A sleepless night passed.
The next morning, as if she had finally made up her mind, Gardevoir headed to LeBlanc Café wearing a JK uniform.
Last night, she had tried to persuade Leo for a long time but couldn't stop him; he insisted the JK uniform looked good and that she should wear it.
Forced by circumstances, Gardevoir had no choice but to sleep and go out like this.
Last night, after Leo finished chatting with her, he logged out of the game and went off to do who knows what.
Gardevoir waited for nearly two hours, and only after confirming he really wouldn't come back online did she slowly and hesitantly walk into the bathroom.
She didn't know if that damned game would broadcast the scene of her bathing to the manager. While washing, Gardevoir always felt a strange sense of shame.
However, such days would likely be coming to an end soon.
She had already decided—she would temporarily become Leo's Pokémon and embark on a Pokémon Trainer's journey with him!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
With this identity, it would be much more natural to "accidentally" crush that broken phone.
Accidents always happen during training, don't they?
---
The morning sunlight spilled through the glass windows of LeBlanc Café.
Leo was yawning while wiping the coffee machine when the doorbell suddenly rang crisply.
He looked up and instantly froze in place—
Gardevoir was standing at the door, the hem of her JK uniform skirt fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.
Those clothes were clearly the exact style he had spent money on in the game last night.
No.
It only looked similar at first glance. It was probably just a coincidence.
The bow, the calf socks, and some of the patterns and accessories were different.
For a moment, he almost thought the Gardevoir from the game had come out to find him.
Seeing the manager's surprised expression, Gardevoir smiled gracefully.
This was exactly the effect she wanted.
She had discovered that while bathing in the bathroom, she could freely put on and take off clothes. But as soon as she stepped out, she would automatically dry off and switch back to the JK uniform.
The base outfit couldn't be changed, but she could add things to it or make slight modifications.
So she had changed the bow, put on a pair of thick black stockings over her calf socks, and slightly recolored the patterns on the clothes.
This way, she wouldn't feel too uncomfortable, and it would also greatly reduce the connection to the character in the game.
She was simply a genius!
---
"Good morning," Leo greeted her proactively, taking out a breakfast combo of bread, milk, and eggs from behind the bar.
"Have you had breakfast?"
Gardevoir took the plate. Steam was still rising from the cup of milk.
She took a deep breath, suddenly placed the plate back on the bar, and leaned forward with both hands on the counter.
"Manager, I have something important to say."
Leo's hand, which had been wiping a coffee cup, froze mid-air.
Sunlight passed through Gardevoir's hair, casting fragmented spots of light on her face. Her eyes were brighter than usual—or rather, more determined.
"Manager, you said you haven't become a Trainer because you haven't decided what kind of Pokémon you want yet."
Gardevoir's voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the quiet morning café.
"Now, I want to become your Pokémon."
With a clatter, the coffee cup slipped from Leo's hand and fell onto the towel-lined counter.
Gardevoir continued,
"It's only temporary. I also want to try a different way of life."
Leo hurriedly steadied the cup.
He clearly remembered the nonsense he had said to Gardevoir in the game yesterday—
"If I really had a Shiny Gardevoir as a partner, maybe I really would become a Trainer."
Was my mouth kicked by some enlightened monk? How is it this effective?
What should I do?
The arrow is already on the string!
Leo didn't seem to have any reason to refuse.
If he refused, wouldn't it prove that everything he had said before was just empty talk? That his dreams and idols were all fake?
If he were actually just a pervert who liked "Pokémon," Gardevoir might run away on the spot. Then the police—or even the Rust Group—might be kicking down his door in the afternoon.
"Manager, please make a decision quickly."
Gardevoir tilted her head, her bluish-green hair sliding off her shoulder.
"The registration deadline for the Ascension Battle is this afternoon."
I've got it!
Agree first.
Once the registration time passes, he'll tell Gardevoir he was too busy and forgot. Then he can sadly return to enjoying his peaceful life.
"I accept," Leo said, feigning hesitation.
"But... at least wait until after the shop closes this afternoon, right?"
"Okay."
Gardevoir's eyes curved into crescents.
She unbuttoned the top button of her uniform and pulled out a thin silver chain from her collar, with a slightly faded Poké Ball hanging at the end.
"This is my Poké Ball. For now, I'll leave it in the manager's care."
The metal surface of the Poké Ball gleamed in the sunlight.
Leo stared at the small ball lying in his palm, his throat tightening.
He didn't want to become a Trainer, nor did he want to break Gardevoir's heart.
If she really followed him, she would surely be disappointed, right?
Leo shook his head and placed the Poké Ball back in her hand.
"It's better if you keep something this important yourself. If... if you ever feel I'm not a qualified Trainer, you can leave at any time."
Yeah.
If she finds out I "forgot" to register, she'll definitely be very disappointed.
Gardevoir was stunned.
The manager... always seemed to do things she didn't expect.
---
The 3 PM sunlight lay lazily across the bar.
A few Fletchling landed on the windowsill, only to vanish quickly as a breeze swept by.
LeBlanc Café was in a great location. From inside the shop, one could see the landmark of Lumiose City—Prism Tower.
Afternoons were always quiet and leisurely.
Leo leaned against the bar and took a shallow sip of bitter coffee, his expression twisting slightly.
Truth be told, although he was the owner of a café, he didn't actually like drinking coffee.
Gardevoir stood to the side. Sunlight filtered through her hair, scattering bright spots across her uniform.
Her eyes occasionally glanced toward Leo's coat pocket—
The phone that caused her so much unease was kept there.
Hmm...
There aren't many customers right now, so it's not very busy.
But the manager still hasn't registered for the Ascension Battle.
Did he forget?
Or is it because he lacks confidence and is intentionally avoiding registration?
Lopunny was like that too.
Last time, a female Trainer had offered her an olive branch, but she backed out in the end because she lacked confidence.
To avoid the second possibility, Gardevoir decided not to remind Leo.
She planned to wait until he was too busy to check his phone and then secretly register for him herself.
By presenting him with a fait accompli, the manager wouldn't have time to dwell on his lack of confidence.
This would both respect his feelings and help him achieve his dream.
Surely, the moment he stands in the Ascension Battle's Battle Zone, the manager will be grateful to her!
---
Fate favored Gardevoir.
Before long, a group of customers walked into the café.
After they placed their orders, Leo left his phone on the bar and went into the kitchen to start cooking.
Seizing the opportunity, Gardevoir picked up his phone and Teleported directly to the Pokémon Center not far down the street.
After asking Nurse Joy to help with the registration, she Teleported back to the shop and restored everything to its original place—
Completely undetected.