Fireworks bloomed across the night sky as the castle buzzed with festival energy.
Tonight's banquet would crown Ash as the "Aura Guardian"—a title bestowed by Queen Ilene herself.
Natsume and Steven also received invitations from Queen Ilene.
"It's not the accompanying relatives and friends, but the Queen's personal invitation?"
Natsume looked at the gold-plated invitation in his hand and said in surprise.
The Messenger said with shame: "You are joking... How can I let you two condescend. Of course, it is an invitation prepared for distinguished guests."
"Mr. Steven, your name is really useful." Natsume looked at the Hoenn Champion beside him and said with emotion.
"There is another possibility." Steven smiled, "Maybe the Queen is inviting you and taking me along."
The Messenger trembled when he saw the two Trainers in front of him suddenly started to brag about each other.
One is the Hoenn Champion.
The other is sensei, the "Aura Warrior" of this session, whom the Queen has specifically appointed as a friend——
How dare I say anything!
Natsume smiled and said, "Please tell the Queen that Mr. Steven and I will attend the dinner tonight."
The messenger scurried off like a startled Rattata.
The banquet began at seven sharp. Ash, as the guest of honor, had already left for the grand hall.
Natsume and Steven ascended the castle's stone stairs to select formal attire.
"A suit fits best," Steven remarked, adjusting his white tuxedo and Key Stone lapel pin.
"When in Rome," Natsume fastened his black tailcoat—gold embroidery at the cuffs and collar, custom-made by royal tailors.
"Pokémon can dress up too," Steven noted. "Aren't you accessorizing yours?"
Natsume turned to see Sylveon curiously sniffing a tiny princess gown.
"Sylveon?" It tilted its head adorably.
With a devious grin, Natsume pounced—
"Sylveon! o(≧д≦)o!!"*
After surviving the flurry of ribbon slaps, he admired his handiwork:
"Sylveon..." The Sylveon blushed, examining its frills.
"A perfect princess!"
"Sylveon~"
Clanking armor announced Sirfetch'd's arrival—polished helmet gleaming, stance heroic.
"Sirfetch'd!"
Gengar followed, sporting a top hat, monocle, cane, and fake beard.
"You're here for the buffet, not a silent film role!" Natsume groaned.
Gengar ripped off the beard with a grin: "Gengar!"
Should've said so earlier! Time to feast!
...
Inside the opulent palace,
Ash stood dressed in Sir Aaron's ceremonial robes, gripping a staff awkwardly, his face twisted in discomfort.
"Hero, please stop fidgeting," Butler Granny whispered. "You must maintain the hero's dignity until the party ends."
"But I'm so hungry..." Ash whined pitifully.
"Just a little longer!"
Ash sighed, then suddenly brightened—Natsume-sensei had arrived!
As Natsume and Steven stepped into the grand ballroom, all eyes turned toward them.
Steven, ever the composed aristocrat, offered a practiced smile, nodding gracefully to those they passed.
Natsume, too, drew attention—
Though, admittedly, some of those stares might have been directed at the impossibly adorable Sylveon beside him.
"Pikachu~!"
Pikachu bounded over joyfully, circling Natsume twice before leaping onto his shoulder.
Natsume scratched Pikachu's head and chuckled. "Waiting for Ash to finish playing hero, huh?"
Since Ash had to maintain his image, he couldn't keep Pikachu with him, leaving the little Pokémon to wander freely.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu tilted its head, as if not quite understanding.
Natsume shrugged. He wasn't the Chosen One of Viridian—no way he could explain things to Pikachu properly.
"Just hang tight," Natsume said, rubbing Pikachu's soft chin. "I'll keep you company for now."
At the word "play," Pikachu's eyes lit up.
"Pikachu!" It nodded vigorously.
Now, with Pikachu perched on one shoulder and Togepi balanced on the other, Natsume cut an interesting figure.
"Ahem." Steven glanced at his phone and suddenly smirked.
Natsume shot him a look.
"..." Steven smiled innocently. "I'm going to grab some champagne. Would you like some, Natsume-sensei?"
Oh, so now you're changing the subject!
Natsume's phone buzzed. He checked the group chat and froze.
A new photo had been uploaded—him, with Pikachu and Togepi on his shoulders.
Steven: Image attached
Gold]: So cute! (Referring to Togepi)
Yellow: Pikachu's adorable too!
Natsume-sensei]: Natsume-sensei is pretty cute too, y'know!
Lt. Surge: ???
Lorelei: Shameless!
Brock: Wait… is that Pikachu Ash's? It looks a bit different.
"Huh?" Natsume glanced at the fluffy Pikachu beside him. "Does it?"
