Caleb's brain crashed in an instant.
As a "normal person," he had never seen anything like this!
He could only brace himself and say, "So, uh… that was a great battle just now!"
Cynthia smiled gently. "Thank you."
"It's all thanks to you, Gym Leader Caleb."
"Is that so, haha." Caleb scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
Wait a minute!
Thanks to me?
Don't say stuff like that! Flint just looked over!
That's slander, you know!
"I'm 'Cabbage Ice Cream' in the 'Sunshine Chat Group.' Your analysis of Spiritomb was really helpful to me." Cynthia seemed to notice Caleb's confusion and explained on her own.
Off to the side, Green looked like she'd just heard something explosive.
That Spiritomb strategy came from Caleb?
No wonder it looked so familiar!
Caleb cleared his throat to cover his awkwardness. "I thought that account was a scam…"
"It's not too late to add me now," Cynthia smiled calmly, giving him a graceful way out.
Just as Caleb pulled out his phone to send a friend request, a sudden voice cut in:
"You're that 'SunshineBoy' from the group!"
Honestly, getting called by your online username in public is pretty awkward.
Especially by someone with a giant afro.
Flint's recovery speed was unexpectedly fast. After kneeling for just two or three seconds, he was basically back to normal.
"Haha, I'm 'Monkey God of the Universe' in the group," Flint said with a beaming smile as he stepped forward.
This is getting even more awkward!
Caleb instantly felt his toes curling into the ground.
How do you manage to say your username out loud with a straight face?
He could never do it, that's for sure.
Green giggled uncontrollably beside him.
Caleb rolled his eyes. You're no better—"Jigglypuff Can't Sing."
"Caleb?"
Professor Elm had just walked into the backyard and noticed Caleb and Green.
"Professor Elm, sorry to intrude," Caleb said with a smile.
Then, turning to the mustachioed old man beside him, he added, "Sorry to bother you too, Professor Rowan."
Professor Rowan nodded and looked over the young man in front of him.
Hmm. Bright and cheerful kid.
Then, with a bit of surprise, he looked toward Cynthia. "Your battle took unusually long today?"
Though Cynthia might take an hour just to pick out an ice cream, her battles were always fast and decisive.
Especially against Flint—it usually only took two or three minutes.
"Well…"
Cynthia briefly explained that she had been trying out a new strategy, and of course, made sure to mention Caleb.
"Oh?"
Professor Rowan looked surprised.
He had only heard Cynthia mention that Caleb was a tactical expert. He didn't expect his strategies would actually help her.
And with his Gym Leader position and egg group research…
Isn't he a little too young?
Maybe he could handle those problematic Pokémon in the yard.
Rowan had always been open to trusting the younger generation in such matters.
He explained the situation to Caleb, but unexpectedly, Flint eagerly volunteered.
"You should've asked me! What Pokémon dared to cause trouble? I'll beat it so bad it'll be digging for its teeth!"
Professor Rowan: "..."
Who let this fool out?
If brute force could solve the problem, Cynthia would've done it already. Why would they need you?
"Pokémon?"
Caleb looked a little surprised at Professor Rowan's mention.
"What kind of Pokémon is it?" he asked curiously.
"They're from the Paldea region. Director Clavell from Naranja Academy asked Professor Elm and me to research them," Rowan explained.
Director Clavell?
If he remembered correctly, he was the biology teacher at Paldea Academy, knowledgeable in Pokémon ecology and developer of the Rotom Phone's Pokédex app.
In Scarlet and Violet, he was the protagonist's homeroom teacher, often getting lost in his research with a quirky, absent-minded demeanor.
"Paldea region?" Green murmured.
Paldea seemed to be a remote area that had only recently joined the League. According to online chatter, the Pokémon there looked kind of strange.
...
Backyard of Professor Rowan's Research Lab.
This place was kind of like Caleb's own backyard, just not as large—but definitely enough for research purposes.
Professor Elm, Professor Rowan, Caleb, Cynthia, Green, and Flint all got into a jeep and crossed a hill.
Along the way, they passed many different Pokémon species, a sharp contrast to the more uniform Pokémon population in Caleb's yard.
By a crystal-clear pond, many Pokémon were playing—Piplup, Bidoof, Shellos, Buizel...
Up in the sky, a family of Starly and Staraptor circled above.
This whole area was populated by Sinnoh-native Pokémon.
As the jeep continued, they crossed another hill and arrived at the Paldean Pokémon habitat.
Caleb was slightly surprised to see four white mice—two big and two small—appearing on the grass.
"That's Maushold."
Maushold, a unique Pokémon from Paldea, evolves from Tandemaus.
They often appear in pairs, looking like a couple—but in fact, they're genderless Pokémon.
When Tandemaus evolves, it can become either a three-member or four-member Maushold. There's a 99% chance it'll evolve into the four-member form, and only 1% for the three-member form.
But regardless of the form, technically they are considered one single Pokémon.
Kind of like Kangaskhan or Falinks.
Professor Elm chuckled. "Caleb, you're really well-informed. Even in Paldea, Maushold is considered quite rare."
"They're my next research subject. I'm fascinated by their breeding habits, while Professor Rowan is interested in how they evolve."
Hmm... Caleb was interested in them too, but not for research—he was thinking about battles.
The Technician ability boosts low-power moves, and they only have the Normal type, which means just a single weakness to Fighting.
Combine that with their move Population Bomb, which hits up to ten times at 20 base power...
That's a max potential of 450 base damage! (About 2.5 times the power of a V-Create!)
An elite among mice—terrifyingly strong.
The move Tidy Up not only clears Stealth Rock, Sticky Webs, and other hazards, but also boosts Attack and Speed.
It's like a high-end version of Dragon Dance—even Garchomp would shed a tear.
Plus, with 111 base Speed, they make excellent support Pokémon too—Taunt, Encore, Follow Me, Attract—you name it, all to draw enemy fire and create openings for allies.
If he ever got the chance, Caleb had to catch a Maushold.
The jeep kept going.
They passed an artificial lake, home to a number of Pokémon.
Even the walls of a nearby cave were covered with strange, crystal-like purple petals.
"Glimmora?"
"Yes, that's Glimmet, and its evolved form, Glimmora. If they sense danger, their petals open up and release toxins," explained Professor Rowan.
"Hmm, they do look weird," Green muttered thoughtfully.
But when she glanced over at Caleb, she found his eyes sparkling with excitement.