Celadon City, the editorial office of Shonen Adventure magazine.
"Mr. Masuda, I have good news for you!"
Kikkawa Maho pushed open the meeting room door, holding a newly compiled event report, her smile especially bright.
Shiraishi Ritsu was sitting on the sofa, studying the Raichu training photos taken a few days earlier with Smeargle.
At her words, he looked up.
"More good news?"
"Of course!"
Kikkawa Maho placed the report on the table.
"Your first book signing was a great success! All eighty readers with reservations attended, and plenty of readers who hadn't managed to reserve a spot made a special trip there too."
"I know that."
Shiraishi Ritsu rubbed his wrist.
"After all, I personally signed all eighty of those names."
"Smeargle!"
Smeargle immediately raised his tail beside him.
And me!
Eighty signed sketches, and I didn't miss a single one!
"Right, right, and our chief artist too."
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled and patted his head.
Kikkawa Maho continued, "The bookstore gave the event very high marks, and the publisher plans to take this opportunity to run a special interview with you, Mr. Masuda Senbei."
"An interview?"
Shiraishi Ritsu paused slightly.
"The kind where a reporter sits across from me and asks why I draw manga and what my hobbies are?"
"More or less."
"What's there to interview me about?"
Shiraishi Ritsu spread his hands.
"When I'm not drawing manga, I'm eating and sleeping with Smeargle, or occasionally studying Pokémon battles."
"Isn't that interesting enough?"
Kikkawa Maho smiled. "The readers are all curious about just what sort of author could create a work like Pokémon Adventures."
Shiraishi Ritsu rubbed his chin.
"Then they might be disappointed."
"Why?"
"Because I don't have psychic powers, I don't know ninjutsu, and I don't even own an Electric-type Pokémon."
Kikkawa Maho froze for a moment, then laughed.
"Mr. Masuda, haven't you been spending a little too much time with those Gym Leaders lately?"
"..."
The smile on Shiraishi Ritsu's face stiffened.
Miss Maho, could we please not bring that up?
He had finally seen Lt. Surge and Koga off and was just getting ready to spend a few peaceful days catching up on his manuscript!
Two days later.
The publisher had set aside a small interview room.
Wearing an ordinary light-colored shirt, Shiraishi Ritsu sat in a chair with a collected volume of Pokémon Adventures in his arms.
Smeargle sat primly beside him.
For today's interview, he had specially dug out the little bow tie he had worn to the last book signing, and had even carefully groomed the fur on top of his head.
Shiraishi Ritsu found the sight rather amusing.
"Partner, are you planning to debut as a star?"
"Smeargle!"
Smeargle put on a serious expression.
As a professional artist, of course I have to mind my appearance for an interview!
Before long, the reporter conducting the interview walked in.
He was a man of about thirty, wearing glasses and holding a notebook.
"Hello, Mr. Masuda Senbei!"
"Hello."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the interview officially began.
The initial questions were all quite ordinary.
"May I ask what first gave you the idea to create Pokémon Adventures?"
Shiraishi Ritsu answered with a smile, "Because I've always loved Pokémon, as well as stories full of adventure."
"How does Red in the manga differ from real-life Trainers?"
"He encounters more dramatic events, and he also faces dangers that ordinary Trainers might never come across. After all, a manga needs a sufficiently exciting story."
"What do you usually consider first when designing Pokémon battles?"
"Types, moves, and the Pokémon's own characteristics."
Once battles came up, Shiraishi Ritsu visibly perked up.
He picked up the collected volume on the table and casually flipped to a battle.
"For instance, in this part, Red is facing a very fast opponent. Simply chasing them down and attacking obviously wouldn't work."
"So I first consider whether he can use the terrain to restrict his opponent's movements, then arrange suitable moves to look for an opening."
The reporter listened while taking careful notes.
He found that although the young manga artist before him spoke casually, his thinking was remarkably clear when it came to Pokémon battles.
Especially his understanding of type matchups and move combinations.
Many of the details had clearly been carefully researched.
"No wonder the battle scenes in Pokémon Adventures are so popular."
The reporter sighed in admiration.
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled and waved a hand.
"A lot of the credit goes to Smeargle."
"Smeargle!"
Hearing his name, Smeargle immediately looked up.
The reporter took the opportunity to ask, "I hear that Smeargle handles most of the actual drawing for the manga?"
"That's right."
Shiraishi Ritsu pointed to his partner beside him.
"I handle the story and storyboard planning, and he completes the artwork. Especially when it comes to drawing Pokémon movements, this guy is much better than I am."
Smeargle wagged his tail happily.
At the sight, the reporter couldn't help smiling.
"It seems you two are very close."
"Of course."
Shiraishi Ritsu answered quite naturally.
"We went through poverty together."
"Smeargle!"
Smeargle immediately nodded.
Back then, I even had to use my high-grade paints sparingly!
Now I can finally choose the brands I like.
