"Mom said tomorrow's your graduation ceremony. How could I not come back?"
Gallade wrapped her little sister in a warm hug, affection written all over her face.
Once she let go, the seasoned trainer in her immediately locked onto Raylen. Instinctively leaving her sister aside, she walked straight toward him, looking him over with clear curiosity.
"This is your Pokémon? Looks good, but I can't tell what species it is."
As she spoke, she pulled out her portable scanner.
When the screen refreshed, Gallade froze. She stared—once, twice… ten times—before she finally believed what she was seeing.
Her sister had actually caught a legendary Pokémon. And not just that—a level 1 mutated legendary.
After the shock came a surge of overwhelming jealousy. She even felt a tiny criminal impulse creeping up her spine.
But… this was her precious little sister. So she forced those crazy thoughts down.
"Your luck is insane, sis!"
Images flashed through her mind—deep in the academy's breeding forest, a newborn Pokémon formed after absorbing a hundred years of natural energy. A once-in-a-lifetime miracle.
And the most unbelievable part—It came with its own Poké Ball.
Sure, some Pokémon were born holding items.But a legendary born with a Poké Ball?
That was absurd. A miracle among miracles.
And while still confused and naive, it happened to meet her sister during the academy event.
Captured? No way. Gallade didn't believe that for a second. It must've mistaken her sister for family, so it followed willingly.
Thinking that, the knot in her chest finally loosened. A divine beast that had already chosen a master couldn't be taken away—not even by someone more powerful.
That kind of loyalty was nearly unbreakable.
After the joy and shock faded, Gallade suddenly frowned.
"Wait. Sis… why haven't you evolved yet?"
Pokémon automatically evolved once they reached a certain age. But her sister was still stuck at the second stage—way too abnormal.
"I… I don't know…"Dolores' eyes dimmed, her pretty face sinking with sadness. She lowered her head slightly, looking fragile and defeated.
Raylen didn't know why, but her sadness tugged at him too.
He was a total face-lover to begin with. This cute, gentle, unexpectedly kind master? Of course he liked her.
Especially after feeling her warm hands and genuine concern… he was more than satisfied.
And now, he honestly wanted her to evolve and awaken.
If one genius sister could give him two hundred percent stat bonuses…What about a Four Heavenly Kings prodigy?
[Mission Triggered: Help Master Dolores evolve and awaken] [Reward: 1 Poké Ball][Hint: Because the little sister carries emotional burdens, her energy flow is blocked. She must absorb pure natural energy and resolve her inner knot to evolve and awaken.]
…Wait. So the system does have missions—it just needs to be triggered manually?!
And the mission hint?
Heh. This stupid, dirty-minded system… he loved it.
As a man of culture, it took Raylen exactly 0.5 seconds to understand the "hint."
"Master, don't worry. You will evolve and awaken."
Raylen stepped forward, gently taking Dolores' hand, his voice soft and reassuring.
"Mm… I think so too."
Dolores lifted her head, a spark of hope returning to her eyes. She rose on her toes and kissed him lightly on the forehead.
"I'm just… sorry. You should be out adventuring, not stuck repeating a grade with me." "I couldn't even be the strong master you deserve."
Her voice trembled with guilt.
No, no—don't say that!
Raylen screamed internally.
She was so gentle he actually felt guilty.
Which only strengthened his resolve.
He would help her untie that emotional knot. If once wasn't enough, he'd try ten times. If one day wasn't enough, he'd give it ten days.
He would work tirelessly—and happily—to put his "effort" into the "right place."