Celadon City, nine in the morning.
"Smeargle, we've got a very important mission today!"
Shiraishi Ritsu stood outside the apartment, holding a thick real estate brochure, a hint of excitement on his face.
"Smear!"
Smeargle was already ready to go.
It carried its little art bag and even wore a sun hat, looking more like a tourist ready for a trip than Shiraishi Ritsu did.
"Today's goal is to pick out a new house that suits us!"
"Smear!"
Smeargle nodded vigorously.
Last night, after Shiraishi Ritsu told it he planned to buy a house, it had been so excited that it hadn't slept for half the night.
It had even taken out a sheet of drawing paper specifically to design its future studio.
Only, when Shiraishi Ritsu saw the design, he nearly thought he was planning to open a large manga publishing house.
"Let me stress this one more time."
Shiraishi Ritsu crouched down and reminded it earnestly.
"We have a limited budget. The house doesn't need to be especially fancy, just comfortable to live in."
"Smear!"
"Especially your art studio. A normal-sized one will do!"
Smeargle blinked.
Then it silently pushed the design labeled "Extra-large private art studio" deeper into its art bag.
The corner of Shiraishi Ritsu's mouth twitched.
"Did you secretly add something again?"
"Smear!"
Smeargle immediately shook its head.
Absolutely not!
Shiraishi Ritsu clearly wasn't entirely convinced.
Still, he was in a good mood and didn't pursue it any further.
And so, the man and his canine companion headed out excitedly.
The person showing them the houses was a young real estate agent named Machida.
"Hello, Mr. Shiraishi!"
Miss Machida stood at their agreed meeting spot and waved warmly at them.
"You mentioned that you wanted a quiet, spacious home, preferably with a yard, right?"
"That's right."
Shiraishi Ritsu nodded.
"I also need a room I can use as a studio."
"Smear!"
Smeargle hurriedly raised a paw.
"And there's this one, too."
Shiraishi Ritsu added with a smile, "Ideally, it'd have a room just for painting as well."
Miss Machida looked at Smeargle, unable to hide her surprise.
"This Smeargle can paint, too?"
"Of course!"
Shiraishi Ritsu answered quite proudly.
"And it's really good at it."
Smeargle puffed out its chest proudly.
Miss Machida couldn't help laughing.
"I see. You two really do have some unusual requirements for a house."
"Haha, well, we're considering both work and everyday life."
Shiraishi Ritsu spoke with a smile.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he had used his real name for this house hunt.
As for his pen name, Masuda Senbei, he hadn't brought it up.
The media had been discussing his identity quite enough lately.
He didn't want to buy a house only to be surrounded by people asking about future plot developments in Pokémon Adventures.
The first house was near Celadon City's commercial district.
Transportation was convenient, there were plenty of shops nearby, and it wasn't too far from the publisher, either.
"This house has two floors. The upper floor could be converted into a studio."
Miss Machida explained as she showed them around.
Shiraishi Ritsu looked around the spacious living room and nodded in satisfaction.
"Pretty nice."
Smeargle was very happy, too.
It ran upstairs and stood by the window, carefully checking the natural light.
Then it used its tail to gesture where the worktable would go.
Just then, a tremendous noise suddenly came from outside the window.
"Golem, use Rollout!"
"Golem!"
Boom!
The sound of a Pokémon crashing into a training target came from a nearby training facility.
Immediately afterward, another burst of lively cheering followed.
Shiraishi Ritsu's smile slowly faded.
Miss Machida looked a little embarrassed.
"There's a Pokémon training club next door. There is some noise during the day..."
"Every day?"
"More or less."
Shiraishi Ritsu fell silent for a moment.
Then Smeargle silently pulled a sheet of paper from its art bag.
It drew a simple comic.
In the picture, it was diligently drawing manuscript pages in its studio.
A sudden crash came from outside the window.
In the next panel, the fright had caused an entire bottle of paint to tip over onto the drawing paper.
After reading it, Shiraishi Ritsu immediately nodded.
"Next house!"
He certainly didn't want to compete with the Golem next door over who could make more noise every time he drew an exciting battle sequence.
The second house was considerably better.
It was in an upscale residential area in the city center, with quiet surroundings and beautiful decor.
The large windows in the living room, in particular, made Smeargle's eyes light up.
"Smear!"
It excitedly ran to the window, already imagining itself painting here.
Shiraishi Ritsu was equally pleased.
Until Miss Machida quoted the price.
"The asking price for this house is..."
Upon hearing the number, the smile on Shiraishi Ritsu's face instantly froze.
"Wait."
He hurriedly opened his budget records.
He carefully ran the numbers.
Then ran them again.
Finally, he silently closed the brochure.
"Smeargle."
"Smear?"
"Let's go."
"Smear?!"
Smeargle gazed longingly at the windows.
Shiraishi Ritsu reached out and picked it up.
"Be good. We've only just earned our first decent royalty payment, and you already want me to spend the next ten years' worth of money?"
"Smear..."
Smeargle lowered its head regretfully.
However, it soon perked up again.
