Afternoon.
Austin tapped his Pokégear and called Blue.
Blue picked up almost instantly, a solemness already in his voice. " You must've heard about Arcanine."
"I have," Austin said. "I agreed to take him in. But why me? Someone like Yellow in Viridian seems more suitable."
Blue shook his head on the other end. "She isn't. Yellow relies on Viridian Power to read a Pokémon's memories and emotions."
He paused briefly.
"That kind of empathy comes with a cost. You don't just see what they went through. You feel it. And trust me, that's not something you want to rely on in a case like this."
Austin considered it, then nodded. "Alright. That makes sense."
Blue tried to keep a straight tone, but a hint of amusement slipped through. "Don't worry. I'm not leaving you to handle this alone. Hold on a second."
A notification popped up on Austin's Pokégear.
[Administrator Blue has added you to the chatroom.]
The group name read: [Did you battle today?]
[Ethan]: Yo, Austin. Battle?
"..."
Austin ignored the messages for the moment as Blue continued.
"Red made that group. Said it was a waste of time contacting everyone one by one just to set up battles."
Austin let out a quiet breath. "Sounds exactly like him."
Though the name felt… questionable.
Almost like some chaotic gathering where people got randomly picked for fights.
Austin rubbed his temple.
Maybe he really should train with Dai Yui sometime.
Blue, completely unaware of how far Austin's thoughts had wandered, went on.
"It's mainly for battles, but people share information there, too. You might find something useful."
The slight hesitation in his tone gave him away.
Austin didn't miss it. "You don't sound very confident."
Blue coughed lightly. "Anyway. How's Feebas?"
"Same as before," Austin replied. "I invited a friend. She's bringing her Milotic. Should be here in a few days."
Blue's tone shifted, curious. "A friend, huh? Let me know if anything changes. I've got to go, someone's dragging me into training."
The call ended abruptly.
Austin stared at the Pokégear.
"That was fast…"
He opened the group chat.
Messages were already piling up. Way too fast.
This group was… active.
Red, Blue, and Yellow were all there.
Ethan, Austin's friend, and Kris, too, were part of the group.
From the Kanto Elite Four, there were Lorelei and Bruno. Gym Leaders like Brock, Misty, Sabrina, and Lt. Surge were also in the group.
Austin paused.
That lineup alone sounded like trouble waiting to happen.
Then more names caught his eye.
Ruby and Sapphire from Hoenn with Steven as well.
And then Diantha.
Austin raised a brow.
Blue must have added her. He had mentioned visiting Kalos before.
Scrolling further, Austin quickly noticed a pattern.
A lot of people in the group.
Very few actually talking.
Two names stood out immediately.
Ethan and Lt. Surge.
If there were a competition for who could send the most messages in the shortest time, those two would dominate it.
Austin watched the chat update in real time.
[Ethan]: How's business at the Breeding House?
[Lt. Surge]: You blind or what? Look at how fast his followers are growing. Obviously, business is booming.
Austin leaned back slightly, still reading.
This group is going to be… interesting.
[Ethan]: Oh, right, a certain someone's account has no real followers besides Gym apprentices.
Lt. Surge went silent. Austin could almost picture his frozen expression in front of the screen.
[Austin]: We've found our footing. We're thinking of hatching and breeding Pokémon.
It was true. This step had been inevitable, one of the conditions the Jubilife City mayor set when he sold the place to them.
[Ethan]: Oh! That's quick! If you have questions about hatching, just ask me💪
[Lt. Surge]: Ask you? The Pokémon will come out deformed.
Austin didn't linger in the chat. Right now, only Ethan and Lt. Surge were active, and he had more pressing matters. The back mountain awaited him that afternoon.
First, though, he needed to check on Arcanine.
He had released him that morning, but the Arcanine wasn't in great shape, so Austin had only given him food and water. Now, he would let him rest and adjust to the new environment.
Not far to the left of Austin's house was a row of five connected rooms, shared between his home and the Pokémon Center.
From a distance, he saw Arcanine curled up in a corner. The Pokémon was massive, yet cautious, almost timid.
In many ways, Feebas and Arcanine were similar; both would try to avoid attention.
The Pokémon hadn't been like this before. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made it into the ace unit or participated in operations against Team Galactic.
The psychological trauma had taken its toll.
A familiar figure knelt in front of Arcanine.
"Miss Joy."
"Austin."
Miss Joy stood as he approached.
"Miss Joy, are you familiar with Arcanine?"
She paused, then exhaled. "I was involved in his initial rescue operation as well."
Recalling the injuries Arcanine had sustained, her frown deepened.
"I also heard about the ongoing abnormalities."
"When I heard at noon, I wanted to come see him myself."
Together, Austin and Miss Joy watched Arcanine curl up further in the corner.
He looked very different from Austin's young Arcanine.
Austin's Arcanine was vibrant and full of energy, never staying home for long.
This Arcanine, once an ace police dog, had a well-proportioned body. Fur covered most scars, with only a sharp scar cutting across his face—a mark that made him appear striking, not ugly.
Zorro had said he was in the prime age for a police dog. Normally, Arcanine retired at 18–20 years, so he was far from done.
Arcanine wouldn't be tearing through the house like Agni, but he also wouldn't be this timid under normal circumstances.
Fortunately, he didn't reject contact.
Miss Joy gently stroked his mane. "Arcanine, so many people care about you. You have to keep trying."
She turned to Austin, her eyes intense. "I'm counting on you. Please help Arcanine regain his confidence."
Austin's expression grew serious. "I will do my best."
"If you need me for anything, don't hesitate to say so."
"Okay."
. . .
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