The next morning, Chen Yan was still fast asleep.
In an office at Sinnoh League headquarters, a blonde woman in a black coat sat behind a desk, watching a video on her screen.
A Garchomp stood beside her.
Garchomp glanced at the video. It was just about the most ordinary Bug-type Pokémon, so Garchomp couldn't understand why its Trainer enjoyed watching this stuff.
Cynthia listened to Chen Yan's introduction to Beedrill, his advice on raising them, how to escape if you encountered them in the wild, and some simple tactical combinations. It was impossible to tell what lay behind her beautiful eyes.
Professor Rowan's unexpected livestream yesterday had naturally drawn countless famous Trainers to watch.
As one of the two foremost authorities among Pokémon Professors, Professor Rowan was a name that carried considerable weight.
Even she had studied under Professor Rowan for a time.
There was no one in the Pokémon world who didn't respect Professor Oak and Professor Rowan.
She rarely saw Professor Rowan praise a young person so highly. Even during her own time studying under him, she had seldom earned his praise.
As the Sinnoh Champion, she naturally understood the tactical framework Chen Yan described. It wasn't particularly powerful, but it was just as he had said.
Building a team around Bug-type Pokémon had two advantages.
First, the team could come together quickly, giving its Trainer access to considerable strength sooner.
Second, it was... cheap. Not everyone could afford to raise a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.
Using easy-to-raise Bug-type Pokémon to deepen one's understanding of Pokémon battles, then adding stronger Pokémon to the existing team, would raise the team's potential.
Were you a capable Trainer yourself?
The video reached its end, and Chen Yan's voice came through.
"Everyone, Bug-type Pokémon are adorable, but they may not be as weak as we imagine. Mr. Alder's ace in the Unova Region, Volcarona, is incredibly strong."
"In the Sinnoh Region, there's also someone who earned a place in the Elite Four using Bug-type Pokémon."
"If you can, why not put a little more faith in them? Raising Pokémon is like growing flowers. Only when we water them with care will they bloom beautifully. Bug-type Pokémon are no different. I believe that someday, when we need them, they'll emerge from their cocoons, come to our side, and keep moving forward with us."
"I hope my video brings you some joy and helps you out. Thank you, and I'll see you next time."
Cynthia narrowed her eyes slightly.
She now seemed deeply interested in this temporary assistant of Professor Rowan's.
She turned toward Garchomp and reached out. Garchomp lowered its head toward her, letting Cynthia stroke it freely.
In the lounge outside the office.
Aaron, one of the Sinnoh Elite Four, watched the video titled "The vast world of Pokémon series: Bug-type Pokémon (Part one)." Listening to the voice coming from the screen, he felt as though he had returned to his boyhood, when he spent all day carrying a net around to catch Bug-type Pokémon.
Back then, he had gotten angry because his Wurmple kept losing battles and abandoned it. By the time he regretted his decision and hurried back, Wurmple was already gone.
It was from that moment that he began wanting to understand Bug-type Pokémon more deeply, eventually becoming one of the Sinnoh Elite Four.
"This guy knows as much about Bug-type Pokémon as I do."
Aaron tugged at the tuft of hair sticking up from his head and spoke to Flint beside him.
"Flint, do you think he wants to replace me as the new Bug-type member of the Elite Four?"
Flint lay sprawled on the couch. He glanced back at Aaron, who was sitting cross-legged, hesitated, then answered.
"Probably not? Isn't he Professor Rowan's assistant?"
They had also dropped into Professor Rowan's livestream yesterday to join the fun, so they had heard him praising Chen Yan.
"Besides... Bug-types... don't worry. Not just anyone can make it into the Elite Four with Bug-type Pokémon like you did," Flint reassured Aaron.
"If he wanted to do it, he'd surely use stronger Pokémon."
Aaron: ...
"Hey, if you've got time to sit around chatting, why not come help me deal with some paperwork?" A purple-haired man wearing glasses entered the lounge, holding a cup of coffee.
"Lucian, have you watched his video?" Aaron asked.
"Whose?"
"Chen Yan's. The guy standing beside Professor Rowan during yesterday's livestream."
"Oh, him? What has he done now?"
"He posted a video about Bug-type Pokémon. Have you seen it?"
"When would I have the time? I don't even have time to eat right now, let alone watch videos."
Lucian sat back down on the couch and said flatly, "If Big Sis hadn't come back, I'd probably still be dealing with paperwork."
"Then take a look. I think this video's really well made. Do you think I should make one too?"
Lucian took the tablet, dragged the video back to the beginning, and began watching intently.
In the Paldea Region.
Rich Guy sat in a helicopter, playing Chen Yan's newly uploaded video on his phone. He didn't know why, but what should have been an incredibly dull educational documentary became surprisingly entertaining with Chen Yan's narration.
Just what you'd expect from Professor Rowan's assistant...
Was his understanding of Pokémon really this profound?
In a house somewhere in Sandgem Town.
A boy in a wheelchair stared intently at the television screen. When a Wurmple began evolving, he pointed excitedly at the screen and turned to his parents. "Look! That's the Wurmple that big brother showed me yesterday!"
The boy's parents sat on the couch and nodded at him with smiles.
They had noticed that, ever since returning yesterday, their child no longer seemed so listless. He had gotten up early and parked himself in front of the television, watching every video by someone called "Gengar, Don't Steal My Chicken Leg." The smile had never left his face.
The couple exchanged a glance, each seeing the tears shining in the other's eyes.
Ever since their son's health had taken a turn for the worse, they had lost track of how long it had been since they had last seen him smile.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
The man wiped away his wife's tears, then stood, rubbed his own eyes with his thumb, and went to answer the door.
"Oh! Professor? What brings you here?"
At the sound of the man's voice, the woman and boy both turned toward the doorway. A professor in a suit followed the man inside.
Professor Rowan!
"Professor, what brings you here?"
The boy asked in surprise.
Professor Rowan looked at the boy sitting in his wheelchair and nodded gently. "Do you remember what I told you yesterday? Even if you can't go out on a journey, you can still raise Pokémon."
Professor Rowan gently placed a Pokémon Egg in the boy's lap.
"This is a Turtwig egg. I believe you'll take good care of it, won't you?" Professor Rowan asked with a smile.
The boy opened his mouth, looked at Professor Rowan, then lowered his gaze to the Pokémon Egg in his lap. Tears wet its shell.
"You haven't forgotten our promise from yesterday, have you?"
Professor Rowan teased.
The boy pressed the back of his hand to his eyes, trying to wipe away his tears, but they wouldn't stop. Since it was impolite to keep his head lowered instead of looking at someone, he could only lift his young face, already drenched in tears, look at Professor Rowan, and shake his head.
"N-no... I haven't..."
Professor Rowan stroked his head tenderly. "I'm sure having Turtwig by your side will help you get better sooner, too."
After saying that, Professor Rowan was drawn to the voice coming from the television.
Was that... Chen Yan's voice?
Seeing that the television had caught Professor Rowan's attention, the boy wiped away his tears and said, "Professor, this is the video that big brother from yesterday posted today. Would you like to watch it?"
"May I?"
"Of course. I'll put it back to the beginning."
The boy dragged the video back to the beginning, then watched it together with Professor Rowan.
His right hand kept stroking the Pokémon Egg in his lap.
Meanwhile, Chen Yan was still fast asleep.
Before you continue