Chapter Five: When the Moon Smiles Even Brighter

At the entrance of a restaurant, elegantly simple yet not lacking in grandeur, Chen Ou gazed at Dr. Yamanashi and the other two waiting inside, feeling for a moment as though he were trapped in a cocoon of his own making. He had never been one to trouble others, nor did he particularly enjoy socializing. Whether others sought to know him or he them, he always felt somewhat awkward.

In the end, he was simply shy.

Chen Ou couldn't help but scratch his head, looking utterly at a loss. Dr. Oak, seeing his dejected demeanor, shook his head helplessly, then grabbed his arm and led him forward.

How embarrassing… Chen Ou quickly pulled his arm back, straightened his lab coat, made a gesture of surrender, and then silently strode over on his own.

Dr. Oak rolled his eyes at Chen Ou's back and followed.

Their interactions were observed by the three waiting inside. Dr. Katsura leaned over and whispered to Dr. Yamanashi, “Oak seems very close to him.”

Dr. Yamanashi nodded. “An outstanding student, and they've known each other for a long time. They’re practically family.”

Dr. Katsura nodded thoughtfully, glanced at her granddaughter, then at Chen Ou, and nodded again.

Cynthia, sensing her grandmother’s gaze, tore her eyes from Chen Ou and Dr. Oak to look back at her. “Grandma, is something wrong?” she asked, puzzled.

Dr. Katsura smiled and shook her head, saying nothing. Cynthia looked questioningly at Dr. Yamanashi, but he too merely smiled, offering no explanation.

Cynthia couldn’t make sense of it, but she suddenly felt the atmosphere had grown subtly strange. By then, Dr. Oak and Chen Ou had already approached.

“Ah, Dr. Yamanashi, Dr. Katsura, it’s been too long. And Cynthia, we haven’t seen you in ages! Last time, you were just a little girl, and now you’re all grown up,” Dr. Oak said, skillfully making small talk. Though the three were old friends, it had been years, and pleasantries were inevitable. As for Cynthia, she had met them a fair few times as a child, but hardly at all since growing up—a champion’s life is busy, as Lance’s schedule would attest.

Of course, if only Chen Ou knew what was running through Dr. Oak’s mind, he might well have retorted, “By champion, do you mean Steven, who spends his days digging up stones? Or Diantha, too busy filming to manage league affairs? Or perhaps Alder, ever delighted to flirt with Officer Jenny? Please, if the champion does all the work, how are the Elite Four supposed to gain experience?” The reason Lance handled so much was, aside from his sense of responsibility, that it was hard to command Lorelei—she simply wouldn’t listen.

But not all champions could be tarred with the same brush; Leon, after all, was dedicated—a true cape-wearing ambassador.

Chen Ou, not thinking of such things, greeted the trio with composure, “Dr. Yamanashi, it’s good to see you again. These must be Dr. Katsura and Champion Cynthia. I’m Chen Ou, a researcher. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Not so antisocial after all, right? Yet he had rehearsed this single line since receiving Dr. Yamanashi’s message—a full day… The summit had already concluded, and this was all he’d prepared. The rest he intended to handle by asking and answering questions, nodding and smiling.

Such is the ‘meeting the elders’ experience of the socially anxious: plain, unadorned… and painfully awkward.

And the summit wasn’t even over yet. The thought of tomorrow’s sightseeing activity organized by the hosts made his head ache. Why waste time on a tour of Mount Coronet? It was just custom, and he couldn’t protest. Thankfully, he’d told Dr. Oak he wouldn’t be joining, and Dr. Oak had reluctantly agreed—after all, if Chen Ou didn’t go, there’d be no one to jot down his impromptu haikus. Yet Chen Ou’s reason was entirely legitimate: he needed to investigate the ruins linked to Dialga and Palkia. He truly didn’t want to waste time.

Dr. Oak knew the real reason was that Chen Ou didn’t want to spend more time making small talk with strangers. After all, he’d drawn much attention today, and tomorrow, no doubt, many people would seek him out to make his acquaintance.

To be fair, if not for Dr. Yamanashi’s invitation giving them a good excuse to decline others’ invitations tonight, Chen Ou would be facing more than just two unfamiliar faces right now.

From that perspective, Chen Ou was genuinely grateful to Dr. Yamanashi.

“Hello, Chen Ou. Your speech today was truly groundbreaking—a real contribution to our understanding of legendary Pokémon. After all, we old folks have rarely, if ever, seen a living one. You’ve done very well,” Dr. Katsura said, subtly exchanging a glance with Dr. Oak. He caught her meaning, nodded solemnly, and, when she wasn’t looking, flashed Dr. Yamanashi a thumbs-up. Dr. Yamanashi responded with a proud smile.

The longest road Chen Ou had traveled was the one paved by Dr. Oak and Dr. Yamanashi’s schemes—with Dr. Katsura joining them along the way.

Ding~ You have received praise from a legendary NPC, Dr. Katsura. Favorability +1.

In his mind, Chen Ou added a mock system notification. After all, in the transmigration novels of his past life, nine out of ten protagonists had a system. He’d always felt rather out of place among them—perhaps the least impressive transmigrator of all.

Everyone else started with a cute girl; he’d begun with a giant serpent, then a series of elders… Not exactly enviable.

He smiled and replied, “You flatter me. I was just fortunate, really.”

Dr. Katsura nodded, smiling. This young man was talented and handsome, and able to interact with legends like Mew and Darkrai—his abilities as a trainer must be considerable as well. He and her granddaughter… quite a match.

While Chen Ou was inwardly lamenting his lack of both system and cute companions, unbeknownst to him, his elders were already busy plotting a match.

Heaven bear witness, Chen Ou was only twenty-one, and Cynthia in her early twenties—hardly the age for marriage, at least in their own minds.

Cynthia, watching her grandmother’s expression, felt increasingly uneasy. Her intuition was always sharp, and she had a suspicion about her grandmother’s recent intentions. But, bound by the moment, all she could do was greet their guests and sit down to dinner.

A sense of being ensnared crept over her, and she cursed her own carelessness, silently praying for a phone call to give her an excuse to escape.

Alas, her phone lay silent as the grave…

Why did it never stop ringing during work?

Meanwhile, in their offices, Flint and Aaron, buried under piles of paperwork, sneezed in unison. They exchanged glances and silently answered their ever-ringing phones.

Those never stopped…

“It’s all right, Aaron. Tomorrow it’s Lucian and Bertha’s turn to suffer.”

“I’m fine, Flint, but could you take half my files? I’ll buy you dinner!”

“I’ll buy you two dinners if you handle half of mine.”

“Three dinners…”

“Four…”

“…”

“…”

“Lady Cynthia! Why did you take time off?!” came the dual lament.

Clearly, Cynthia’s wish wouldn’t be granted. The Elite Four, unable to best her in battle, certainly dared not disturb her vacation…

“I’m Cynthia. Your presentation was truly fascinating. I’ve never faced a legendary Pokémon myself,” Cynthia said, extending her hand.

Chen Ou took her slender, fair hand and replied, “It’s not much, really. They’re quite approachable—if you know how.”

As their hands met, the three elders exchanged satisfied smiles.

While Cynthia and Chen Ou, in their hearts, cried out in unison:

“Somebody, please give me a reason to get out of here…”

Sometimes, fateful encounters are not the workings of destiny—

They’re orchestrated, plain and simple.

In any case, the moon, fuller than yesterday, seemed to have broadened its smile, as if it too was more delighted than before.