After making sure no one was nearby, Ethan Carter carefully unfolded the treasure map once again. His eyes narrowed as he studied it. The picture clearly hinted at Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas, but the writing along the edges was baffling. The script was ancient—jagged symbols and curling strokes that looked more like riddles than words. To Ethan, it was nothing but a wall of mystery.
"These must be ancient characters… way beyond me," he muttered. "Mr. Fuji will understand."
The Red Lotus Research Institute, which Mr. Fuji had once founded, specialized in the revival of ancient Pokémon fossils. If anyone knew how to interpret these old scripts, it was him. Ethan tucked the map back into his jacket, nodding to himself. When I return, I'll ask Mr. Fuji. It's time I start learning classical writing properly.
With the decision made, he bought Munchlax an ice cream as promised, shaking his head as his partner happily devoured it.
Three days later, Ethan and Karen finally returned to Lavender Town with the three abandoned Pokémon. Waiting at the gates of the Pokémon House were Mr. Fuji, Reina, and a group of cheerful volunteers.
"Ethan," Mr. Fuji greeted warmly, his kindly face creased with a smile, "with your strength, I imagine the Gym challenge wasn't much of a problem."
"I got it," Ethan replied with a nod, his tone casual but his smile proud.
Mr. Fuji's eyes shifted toward the truck, where Munchlax was sprawled in the back, fast asleep. "I hope that little Munchlax didn't cause you too much trouble on the road."
"It's not too bad," Ethan said, though his mouth twitched. "But he did rack up quite a bill. I'll need you to reimburse me, Mr. Fuji."
The old man chuckled. "Of course, of course. I'll cover it."
Ethan grinned and immediately handed him a diary from his backpack. "Good. Here are the records. If you think the total looks suspicious, we can check it together. I'll go look in on the construction of my gym while you calculate."
He placed the book in Mr. Fuji's hands before slipping away. Mr. Fuji flipped the pages, scanning the meticulous notes on food, snacks, and assorted "Munchlax expenses." The smile on his face slowly froze.
Across the street, Ethan walked into the construction site where his Gym was being built. A dozen Machop and Machoke worked tirelessly alongside human builders, hauling bricks and lifting steel beams. Two fearless young boys scurried about, moving materials under the Pokémon's watchful eyes.
Nearby, students of the Gym were in training, sparring with their Pokémon under the afternoon sun. Ethan watched them, satisfaction swelling in his chest. "Yes… everything is moving just the way I planned," he murmured.
That evening, he visited Mr. Fuji's office carrying paper and pen.
"Is something the matter, Ethan?" Mr. Fuji asked in surprise.
"Nothing serious," Ethan replied, setting the items down. "I just want to ask you about a few words."
Mr. Fuji examined the symbols Ethan had copied. His face softened into a smile. "These three are easy. They're very old characters—'Red,' 'Silver,' and 'Call.'" He wrote their modern equivalents below the symbols with smooth, practiced strokes.
"Why are you suddenly interested in ancient text?" he asked, looking up with curiosity.
"I saw them in the Shenhui City Museum," Ethan said smoothly, disguising the truth. "They caught my eye, so I wrote them down. I thought you, being so knowledgeable, would know the answer."
Mr. Fuji chuckled, clearly flattered. "You thought right. Knowledge is one of my few prides. When I was young, I studied most of the ancient writing found on relics like these."
Ethan leaned forward eagerly. "Then, Mr. Fuji… could you teach me? I think it's time I start learning properly."
The old man's eyes twinkled with approval. "Of course. A little practice each day will take you far. As it happens, the granddaughter of an old friend will soon come from Sinnoh to study the same thing. You can learn together."
He reached for a bookshelf and handed Ethan a thick volume. "Take this dictionary of ancient texts. It's not complete, but it's a good foundation for beginners."
