Chapter 0619: Darkrai Becomes a Clerk(Two-in-One)

Delibird gave Natsume-sensei a puzzled look.

Switching jobs? It didn’t mind—it was just earning some extra snacks anyway.

But even it didn’t know what else it could do besides delivering packages.

"Just a change of workplace."

Natsume smiled. "I’ll submit a request to your company."

These Pokémon working for humans weren’t technically caught.

In Sandgem Town, this quiet little countryside town, Pokémon and humans were partners—not master and servant.

This was also the ideal pursued by the king of Team Plasma, the green-haired youth named N—a child born of both humans and Pokémon:

To let Pokémon live freely outside Poké Balls, side by side with humans.

N viewed Poké Balls as 'symbols of human oppression over Pokémon' - a belief both pure and fanatical.

In both the anime and games, Ash and Hilbert each managed to change N's perspective.

The true issue wasn't the Poké Balls themselves, but how humans and Pokémon chose to coexist.

Natsume shared an unbreakable bond with his little ones.

More often than not, even at the risk of complete household destruction, he kept his Pokémon outside their balls to play.

To him, Poké Balls were nothing more than convenient transportation tools.

Though admittedly... different ball designs did help boost his style points occasionally...

"Delibird~" Delibird looked up at Natsume but didn't commit. Instead, it simply pulled a newspaper from its delivery bag and handed it to him.

With its bundle still strapped tight, Delibird walked away, pausing at the street corner to turn back and wave at Natsume.

"Deliii~"

See you~ I'll think about it properly!

Even the briefest encounters between lives could nurture the most precious connections.

Leaning casually against the mailbox with newspaper in hand, Natsume smiled and waved back.

The golden hues of dusk painted the town.

From the gathering shadows, Gengar levitated up and gave Natsume a slobbery lick with its trademark grin.

"Gengar~!"

When Natsume extended his palm, Gengar made a show of reluctance before finally pulling a Cheri Berry from its pocket and placing it in his hand.

Crunch!

Chewing the tart berry, Natsume mused between bites: "Once the café's up and running, we should visit Sandgem Town again."

"An Ice-type Delibird... could be perfect for speedy ice cream deliveries too..."

……

Group Chat Logs

"I just got my third Badge!" Ash said excitedly.

"Moving pretty fast there," Brock remarked. "At this rate, you'll collect all Unova Badges in a month."

"Keep it up~ You're already behind schedule for the Conference," Erika said, covering her mouth with her hand.

Silver chimed in: "I just saw you starring in that tokusatsu show on TV."

"Ah...that was some director I met by chance who begged me to do it!" Ash scratched his head and laughed. "Pikachu was interested, so I went along with it."

Lt. Surge grinned. "Don't get distracted, rookie. Focus on collecting those Badges!"

"No problem, Uncle Lt. Surge!" Ash replied cheerfully.

Lt. Surge experienced mixed emotions So I've finally reached the age where kids call me "Uncle," huh?

Roxie bared her small fangs. "I won't go easy on you! If you challenge the Virbank Gym, you'd better be prepared!"

Ash: "Pikachu and I will give it our all!"

"The Virbank Gym is Unova's eighth Gym," Brock reminded him. "You're still way behind on Badges."

"Eh...so I can't just challenge it directly?" Ash looked utterly disappointed.

"Speaking of which...Unova's fourth Gym Leader is a supermodel beauty," Lt. Surge said, rubbing his chin.

"You mean Elesa," Old Man Wattson laughed. "She's an Electric-type expert!"

Natsume-sensei: "@Ash, remember to invite newcomers to the group."

Cynthia: "?"

Natsume-sensei: "I meant Unova's Cheren...we forgot to add him after the last tournament."

Cynthia: [Garchomp · Dragon Rush · GIF]

Lorelei: [Cloyster sulking.jpg]

Clair, Johto's Dragon-type Leader, asked curiously: "Ash, is there a girl from the Village of Dragons traveling with you?"

"Yeah," Ash scratched his head. "Her name's Iris—acts even more childish than me."

Lance sipped his tea calmly. "That girl has the highest innate talent in the entire Village of Dragons. She's the designated successor to the Opelucid Gym."

Ash's eyes widened. "No way!"

"Raw talent isn't that special," Lance shrugged. "I'm the Dragon Clan's heir too."

Clair said flatly: "Yet you never return to the clan."

"Because I can't stand those old fossils and their rigid traditions," Lance sighed.

[Lance was also a perfectionist with obsessive tendencies—evident from his cape fixation.]

He showed no particular interest in Iris.

Talent wasn't rare—what was rare were those who could fully realize it.

Put another way...in this group chat, who hadn't been a prodigy in their youth?

Except Gold.

That delinquent didn't count.

