Outside the venue, Lucas accompanied Cynthia and Lance to a Pokémon Center.
After Nurse Joy helped them restore their Pokémon, Lance immediately mounted his Dragonite.
"Is Lance leaving? Not participating in the Fireworks Festival?"
Lance shook his head while sitting on Dragonite.
"There are still matters in the Kanto Region and Johto Region that I need to return to and handle. Moreover, Wallace from the Hoenn Region has come to the Sinnoh Region again to host a Contest, so the Hoenn League has asked for my help with their business. I need to hurry back."
Hiss----
Lucas glanced at Cynthia beside him.
Both are Champions, yet 'Lance the Bird' handles affairs for three Leagues simultaneously, while some Champions even hand over their own regional Champion duties to the Elite Four.
Cynthia, who was teasing the Vulpix in her arms, noticed Lucas's gaze, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him.
Lucas shivered silently, then looked at Lance.
"Then I wish you a smooth journey. If you have time, you can come to the Breeding House, and we can drink tea together. My tea-making skills are quite good."
Lance smiled and nodded.
At this moment, Cynthia also spoke up, "If you feel too tired and need to relax, go to his Breeding House. You won't regret it."
Seeing Cynthia's bright smile, which also held a subtle distance, Lance was stunned.
Since it was a place recommended by Cynthia, it must have its extraordinary qualities.
"I'll go once I'm done with this busy period. I also need to relax a bit."
"Always welcome."
After Lucas and Lance exchanged contact information, Lance rode away on his Dragonite.
Lucas, on the other hand, followed Cynthia to the supermarket, bought some groceries, and then comfortably relaxed at home.
Time quickly arrived at the day of the Fireworks Festival.
Cynthia came from her room to the living room, just as Lucas was serving breakfast.
Seeing Cynthia, he was momentarily stunned.
Today, Cynthia seemed to have deliberately dressed up for the Fireworks Festival. Although she still wore wide-leg pants, the overall look had less of a business feel and more of a homey touch.
Especially her crystal earrings, paired with her golden hair and an indescribably exquisite face.
Lucas swallowed hard.
"What's wrong? Doesn't it look good?"
Lucas quickly shook his head, "It looks good, very good."
Cynthia smiled sweetly, then sat down and enjoyed her breakfast.
After breakfast, Lucas followed Cynthia out. The place where the Fireworks Festival was being held was already packed with people.
Many people on the road recognized Cynthia, but they didn't crowd around her, instead waving to her from a distance.
Cynthia kept responding to them.
Finally, Lucas couldn't take it anymore and pulled her to a secluded spot, took out a hat and Gengar's black glasses, and helped her disguise herself.
Only when she was less easily recognizable did he continue to stroll through the Fireworks Festival with her.
It must be said that Jubilife City's Fireworks Festival was much better than the combined Fireworks Festival held by Twinleaf Town and Sandgem Town.
Both in terms of liveliness and attractions.
Along the way, all sorts of delicious food and fun activities made Lucas a bit restless.
His phone had long been snatched by Gengar, who was taking Mighty, Mime Jr., Vulpix, and the others around to eat, drink, and play, while Lilligant and Gothitelle followed beside them.
Passing a vendor, an uncle stopped Lucas.
"Young man, do you want an extremely rare and powerful Pokémon?"
Lucas looked at the uncle, who glanced left and right, then whispered in Lucas's ear, "I have a very rare and powerful Pokémon here. If it weren't for some difficulties I'm facing, I wouldn't bear to sell it. Today, I see you as the right person, so I plan to sell it to you."
The uncle held up five fingers.
"Only this much."
"Five hundred? That's acceptable. How do I pay?"
Uncle: ----
He took off his sunglasses and looked at Lucas as if he were looking at an idiot.
If he hadn't seen Gengar take Lucas's phone earlier and spend money everywhere, he wouldn't have bothered with Lucas.
"Little brother, you must be joking. How could it be five hundred?"
"Five thousand? Also acceptable."
"No, not five thousand, it's five hundred thousand."
"Five hundred thousand? Are you sure it's a very rare Pokémon?"
The uncle's eyes lit up.
Then he nodded eagerly, "Ten times compensation if fake."
Lucas glanced at Cynthia beside him, narrowing his eyes.
Then he called Gengar over, paid, and took the Poké Ball.
He released the Pokémon into a bucket, and sure enough.
A red fish was thrashing about inside.
