Three days later, on Route 218 west of Jubilife City, Peter adjusted his travel plans. To complete the Silvally capture mission, he had decided to head west toward Canalave City instead of continuing his original route.
At their campsite, he was overseeing a round of battle training.
"Mi—lo!"
Mega Lopunny dashed forward, its knee blazing with force as High Jump Kick slammed directly into Arboliva's Reflect.
"Boom!"
The barrier shattered like glass, and both Pokémon slid back several meters.
[Ding! Lopunny and Arboliva have trained their moves High Jump Kick and Reflect to Transcendent proficiency… Their levels have increased.]
"Hm?" Peter casually popped a Poké Puff into Eevee's mouth while glancing over.
In his vision, their updated stats appeared:
[Lopunny Lv.49]
[Arboliva Lv.49]
"Finally hit 49…" he murmured with a satisfied smile, pulling out two Rare Candies and handing them over.
[Ding! Lopunny and Arboliva leveled up! They learned new moves: 'Entrainment' and 'Pollen Puff'!]
Watching his earliest partners reach level 50, Peter felt a genuine sense of accomplishment.
Entrainment could copy abilities—situational, but powerful. Pollen Puff, on the other hand, filled a major coverage gap while also providing healing support when used on allies. Extremely practical.
…
"Honey, food's ready~"
Whitney placed a pot onto the table, then pinched her ear lightly, wincing from the heat.
"Why didn't you let Indeedee help?" Peter walked over, taking her hands and gently blowing on them.
She puffed her cheeks proudly. "I'm not that fragile. I'm your personal chef, remember? Come on, try the seafood porridge I made today~"
"…Huh?" Peter instinctively glanced downward.
"…What are you looking at?" Whitney froze, then followed his gaze—and immediately turned bright red.
"YOU IDIOT—what are you thinking about?!"
Her fingers pinched his waist hard, but Peter just grinned mischievously, grabbed her hand, and pulled her straight into the tent.
"My clothes—hey, wait—mmph…!"
Summary: The tent has seen things. It has endured.
…
Two hours later, Peter emerged with a satisfied grin, dragging along a flushed Whitney whose cheeks were still burning.
He reheated the seafood porridge (with Slaking's help) and began eating happily.
"Mmm… Babe, your seafood porridge really is something special~"
Whitney nearly choked on her MooMoo Milk.
After coughing and swallowing, she shot him a glare. "Just eat your food!"
…
Canalave City sat on the far western edge of Sinnoh, a coastal city split by waterways and dotted with nearby islands. Ships from all over the world docked here, giving it a unique, multicultural atmosphere.
Its most famous landmark?
The Canalave Library—home to countless texts on Sinnoh's ancient legends.
At that moment, above the eastern side of the city, a deep blue eagle descended from the sky.
Peter stood on the back of his newly evolved Braviary, holding Whitney as they looked down over the city from above.
Since part of the land route had been cut off by a river, he had simply flown here instead.
And honestly—
For a Pokémon known for raw power, Braviary's flight was surprisingly smooth.
"Waaah~" Whitney wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing at the white-toned coastal city with sparkling eyes. "We got here so fast~"
Peter kissed her cheek lightly after helping her down. "That's my Braviary."
"Let's go. First, we check into the Pokémon Center."
After settling in, they wasted no time heading toward the western side of the city—to the Canalave Gym.
According to the system, in three days, representatives from the Aether Foundation would arrive at the library to research information related to Arceus.
Peter intended to secure the Gym Badge before that.
The gym stood amid greenery, built into a massive stone structure. A transparent dome capped the top, reinforced with steel beams—its metallic presence unmistakable.
Whitney pushed the door.
Clink.
Locked.
"…No one's here?" she said, tilting her head.
Peter rubbed his chin. "Maybe Mr. Byron went fossil digging again…"
The Gym Leader of Canalave, Byron, was a Steel-type specialist—and the father of Roark from Oreburgh. Both were famously obsessed with mining and fossils.
In the anime, Byron had even passed the Oreburgh Gym to his son just to pursue fossil excavation here.
…
"You're looking for Byron?"
A calm, refined voice sounded from behind.
Peter turned.
A tall man in a suit stood there, purple hair neatly styled, a pen tucked into his pocket, and round glasses resting on his nose. His scholarly aura was unmistakable.
"Hello, Peter. I'm Lucian. Cynthia mentioned you."
"Ah, the Psychic Elite Four… pleasure to meet you." Peter shook his hand. "This is Whitney—my girlfriend."
"Hello~" Whitney waved cheerfully.
Peter raised a brow. "Don't you guys have work? What are you doing here?"
Lucian smiled. "Whenever I have time, I come here to read. As for work… today it's Flint's shift."
…
Far away on Lily of the Valley Island, a red-haired man suddenly sneezed.
"ACHOO—! Damn it, I swear Lucian skipped his shift earlier this week! Why is everything dumped on me?!"
…
The Canalave Library stood in the northwest part of the city. As they walked together, Peter learned more about Lucian and Byron's connection.
They had met years ago through shared visits to the library and had become close friends despite the age gap. Lucian's ace, Bronzong, had even evolved from a Bronzor gifted by Byron.
"Recently, Byron's been looking for someone to inherit the Canalave Gym," Lucian explained. "That's why he's been going to Iron Island more often. Plenty of young Steel-type trainers gather there."
Peter nodded. "That explains it…"
They stopped in front of the library.
Lucian gestured ahead. "From here, just head to the docks. You can take a boat to Iron Island."
"Thanks. If you have time, I'd love to battle you someday."
Lucian adjusted his glasses, a faint smile forming. "Sure—but no surrendering halfway."
Peter laughed. "Deal."
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T/N:
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