"Alright, if you insist, I'd suggest checking the Chocolate Frog cards," Charles Gold said, winking, his voice suddenly taking on a mysterious tone. "Of course, buying a new Chocolate Frog right now would be a waste. After Christmas, they'll release a new card."
"A new card?" Harry tilted his head, not thinking much of it. He wasn't particularly enthusiastic about collecting cards. Poor Ron, on the other hand, was in a bind.
Ron had been only two cards away from completing his collection, and now it seemed it would become three.
"Thanks, Professor," Harry said, hurrying off. "Chocolate Frog card, Chocolate Frog card—"
He was genuinely happy about the trust Charles showed in him. Other professors or friends, like Hagrid, cared about him, of course, but they always treated him like a child.
Harry desperately wanted a chance to prove himself.
"You're out, then?" Charles muttered toward the air, watching Harry dash away without a glance back.
The previously invisible air began to ripple, slowly losing its transparency, revealing a tall elderly man.
"Harry is a brave child, isn't he?" the man asked.
"He is indeed brave," Charles nodded. Harry's bravery was fearless, much like Ash's. Few people could achieve that. In fact, facing one's own cowardice was also a form of courage.
"I thought my Disillusionment Charm was applied well. How did you notice?" Dumbledore asked, a hint of surprise in his voice, his waterfall-like beard quivering.
Charles pointed to the snow. "Footprints."
Dumbledore quickly glanced down and, sure enough, saw a trail of footprints in the snow.
"Seems I was a bit careless," he admitted.
Careless?
Yeah, right. That old trickster's up to something.
Charles rolled his eyes.
Dumbledore clearly had business with him; otherwise, he wouldn't have left the warmth of his office in this freezing weather. Sure enough, the next moment, he spoke.
"I hear you may have reached some sort of arrangement with Cornelius Fudge?"
"So that's why you're here. I only wanted to avoid trouble. You know how the Ministry people are—they'll find a way to bother you," Charles said with a smile. Unlike Dumbledore, he didn't view power as inflexible; there was no reason to refuse what he could use.
"Better than a physical conflict, wouldn't you say?"
Dumbledore nodded in agreement.
"Properly wielding power—that's where you far surpass me," Dumbledore remarked thoughtfully.
It wasn't that he despised power. If anything, Dumbledore feared what he might become if he indulged in it. He feared that, once in power, he might turn the Ministry into his own autocracy. He might not become as cruel as Voldemort, but even a mild dictatorship was a possibility.
After all, the ideology and plans of Grindelwald and his so-called Saints, which once swept the world, had been tailored by Dumbledore himself.
"I'm not that noble," Charles said, shaking his head. He had no desire to equate himself with Dumbledore.
Dumbledore lived for others. To defeat Voldemort, he would even calculate using himself. Charles had no interest in such exhaustion.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to confront Voldemort—but sacrificing his life just to destroy Voldemort? That was out of the question.
However, facing just one Voldemort doesn't require risking my life anyway.
With his immense magical talent and system support, having to bet his life against a single Voldemort would be ridiculous.
After some more discussion, Dumbledore suggested a Pokémon battle to stretch their legs. Charles, uninterested in facing Dumbledore's weak team, introduced him to Harry and the others instead.
——
The Christmas banquet was lavish, with tables brimming with fragrant roast turkeys.
Charles, however, had no part in the evening. He had left Hogwarts earlier that afternoon, boarding a train at Platform 7 bound for the European continent.
Platforms 7 and 9 at King's Cross both led to Europe, catering to wizards who wanted to travel abroad but disliked Apparition and Portkeys.
Charles detested Apparition—it felt like being stuffed into a washing machine or a toilet.
This time, his destination was technically Japan, though before heading there, he planned to check around Lake Baikal for any trace of Uxie.
After all, it was a Legendary Pokémon. Completely ignoring Uxie's wisdom? Impossible. Besides, the Christmas break was long; Hogwarts wouldn't reopen until the second term.
At the same time, the Soviet Union was in turmoil.
If I remember correctly, Gorbachev resigned today. By tomorrow, the country will collapse.
Charles didn't know if wizards were secretly stirring events, and frankly, he didn't care. He was just a passing trainer. Anyone foolish enough to cause trouble could easily disappear.
The train's comfort couldn't match the Hogwarts Express, but it was slightly better than a Knight Bus, given the international wizard passengers and the ocean crossing.
Charles gazed out the window for a while, growing bored before reaching France.
That's when another passenger appeared beside him.
She was a graceful woman, pale-skinned with lips as red as ripe cherries. Her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders like waves.
"What's this—magical creature? It looks so cute. May I touch it?"
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted its head.
Since boarding, she couldn't stop talking to Charles, clearly drawn to the lively, adorable Pikachu.
If not for her glances toward Charles himself, he might have thought it was just Pikachu's charm.
But now, it seemed obvious she was interested in him.
"This isn't a magical creature—it's a Pokémon, currently found only in the UK," Charles said, chatting with her to pass the time. To his surprise, she had even heard of Pokémon.
"So, you are Charles Gold?" she asked.
(End of Chapter)