Rosalina Star House
"What kind of berry does it steal the most?" Austin asked.
"Pecha Berries," Rose replied.
Austin immediately pictured the pink, peach-like berries—soft, fragrant, and naturally sweet.
"So it's got a sweet tooth, huh?"
Rose nodded.
Austin snapped his fingers. "Simple."
He pulled a compact Energy Cube Maker from his backpack and got to work, mixing freshly picked Pecha Berries with precision.
Finally, he drizzled it in golden honey from Rose's pantry over the finished cube—until it gleamed.
The result was a perfectly formed, glossy pink Energy Cube that looked as delicious as it smelled.
Austin nodded in satisfaction. "Perfectly standard quality."
Gulp~
The sudden sound of someone swallowing hard broke the silence.
Both Austin and Ryu turned toward the source.
Rose's face turned bright red.
"I-I'm sorry!" she stammered, covering her mouth. "I just really looked appetizing!"
Austin chuckled. "No worries. Here—try one."
He and Ryu each took a bite first, then handed another cube to her.
"It's good, right? Come on, let's go."
Rose's Berry fields weren't far from her house—she lived on the outskirts of Celestic Town, where the soil was perfect for cultivating Pecha Berries.
"Come out, Agni, Metang," Austin called.
Rose blinked in surprise. "Whoa, a Shiny Metang? That's rare! Hello there, Metang!"
Austin smiled. "Yeah, caught it on my last trip."
"Tang," Metang greeted in a calm, metallic tone.
It had already met Rose briefly the day before, inside its Luxury Ball.
"Rose, place this Energy Cube where that Pokémon usually appears," Austin said, handing her the bait.
"Got it."
A soft ding sounded in Austin's mind—
Energy Cube proficiency +25.
He glanced at Rose, who was still holding her bowl of cubes, eyes sparkling with longing.
Austin pretended not to notice. He was a man of principle—or at least good manners.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's hide."
About half an hour later, Ryu, who had been scanning the area with his Aura, suddenly opened his eyes.
(It's here.)
Another ding:
Energy Cube proficiency +48.
Austin clenched his fist. "Let's move. Surround it."
While the thief was lost in its blissful feast, savoring the sweetest Energy Cube it had ever tasted, it didn't realize the trap closing in.
There, in the center of the field, sat a small Teddiursa—its brown fur glinting under the sunlight, the yellow ring around its mouth sticky with honey, and the crescent mark on its forehead faintly shining.
The little bear Pokémon was completely absorbed, sitting comfortably on the ground and licking its tiny paws coated in sweetness.
Ryu, Agni, and Metang had already formed a triangle around it, cutting off every escape route.
On the outer edge, Farfetch'd stood tall, twirling its leek like a baton and striking a proud pose.
Completely unaware of the looming ambush, Teddiursa kept licking honey from its palms, humming softly in contentment.
Teddiursa's data flickered before Austin's eyes.
Name: Teddiursa
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup (May occasionally find items on the road.)
Moves: Scratch, Lick, Fling, Baby-Doll Eyes, Fury Swipes
Strength Rating: Iron (Intermediate)
Evaluation: A growing Teddiursa with potential.
"Go, Metang."
Austin had already checked Metang's stats the previous night.
Name: Metang
Gender: None
Ability: Clear Body (Unaffected by stat-lowering moves or abilities.)
Moves: Take Down, Magnet Rise, Confusion, Metal Claw, Bullet Punch, Zen Headbutt, Flash Cannon.
Strength Rating: Bronze (Advanced)
Evaluation: A promising Metang with excellent growth potential.
Pokémon strength ratings, from lowest to highest, were:
Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Ruby, Diamond, Celestite.
Each level was further divided into Initial, Intermediate, and Advanced tiers.
"Confusion," Austin instructed calmly, "but don't hurt it."
Metang's eyes glowed faintly blue. With careful precision, it restrained Teddiursa mid-step. The little bear didn't struggle at all.
"Ryu," Austin turned to Lucario, "ask if she's seen her mother."
Lucario knelt slightly, speaking softly in its aura-tongue.
After a few moments, Ryu shook his head. (It said it hasn't seen her since birth.)
Austin frowned. "Pokémon hunter… or something else?"
There wasn't enough to go on. He couldn't make a call just yet.
He turned to Rose, who'd been quietly watching. "Rose, do you want to catch it?"
"Me?" she blinked in surprise. "You don't want it?"
Austin shook his head. "If you don't, I'll hand it to Officer Jenny first, then decide what to do with it."
He didn't have much interest in keeping a Teddiursa himself.
Still, it might make a fine guardian for the Berry fields once it evolved into an Ursaring—though that also came with the risk of… guarding a bit too well.
"I'll catch it!" Amanda decided, her eyes brightening.
She threw a Poké Ball, and Teddiursa vanished into a beam of red light. The ball wobbled once, twice, thrice—then clicked shut.
"I caught Teddiursa!" she cheered, holding it up with both hands.
"Fetch'd!" Farfetch'd chirped approvingly.
Ding!
Side Quest: Rose's Troubles — completed. Reward issued.
In Austin's system pack, next to the Diancite, a new item appeared—a Random Pokémon Item Lottery Ticket.
"Thanks, Austin. And thank you too, Ryu, Agni, and Metang!" Rose said warmly.
Austin waved a hand. "Don't mention it. We're family. Just speak up if you ever need help."
"Rose," Austin said, "come have dinner with us tonight."
"Will that be okay? I don't want to trouble you or Grandpa."
"It's fine. I'll be cooking. Been learning a few things from Grandpa lately."
"Oh?" Rose smiled. "Then I'll definitely have to try it."
"Far!" Farfetch'd flapped its wings.
(Lucky us!)
Austin chuckled. "Alright, I need to keep practicing my knife work before dinner."
"Be careful on your way back," Rose said as she left.
...
Gengar floated back into the kitchen, reached into its round belly, and pulled out bag after bag of vegetables.
Da-da-da-da
The rhythmic sound of the kitchen knife echoed through the small kitchen.
His knife work was improving bit by bit—+1, +1, +1.
"Getting there," Austin muttered. "Maybe I'll move to meat in two days."
By the time Rose arrived, Austin was finally able to put the knife down.
Grandpa Alex inspected the newly caught Teddiursa, who was sitting on the floor, licking her paws with honey contentedly.
"Teddiursa and Ursaring can be excellent if trained right," he said approvingly.
Rose watched the small bear, her round face glistening with honey. "Yeah… I hope she is good enough to guard the Berry fields."
"It's fine," Grandpa said with a knowing smile. "Teach her properly, and she'll surprise you."
He studied Teddiursa a moment longer, his sharp old eyes softening. "That carefree attitude—don't underestimate it. It means she's focused on what she's doing. That's a kind of talent too."
He turned to Rose. "If you run into trouble, come see me. Don't try to handle everything alone. I can't solve it all, but it's better than you struggling by yourself."
"Yes, Grandpa Alex," Rose said.
As for dinner…
Well, Austin had said he'd cook, but cooking currently meant chopping vegetables while the old man supervised.
Even Farfetch'd was better at it.
"Far!"
The bird gave Austin a stern look and tapped his arm with its leek.
Lucario translated calmly.
(He says: 'Cut properly.')
By evening, Rose and her new Teddiursa headed home, and Austin finally had a moment of peace. He took out the Random Pokémon Item Lottery Ticket from his pack and smiled faintly.
"Let's see what luck has in store tonight."
[IMAGES]
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a