Lucas looked up and found that the uncle had already disappeared.
Lucas wasn't in a hurry. He recalled Magikarp and walked in a certain direction with a puzzled Cynthia.
The uncle had changed his disguise and was in a wonderfully good mood.
"Scammed another fool."
Humming a tune and about to go for a drink, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation behind him.
He quickly ran into an alley, where it became even more eerie.
Occasionally, a cold breeze would blow against his backside, instantly making his hair stand on end.
Could it be a ghost?
Thinking this, the uncle turned and ran.
But as soon as he turned around.
"Ah!!!!!!!!!!!"
He collapsed to the ground, scooting backward continuously.
His face was pale.
Then he heard footsteps behind him, quickly turned to ask for help, but found it was the man who had just bought his Magikarp.
He watched as the man walked up to the ghost, picked up an eyeball from the ground, and then stuffed it into Gengar's eye.
"Is it really that scary? I think it's very cute."
Lucas pulled at Gengar's mouth, examining Gengar, and said.
Gengar grinned widely.
"gengar sound!"
Hehehe.
The uncle saw that Lucas was too busy to pay attention to him, so he stood up, ready to sneak away.
However, on the other side, a Garchomp was staring at him.
"So, pay up. Ten times compensation for a fake, five million."
Lucas walked up to him, his eyes narrowed, and his voice entered the uncle's ears like a death knell, making him break out in a cold sweat.
"You can choose to run away, if you can defeat Garchomp. Or, you can defeat us and then escape, provided you can defeat the Sinnoh Champion."
Although Lucas said this with a smile, the sweat on the uncle's forehead grew more and more.
The Sinnoh Champion is not Cy—Cy—Cynthia, is it? Could she be—
---
Cynthia cooperated with Lucas's act and took off her sunglasses.
The uncle's eyes rolled back, and he fainted directly.
It's all over.
After getting his money back from Officer Jenny, Lucas still wanted to argue for the ten times compensation for a fake, but Gothitelle's glare scared him back.
"How did you know that Poké Ball didn't contain a rare Pokémon?"
Cynthia looked at Lucas and asked curiously.
Lucas couldn't very well say he'd seen it on TV.
"Secret."
"Hmph."
Cynthia turned her head. If he didn't want to say, then don't; she wasn't eager to hear it anyway.
Just as Lucas was about to speak, Mime Jr. ran over and tugged at Lucas's pant leg.
"What's wrong, Mime Jr.?"
Mime Jr. pointed to the crowded area ahead, its expression excited.
"Mime, Mime Jr."
"Do you want to go over?"
Lucas bent down, picked up Mime Jr., and walked over, squeezing into the crowd.
He discovered it was a culinary event held by a restaurant.
Trainers and their Pokémon partners would select several ingredients provided by the organizers, turn them into their best dishes, and then have the organizers act as judges to taste them and select the best few.
The first place also received an extra grand prize.
"Do you want to enter the competition?"
Lucas finished reading the introduction beside him and looked at Mime Jr. on his shoulder.
Mime Jr.'s eyes were full of anticipation.
Lucas smiled, said a word to Cynthia and Gengar beside him, and then took Mime Jr. to the registration area.
After registering, Lucas walked to his assigned position and glanced at the ingredients in front of him.
Green peppers, meat, eggs, tofu, cucumbers—
All common ingredients.
"Today, you are the protagonist. You'll be the head chef, and I'll be your assistant."
Mime Jr. turned to look at Lucas, finding him smiling at it.
It nodded emotionally, then slid off Lucas's shoulder, went to the ingredients, and selected a few.
Lucas signaled to Gengar, who quickly bought a small chef's hat.
Lucas placed the chef's hat on Mime Jr.'s head.
"Now it's up to you, Mr. Mime Jr., the chef of the Breeding House."
Mime Jr. clenched its small fists, its face serious.
As soon as the referee announced the start, Mime Jr. quickly began preparing the ingredients.
Lucas washed vegetables nearby, while Mime Jr. held a knife, twirled the handle twice against its palm, then with a flick of its small hand, the tofu was sliced into pieces.
Mime Jr. heated the pan, poured in oil, added the tofu, and stood on a high stool Lucas found, constantly tossing the pan.
"What's going on? Contestant number seventeen is Mime Jr. making the dishes?"
"Looking at its movements, it must often cook normally."
"I'm suddenly looking forward to its cooking."