At that thought, he felt all the more certain that choosing to draw manga with Shiraishi Ritsu back then had been a truly wise decision.
The interview went quite smoothly.
Until the reporter turned to the final page of his notebook.
"Oh, right, Mr. Masuda."
"Yes?"
"There's one more question I'm personally very curious about."
Shiraishi Ritsu picked up his teacup.
"Go ahead."
The reporter smiled. "There are several characters in Pokémon Adventures modeled on real Gym Leaders, correct?"
Shiraishi Ritsu's hand paused slightly as he held his tea.
Here it comes.
He suddenly had a rather bad feeling.
"Yes, but the identities and experiences of the characters in the manga are fictional. The publisher has already made that clear."
"We're aware of that."
The reporter nodded.
"What I'd like to ask is whether you've had any contact with those Gym Leaders in person."
Shiraishi Ritsu thought for a moment.
There didn't seem to be any need to hide this.
After all, quite a few readers had seen Lt. Surge with their own eyes when he appeared at the book signing.
As for Sabrina and Koga, he naturally wouldn't disclose their private itineraries.
"We have indeed had some discussions."
"Oh?"
The reporter immediately perked up.
"Gym Leader Lt. Surge, for example?"
"Gym Leader Lt. Surge attended my book signing, and afterward he discussed Raichu's fighting style with me."
"What about Miss Sabrina?"
"We also discussed the portrayal of Psychic-type Pokémon in the manga."
"And Gym Leader Koga?"
Shiraishi Ritsu hesitated briefly.
"He offered some suggestions about ninja tactics and Poison-type Pokémon."
The reporter's pen hand stopped.
He looked up, his eyes behind his glasses suddenly lighting up.
"Wait!"
"What is it?"
"You mean all three Gym Leaders-Sabrina, Lt. Surge, and Koga-have been in contact with you?"
"Uh... I suppose so."
Shiraishi Ritsu hurriedly added, "We mainly discussed manga and Pokémon tactics. Everyone has their own work to do."
But the reporter was already excited.
Those were three Pokémon League-certified Gym Leaders!
And Sabrina was the Saffron Gym Leader, famous for her psychic powers.
Lt. Surge was also a powerful Electric-type Trainer.
As for Koga, he usually kept his movements low-profile, and even getting an interview with him was difficult.
Yet all three Gym Leaders actually knew the young manga artist before him?
This was a tremendous talking point!
"Mr. Masuda, did the three Gym Leaders participate in creating the manga?"
"No."
Shiraishi Ritsu immediately shook his head.
"I independently handle the story and character concepts, while Smeargle does the artwork. The Gym Leaders have offered some opinions during our discussions, nothing more."
"Understood! Understood!"
The reporter scribbled rapidly.
Sitting nearby, Kikkawa Maho suddenly felt a reminder was necessary.
"Please report the portions concerning the Gym Leaders accurately. We have not obtained their authorization to participate in promoting the manga or to endorse the work."
"Of course!"
The reporter nodded repeatedly.
Only then did Shiraishi Ritsu relax.
However, he failed to notice that three names had already been individually circled in the reporter's notebook.
Sabrina.
Lt. Surge.
Koga.
A line had also been written beside them.
[Kanto's three Gym Leaders had private conversations with a popular manga artist!]
The next morning.
Shiraishi Ritsu sat in the studio, studying the manga storyboards Smeargle had just finished.
The communicator on the desk suddenly rang.
"Mr. Masuda!"
On the other end, Kikkawa Maho sounded somewhat hurried.
"Have you read the newspaper today?"
"No. Why?"
"You'd better take a look!"
Somewhat puzzled, Shiraishi Ritsu picked up the newspaper that had just arrived.
He opened it to the arts and entertainment section.
The next second.
"Pfft-!"
He nearly spat out all the tea he had just taken a sip of.
An eye-catching headline was printed prominently across the top of the page.
"Shocking! Popular manga artist Masuda Senbei has close ties to Kanto's three Gym Leaders!"
Two pictures accompanied it.
One showed Lt. Surge holding a manga volume and talking to Shiraishi Ritsu at the signing.
The other was the cover illustration of Pokémon Adventures.
The article was quite sensational.
[Recently, the young manga artist Masuda Senbei, who shot to fame with Pokémon Adventures, gave his first exclusive media interview.]
[During the interview, the reporter unexpectedly learned that Sabrina, Gym Leader of the Saffron Gym, Lt. Surge, Gym Leader of the Vermilion Gym, and Koga, Gym Leader of the Fuchsia Gym, had all spoken with the artist.]
[Why would three powerful Gym Leaders all take an interest in a young manga artist?]
[Could the ingenious Pokémon tactics in his work be connected to these unusual experiences?]
The more Shiraishi Ritsu read, the stranger his expression became.
"Close ties?"
He pointed at the newspaper, his face full of disbelief.
"Who has close ties with them?!"
