A Touch of Spring

"Sorry, sir, I'm temporarily out of stock. Please wait a few months for me to restock."

"Yes, I made these myself. They take time to produce, so it'll be difficult to restock them anytime soon."

"All right, all right, sir. I'll send out a notice when the time comes."

"Sigh... Who's been helping promote this? I really can't keep up."

After hanging up again, Blake sighed helplessly. This was far from the first call he had received today. So many people were asking whether the charms were still for sale that the job he had chosen for an easy life was now becoming unbelievably exhausting.

"Geh-heh, geh-heh-heh! (´･ω･)ﾉ(._.`)"

Gastly floated over and patted Blake's shoulder with its tongue in consolation.

"I'm fine, Gastly. I just feel a little tired. But that means the charms I made are popular, doesn't it?"

Blake smiled. In truth, the charms he had put up for sale were nothing special—at least, not in his eyes. The exquisite pieces crafted by his ancestors were true family heirlooms, and some of them would not weaken even with the passage of time. Compared to those, his own work could only be considered defective goods. His father had once said that if those real heirlooms were released to the public, high-level Trainers would fight tooth and nail over them.

Having seen so many high-grade items, and with such things having been roadside loot in the games of his previous life, Blake did not realize that the charms he made were already considered fine works. If his family heirlooms were put out into the world, even the Elite Four and Champions would be tempted enough to fight over them.

"Geh-heh."

Seeing that Blake really was fine, Gastly sighed in relief.

"But I am a little tired. I might as well contact Uncle Sam and head to Rat Reef tomorrow or the day after to deal with that abandoned ship. I'll treat it like a vacation."

Blake looked helplessly at the ringing phone again.

"Geh-heh! ノ"

Gastly immediately became excited. It liked pranks, and it liked battles too—especially battles that felt like pranks!

"Phew... I'm done washing up. Your turn."

After Blake hung up once more, Lulina emerged from the bathroom, wiping her dripping wet hair. Just as she had said yesterday, Lulina had come over to stay again today. Steam rose from her freshly washed body, and with the mist drifting out from the bathroom, she looked hazy and indistinct. Whether sweat or water she had failed to wipe away, droplets slid down her slender yet softly curved arms. The bath towel wrapped around her outlined the already shapely figure of a fourteen-year-old girl. Her long, wineglass-shaped legs carried her briskly to the sofa, where she casually half-sat and half-reclined. The towel was immediately pressed out of shape, and a few rather indescribable areas nearly came into view. Lulina paid it no mind, merely tugging at the towel before reaching for the remote and changing channels.

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm still a guy, you know. Could you be a little more careful?"

Watching Lulina's movements, Blake covered his face helplessly.

"Geh-heh, geh-heh." ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

Gastly agreed as well.

"As if you haven't seen it before. What, were we not playing together when we were little? Besides, it's not the first time. Uncle and Auntie aren't here either, so what are you worried about? You're the one getting an eyeful. Or are you saying someone's blushing?"

Lulina rolled her eyes at Blake, then grinned teasingly.

"Tch—"

Blake rolled his eyes back. How could then and now possibly be the same? What was there to see when they were little brats? But now was different! Girls matured faster to begin with, and he had been single for nearly forty years counting both this life and his previous one. What kid could handle that kind of stimulation? No, he should go take a cold shower.

Thinking that, Blake grabbed a change of clothes and dashed into the bathroom as though he were flying. He turned on the cold water and began rinsing himself off. He needed to cool down.

"Oh yeah! This method really worked!"

Seeing Blake's reaction, Lulina excitedly clenched her fist. Who knew how nervous she had been just now? (Gastly: I don't.) Who knew how much preparation she had put into making that move? (Gastly: I really don't!) Judging by the result, though, it had worked quite well. She had never seen Blake's face turn so red before. What Lulina did not know was that her own face was frighteningly red too—it was simply less obvious because of her complexion.

"Geh-heh— (￣.￣)"

"Chew... (￣.￣)"

Watching Blake and Lulina's reactions, Gastly and Chewtle exchanged glances and sighed helplessly. Humans really said one thing and meant another.

"Deng leng leng."

Lulina's phone rang. Lying on the sofa, she lazily reached toward the phone on the coffee table without wanting to move at all. She could not reach it. She strained, strained some more, but still refused to sit up. After finally managing to grab it, she looked at the screen and saw a message from her friend, Little Yamper.

"Help, help! Do you know this place? How do we get out?"

A photo had been sent along with the message. It was extremely dark, seemingly taken inside a cave, with several branching paths ahead.

"Where are you guys?"

Lulina stared at the picture in confusion before replying after a while.

"Galar Mine."

Little Yamper replied instantly.

"Huh? The mine? Aren't you supposed to just follow the lights there? Where did you wander off to?"

Lulina asked curiously. Galar Mine produced minerals that were an important power resource for the Galar Region. There should have long been a mature network of paths inside, and light strips should have been installed everywhere. It should not have been so easy to get lost.

"How should I know?! My idiot childhood friend dragged me around like crazy. I think we ran into the old mine tunnels, and now we're lost!"

Little Yamper sent several crying-face stickers in a row.

"There's nothing I can do about that. Instead of asking me, shouldn't you hurry up and call the police?"

Lulina had no idea what this online friend of hers was thinking. Rather than asking her about something like this, Little Yamper should have called the police. It was not as though Lulina could fly over and help.

"Right! I'll call the police now!"

Little Yamper sent an emoji of someone crying at their own stupidity, then hurriedly went offline.

"Sigh... That girl. Well, there's nothing she can do when she has such an unreliable childhood friend."

Lulina sighed helplessly, put away her phone, and went back to watching television. Puss in Boots Meowth, which she had not finished watching yesterday, was being rebroadcast today.

"Phew... That feels great."

Blake pushed open the bathroom door, wiping droplets from his short hair. He wore a pair of loose calf-length pants, with his shirt draped over one shoulder as he walked straight out. His bronze skin highlighted his modestly developed abs, and droplets slid down them as he moved.

"Gulp!"

The sound of herself swallowing snapped Lulina back to her senses, and she quickly turned her head away. Something was seriously wrong with her nose. This guy had the nerve to criticize her! He was obviously the more outrageous one!

"Hey? Lulina? Are you okay?"

Blake dried his hair, casually tossed the towel into the washing machine, and looked at Lulina.

"I-I-I'm fine!"

Lulina did not dare raise her head at all. She was afraid that if she took one more look, her nosebleed would burst out. Then she would never be able to face anyone again!