Pokémon: Who let him leave Pallet Town?

Chapter 533 Sandwich

"Finally finished!"

Natsume suddenly opened his eyes, his consciousness snapping out of his highly focused mental world and returning to reality.

An indescribable sense of accomplishment and joy surged within him like boiling water, making him eager to get up and share his excitement with someone immediately.

However, it seems that not much time has passed in the outside world.

Looking up, night had already fallen, with a few sparse, cold stars dotting the deep sky, and a crescent moon hanging obliquely on the treetops, casting its clear light like frost.

The back mountain was quiet, with only the rustling of the evening wind through the leaves and the faint lights and sounds from the construction site in the distance.

His highly tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a huge feeling of fatigue swept over him like a tide, causing his body, which he had just straightened up, to sway.

The crisp, cool evening breeze sneaked into my collar, bringing a chill.

"Ok?"

He tried to steady himself, but found himself being held back by a considerable weight, making it difficult to move.

Looking down——

Caldelia had fallen into a deep sleep sometime during the night.

She leaned against him without any defenses, her forehead gently resting on his shoulder.

Her long, golden hair was spread out in a slightly messy manner, with a few strands playfully brushing against his neck, causing a slight tickle. Her breathing was even and long, and her warm breath, seeping through her thin clothes, brushed against his arms in waves.

"."

Natsume looked at Cattleya, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and was both amused and exasperated.

The initial excitement seemed to have been punctured, slowly deflated.
Well, it seems this "power bank lady" has completely run out of power and automatically entered sleep mode.

He moved his slightly numb shoulders slightly, but ultimately gave up on getting up immediately.

Excitement always needs to be shared. Since the listener in front of him had already logged off, he thought for a moment and carefully took out his phone with his free hand.

"dududu~"

"Natsume? Why are you calling me at 2:30 in the morning?"

Professor Oak's sleepy voice rang out.

"I have good news."

"I don't want to hear it."

Before Natsume could finish speaking, Professor Oak hung up the phone.

"Um"

Natsume thought about it and figured it was because of the time difference.

So they found Jiaozi's contact number and made a video call request.

The call was answered quickly after only two rings.

The screen lit up, and the first thing that caught the eye was not the proud son's face, but a screen emitting a soft blue light, covered with complex energy flow curves and data points.

That was an energy rhythm diagram of the ice cave. Natsume discovered that the energy fluctuations in the ice cave were regular and had been on the rise in recent years.

It is expected to peak in the next few months.

The mouse cursor is still moving on the graph.

It's clear that Jiaozi is still working.

The camera shook slightly before finally focusing on the prodigy.

She seemed to have just taken a shower; her short black hair was still damp, with a few strands playfully clinging to her smooth forehead and cheeks.

She didn't tie her hair up as usual; her smooth hair fell naturally, softening her usual aloof and distant demeanor and giving her a more homely and relaxed air.

"Mr. Natsume?"

Jiaozi spoke first.

Unexpectedly, Natsume did not move, but stared at the pajamas on the girl with a strange expression.

She was wearing a light blue velvet pajama set with a cute pixie pattern, the neckline slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbone.

Her face still seemed to have a faint blush from being steamed by the hot water, and her fingers were unconsciously typing something on the keyboard next to her.

"Aren't these my pajamas?"

Natsume narrowed his eyes.

"Ah, this, this..." Jiaozi paused, then began to stammer.

"Perhaps it's just a coincidence that I bought the same thing as Mr. Natsume?"

The proud boy's gaze wandered, seemingly unsure of where he was looking.

“Is that so?” Natsume nodded.

Indeed, his own clothes were too big for Jiaozi, while the ones she was wearing now fit her perfectly.

"Mr. Natsume?" Seeing the black screen on the other end of the video, Jiaozi blinked in surprise, then a faint smile appeared on her face:
"It's so late, what's wrong?"

Her voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of relaxation and softness from just having showered, less crisp than usual, and more gentle and sweet. "My darling! This is incredible news!"

Natsume's tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement, and his eyes were shining.