"Smear?"
Smeargle came over curiously.
Shiraishi Ritsu couldn't help complaining, "Sabrina nearly scared me to death back then, Lt. Surge came to ask why I'd drawn him as so weak, and Koga actually popped up outside the window!"
"How did the reporter turn me into some mysterious manga artist with extensive connections?"
After hearing him out, Smeargle tilted its head and thought for a moment.
Then it suddenly covered its mouth and laughed.
"Smear!"
"And you're laughing!"
Shiraishi Ritsu poked its forehead in exasperation.
But Smeargle had already pulled a sheet of drawing paper from the desk and enthusiastically started drawing.
Before long, it had finished a four-panel comic.
In the first panel, Shiraishi Ritsu stood at the studio entrance, welcoming the three Gym Leaders with a broad smile.
In the second, Sabrina floated in midair, with several pencils hovering beside her.
In the third, Lt. Surge held Raichu in his arms and brandished the manga menacingly.
In the fourth, Koga hung upside down outside the window while Shiraishi Ritsu ran about in fright, clutching his head.
A line of large text appeared at the bottom.
[Masuda Senbei's friendly conversations with the three Gym Leaders!]
After reading it, Shiraishi Ritsu was silent for a full five seconds.
Then he couldn't help laughing aloud.
"You little rascal!"
"Smear!"
Smeargle proudly wagged its tail.
This was clearly true to what had happened!
However, the article had a greater impact than Shiraishi Ritsu had imagined.
As the news spread, quite a few readers began discussing his true identity.
Some believed Masuda Senbei might have received professional guidance from Gym Leaders in the past.
Some speculated that he might be a Trainer hiding his strength.
Some even suggested that the thrilling Pokémon battles in the manga had very likely drawn on the three Gym Leaders' personal experiences.
"No wonder Mr. Masuda knows so much about battles!"
"Maybe he used to be an apprentice at some Gym!"
"I think he might be really strong and just doesn't compete anymore!"
As Shiraishi Ritsu read the readers' discussions, the corner of his eye kept twitching.
Hiding my strength?
I'd certainly like to.
The problem is, there's nothing worth hiding about my meager strength!
A few days earlier, Smeargle had finally managed to win a friendly match for beginners, and he had been delighted for ages.
Now people actually suspected that he had once received secret training from the three Gym Leaders?
If this kept spreading, would they start saying he had challenged the Elite Four?
At that thought, Shiraishi Ritsu hurriedly picked up the communicator.
"Miss Maho!"
"I'm here."
"We need to issue a clarification!"
"I was just about to contact you."
Kikkawa Maho had clearly realized the problem too.
The two soon agreed that the publisher would issue a brief statement.
It would make clear that the story and character concepts of Pokémon Adventures had been independently developed by its creator, and that while the Gym Leaders had spoken with the author in an ordinary capacity, they had neither served as consultants on the work nor participated in commercial promotion.
As for Shiraishi Ritsu's true identity and studio information, those would remain confidential under the existing rules.
"That should take care of it, right?"
Shiraishi Ritsu put down the communicator and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Kikkawa Maho, however, couldn't help laughing.
"Mr. Masuda, you're really getting more and more famous."
"I'd rather the manga be what gets famous."
"It's already getting hard to separate the two completely."
"..."
Shiraishi Ritsu suddenly felt that being a professional manga artist seemed even more complicated than he had imagined.
That evening.
Smeargle was at the worktable, continuing to draw the manuscript.
Meanwhile, Shiraishi Ritsu carefully studied the latest sales figures sent by the publisher.
Just then, Kikkawa Maho called again.
"Mr. Masuda, I have some news for you."
"What news?"
"Although that article's headline was a little exaggerated, it really did draw more readers' attention to Pokémon Adventures."
Shiraishi Ritsu paused.
"And?"
"Preorders for the latest reprint of volume one have already exceeded the publisher's original estimates."
"Really?"
"Of course!"
There was clear excitement in Kikkawa Maho's voice.
"And it's not just Celadon City. Bookstores in Saffron City, Vermilion City, and Fuchsia City have also been increasing their orders!"
Shiraishi Ritsu's eyes slowly widened.
Those cities...
Weren't they exactly where those three Gym Leaders' Gyms were located?
He looked down at the newspaper on the desk, then at the publisher's sales figures.
Only after a long while did he manage to get a sentence out.
"Miss Maho."
"Yes?"
"Should I be thanking that reporter now?"
Kikkawa Maho finally couldn't hold back her laughter.
"At least judging by the sales, Mr. Masuda, you're going to earn quite a lot in royalties again!"
At the word "royalties," Smeargle, which had been diligently drawing, suddenly pricked up its ears.
"Smear?"
Shiraishi Ritsu paused too.
Then his eyes slowly lit up.
The collected volume was selling even better than they had originally expected.
And that meant he and Smeargle seemed to be one step closer to that new home with a separate art studio.