After all, Celadon City was so big that they were bound to find a suitable house.
Next, the two of them viewed several more homes.
Some were too small, with little room to move around once the worktables were in place.
Some had nice yards, but the rooms' natural light wasn't ideal.
Another house was beautifully decorated, but traffic nearby was heavy. Shiraishi Ritsu had only stood there a little while before finding it rather noisy.
It wasn't until the afternoon that they arrived at a residential area in northwestern Celadon City.
It was a little farther from the city center, with neat rows of trees lining the streets.
There was a small park nearby, as well as shops where they could conveniently buy daily necessities.
The entire neighborhood seemed much quieter.
"Mr. Shiraishi, take a look at this one."
Miss Machida stopped in front of a two-story house.
Shiraishi Ritsu looked up.
The house's exterior wasn't particularly luxurious, but its pale walls and wooden accents looked very comfortable.
There was a small yard out front, with a few green plants growing beside the yard wall.
Most importantly, there were two very large windows on the second floor.
"Smear!"
Smeargle's eyes lit up at once.
It ran to the yard gate, practically unable to wait.
"Don't rush. Let's look inside first!"
Shiraishi Ritsu followed with a smile.
The first-floor living room was quite spacious, with a kitchen beside it and a small room that could be converted into a storage room.
The second floor had three separate rooms.
The largest faced the yard, allowing sunlight to stream through the windows.
Standing in the doorway, Shiraishi Ritsu immediately pictured the future layout.
An entire row of bookcases against the wall.
Two worktables in the middle.
The other side would be used to store manuscript pages, drawing paper, and all sorts of reference materials.
As for the room next door...
"Partner, how about this room for you?"
"Smear!"
Smeargle rushed inside excitedly.
It first made a circuit of the room, then took out its drawing board on the spot.
Shiraishi Ritsu leaned over for a look.
Good grief!
It had actually started designing the interior right then and there!
A huge drawing table, art supply cabinets along three walls, and shelves specifically for storing paint.
A comfortable lounge chair sat by the window.
It had even drawn a little refrigerator beside it.
Shiraishi Ritsu pointed at the refrigerator.
"What's this for?"
Smeargle carefully drew a few Berries.
"..."
"Your art studio even comes with snacks?"
"Smear!"
Smeargle answered with complete conviction.
Drawing took a lot of energy!
Shiraishi Ritsu couldn't help laughing.
But as he continued looking, his smile stiffened a little.
"Wait, what's this?"
In the corner of the drawing stood two small worktables.
Behind each table sat a human assistant with their head down, drawing backgrounds.
Smeargle himself sat comfortably at the large drawing table in the center, paintbrush in hand as he directed their work.
Shiraishi Ritsu's eyes widened.
"Partner!"
"Smear?"
"We haven't even hired assistants yet, and you've already assigned their seats?!"
"Smear!"
Smeargle nodded proudly.
As the chief artist, what was wrong with planning the studio ahead of time?
Shiraishi Ritsu rubbed his head helplessly.
"All right, all right. Let's talk about that once we've actually hired some assistants."
As he spoke, he took another careful look at the plans.
He had to admit that Smeargle had some pretty good ideas about arranging the space.
He had even considered paint storage, keeping the paper dry, and the distance between the worktable and the window.
Aside from the little fridge dedicated to snacks, all the other designs were practical.
"Looks like you really do like this room."
"Smear!"
Smeargle nodded without hesitation.
Then he ran to the window and looked at the little yard below.
The afternoon sunlight fell across the grass, and a few Pidgey rested on the branches nearby.
A breeze blew past, gently rustling the leaves.
Smeargle watched quietly for a while.
Then he suddenly turned back and gave Shiraishi Ritsu a happy smile.
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled too.
He walked over to the window and reached out to pat his partner's head.
"How about we draw our manga here from now on?"
"Smear!"
Smeargle nodded vigorously.
As Shiraishi Ritsu gazed at the yard outside, he gradually made up his mind.
Back when they lived in a cramped apartment, every deadline rush left the living room a complete mess.
Now he finally had a chance to own a house.
He wanted to give Smeargle an art studio that truly belonged to him.
He also wanted a place where he could wake up every day and sit down to work with peace of mind.
Of course, the yard could also be used for some basic Pokémon training.
When Smeargle practiced Quick Attack in the future, they wouldn't have to make a special trip to the public training grounds every time.
At that thought, Shiraishi Ritsu turned to Miss Machida.
"How much is this house?"
Half an hour later.
In the living room.
Holding the price quotation, Shiraishi Ritsu began doing the calculations carefully.
This house cost quite a bit less than the one downtown.
But for someone who had only just received his first substantial royalty payment, it was still a considerable expense.
What was more, there were the upcoming costs of upgrading the studio, hiring assistants, and the next round of manga serialization.
He needed to prepare for all of those in advance.
"Mr. Shiraishi, if you like this house, you can pay a deposit first to reserve it for a period specified in the contract."
Miss Machida explained.
"Afterward, we can arrange a home inspection and the paperwork for the formal transaction."
