After finishing his battles at the arena, Peter packed up and set off once more.
This time, he headed northwest.
Originally, he was supposed to go east toward Eterna Forest, but according to the terrain map on his Pokegear Mate 60, Peter had spotted a cliff on the northwestern coastline—the same one that appeared in Nessa's photo.
"Braviary… let's hope you live up to my expectations,"
Peter murmured.
With one push of the pedal, his bicycle rolled onward, gradually disappearing into the distance beneath the sunset.
------
After two full hours of riding, the western coast of Sinnoh finally came into view.
Night had just begun to fall.
Only a sliver of sunset remained, while moonlight spilled across the sky, dyeing the world in dreamlike hues.
Fine sand stretched endlessly along the shore, contrasting with the inky-black sea. Waves gently lapped at the beach, Wingull glided overhead, and the cool sea breeze brushed past—utterly intoxicating.
"Yeah… the ocean really clears the mind,"
Peter said softly, breathing in the faintly salty air as he set up camp away from the shoreline.
-----
After a simple dinner, he assigned new training tasks to his Pokémon.
"Lopunny—wade into the water up to your chest. Equip the Iron Ball and repeatedly practice High Jump Kick and Focus Punch. Try to punch a vacuum zone into the seawater."
"Arboliva—set up Reflect, block Lopunny's attacks, and practice Substitute at the same time."
"Indeedee—after Calm Mind, expand Psychic Terrain to the maximum range. Then use Hyper Voice toward the sea. Create uniform ripples and extend the soundwave distance as far as possible."
"Vigoroth—left hand: practice Ice Punch, freeze the seawater into uniform spheres.
Right hand: practice Fire Punch, boil the seawater within a controlled area."
"Zorua—use Substitute, maintain a physical form, and alternate training Psyshock and Sucker Punch."
"Mi-lo!"
"Li-va!"
"Ai~"
"La!"
"Zoru!"
The five Pokémon quickly settled into their respective routines.
-----
After dinner, Peter took a walk to scout the surroundings.
However, with the darkness limiting visibility, he didn't spot any sign of Braviary.
This beach was close to a town and part of the shallow sea, so most nearby Pokémon were relatively weak—Psyduck, Starly, Wingull, Budew, Bibarel, Magikarp, and the like.
Occasionally, a Shinx or a young Kricketot could be seen.
Walking along the shore, accompanied by the chorus of insects, Peter felt a quiet longing rise in his chest.
"…I wonder what Whitney is doing right now."
He tossed a leftover Beginner Pokéblockto a Remoraid that leapt from the water, then opened the system panel.
"…I should go see her.
It's only about 400,000 Poké Dollars for the round trip anyway."
The image of the girl's bright smile tipped the scales.
Back at camp, Peter recalled Zorua, instructed the others to wait for him, and took out a newly exchanged Teleport Stone, guiding its activation.
-----
Johto Region — Goldenrod City
Because of the time difference, it was still afternoon in Johto.
Whitney was in the middle of milking several Miltank when Zoroark, resting nearby, suddenly perked up its ears.
The next instant, light flared—
Peter appeared, holding Zorua in his arms.
"Eh?! Peter?!"
Whitney dropped the wooden bucket with a clang and rushed straight into his arms.
"Why are you back?!"
"I missed you, so I came to see you,"
Peter said softly, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.
Since becoming truly close, Peter had already shared some of his secrets with Whitney—
including teleportation.
"Whitney…"
He gently cupped her fair cheeks. The faint scent of milk mixed with her natural sweetness drifted over, and he instinctively pulled her closer.
"Mm~…"
Whitney let out a soft sound, cheeks flushing.
"It's… still daytime…"
"Hm? What are you thinking about?"
Peter grinned mischievously, his hand already settling at her waist.
"Ah… Peter…"
Her voice turned soft and breathy, mist pooling in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
…
"…C-could you undo the button? It feels a little tight…"
"Well, that kind of thing should be done indoors—"
Before he could finish, Whitney grabbed his hand and pulled him straight into the Miltank shed.
Bang.
The door shut.
"Mo?"
The Miltank tilted their heads, staring at their suddenly occupied space.
-----
More than an hour later, Peter stepped out of the shed, looking refreshed, carrying a sound-asleep Whitney in his arms.
Faint red marks were visible on her fair neck and legs, hinting at what she'd endured.
"Mmm… Peter…"
She murmured his name in her sleep, cheeks still flushed.
"Don't rush," Peter whispered, kissing the corner of her lips.
"We'll continue somewhere else."
With that, he carried her inside.
Thanks to Shaymin's blessing, Peter's physical conditioning had noticeably improved—
the results spoke for themselves.
-----
Midnight
Peter stirred awake, still groggy.
His internal clock hadn't adjusted yet.
Reaching to his side, he didn't feel the familiar warmth.
"Whitney? Where'd you go?"
"Ah! I'm coming!"
Moments later, Whitney walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of ramen soup.
"You must be hungry—eat while it's hot."
"…Yeah, I really am."
Peter rubbed his now-flat stomach and dug in eagerly.
After several mouthfuls, he looked up.
"Aren't you eating?"
"Ah… I already ate plenty earlier…"
Whitney blushed.
"You… still want me to eat?"
Peter froze for half a second, then looked at the girl in her thin nightdress and broke into a grin.
"Of course. Let's eat together."
-----
The Next Morning
Peter teleported back, using Lopunny as the anchor, bringing Zorua with him.
Over the course of the night, both Trainer and Pokémon had learned quite a bit—
One had discovered a new way to play cards,
and the other had learned Swift, taught by its mother while counting stars together.
That neatly solved Zorua's lack of Special Attack coverage.
…
Rather than immediately searching for Braviary's nest, Peter brought everyone into the Dreamscape Space.
After arranging the usual routine—
watch videos, listen to music, play games—
Peter collapsed into sleep.
He was utterly exhausted and decided to grab a quick two-hour nap.
-----
Two Hours Later
[Ding! Zorua selected the "Star Guardian" skin, achieved 20 kills. Swift proficiency increased to 'Mastered'!]
[Ding! Vigoroth read "One Punch Man." All punch-type skill proficiencies increased. Fire Punch proficiency upgraded to 'Mastered'!]
[Ding! Arboliva selected hero "Heart of the Freljord · Braum," successfully protected ADC without dying once. Reflect proficiency upgraded to 'Mastered'!]
[Ding! Lopunny completed The King of Fighters '97 perfectly over 3 days. All punch-type skills increased to 'Mastered'!]
[Ding! Indeedee selected hero "Demon Jester · Shaco." Perfectly evaded damage using R-skill illusions. Substitute proficiency upgraded to 'Mastered'; mental domination caused all five opponents to tilt. Psychic proficiency upgraded to 'Proficient'!]
"…Tch. League of Legends players minus five."
Peter shook his head.
With raw-mechanics champions, Indeedee might still get chain-controlled—but when it came to mind games?
It was pure domination.
--------------
T/N:
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