Chapter 138: The Cunning Villain, Teacher Lu
Thursday, August 20.
A surprise visitor had appeared at Lu Ye's house.
A girl with a cold expression and short chestnut hair was sprawled over an easel, diligently refining her work. Her dress was splattered with paint, making her look like she had just stepped out of an art studio.
Holding Eevee in his arms, Lu Ye muttered, "I can't quite figure out what's off… Just tweak it a bit more. Go for something colorful but with a hint of simplicity."
Mallow's grip on her paintbrush tightened with a creak. These dreadful clients!
Seeing how reliable the new recruit was, Teacher Lu nodded with satisfaction. With Mallow's involvement, game production had sped up considerably, and the visual quality had significantly improved. Just the thought of spending an entire evening mining with Cynthia made Lu Ye feel a little giddy.
Meanwhile, the Pokémon were mingling cheerfully on the sidelines.
Eevee was knocking on Granbull's head in a show of dominance, looking like a pint-sized bully. Granbull, tears streaming down its face, dared not complain.
Haunter, hands clasped together, cradled a humming Ribombee like it was the most precious thing in the world. The tiny Ribombee perched delicately, pecking at Haunter's palm. "Gengarrr! (◍´꒳`◍)" Haunter's expression was one of pure bliss, as if its soul had been healed.
With a paintbrush propped against her lips, Mallow pouted. "Mister, your Haunter seems to really get along with Ribombee."
"Minus 500." Lu Ye chuckled. "Of course. Pokémon reflect their trainers, after all!"
Mallow froze, her brush slipping from her hand and falling to the floor. Five hundred... gone just like that? Haunter's so adorable—it's nothing like you. You're clearly a cunning villain!
Lu Ye examined Mallow's draft. While the style was a bit abstract, under Teacher Lu's supervision, the illustrations were quite refined. A graphic artist for 10,000 Pokédollars? Totally worth it... Especially since with deductions, I'll probably only have to pay 5,000.
"Stay for dinner," Lu Ye offered with a smile. "Living off takeout isn't good for your growth."
Mallow paused, twisting her hair before softly murmuring, "Oh, okay."
Moments later, Granbull and Ribombee had their heads buried in bowls, tears of joy streaming down their faces as they devoured the food. What is this?! It's too delicious!
Lu Ye patted the large Fairy-type Pokémon with a sigh. Even Haunter turned its nose up at those standard Pokéblocks, yet you two are eating like it's heaven. You've really been through a lot, haven't you?
Mallow nibbled on her curry like a hamster, pointing at a banner on the wall. "Um... Boss, what does 'Master of Gynecology' mean?"
Lu Ye froze and glanced at the banner hanging on the wall. "Hmm… Probably a title even more impressive than Pokémon Master," he said, stroking his chin.
"Wow!" The chestnut-haired girl's eyes lit up with admiration.
Two days later, Dayou called to inform Lu Ye that the online testing for Gold Miner had begun. With her tasks complete, Mallow prepared to board a ferry back to Alola.
At the azure port, white ships bobbed at the dock. Yawning, Lu Ye escorted Mallow to her boat.
"Stay in touch when you're back in Alola. I might need your help with future projects," he said, slipping a business card into her hand.
The chestnut-haired girl, carrying her art board, lifted her paint-streaked face and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, Boss!"
"No need to thank me," Lu Ye said, scratching his head while thinking to himself. I paid her a 10,000-Pokédollar salary, and in the end, it barely cost me 3,000… What a bargain!
Mallow placed her art board aside and pulled out a hand-drawn sketchbook from her bag. The cover featured a crayon illustration of Haunter, a smirking Eevee, and a Wartortle dressed like a secret agent. Flipping through, the pages were filled with colorful comic panels, showcasing her dedication.
"This is… my thank-you gift," Mallow said with a grin.
"Hmm…" Lu Ye pointed at the man on the cover. "I understand everything else, but why is my heart black?"
Mallow tugged at her eyelid and stuck out her tongue before dashing onto the ferry.
The ship's horn sounded long and deep, the ferry creating waves as it sailed away alongside flocks of startled Wingull.
Lu Ye scratched his head. He opened the sketchbook, his face turning peculiar. "A gift for Little Eevee— 'Baby-Doll Eyes'."
Why is your thank-you gift a move manual? Aren't these things supposed to cost a fortune?!
Stuffing the sketchbook into his bag, Teacher Lu gritted his teeth. "Just this once!"
In the group chat, Gold was complaining about his Togekiss hogging the game console. "Togekiss Taro has been glued to the console for three days! Won't it ruin its eyesight?"
Whitney mercilessly exposed him. "You just want to play yourself!"
[Gold]: Woman! You talk too much!
[Whitney]: ?!
Erika chuckled. "Togekiss Taro's personality is just like yours, Gold."
Gold scratched his head and sighed. He'd originally planned to battle Grandpa Pryce, but the problem was... he couldn't even reclaim the console from Togekiss Taro! Despite nearing seventy, Pryce was a cheerful trend-follower. Excited, he pinged Gold.
"Gold, have you seen Teacher Lu's new game? Let's play online together!"
Gold glanced at his computer. A Pichu with a spiky ear was clutching the mouse, grinning as it browsed some questionable website. Wait… why is a Pichu looking up Pikachu egg-hatching guides?
Gold held his forehead, groaning. "Are my Pokémon… a little off?"
Gold's breeding center had a reputation because Pokémon hatched there often inherited his personality. No one dared ask Gold to hatch eggs anymore. The last one—a baby Snorlax descended from Red's Snorlax—had been entrusted to Diamond, a younger Trainer in Sinnoh. At this rate, the breeding center was headed for bankruptcy!
Gold slumped over his desk, typing weakly. "What's Teacher Lu's new game? Is it fun?"
Pryce stroked his chin and opened the game interface. "I'm playing it now… Oh! Gold Miner! Seems to be a level-based game?"
Because of Pryce and Gold, the group chat had nearly turned into a gaming forum... Though unintentionally, it was excellent promotion. Teacher Lu, uncharacteristically, didn't mute Gold and cheerfully opened the chat interface.
There were two private messages—one from Sabrina and one from Blue.
[Sabrina]: How's your progress with Calm Mind?
[Lu Ye]: Still haven't found a suitable Dawn Stone… Seriously, the quality requirements are way too high!
[Sabrina]: You could ask the Devon Corporation. They're top-notch in mining. (Pikachu making a cute face.jpg)
Lu Ye blinked and nodded thoughtfully. That's true… I've worked with the Devon Corporation before. Asking wouldn't hurt. And come to think of it, Red's Pikachu really is popular—even Sabrina couldn't resist using its stickers…
No way. Wartortle can't lose out!
[Lu Ye]: (Wartortle looking pitiful.jpg)
Blue's message was about following up on Wartortle's training. To Lu Ye's surprise, Blue had been keeping tabs on its development just from a single inquiry. Lu Ye felt a pang of gratitude.
[Blue]: Based on the timeline and progress, Wartortle is ready for the next stage of training! (Grin)
Lu Ye froze, a jolt running through his heart. Caught off guard, his phone slipped from his hand and landed on the sofa.
[Inorin Note:
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