The villa in Saffron City was Natsume's former residence in the Kanto region.
Indeedees from the cleaning service came regularly, so cleanliness wasn't an issue.
"Blastoise...ヾ(■_■)" Blastoise blocked Natsume's hand from opening the door.
Even in familiar surroundings, one must never let their guard down, Natsume!
Natsume was in a delicate mood, but still allowed Blastoise to conduct a full scan before striding into the room.
"Ah—that familiar feeling!" Natsume sighed.
"Larvitar?" The junior dinosaur tilted its head.
"Oh right, you've never been here before... Don't chew that! Those aren't for chewing!"
Rotom and Larvitar used Ally Switch, making Larvitar's bite miss air as it pouted pitifully.
"Gengar~" Gengar patted Larvitar's blunt horn, then pulled out a Sitrus Berry and Electric Gem from its pocket.
Ta-da~ Today's card game winnings!
"Larvitar!" Larvitar's eyes sparkled before chomping down with a crisp crunching sound.
Natsume smiled wryly and set down the luggage.
The Labor Day holiday plus weekends meant five full days to stay in Saffron City.
"Pokémon" was scheduled for release on May 3rd... Oleana's team was working overtime, with even Matori being recruited for management.
"I'm a Team Rocket member, you know!"
Matori complained bitterly: "This makes it seem like I'm taking side gigs secretly!"
Natsume chuckled: "Same difference, same difference."
Ultimately Matori resigned herself to handling extra workload.
After all, Boss Giovanni also prioritized this event... To showcase "Giovanni of the Earth's" strength—even in games was no exception!
That evening, Gengar levitated to Saffron Gym alone since Natsume didn't accompany it.
Because when Sabrina heard Natsume-sensei was coming, her face immediately darkened—
Who knows what mischief you'll cause in my gym this time!
However, upon seeing Gengar's progress after traveling through Sinnoh,
Sabrina fell silent, her eyes betraying undisguised shock.
A Gengar of this caliber, especially with Mega Evolution and diverse movesets, could rival Champions...
Sabrina proactively called Natsume.
The screen displayed a coldly beautiful ice queen. Noticing something behind her, Natsume coughed dryly:
"Gengar, stop stealing sodas from the vending machine!"
"Gengar~" Gengar froze mid-motion, scratching its head sheepishly.
"Gengar's strength… has improved a bit too quickly," Sabrina said sternly.
Natsume was stunned, pondering the meaning of Sabrina's words, and interpreted:"You suspect... my Gengar is illegal?"
This time, it was Sabrina's turn to fall silent. Suppressing the urge to complain, she replied:
"No… That was a compliment."
Only a handful—Giovanni, Red, Ash—had ever earned Sabrina's acknowledgment.
Now, Gengar had joined that list…
According to Sabrina, if a Pokémon couldn't break through to Champion-level, perhaps the Trainer's own strength was the better pursuit.
Of course, she didn't mean brawling like Ash.
Rather, harnessing special abilities like Aura of Viridian or Psychic, or even supernatural forces like The Power of One.
"These are some of my personal manuscripts."
Sabrina tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and said coolly, "I hope they'll be of help to you… and Gengar."
Natsume rubbed his chin.
So, Gengar really was on the verge of becoming Champion-level?
Wait… Something felt off.
Shouldn't I, the Trainer, be the one aiming for Champion?
Natsume shook his head.
I think I know where to find The Power of One… but the risks are too high.
Might as well wait for the new game's release tomorrow and cash in first.
After thanking her, Natsume rode Arcanine to Saffron Gym to pick up Gengar.
It felt nostalgic, like the Kanto days when he'd leave Celadon School and take Gengar home.
"Gengar!" Gengar grinned, waving goodbye to Sabrina.
Sabrina crossed her arms, gave a slight nod, then turned and walked into the gym.
Natsume watched her retreating figure, thinking about her childhood.
Branded a freak for her Psychic powers… she grew up cold, only to later dive into a career centered on fairy tales.
Inside Sabrina was a girl full of childlike wonder—something evident in her interactions with Ash.
The night breeze brushed past as Natsume ruffled Arcanine's warm, fluffy head and chuckled:
"Let's go, we're heading to Pokémon Company!"
"Arcanine! (｀0′)"
"Gengar~!" Gengar cheered, the can of soda in its hand glinting under the streetlights.
...
To reward the staff for their overtime, Natsume brought late-night snacks, which Gengar stored in its pocket dimension.
Gengar naturally lowered the surrounding temperature, but with its mastery over Antimatter, it could now control it effortlessly.
Arriving at Pokémon Company's headquarters in Silph Co., the staff watched as Gengar pulled out steaming bags of food from its pocket.
Tears of joy (and drool) threatened to escape their mouths.
Amid the excited cheers, Oleana stood beside the smiling Natsume and whispered:
"After work tonight… could I stay behind at the company…"
Her eyes burned with intensity. "To research Gigantamax further?"
"Of course." Natsume blinked. "Just… take care of your hair—er, health."
Oleana's gaze drifted upward as she muttered, "Maybe changing my bangs… would be better…"
The new game was launching on Devon Corporation's ORAS platform—some acronym for a Hoenn Region project.
Pokémon, the most anticipated game of the month, had already topped the charts.
In the chat group, Gold eagerly declared:
"I can wait all night!"
Old Man Wattson laughed: "Wahaha! I've got the software ready—let's see how fast I can crack it!"
Natsume-sensei: ???
The master hacker was right under my nose?
The old man just liked tinkering with cheats for fun, claiming he needed a challenge.
Electric-type Experts really were something when it came to tech.
Take Volkner, the "tech geek," who remodeled his gym and the entire city—often causing massive blackouts.
Or Clemont, the "hair-styling disaster," whose inventions always exploded, leaving him with a new hairdo.
"The kids are excited too," Brock said, eyes closed. "But I'll strictly limit their playtime."
Natsume stared.
Of course. Classic dad-friend Brock.
Silver, face blank, watched Gold bouncing beside him.
"We still have to investigate the Ruins of Alph," Silver reminded.
"I know! We've got a break—two days of gaming won't hurt!"
Gold elbowed Silver with a smirk. "You've got Link Trade, right? Help me evolve my Pokémon in-game?"
Silver's eye twitched. "That's not what my ability is for!"
"Same difference, haha!"
Silver ignored him.
The red-haired young man stared coldly at Gold's screen before suddenly asking:
"Will there be… Giovanni in this game?"
Gold blinked. "Uh, yeah, he's in it…"
Silver: "Then we're finishing it before we leave."
Gold: ???
--------------------------------------
No More Waiting - The Story is Complete!
Love what you're reading? Get instant access to the entire story—all 250+ chapters are available right now!
👉 Unlock everything: patreon.com/PokemonStoryWeaver
--------------------------------------