Ethan accepted it gratefully. As he flipped through, his eyes skimmed over dozens of strange characters he couldn't yet decipher. The challenge thrilled him. After a bit more conversation, he returned to his dorm room, the dictionary clutched under one arm.
Charmeleon was curled in the small, comfortable nest Ethan had bought for him. He lifted his head and barked happily when Ethan walked in. Ethan rubbed his partner's head before settling at the desk to study.
The three characters he had shown Mr. Fuji earlier were random samples from the treasure map. As he sat under the lamplight, tracing the symbols and comparing them to the dictionary, he felt the puzzle of Lugia's map waiting patiently for him to unlock.
Half an hour later, his phone buzzed. Ethan checked the screen. His online application to register as a Pokémon instructor had been approved. Now he could officially guide other trainers, offering lessons for a fee.
He scrolled through the listings. The Gym Leaders charged the most, between 100,000 and 150,000 Alliance Coins per session, though Erika's Celadon Gym had recently suspended the service. Most registered trainers asked for between one and two thousand.
Ethan tapped his chin, thinking. Then he set his own price: 5,000. It was bold, expensive compared to most—but still far below the League elite. Good wine needs no bush, he thought. If I position myself as high-level from the start, there will always be students willing to pay. And once the first one comes, the rest will follow.
Just as he finalized the setting, a knock rattled the door. He quickly stashed the treasure map in a drawer and opened it.
Munchlax stood there, holding a bundle of fresh fruit. "Ka~," he hummed cheerfully, waddling inside. Without hesitation, he plopped into Charmeleon's nest, shoving a piece of fruit into Charmeleon's claws before lying down with a contented sigh.
"Ka~," he explained between bites. "The Primeape next door is going crazy again. I'll sleep here tonight."
Charmeleon gave him a long, exasperated look but didn't argue. They had shared food for days now, and that was enough for tolerance.
Ethan, however, raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I'll buy you your own nest tomorrow."
With that, he returned to his desk and resumed studying ancient characters, the lamplight reflecting in his determined eyes.
Chapter 26 — Learning
After making sure no one was nearby, Ethan Carter carefully unfolded the treasure map once again. His eyes narrowed as he studied it. The picture clearly hinted at Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas, but the writing along the edges was baffling. The script was ancient—jagged symbols and curling strokes that looked more like riddles than words. To Ethan, it was nothing but a wall of mystery.
"These must be ancient characters… way beyond me," he muttered. "Mr. Fuji will understand."
The Red Lotus Research Institute, which Mr. Fuji had once founded, specialized in the revival of ancient Pokémon fossils. If anyone knew how to interpret these old scripts, it was him. Ethan tucked the map back into his jacket, nodding to himself. When I return, I'll ask Mr. Fuji. It's time I start learning classical writing properly.
With the decision made, he bought Munchlax an ice cream as promised, shaking his head as his partner happily devoured it.
Three days later, Ethan and Karen finally returned to Lavender Town with the three abandoned Pokémon. Waiting at the gates of the Pokémon House were Mr. Fuji, Reina, and a group of cheerful volunteers.
"Ethan," Mr. Fuji greeted warmly, his kindly face creased with a smile, "with your strength, I imagine the Gym challenge wasn't much of a problem."
"I got it," Ethan replied with a nod, his tone casual but his smile proud.
Mr. Fuji's eyes shifted toward the truck, where Munchlax was sprawled in the back, fast asleep. "I hope that little Munchlax didn't cause you too much trouble on the road."
"It's not too bad," Ethan said, though his mouth twitched. "But he did rack up quite a bill. I'll need you to reimburse me, Mr. Fuji."
The old man chuckled. "Of course, of course. I'll cover it."
Ethan grinned and immediately handed him a diary from his backpack. "Good. Here are the records. If you think the total looks suspicious, we can check it together. I'll go look in on the construction of my gym while you calculate."
He placed the book in Mr. Fuji's hands before slipping away. Mr. Fuji flipped the pages, scanning the meticulous notes on food, snacks, and assorted "Munchlax expenses." The smile on his face slowly froze.