Shiraishi Ritsu thought for a moment, then nodded. "That works, but I'd like the inspection conditions and the deadline for signing the final contract clearly stated."
"Of course, that's no problem."
The two parties carefully reviewed the property's condition and the contract terms once more.
Only after confirming that matters such as ownership and the home inspection were covered by written agreements did Shiraishi Ritsu pay a deposit he could afford.
There was no rush to finalize the purchase or move just yet.
After all, the publisher was already preparing to expand into new distribution markets, and the studio assistants had yet to be decided.
It wouldn't be too late to consider officially moving into the new house once those matters gradually settled down.
After finishing the paperwork, Shiraishi Ritsu stepped out of the house and let out a long breath.
"Phew... today sure has been busy!"
"Smear!"
Smeargle, however, was incredibly excited.
He had already carefully tucked the studio plans he had just drawn into his art bag.
Watching him, Shiraishi Ritsu couldn't help smiling.
"Partner, we're one step closer to our dream."
"Smear!"
Smeargle happily hugged his arm.
That evening.
After returning to the studio, Shiraishi Ritsu immediately told Kikkawa Maho how the house viewing had gone.
"You've really started buying a house?"
On the other end of the call, Kikkawa Maho sounded very surprised.
"I haven't actually bought it yet. I just paid a deposit."
Shiraishi Ritsu smiled as he said, "I'll think about moving once the arrangements with the publisher have settled down."
"That sounds good too."
Kikkawa Maho nodded.
"Oh, about hiring assistants, I've already contacted a few experienced artists."
"Once they've finished their trial pages, I'll send their work over for you and Smeargle to look at."
"Great!"
Shiraishi Ritsu's interest was immediately piqued.
"Preferably someone who's especially good at backgrounds!"
"Of course I know that."
Kikkawa Maho laughed.
"Also, the distribution department has finalized a promotional event in Saffron City. They're planning a reader discussion session for Pokémon Adventures."
"I have to go out again?"
Shiraishi Ritsu froze.
"You're a popular manga artist now, after all."
"..."
Shiraishi Ritsu sighed.
He had been thinking he would finally be able to stay home and work on his pages in peace.
Still, considering the steadily improving sales lately, he agreed.
"All right, send me the schedule when it's ready."
After ending the call, Shiraishi Ritsu sat back down at his worktable.
Smeargle had already spread out his drawing paper and begun drawing the house they had taken a liking to that day.
He made the yard very large and added a patio umbrella and two lounge chairs.
Shiraishi Ritsu sat in one of them.
In the other sat Smeargle himself, eating Berry cake.
After looking at it, Shiraishi Ritsu couldn't help laughing out loud.
"You little rascal, you've even decided what you're going to eat after we move in?"
"Smear!"
Smeargle answered very seriously.
This was their happy future life!
Shiraishi Ritsu rubbed his head.
"All right, then let's keep working hard to earn money!"
Meanwhile.
Viridian City.
Inside a dimly lit office.
Giovanni sat behind a large desk, with a collected volume of Pokémon Adventures beside his hand.
Persian lay quietly at his feet, occasionally flicking his tail.
In front of the desk, a man in a gray suit was reporting the results of his investigation.
It was Murata, who had previously visited the publisher posing as a collector to gather information.
"Boss, we've made some new progress in the investigation into Masuda Senbei."
Giovanni looked up.
"Speak."
"The publisher keeps the author's personal information under tight protection. We haven't obtained his real address yet, nor can we access any unpublished manuscripts."
Giovanni narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Continue."
"However, he's recently started attending public events."
Murata placed a document on the desk.
"His first signing in Celadon City has just ended, and quite a few readers saw him there."
"The publisher will be holding another promotional event in Saffron City next. The relevant schedule can already be confirmed through public channels."
Giovanni did not answer immediately.
He lowered his head and opened the manga on the desk.
In the panel, he stood in the shadows, dressed in a Team Rocket uniform.
Beside him were several Gym Leaders who had likewise been portrayed as Team Rocket executives.
The true identities of these characters differed considerably from Team Rocket's actual organizational structure.
And yet, his character in the manga had indeed been made the leader of Team Rocket.
That detail had continued to weigh on Giovanni's mind.
"Masuda Senbei..."
He murmured the pen name once.
Why would a young manga artist come up with a story like this?
Was it merely a coincidence, or did he know things he shouldn't?
Giovanni closed the manga and gently stroked Persian's head.
For now, there appeared to be no need to take drastic action.
After all, the man was only a fairly well-known manga artist. Rashly alerting the publisher and the Pokémon League would only invite trouble.
"Don't approach his private residence for now, and leave his studio alone."
Giovanni gave the instructions calmly.
"Understood."
Murata nodded.
"We'll continue learning about his schedule through public channels."
Giovanni's gaze fell on the newly delivered report.
A line of text stood out on it.
[Pokémon Adventures Saffron City promotional event.]
He tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop.
"Have his public engagements been confirmed?"
"Yes, boss."
Giovanni fell silent for a moment, a hint of a smile slowly forming at the corners of his mouth.
"Then find an opportunity to make contact."