on Feebas, gently placing high-quality Energy Cubes near the water.
Feebas hesitated, but its eyes had already appeared in the gaps between the rocks.
"What are you doing?"
Austin looked up.
For a moment, his mind went blank.
Why was Blue here?
"Blue?!"
Leon happened to walk by, holding a cake. He froze, then screamed.
"Blue!!!"
Dai Yui came rushing over with Incineroar.
"You're my fan. No, wait. I'm your fan."
Three startled reactions in a row left Blue completely at a loss.
"Out. All of you, out," Amanda Black said calmly, dragging Leon away.
Dai Yui also withdrew for the moment. Blue would be staying several days. There was no rush.
Blue looked back at Austin. "I was invited by Mr. Alex to instruct you for seven days. Prepare yourself."
"?"
Austin stared at him in disbelief.
Austin Black glanced at his Pokégear. It showed exactly nine o'clock.
So the old man had been right.
Austin never imagined the person would be Blue Oak.
Blue and Professor Oak were the first two names he had ruled out.
Was his grandfather's influence really that strong?
Blue crossed his arms and asked again, "You still haven't answered me. What were you doing just now?"
"Talking to the Feebas in the pond."
That answer caught Blue's interest. He walked over and stood beside Austin.
"Talking about what?"
"This Feebas was left here by a trainer. It has a serious issue."
Following Austin's gesture, Blue quickly spotted the Feebas hiding in the gaps beneath the rocks.
Their first meeting skipped introductions entirely. Instead, they went straight into a focused discussion about Feebas.
"Based on my judgment," Austin said, "it was likely harmed by humans. The problem is that it refuses to communicate."
Blue rubbed his chin, his brows tightening. "How long has it been like this?"
"Almost ten days. For the first seven, I only fed it. The last few days, I've been trying to talk to it."
Blue nodded. That matched what he had just seen.
By coincidence, there were pink Rawst Berry Energy Cubes nearby.
Blue picked one up and examined it. "High-quality Rawst Berry Cubes. Feebas should like these."
"It eats them," Austin replied, "but it never shows itself. Even Ryu, my Lucario, can't communicate with it."
Their thoughts aligned almost immediately.
Both of them understood how important Viridian-style empathy and perception could be in cases like this.
Blue did not suggest calling Yellow yet.
There was still room to try other methods. Feebas was at least willing to eat.
After a moment of thought, Austin added, "Another option is Ribombee. Unfortunately, that Pokémon is from Alola and extremely rare here."
Blue looked at him with clear approval and nodded. "Good thinking. Leave the Energy Cubes here. Let's walk and talk."
Austin guided Blue through the Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House.
Along the way, Blue heard several employees call Austin to greet.
Neither of them paid attention.
Their focus stayed on Feebas.
Blue asked, "Besides talking to it and trying to open its heart, what else are you considering?"
"The root cause," Austin answered. "The one who tied the bell has to untie it. We need to find out whether Feebas's original trainer caused this."
Austin had already thought this through. He just had not found the chance to act.
The trainer disappeared after leaving Feebas behind.
Not returning was one thing. Leaving no trace at all was another.
Austin nodded.
"That's a solid direction. I can ask Officer Jenny to help with the investigation."
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to 30+ advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a