A Black Honda Sedan rolled down Celadon Boulevard before coming to a stop in front of an elegant European-style estate.
Armin stepped out, Mimikyu in his arms, and followed Dr. Fuji along a cobblestone path toward the main house.
On either side of the path stretched manicured green lawns. Near the wall stood a marble fountain. Not far away lay an artificial beach, complete with fine sand—and in the middle of it, an unfinished sandcastle.
It looked as though a little girl had been playing there not long ago, bucket and shovel in hand.
The estate was eerily quiet.
No servants.
No visible Pokémon.
As they approached the main house, Armin caught a faint, strange scent in the air. It was familiar—he had smelled it before somewhere—but he couldn't place it.
"Amber! Daddy's home! Did you miss me today?"
Dr. Fuji pushed open the front door and tossed his briefcase onto the sofa, calling upstairs in a voice brimming with warmth.
Armin stood off to the side, holding Mimikyu.
He had just been thinking how tragic this man's situation was.
And then—
Armin's pupils contracted violently.
What the hell?!
Hadn't Ariana said Dr. Fuji's daughter was dead?
Then who—
Who was the girl descending the staircase?
Dr. Fuji even turned back proudly.
"Well? That's my daughter. Adorable, isn't she?"
"Very," Armin said calmly, forcing down the shock.
Putting everything else aside—the girl was undeniably beautiful. Fair skin, eyes as dark and glossy as grapes, long pale-blue hair cascading over her shoulders. She looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.
"Amber, come here. This brother will be keeping you company from now on. Daddy's work is going to get busy, but don't worry—he'll visit every day."
Amber did not look nearly as delighted as Armin had expected.
Instead, there was something else in her eyes when she glanced at Dr. Fuji.
Fear.
In that instant, Armin's mind filled in a horrifying storyline.
Shocking revelation! Grieving father refuses to accept daughter's death—kidnaps another child to replace her!
What kind of nightmare plot was this?!
He was starting to think Ariana should add "possible kidnapper" to Dr. Fuji's list of diagnoses.
Dr. Fuji didn't seem to notice Amber's subtle reaction. He gently patted her head.
"Go play with brother. I'll prepare lunch."
He walked toward the kitchen, leaving Armin and Amber alone in the spacious living room.
Armin felt oddly tense.
He unconsciously hugged Mimikyu tighter.
Mimikyu wheezed slightly, its disguise tilting sideways as it sighed helplessly and nudged Armin's arm in reassurance.
Armin cleared his throat.
"Hi. You're Amber, right? My name's Armin. You can call me Brother Armin. Don't worry—I'm not a bad person. I'm just here to keep you company."
Amber said nothing.
Her gaze slowly shifted downward.
Toward Mimikyu.
Armin noticed and seized the opportunity, loosening his hold.
"You like Pokémon? This is Mimikyu. It's from Alola. Have you heard of Alola? The beaches and ocean there are beautiful."
This time, Amber spoke.
"Pokémon… Amber likes Pokémon."
At that very moment, a notification appeared before Armin.
…
[Hidden Quest Triggered!]
Do you accept? Accepting will reveal quest details.
Warning: Hidden quest difficulty far exceeds the Main Quest. Choose carefully.
Note: Completion rewards include a mysterious rare item. Failure carries no penalty.
Oh?
Now that was interesting.
Armin hesitated for less than a second.
He accepted.
Not because of the rare item.
He just… wanted to help the kid.
[Unique Hidden Quest: "Amber" — Accepted!]
Objective: ???
Progress: 0%
Main Quest time limit extended from 28 days to 90 days due to Hidden Quest acceptance.
A soft ding came from the kitchen.
Dr. Fuji emerged carrying three plates of sushi rice balls.
Armin glanced at them.
Amber's plate had a heart-shaped fried egg placed carefully on top.
They ate in silence.
After lunch, Dr. Fuji rested briefly before preparing to return to Team Rocket headquarters.
Before leaving, he reminded Armin:
"The estate is large. Try not to wander too far—especially the basement. Amber is afraid of the dark."
"I understand," Armin replied.
Once the car drove away, the massive estate fell into silence again.
Amber sat quietly on the sofa, clutching a Squirtle plush toy.
Armin couldn't sit still for long.
He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, gazing over the vast, empty grounds.
How did she endure this alone every day?
It must be unbearably lonely.
He turned back.
A girl this age shouldn't grow up without companions.
Dr. Fuji hadn't forbidden going outside.
So Armin tried.
"How about we step outside for a bit?"
Amber's eyes filled with panic.
"Daddy said I can't leave."
Armin sighed and gestured toward the sunny lawn.
"Then we won't leave the estate. Just some sunlight. That's all."
After a moment's hesitation, Amber agreed.
They went to the artificial beach.
Armin handed her a shovel.
They built sandcastles.
He even sculpted a slightly ugly sand Mimikyu beside them.
When Mimikyu stood next to its sandy replica and made silly faces, Amber finally smiled.
A genuine smile.
And then—
Her exposed skin suddenly erupted in visible red rashes.
Her face turned deathly pale.
Armin's expression changed instantly.
He caught her as she swayed.
"Inside… Amber can't stay in the sun too long…"
He reacted immediately, carrying her back indoors.
Mimikyu stood on the sofa, staring anxiously.
Within minutes, the rashes began fading.
Her breathing steadied.
Armin crouched beside her.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Amber lowered her eyes.
"Brother is a good person. Amber didn't want to make Brother unhappy."
Armin snapped.
"You can't ignore your own health like that! And how do you even know I'm a good person? What if I were some kind of creep?!"
Amber's head drooped.
"I'm sorry."
Armin turned away and downed two glasses of water before regaining his composure.
Why was he yelling at a child?
Mimikyu sighed again.
Children's bonds formed quickly.
After just an afternoon of playing in the sand, Amber no longer seemed as distant.
She glanced between Armin and Mimikyu.
"Brother likes Pokémon? Amber has lots of Pokémon too. Want to see?"
Since he couldn't exactly go hunt ten-year-olds for battles at the moment, Armin agreed.
After spending the afternoon together, he was certain—
Amber was real.
Very real.
And she did not appear kidnapped.
Which made Ariana's statement even more puzzling.
Amber led him through the house to a massive room.
Along one wall stood shelves lined neatly with red-and-white Poké Balls.
In the center lay a full-sized battle field.
Amber ran over and grabbed two Poké Balls.
White light flashed.
A Squirtle.
A Bulbasaur.
"Everyone, come out!"
She grabbed more Poké Balls.
One by one, Pokémon materialized.
Squirtle.
Bulbasaur.
Charmander.
Armin stared at the growing crowd of Pokémon.
Ten.
Twelve.
All of them—
The Kanto starters.
He fell silent.
Because this wasn't just unusual.
This was impossible.