August 19th, Thursday.
An unexpected guest suddenly appeared in Natsume's home.
A girl with a cold expression, sporting chestnut-colored short hair and a dress splattered with paint, was hunched over a canvas, diligently making revisions.
Natsume, cradling Eevee in his arms, pondered aloud:
"I can't quite put my finger on what's off... but just tweak it a bit more. Make it vibrant yet subtly minimalist."
Mina clenched her paintbrush with a squeak.
Damn these demanding clients!
Seeing how reliable his new employee was, Natsume-sensei nodded with satisfaction.
With Mina on board, the game development progress had significantly accelerated, and the quality of the graphic design had improved considerably.
Just the thought of mining with Cynthia all night made Natsume-sensei feel a little excited.
Meanwhile, the Pokémon were getting along famously.
Eevee bonk bonk-ed Granbull's head, acting like a little tyrant.
Granbull, tears streaming down its face, dared not protest.
Haunter, with its hands clasped together, gently held Cutiefly, which was as delicate as a hummingbird.
The tiny Pokémon perched lightly, pecking softly at Haunter's palms.
"Haunter! (??????`??)"
Haunter looked utterly blissful, as if it had been healed.
Mina rested her brush on her lips and remarked, "Uncle... Cutiefly really trusts your Haunter, huh?"
"Deduct 500 Pokémon Coins."
Natsume chuckled. "Of course! After all, Pokémon take after their Trainers!"
Mina froze, and her brush clattered to the floor.
Five hundred Pokémon Coins... just like that?
Haunter is so cute, nothing like you—
You're clearly a cunning rogue!
Natsume examined Mina's draft.
Though the style was a bit abstract, under Natsume-sensei's guidance, the craftsmanship was quite refined.
Hiring a graphic designer for 10,000 Pokémon Coins was definitely worth it...
Especially since, after deductions, he might only end up paying around 5,000 Pokémon Coins.
"Stay for a meal," Natsume offered with a smile.
"Eating takeout all the time isn't good for your health."
Mina blinked, twirling her hair, and softly murmured, "Oh."
A short while later.
Granbull and Cutiefle buried their faces in their bowls, tears streaming as they devoured the food.
What is this... it's so delicious!
Natsume patted Granbull and sighed, shaking his head.
Even Haunter turns its nose up at these Pokéblocks... yet you two are enjoying them so much.
You poor things!
Mina nibbled on her curry rice like a little hamster and gestured toward the wall with her chin. "Owner, what's 'Master of Healing'?"
Natsume paused, glancing up at the banner hanging on the wall.
"Hmm... probably an achievement even greater than Pokémon Master," Natsume mused, stroking his chin.
"I see!" The chestnut-haired girl's eyes filled with admiration.
Two days later.
Kazuya called to say that the online testing for Gold Miners had begun.
Mina's graphic design tasks were officially complete, and she was ready to board the ship back to Alola.
At the azure port, white ships lined the docks.
Natsume, dragging a yawning Mina, helped her onto the ship.
"Contact me when you get back to Alola. I might need your help with future graphic design work."
Natsume slipped a business card into Mina's hand.
The chestnut-haired girl, carrying her canvas, lifted her dirt-smudged face and gave Natsume a deep bow.
"Owner... thank you so much!"
"No need for thanks," Natsume scratched his head, thinking to himself.
A salary of 10,000 Pokémon Coins, and in the end, I only had to pay less than 3,000...
What a steal!
Mina set her canvas aside, took off her backpack, and pulled out a beautifully illustrated sketchbook.
The cover featured a crayon-drawn Haunter, a glancing Eevee, and a Squirtle dressed like a secret agent.
Flipping through it, Natsume saw page after page of colored comics... a testament to Mina's dedication.
"This is... my thank-you gift," Mina said with a grin.
"Hmm..." Natsume pointed to the man on the cover. "I get it, but why is my heart black?"
Mina pulled down her eyelid, stuck out her tongue, made a silly face, and then dashed onto the ship.
The ship's horn sounded a long, mournful note as the vessel cut through the waves, gradually fading into the distance alongside the startled Wingulls.
Natsume scratched his head.
Opening the adorable sketchbook, his expression turned peculiar.
"A thank-you gift for Eevee—"
"Baby-Doll Eyes"
Why are you giving move manuals as a thank-you gift?
Training moves aren't free, you know!
Natsume-sensei stuffed the sketchbook into his bag, muttering through gritted teeth:
"Don't let this happen again!"
...
In the chat group, Gold was complaining about Togekiss hogging the game console.
"Togebo has been monopolizing the console for three days! Isn't its eyesight going to suffer?"
Whitney mercilessly called him out: "You just want to play the game yourself, don't you?"
Gold: Woman! You talk too much!
Whitney: ?!
Yellow chuckled. "Well, Togebo's personality is quite similar to Gold's, after all."
Gold scratched his head and sighed in frustration.
I was hoping to battle with Grandpa Wattson...
But the problem is... I can't even compete with Togebo!
Wattson, the cheerful old man nearing his seventies but still keeping up with the latest trends, excitedly tagged Gold in the chat.
"Gold, Natsume-sensei just released a new game! Have you seen it? Let's play together!"
Gold glanced at his computer.
A Pichu with a side-swept fringe was gripping the mouse, happily browsing some strange website.
Wait... why is a Pichu looking up Pikachu egg hatching guides?
Gold held his forehead, groaning. "Is there something wrong with my Pokémon?"
Despite his ability to hatch eggs, the personalities of the hatched Pokémon often mirrored Gold's.
Almost no one dared to let Gold handle egg hatching at the Pokémon Day Care.
The only recent hatch was a Munchlax, a descendant of Red's Snorlax, entrusted to Diamond from Sinnoh.
At this rate, the Pokémon Day Care is going to go out of business!
Gold slumped his head onto the table, muttering weakly, "I can't play. The computer at home is completely taken over by my Pokémon."
Gold typed humbly, "What's Natsume-sensei's new game? Is it fun?"
Wattson stroked his beard and clicked on the game interface. "I'm playing it right now... Oh! Gold Miners! What is it? Some kind of level-based game?"
Thanks to Wattson and Gold, the chat group's atmosphere was turning into a gaming hub...
But it also served as free promotion.
Natsume-sensei, unusually, didn't mute Gold and happily opened the chat interface.
There were two private messages from Sabrina and Green.
Sabrina: How's the progress on Calm Mind?
Natsume-sensei: Still haven't found a suitable Dawn Stone... By the way, the quality requirements are way too high!
Sabrina: You could ask Devon Corporation. They're top-notch in the mining industry. (Pikachu cute face.jpg)
Natsume paused, nodding thoughtfully.
True... I've had dealings with Devon Corporation before. It wouldn't hurt to ask.
Speaking of which, Red's Pikachu is really popular. Even Sabrina can't resist sending its stickers...
No, Squirtle can't fall behind!
Natsume-sensei: [I wouldn't dare say a word.jpg]
Green's message was a follow-up on Squirtle's training progress.
It has to be said, Green is quite the stand-up guy, a true knight with a heart of gold.
Just because Natsume-sensei asked for advice, he's been keeping tabs on Squirtle's growth...
Natsume-sensei's feelings were a bit complicated.
Green: Natsume-sensei, based on the timing and breeding conditions... Squirtle is ready for the next phase of its training plan. (Grinning)
Natsume froze, his heart skipping a beat.
In his distraction, his phone slipped from his hand and fell onto the couch.
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