Pallet Town, Kanto.
"Ah, what a pity, isn't it, Pikachu?"
A young man in his early twenties stood beneath the shade of the trees, wearing a black vest over a red waistcoat. A relaxed smile rested on his face.
On his shoulder sat a sleek, slightly round Pikachu, its ears twitching with energy.
This was Red. The legend. The undefeated Mt. Silver Challenge. The Pinnacle.
Bright and expressive in the manga, calm and steady in the anime, cold and distant in the games.
"Pika!"
Because Blue had urgent business to attend to, Red had ended their special training early and returned to Pallet Town.
Ding!
Red's Pokégear vibrated softly. A special follow-up notification appeared.
Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House had just uploaded a new video.
Thanks to Ethan's introduction, Red had discovered a very interesting PokéStream creator some time ago.
T/N: Ethan from the Pokémon games
At that moment, outside Red's house, a girl with long orange hair tied into a high ponytail stood hesitantly at the door. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"I can definitely do it."
Yellow clenched her fists as she encouraged herself. The Pikachu on her shoulder tilted its head, a small pink flower tucked neatly behind its ear.
With a nervous breath, Yellow pressed the doorbell.
Ding-dong.
"Yellow, come on up."
Hearing his voice, Yellow's face turned redder.
Red's Pikachu leapt down and bounded straight into her arms. "Pika!"
"I missed you too, Pikachu!" Yellow hugged it tightly, smiling as she gently stroked its head.
"Why are you just standing there? Come on in."
After another silent pep talk, Yellow climbed the steps and entered the house.
The moment she stepped inside, she noticed Red sitting in front of his computer. The screen was already on.
The interface was paused on PokéStream.
Yellow knew Red often browsed on PokéStream, and she had an account there as well. She only followed a handful of people. Red and Blue. Lance never registered. He never had time for videos.
In the past, Red's homepage was always filled with battle footage.
It fit the saying perfectly.
Red. All you think about is battling.
But this time, the paused video caught Yellow's attention. This clearly was not a battle video.
She gathered her courage. "What are you watching?"
"This is a Trainer I've really liked recently."
Seeing that it was a man, Yellow relaxed. Then a strange thought crossed her mind.
Didn't he already have Blue?
Wasn't that enough?
She shook her head slightly. She had been reading too many novels lately.
"Come, let's watch together."
Red gestured for her to sit.
Only two armrests separated them. Yellow's cheeks warmed again, but Red's eyes were already back on the screen.
"Look," Red said. "All high-quality Energy Cubes."
Yellow nodded. "They really are."
The video had been out for a while, and bullet comments drifted across the screen.
More comments followed.
"I don't mind. Pour them into my mouth."
Yellow's eyes brightened. She lowered her voice. "His Pokémon really like him."
Red nodded. "Exactly. I noticed that too. I want to battle him one day."
To outsiders, it looked like simple entertainment. To experts, it revealed far more.
Yellow possessed the rare ability to sense Pokémon's emotions.
From Ryu, Agni, and Metang, she felt strong, steady emotional currents.
(T/N: How she senses emotions through a digital medium, I don't know.)
Trust. Comfort. Affection.
It spoke volumes about the bond between Austin Black and his Pokémon.
Red and Yellow exchanged a glance.
"The quality of that Energy Cube feels…" Yellow began.
Red nodded slowly. "Yeah."
They were not Blue. They could not analyze it instantly.
But even they could sense that the Petaya Berry Energy Cubes on screen were different.
The impatience of Agni and Ryu made it even more obvious.
What truly captivated every viewer, however, was Metang's evolution at the very end of the video.
"Wow, an evolution on screen!"
"I am stunned!"
The near-perfect Energy Cubes, the scrambling between Agni and Metang, Ryu's conflicted expression and disciplined behavior, and then the sudden evolution of Metang.
The entire sequence delivered an overwhelming visual impact.
"A very well-bred Metagross."
Red looked completely absorbed as he continued explaining Austin to Yellow, playing three of Austin's videos in a row.
By the time the third video ended, Yellow had already forgotten why she came to see Red in the first place.
Forget it. Spending a quiet afternoon with him like this is nice.
Red, excitement shining in his eyes, failed to notice the gentle smile on Yellow's face.
"Oh, right. That guy mentioned he's heading to Jubilife City. I can just ask him to meet up."
Red immediately picked up his Pokégear and sent a message.
Yellow blinked in surprise.
"Eehh? He's going to Jubilife City?"
. . .
Austin's fourth video continued to spread rapidly. He scrolled through the comment section, selecting a few messages to reply to.
This video had attracted the attention of another heavyweight.
The Shiny Metagross thumbnail alone was enough to draw him out.
He used a sub account, so no one recognized him.
@Mining Champion:
An exquisite and well-bred Metagross. Congratulations.
Because of how Mining Champion delved into a detailed explanation of Metagross' size and impressiveness, the comment drew suspicion and was quickly gathered under by people.
The account owner was none other than the former Hoenn Champion and current mining enthusiast, Steven Stone.
Steven sent a private message.
[Mining Champion]: Hello, I am Steven Stone. If you need it, I can send you a Metagross breeding manual. Leave your Line account if you are interested.
As a long-time PokéStream member on the EeveeNet and a wealthy heir whose family held shares in the platform, Steven's private messages could even be pinned.
Austin noticed it immediately. The avatar caught his eye even more. A brooch inlaid with a Key Stone.
A Mega Evolution Key Stone.
Austin stared at it with clear envy.
Mega Evolution had already appeared and was gradually becoming common in high-level battles.
[Black Crest Jubilife Breeding House]: Mr. Steven, I am Austin Black. This is my Line: *************
Please send it to me when you have time. Thank you very much. I hope we can exchange ideas in the future.
Like Red before him, Austin added Steven as a friend.
Although the follower count continued to surge, Austin barely paid attention. Steven had already sent a file through Line.
[Metagross Breeding Manual.pdf]
[Austin]: Received. Thank you very much, Mr. Steven.
[Steven]: No problem. Ask me anytime if you have questions. I might reply slowly when I am mining.
After only a few messages, Steven signed off to go mining.
His avatar soon turned gray. For others, it might have sounded like an excuse. For Steven, it was simply the truth.
Austin checked Steven's profile. The personal status read.
Mining. Contact me if needed.
. . .
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