At the judges' table, the judges were attracted by Mime Jr.'s cooking, as Mime Jr. was the only Pokémon actually cooking, while others had Pokémon assisting. Here, Lucas was assisting.
Soon, Mime Jr. finished the first dish, Mapo Tofu. It looked at Lucas, but Lucas wasn't looking at it, making it suddenly worried.
Lucas took in Mime Jr.'s expression, but at this moment, he chose not to comfort Mime Jr.
He wanted Mime Jr. to gain confidence in this competition.
After Lucas placed the prepared green peppers and meat in front of Mime Jr., he walked aside to prepare eggs and tomatoes.
Mime Jr. could only continue preparing the second dish. Soon, the second dish, shredded pork with green peppers over rice, was ready.
For the third dish, Lucas still delivered the prepared ingredients to it but still didn't look at Mime Jr.
Mime Jr. became even more nervous.
If I lose, will Lucas be very angry? If I lose, will my sisters—
As the eggs went into the pan, Mime Jr. put all its thoughts aside and focused on the eggs in front of it.
Soon, the third dish, tomato and egg soup, was ready.
Just as time ran out.
Everyone lined up to await the judges' tasting.
Lucas reached out and picked up Mime Jr., letting it sit on his shoulder.
Mime Jr. looked at the judges ahead, nodding continuously, then saw that the dishes made by other contestants looked particularly good, and then looked at its own, which were simple and plain.
"Mime----"
Its voice grew weaker.
Lucas gently stroked its nose.
"It's okay."
"Mime Jr.----"
Soon, the judges arrived in front of Lucas and Mime Jr. They first glanced at Lucas, then at Mime Jr. on his shoulder, praised it for a while, and then began to taste Mime Jr.'s dishes.
First, the Mapo Tofu, which had an endless aftertaste and was spicy and appetizing. Then they took a bite of the shredded pork with green peppers over rice; the rice had a distinct texture, soaked in sauce, and also had an endless aftertaste.
Soon, the judges finished the Mapo Tofu and the shredded pork with green peppers over rice. Then they saw the tomato and egg soup nearby, picked it up, and took a sip.
Then they drank it all down in one gulp.
Everyone around was stunned; no one's dish before had made the judges finish it completely.
The judges remained silent, then moved to the back.
They ate even less.
Feeling full, the judges had already made their decision.
When the results came out, tenth place, seventh place—
Third place, second place, Mime Jr.'s name was not there.
Until first place.
Mime Jr. and Lucas!
Mime Jr. cheered happily.
"Mime Jr.!"
Lucas happily held Mime Jr. in his hands, then threw it into the air.
"Goth!"
Gothitelle was so scared her heart almost jumped out.
The next second, Mime Jr. fell into Gothitelle's arms. The next second, Lucas was thrown into the sky.
Gengar also followed him up.
After landing, Mime Jr. ran over, holding the trophy.
"Mime."
This is for Lucas.
Lucas hugged Mime Jr. and the trophy together.
"See, Mime Jr., even without me, you are still an excellent chef."
Mime Jr.'s eyes welled up with tears.
"So, the food at the Breeding House will depend on you from now on, Chef Mime Jr."
Mime Jr. nodded firmly.
Gengar watched from the side, feeling like it had seen this kind of self-assurance somewhere before.
"gengar sound—
—"
How strange, why can't I remember?
The restaurant manager came to ask Mime Jr. if it wanted to work at their restaurant. Mime Jr. thought for a while.
Looking at Lucas, Gengar, Mighty, Lilligant, Gothitelle, Vulpix, Cynthia, Garchomp, and recalling Shauna and Vespiquen from the Breeding House in its mind, it shook its head.
"Mime Jr.~"
I want to make the world's most delicious food to share with my best family and friends, so I can't stay here.
The manager nodded regretfully, then brought out the grand prize.
From now on, they would enjoy a discount at their restaurant, whether in Jubilife City or other regions.
Lucas put away the grand prize, then walked towards Cynthia with Mime Jr.
"That's great, Mime Jr., you're amazing."
Cynthia praised Mime Jr. without reservation.
Mime Jr. hugged the trophy and replied with a giggle.
"Mime~"
Afterward, it handed the trophy to Gengar. Gengar carefully took it and examined it closely.
"Gen gar! (This is my little brother's trophy, hehe.)"
Then he put it away.
....
Power Stones PLZZZZZ
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