Brock shook his head. "Maybe I'm imagining things..."
The party had been underway for a while now, and a steady stream of young women approached Steven.
"Sylveon! (▼皿▼#)"
Natsume, meanwhile, enjoyed relative peace—thanks to Sylveon's intimidating glare warding off unwanted attention.
Content with the quiet, Natsume tilted his head back, studying the palace's grand ceiling.
A massive mural depicted Sir Aaron quelling an ancient war—clad in blue robes, wide-brimmed hat, and wielding a crystalline staff… just like Ash, currently slouched on the throne.
"Yaaawn~" Ash stretched lazily, catching Natsume's gaze. He grinned sheepishly. "Heh."
Natsume sighed.
If Sir Aaron knew his legacy was being upheld by this knucklehead… he'd probably despair.
Steven, ever the social butterfly, remained trapped in a circle of admirers.
Meanwhile, Natsume—now an impromptu babysitter—carried Pikachu and Togepi toward the buffet.
Macarons, soufflés, tiramisu… rows of desserts glistened under the chandeliers.
Though Natsume had little interest in extravagant delicacies, the food was decent.
"Only about twenty years shy of my own cooking," he remarked smugly.
Pikachu stared at this shameless human, then suddenly beamed.
"Pikachu!"
"Hm? Where are you—" Before Natsume could finish, Pikachu hopped down and vanished into the crowd.
Just then, the elegant Queen Ilene rose, announcing the official start of the ball.
Natsume and the little ones stayed firmly planted by the food.
Natsume & Gengar: (￣～￣) Munch.
A trainer's gotta eat!
"Squirtle~ ヾ(?■_■)"
Squirtle lifted its head from the plate, staring up at the mural. Slowly, it adjusted its sunglasses.
A legendary Aura Warrior…
No wonder I've felt my power surging since we arrived.
"Squirtle!" Its eyes sharpened.
This is the perfect time to train!
Amidst the music and feasting, Squirtle dropped and began one-armed push-ups.
"Executive!"
Natsume turned at the sudden call.
Meowth waved excitedly at him from across the room.
Natsume blinked, then sighed.
Should've known.
Wherever trouble brewed, these three were never far behind.
...
After hearing Meowth's story, Natsume sighed deeply. "So, you followed the 'Twerp' all the way to Cameran Palace by plane?"
"Yep, the flight ticket was crazy expensive, meow! Good thing we made a killing from the Christmas gacha!" Meowth said.
Seeing the speechless Executive, Meowth grinned. "Don't worry, Executive! We'll definitely catch Pikachu and hand it over to you, meow!"
"..." Natsume-sensei's expression suddenly turned serious. "Meowth."
"What is it?"
"Once this mission is over, you're all being transferred to the Africa branch."
Natsume's voice was eerily calm. "The Team Rocket there... could use some development."
Meowth froze for a second before forcing a laugh. "Y-You're joking again, meow."
Natsume chuckled and said nothing more.
"..." Meowth began to panic.
Just as Meowth was scratching his head in distress, Natsume finally spoke. "No need to catch Pikachu for me... Just focus on selling cards."
"Do that, and I'll overlook this little... unauthorized mission of yours."
"Thank you, Executive!" Meowth burst into tears.
That being said...
Natsume looked up at the sky.
Those three actually staying put and not causing trouble... Yeah, I have my doubts.
"By the way, where are Jessie and James?" Natsume asked.
Meowth jerked his chin toward the dance floor. "There."
Following his gaze, Natsume saw "Sweet Lina-Jessie" dancing with Steven, hearts practically glowing in her eyes.
Meanwhile, James was gracefully waltzing with a noble girl, his posture and manners clearly professional.
When partners switched, Jessie and James ended up together again—both immediately making disgusted faces.
"I'm gonna go scout for food elsewhere, meow!" Meowth announced, ready to hunt for snacks.
Natsume nodded, idly playing with the ribbon on Sylveon's (Princess Dress Limited Edition) outfit.
"Togepi doo-ee~~" Togepi happily bounced after Meowth.
"Sirfetch'd, go keep an eye on them. Make sure they don't get lost," Natsume said offhandedly.
"Sirfetch'd!" The armored knight gave a solemn nod and stomped after them.
Natsume fell into thought.
According to the original plot... wasn't there a female adventurer involved?
But at this point, she's nowhere to be seen.
Even Mew, who should've been a major player, is missing...
"Meow~!"
Meowth came trotting back, happily rubbing against Natsume's leg.
"Meowth? Weren't you getting food?" Natsume blinked.
"Meow?" Meowth tilted its head in confusion.
