"Hello?" Seeing nobody respond for so long, Brassius spoke again.
"Ahem… Gym Leader Brassius, it's me…" Peter cleared his throat, preparing to remind Brassius of the "life-changing guidance" he'd once bestowed upon him.
But before he could finish—
"MASTER! IS THAT YOU, MASTER?! YOU'VE FINALLY CONTACTED ME AGAIN!!"
Brassius' voice instantly shot up several octaves, trembling with visible excitement.
"…"
Peter's scalp tingled.
He suddenly felt like he might've inflicted some kind of strange, irreversible influence on this wildly eccentric artist…
"Uh… here's the thing…"
Peter briefly explained his situation and request.
"As for compensation, I—"
Before he could finish, Brassius interrupted him again.
"I understand now, Master! You once said that true masters forever carry the heart of a student! You're asking me to guide others so I may return to the mindset of an apprentice and break through my current artistic bottleneck!
"And you even thoughtfully found me a girl utterly devoted to art for me to mentor!
"Please rest assured, Master! You may name any compensation you desire—I shall absolutely satisfy you!!"
Peter: "…Huh??"
I was trying to PAY you… not ask YOU for money?!
Just as he was about to explain further, Brassius misunderstood him once again.
"My deepest apologies, Master. Naturally, someone of your stature has no need for money. How vulgar of me…"
"The reward shall be handled by me personally. I guarantee your satisfaction!"
Then came a sharp click as the call disconnected.
"…"
Peter stared at the silent phone speechlessly.
Forget it.
As long as Brassius was happy…
After that, things became much simpler.
A few minutes later, Brassius called again and began a one-on-one remote video lesson with Mina.
Two and a half full hours later, the gloom on Mina's face had completely disappeared.
She even painted an abstract masterpiece of a Psyduck riding a Sharpedo while eating cucumbers atop the cliffside…
Though no outsider could understand it, Mina herself seemed extremely satisfied.
Seeing the issue resolved, Peter thanked Brassius once more.
This time, however, he deliberately avoided mentioning compensation in any form whatsoever.
He genuinely feared Brassius might spiral into another bizarre misunderstanding.
But Brassius certainly didn't see it that way.
If the Master refused compensation, did that mean he could simply not give any?
Absolutely not!
Not only would he give something—he had to give something worthy!
As Peter's voice of gratitude echoed through the phone, Brassius hung up with a deeply furrowed brow.
He glanced around the room filled with paintings and sculptures.
Originally, he had planned to mail some of his favorite artworks to the Master.
Among artists, exchanging works was already considered one of the highest forms of respect and gifting.
But Peter's repeated thanks only made Brassius feel…
These pieces… weren't enough!
Who was Peter?!
The man was an absolute artistic grandmaster! A transcendent genius capable of shattering creative bottlenecks with mere words!
If he mailed over these paintings, they'd probably be embarrassing even as toilet paper…
Just as Brassius agonized over how to properly repay the Master, his good friend entered the room.
One of Paldea's Elite Four members—and an art teacher himself—Hassel.
"Hey, Brassius, why aren't you creating today?" Hassel casually asked.
Brassius glanced at him.
Back when he'd fallen into an artistic slump, Hassel had helped him tremendously. Since then, the two had become close friends.
In Brassius' eyes, Hassel and Peter were actually quite similar.
Both had already reached the pinnacle of art, yet both had begun pursuing other paths afterward.
For example, Hassel had shifted his focus toward teaching, guiding generation after generation of students at Naranja Academy.
"Wait… other fields?"
Brassius' eyes suddenly lit up.
"I remember now… the Master is currently challenging the Sinnoh League? A Normal-type specialist Trainer?"
At that moment, inspiration struck him like lightning.
"I know exactly what to use as compensation!"
...
While Brassius was undergoing a mental storm of enlightenment, Mina had already painted a rainbow-colored flower upon her canvas.
The vivid blossom shimmered brilliantly beneath the sunlight.
"It looks completely real…" Whitney gasped in amazement.
"Yeah…" Even Peter nodded.
Mina clasped her hands together and quietly closed her eyes.
Moments later, a swarm of pale-yellow insect Pokémon flew down from the sky.
They possessed translucent butterfly wings, sparkling eyes, reddish-brown scarf-like ribbons, slender black legs, and glowing yellow bodies that made them look exceptionally adorable.
"Ribombee, the Bee Fly Pokémon. A Bug- and Fairy-type Pokémon. They gather pollen and nectar to create Pollen Puffs. Whenever they sense sadness from people or Pokémon, they deliver handmade Pollen Puffs to cheer them up, Rotom~!"
"Ribom~"
The Ribombee circled around Mina several times, clearly loving the flower she had painted.
Mina smiled gently.
"Ribombee, these two Trainers helped me rediscover my inspiration. Would you allow them to participate in the trial?"
"Ribom~"
The Totem Ribombee leading the group nodded toward Peter and Whitney before taking out two pink diamond-shaped crystals.
Peter blinked in surprise.
"This is…"
"I think…" Hapu smiled, "they're thanking you for helping Sister Mina recover her inspiration."
"Congratulations! You've already passed the trial~"
Peter and Whitney exchanged smiles before each accepting one crystal.
At this point, Peter only lacked a Groundium Z to complete the entire set.
Bringing Hapu back home, Peter and Whitney once again met with Sofu.
"I never imagined you would complete the trial within a single day… Truly worthy of the praise given by the island kahunas…" Sofu coughed heavily midway through speaking.
"Grandpa, drink some water." Hapu quickly handed him a cup of tea.
Sofu accepted it before gently patting her head.
"Go ask your grandmother to bring over two crystals."
"Okay, Grandpa."
"Cough… cough-cough…"
Once Hapu left, Sofu began coughing violently again.
After taking a sip of tea, he finally continued.
"Originally, I intended to personally prepare your grand trial… but my current condition simply can't withstand high-intensity battles anymore."
"It's alright, Grandpa," Whitney said softly. "You should focus on recovering first… We don't mind waiting a few extra days."
Sofu sighed and slowly shook his head.
"My own body… I understand it better than anyone…"
The unspoken meaning was obvious.
He didn't have much time left.
"You'll definitely recover! There has to be another way… right? Y-you can't just leave Hapu behind like this…"
Whitney's voice trembled as tears shimmered in her pink eyes.
She was reminded of her own grandfather's final days…
Back then, just like Hapu, she had been kept in the dark.
"…"
Peter gently squeezed Whitney's hand.
"Sorry, old sir… Whitney's grandfather went through something very similar, so…"
Sofu's cloudy eyes softened with warmth.
"You are both good children… I believe your grandfather would feel very comforted if he could see you now."
At that moment, Hapu returned carrying two earthy-yellow Groundium Z crystals.
"Grandpa."
"Mmm…" Sofu looked toward Peter and Whitney.
"The fact that you defeated Kommo-o already proves your strength."
"I will place these two crystals deep within the Ruins of Hope."
"Your grand trial will be to retrieve them."
"The Ruins of Hope?" Whitney asked curiously.
Peter answered first.
"They're the ruins dedicated to Tapu Fini. Also known as the land where life comes to its end."
As he spoke, he thoughtfully glanced toward Sofu.
"Mmm… If there are no objections, you may head to the Ruins of Hope tomorrow morning."
"Understood. Thank you very much."
Peter and Whitney nodded, accepting this rather unusual grand trial.