"Y-you… you…!"
Under the overwhelming aura of Lopunny, Gibbs trembled from head to toe.
"Alright, Lopunny. He's not an enemy… it's just a misunderstanding," Peter said calmly as he stepped beside her.
He placed a hand on her head.
Head pat.
The murderous glint in Lopunny's eyes slowly faded.
…
The reason Lopunny was still in her Mega-like powered state was simple.
For the past few days, she had been challenging the summit of Mount Coronet.
Every morning's training meant climbing the mountain and battling powerful wild Pokémon.
The cause of all this?
Two days earlier, Peter had led the team up toward the main peak of Mount Coronet.
Well… "reaching the peak" was an exaggeration.
They only managed to reach halfway up the mountain.
Beyond that point—
The environment became far too harsh.
Blizzards raged.
Cliffs turned vertical.
And more importantly—
Elite and Gym-tier wild Pokémon blocked the path.
Peter had even spotted a quasi–Elite Four levelMamoswine.
Lopunny had been deeply frustrated ever since.
Her training sessions became longer and harsher.
The rest of Peter's Pokémon also realized how weak they still were.
Under Lopunny's leadership, the entire team entered a training frenzy.
…
After a round of explanations, Peter and Whitney learned the truth.
Gibbs was Mira's neighbor.
Also her classmate and desk partner.
Of course—
His true feelings were obvious.
The way he occasionally glanced shyly at Mira gave everything away.
Seeing this, Peter quietly wrapped an arm around Whitney's waist.
She rolled her eyes at him charmingly.
But the smile on her lips couldn't be hidden.
After all—
Hadn't they grown up just like this?
Childhood sweethearts.
…
"Pi~!"
Whitney's Clefairy fluttered its tiny wings like an astronaut in low gravity and bounced over.
It grabbed a High-grade Pokéblock from Peter's hand.
Despite its small size—
Its level was actually higher than most of Peter's Pokémon.
But Whitney preferred cute Pokémon.
So Clefairy remained unevolved.
Nearby, Zoroark was playing with Eevee.
The illusion fox formed tiny Shadow Balls to entertain the little one.
As fellow fox Pokémon, Zoroark seemed especially fond of Eevee.
Ghost-type moves were harmless enough for playtime.
Meanwhile—
The troublemaker Happiny was imitating moves again using Copycat.
A copied Shadow Ball floated slowly through the air.
Because its mastery was still low, the attack began dissolving mid-flight.
Eventually it turned into a faint gust of cold wind—
And slipped straight into the back of Gibbs's pants.
"AH—?! (°ー°〃)"
Gibbs suddenly froze.
His entire body trembled.
He clamped his legs together instantly.
"Hmm? Gibbs, what's wrong?" Mira asked.
"Ah… n-nothing!!"
Poor kid.
Because the girl he liked was standing right there—
He could only endure the catastrophic pressure building inside him.
Trying to maintain a calm expression while trembling violently.
…
At that exact moment—
Slaking, sparring with Arboliva, slammed down a massive Hammer Arm.
The shockwave blasted past Arboliva's Reflect and struck a tree behind them.
BOOM!
The old mountain tree collapsed.
Gibbs's stool shook violently.
And then—
A very… earthy fragrance spread through the air.
"Lay?" Slaking turned around and looked at Peter.
As if asking:
Is it time for Powerleaf Spinach again?
Peter's face twisted.
Then finally—
He burst out laughing.
"PFFFF—HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
…
Arrival at Hearthome City
A short while later—
Peter and Whitney watched Gibbs and Mira disappear down the streets of Hearthome City.
Their argument echoed in the wind.
"WENJI! That's disgusting!"
"Mira, wait! Let me explain!"
Meanwhile Happiny sat proudly on Peter's head, hugging its stone.
Tears still clung to the corners of its eyes.
Because of its prank—
It had been spanked earlier.
But remembering Gibbs's face…
Happiny's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Happy! (≧▽≦)"
(I'll totally do it again next time!)
…
Hearthome City was a friendly metropolis that developed alongside commerce.
Because its residents valued comfort and lifestyle, it was voted the most livable city in Sinnoh.
According to legend—
The city formed where humans and Pokémon first truly connected hearts.
Thus it was also called the city where hearts meet.
Hearthome was also famous for Pokémon Contests.
The city's most iconic building was the Super Contest Hall.
The Gym Leader of Hearthome—
Fantina—
was a famous performer and one of the top Pokémon Coordinators.
Much like Wallace, the Contest Master and Gym Leader of Sootopolis City in Hoenn.
…
However—
Peter didn't head to the Gym or Contest Hall.
Instead, Whitney dragged him toward a luxurious estate.
Elegant decorations.
Green gardens.
People entering and leaving while carrying Pokémon.
All their Pokémon shared a common trait—
They were cute and unevolved.
Above the gate hung a sign:
Pokémon Fan Club
Peter blinked.
"Uh… babe, why are we here?"
He knew about the Fan Club.
It existed all over the Pokémon world.
Most members treated Pokémon purely as pets.
Appearance mattered.
Strength didn't.
Whitney giggled mischievously.
"You'll see soon~"
"Wait for me in the lobby. I'll be right back!"
She patted Peter's head—
Like a mom taking her kid shopping.
Naturally, Peter immediately punished her with a sneaky Dragon Claw grab.
Whitney's face turned red instantly.
She glanced around nervously and hurried away with heavy steps.
…
Peter found a sofa in the lobby and closed his eyes.
Perfect time for a nap inside his Dream Space.
Inside the Dream training room—
Peter appeared with nine Pokémon.
He checked their levels.
Lopunny — Lv.42
Arboliva — Lv.41
Indeedee — Lv.35
Slaking — Lv.38
Zoroark — Lv.34
Rufflet — Lv.25
Teddiursa — Lv.12
Happiny — Lv.8
Eevee — Lv.7
The two newest babies had already left their infant stage.
The main team was steadily improving too.
However—
Peter noticed something.
After reaching Elite tier, leveling slowed significantly.
Even with high-quality Pokéblocks—
Lopunny and Arboliva only gained 1–2 levels in a week.
"Looks like they need more time in simulated environments."
Peter quickly arranged new training routines.
Dazzling Gleam (Indeedee, Eevee)
Learn by listening to the song "Shining".
Attract (Zoroark, Rufflet, Teddiursa)
Practice while listening to "Magnet."
Gravity (Happiny)
Study physics textbooks while listening to "Defying Gravity."
…
Peter crossed his arms and nodded.
"Perfect."
Training continued.
And somewhere in Hearthome City—
A new adventure was about to begin.
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T/N:
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