Across the street, Ethan walked into the construction site where his Gym was being built. A dozen Machop and Machoke worked tirelessly alongside human builders, hauling bricks and lifting steel beams. Two fearless young boys scurried about, moving materials under the Pokémon's watchful eyes.
Nearby, students of the Gym were in training, sparring with their Pokémon under the afternoon sun. Ethan watched them, satisfaction swelling in his chest. "Yes… everything is moving just the way I planned," he murmured.
That evening, he visited Mr. Fuji's office carrying paper and pen.
"Is something the matter, Ethan?" Mr. Fuji asked in surprise.
"Nothing serious," Ethan replied, setting the items down. "I just want to ask you about a few words."
Mr. Fuji examined the symbols Ethan had copied. His face softened into a smile. "These three are easy. They're very old characters—'Red,' 'Silver,' and 'Call.'" He wrote their modern equivalents below the symbols with smooth, practiced strokes.
"Why are you suddenly interested in ancient text?" he asked, looking up with curiosity.
"I saw them in the Shenhui City Museum," Ethan said smoothly, disguising the truth. "They caught my eye, so I wrote them down. I thought you, being so knowledgeable, would know the answer."
Mr. Fuji chuckled, clearly flattered. "You thought right. Knowledge is one of my few prides. When I was young, I studied most of the ancient writing found on relics like these."
Ethan leaned forward eagerly. "Then, Mr. Fuji… could you teach me? I think it's time I start learning properly."
The old man's eyes twinkled with approval. "Of course. A little practice each day will take you far. As it happens, the granddaughter of an old friend will soon come from Sinnoh to study the same thing. You can learn together."
He reached for a bookshelf and handed Ethan a thick volume. "Take this dictionary of ancient texts. It's not complete, but it's a good foundation for beginners."
Ethan accepted it gratefully. As he flipped through, his eyes skimmed over dozens of strange characters he couldn't yet decipher. The challenge thrilled him. After a bit more conversation, he returned to his dorm room, the dictionary clutched under one arm.
Charmeleon was curled in the small, comfortable nest Ethan had bought for him. He lifted his head and barked happily when Ethan walked in. Ethan rubbed his partner's head before settling at the desk to study.
The three characters he had shown Mr. Fuji earlier were random samples from the treasure map. As he sat under the lamplight, tracing the symbols and comparing them to the dictionary, he felt the puzzle of Lugia's map waiting patiently for him to unlock.
Half an hour later, his phone buzzed. Ethan checked the screen. His online application to register as a Pokémon instructor had been approved. Now he could officially guide other trainers, offering lessons for a fee.
He scrolled through the listings. The Gym Leaders charged the most, between 100,000 and 150,000 Alliance Coins per session, though Erika's Celadon Gym had recently suspended the service. Most registered trainers asked for between one and two thousand.
Ethan tapped his chin, thinking. Then he set his own price: 5,000. It was bold, expensive compared to most—but still far below the League elite. Good wine needs no bush, he thought. If I position myself as high-level from the start, there will always be students willing to pay. And once the first one comes, the rest will follow.
Just as he finalized the setting, a knock rattled the door. He quickly stashed the treasure map in a drawer and opened it.
Munchlax stood there, holding a bundle of fresh fruit. "Ka~," he hummed cheerfully, waddling inside. Without hesitation, he plopped into Charmeleon's nest, shoving a piece of fruit into Charmeleon's claws before lying down with a contented sigh.
"Ka~," he explained between bites. "The Primeape next door is going crazy again. I'll sleep here tonight."
Charmeleon gave him a long, exasperated look but didn't argue. They had shared food for days now, and that was enough for tolerance.
Ethan, however, raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I'll buy you your own nest tomorrow."
With that, he returned to his desk and resumed studying ancient characters, the lamplight reflecting in his determined eyes.