"Use your words!" Natsume snapped. "You can talk!"
Something tasty?
A telepathic voice rang out. Natsume stiffened, staring at the Meowth in front of him.
It darted away before he could react.
Natsume's expression turned odd. Silently, he pulled up the System Pokédex—
[Mew, Psychic-type, a Mythical Pokémon...]
Well, well. An impostor among us.
"Mew... nicknamed 'Little Ditto'..."
Natsume muttered, lost in thought.
Mew was notoriously playful, often transforming into other Pokémon to mess with humans and fellow Pokémon alike.
It was lively and curious—but also prone to reckless antics.
Natsume frowned slightly. Logically, Mew shouldn't be in any real danger here...
Suddenly, the music stopped, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Looking up, he saw the Butler clear her throat. "Now, for the final ceremony of the festival... Let the Aura Guardian take the stage!"
Under the Butler's urging, Ash scrambled to his feet.
"Uh... like this?"
Dressed in a blue formal outfit and wide-brimmed hat, Ash mirrored the pose of Sir Aaron from the mural.
Holding the stance, he froze for a second, as if hearing something.
"Ma'am... do you hear that?" Ash asked.
"Hear what?"
Queen Ilene smiled gently. "Perhaps you're just nervous."
Ash nodded and raised the staff again.
This time—
The crystal atop it erupted into blinding light.
...
Over in the dining area.
A yellow tail poked Meowth's shoulder.
"Stop bothering Meowth while I'm eating, meow!"
Meowth was shoveling food into his mouth at record speed.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu tilted its head and poked again.
"Enough already!" Meowth whirled around—then stammered, "P-Pikachu?!"
"Pikachu~!" Recognizing Team Rocket's Meowth, Pikachu grinned and crackled with electricity, ready to unleash a Thunderbolt.
"Wait, meow!" Meowth frantically wiped his mouth. "I'm not here to catch you this time!"
"Pikachu?"
"A very important person called off the mission!" Meowth gestured wildly. "So, truce! We're friends now, meow!"
Pikachu scratched its head—then spotted a cheerful Togepi waddling by.
"Togepi doo-ee~~"
"Oh, that's the Executive's Togepi!" Meowth yelped.
Togepi hopped onto the windowsill, teetering dangerously close to the edge.
"Togepi doo-ee~~ ヾ(●´｀●)"
Meowth lunged—but Togepi suddenly pivoted away.
"Wha—?!" A gust of wind hit Meowth as he stared down at the deadly drop below. "HELP, MEOOOOW—!!"
A pink blur flashed beside him. In an instant, Mew teleported him back to safety in front of Pikachu.
Both Meowth and Pikachu exhaled in relief.
"Mew~~~" Giggling, Mew transformed into a perfect copy of Pikachu.
"Pikachu... (ヾ)`ω´(ヾ)" Pikachu patted its cheeks, wondering if it was dreaming.
Mew reverted to its original form, beaming. "Mew~~??(ˊᗜˋ*)」"
Meowth scratched his head, translating for Pikachu. "It's asking if we wanna play, meow."
Pikachu tilted its head—then nodded. "Pikachu!"
"Fine, meow." Meowth crossed his arms, eyes closed. "But only for a little while!"
Mew eagerly flitted over to Togepi next, hoping to invite it too.
But Togepi was already scampering toward Natsume, holding up a cupcake. "Togepi doo-ee~! ヾ(◕°◕°)ノ"
This is delicious! Try it!
"Mew~~~" Mew's shoulders slumped, watching with wistful eyes.
After a moment, it perked up again, tail swishing.
"Mew!"
In a flash of teleportation, Mew vanished with Pikachu and Meowth—leaving the castle behind.
...
Natsume chewed the cupcake Togepi handed him.
"Mmm... not bad." Even though he was full, he finished it anyway.
"Togepi~! ヾ(^▽^*)" Togepi patted its eggshell proudly.
Natsume passed one to Steven beside him. "Here, Steven."
Steven's light-blue eyes flickered with surprise before he smiled. "Thanks."
Then, he gazed up at the glowing staff.
"That... must be an ancient Poké Ball," Steven mused.
Natsume nodded, recalling the loyal Lucario that stood guard like a knight.
A pang of nostalgia hit him.
Maybe... this is what a millennia-spanning bond looks like. Aura and fate, connecting Sir Aaron, Ash, and Lucario.
Within the light, the silhouette of Lucario slowly materialized.
Sensing the powerful, familiar aura—
"Squirtle~ ヾ(•■_■)"
Squirtle paused mid-one-armed push-up, narrowing its eyes.
This Lucario... not bad at all.
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