"I've got it! The hardest part is done!" Natsume's lips curled into a smile.

Jiaozi watched as Natsume on the screen displayed an unusually excited expression, almost to the point of dancing with joy. Although she had no idea what "great thing" he had accomplished, his pure joy instantly infected her.

Her lips unconsciously curved into a wider smile, and her emerald eyes shone with a gentle smile, as if filled with starlight.

"Really? That's wonderful! Congratulations, Mr. Natsume!"

She never asked about the details; as long as Natsume was happy, she was genuinely happy.

However, her smile suddenly froze the next second.

At the edge of the video frame, the phone camera, which shifted slightly as Natsume adjusted his posture, inadvertently swept across his other side, revealing his embrace.

There, a golden head rests peacefully on Natsume's shoulder.

Cattleya was fast asleep, her profile serene, her breathing steady. Even as the camera shook, she unconsciously snuggled closer to Natsume, seeking a warmer spot—a movement that seemed perfectly natural.

"brush!"

The smile on Jiao Zi's face vanished visibly.

Her bright blue eyes, which had been brimming with smiles and starlight, suddenly widened as if frozen, staring intently at the golden head in the corner of the screen.

An eerie silence fell over both ends of the video call, with only the faint sound of the evening breeze coming from Natsume's side and the increasingly rapid breathing from Jiaozi's side.

"What's wrong with you?" Natsume finally noticed something was wrong and asked in confusion.

Visibly, Jiaozi's mouth puffed up, and at the same time, a red line swept across her cheek.

It looks like a red balloon that has suddenly been inflated.

"Clap!"

His response was a curt, disconnected message.

Natsume: “???”

He held up his phone, staring blankly at the black screen.

"never mind."

Natsume sighed and began to use his telekinesis to connect with the chibi version of Gadria high in the sky, preparing to discuss the matter of the satellite Rotom, which required her cooperation.

About an hour later.

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly over the tranquil training ground on the back mountain.

Natsume leaned against the tree trunk, feeling a little drowsy.

The efficiency of telepathic communication is so high that it can be explained in just a few words.

Even the faint consciousness of the Eye of the Sky figured out the situation.

The evening breeze was a bit cooler than before, and Cattleya in his arms seemed to feel the chill, unconsciously snuggling closer to him for warmth.

He got up, intending to pull Cattleya down.

Just then, a series of hurried yet light footsteps approached from afar, breaking the stillness of the night.

Natsume looked up alertly.

Under the moonlight, a petite figure came running, panting.

They are the pride of the nation!
She was still wearing her Pikachu-patterned pajamas, with a thin Pokémon Center jacket haphazardly thrown over them. Her short, silver-white hair was a little messy from the night breeze, and her face was flushed from running.

She had clearly arrived in a great hurry; she was even wearing indoor fluffy slippers, which were covered in bits of grass and dust.

Jiaozi ran up to them, then suddenly stopped.

Her emerald eyes quickly swept over Natsume to make sure he was alright, then her gaze fixed on Cattleya, who was still nestled tightly in Natsume's arms, sleeping soundly.

Her small mouth instantly pursed into a straight line, and her cheeks puffed out slightly.

Before Natsume could speak, Jiaozi walked forward silently, her movements somewhat defiant, and went directly behind Natsume, then—

She opened her arms and hugged him tightly from behind.

She pressed her cheek against Natsume's other back, and a muffled sound came from behind, carrying the panting of someone exhausted from running and a barely perceptible nasal tone:

"It's cold in the mountains at night. I'm worried Mr. Natsume might catch a cold."

Under the cold moonlight, a strange scene unfolded—

Natsume stood under a large tree, with Cattleya sleeping soundly in his arms in front of him, her long golden hair flowing in the moonlight.

Behind him was his beloved son, who had rushed over and hugged him tightly from behind, his black hair fluttering in the night breeze.

One in front and one behind, the two girls seemed to be using him as a giant warm pillow, forming a delicate and fragile balance in the cool night breeze.

Natsume: "."

How does he sleep?

(End of this chapter)