"I'll be visiting Lumiose City soon," Natsume mentioned offhandedly. "Might open a Café. Feel free to drop by."

The moment he sent it, Natsume's expression twisted with instant regret.

"Drop by"?

Most people in this group were freeloaders!

Gold grinned: "We'll definitely come!"

Lt. Surge smirked: "Count me in!"

"Mainly because it's too far...otherwise you could've given me your leftover bread."

Maylene wiped her nose, thinking: "With Natsume-sensei's cooking...even expired stuff would be fine..."

"Lumiose City has a Stone Emporium that even exhibits Mega Stones," Steven said with a smile. "And there's an Herb Shop whose history supposedly predates the entire city."

Herb Shop!?

[Password accepted] Natsume gave a slight nod.

Looks like a trip to Lumiose City was unavoidable.

Sure, his Blastoise could grow even the rarest Revival Herbs on its own.

But medicinal potency varied by region—expanding his stock was absolutely necessary!

Natsume-sensei’s gaze drifted toward Blastoise’s fish tank.

The tank’s floor was carpeted with Water Stones like sapphires, their surfaces shimmering with Mystic Water’s glow. At the center, Manaphy’s solidified Purifying Droplet pulsed with a crystalline radiance.

Natsume’s eye twitched.

Even Red’s Everstone isn’t this excessive!

Though now that he thought about it… Purifying Droplet neutralized status ailments.

Once Blastoise activated Aqua Ring, it wouldn’t just heal—it’d purge toxins too…

No more needing Gengar as a poison-tester!

……

The sky darkened as evening fell.

Cynthia sat at her desk, absorbed in a book, her gaze focused.

"Sylveon~" Sylveon slipped quietly through the cat flap for one final patrol of the area.

If there were any wild EXP points to be had... all the better.

Natsume's phone rang—an incoming call from Professor Sycamore.

"A ready-to-use storefront on Central Boulevard?" Natsume sounded surprised.

"It's the former Café Soleil, previously owned by Lysandre..."

Professor Sycamore's tone carried regret. "But it's already been leased out."

In Pokémon XY's Lumiose City alone, there were 15 cafés and 4 restaurants.

Finding one up for lease wasn’t unusual.

According to Professor Sycamore, Café Soleil was a mixed-use property—even featuring a central courtyard connecting to the backyard.

A perfect fit for Natsume’s needs.

In bustling Lumiose City, only someone like Lysandre could have secured such prime real estate.

But competition had been fierce, leaving the property in limbo... until now.

Natsume paused.

"Was it leased by Rocket Delivery?"

"I’m not certain," Professor Sycamore admitted. "But I’ll have my assistant keep searching for alternatives."

Natsume had asked Professor Sycamore for help, but he’d also sent Matori to scout locations.

So it seemed… Team Rocket had taken over Team Flare’s former base.

"No need for the trouble," Natsume chuckled. "I’ll handle negotiations with the new tenants."

Professor Sycamore blinked, then smiled in realization—of course the Champion had connections.

"In that case, I’ll leave it to you. Best of luck with your venture."

If Rocket Delivery had secured the property…

As their Mentor, he wouldn’t pay a single Pokémon Coins.

But renovations? That would require hiring Kalos’s finest contractors.

Natsume’s expression darkened.

Was there truly no escape…?

Then again…

With Team Flare gone, Team Rocket had moved in.

A Pokémon Café could double as the Trio’s Kalos Secret Base.

Champions and Elite Four sipping coffee upstairs…

An evil organization plotting below…

Natsume’s mood turned delicate.

…Was he the villain of Kalos now?!

……

The trip to Kalos was scheduled for three days later.

Natsume had Matori handle the café's basic renovations according to his specifications.

"We're taking over this place as a Secret Base."

Matori nodded approvingly. "A brilliant move—on par with Team Rocket's Mahogany Town bakery operation in Johto."

Natsume: "...No, I actually intend to run a proper café."

Matori: ?

She pictured the grand opening.

If Young Master Silver attended, Boss Giovanni would have to show up.

And knowing their luck, Giovanni would probably end up having a historic encounter with that Legendary Trainer "Red" too.

Matori's expression turned complicated.

Mentor… you always find a way to make things interesting!

But why am I always the one running errands?! Don't you have those three idiots for this?!

Not that Natsume was trying to dump work on Matori.

He just… couldn’t seem to track down Meowth and the others.

And Matori was as efficient as Oleana.

Truly, the ideal arrangement: "Let the secretary handle everything."

During the three-day break,

Natsume and Cynthia made a trip to Alamos Town.

A chance to travel—and deliver some Pokéblocks to Darkrai.

The Space-Time Tower's bells rang softly in the distance.

Cynthia stood in the twilight, gazing up at the spire, her golden hair flowing. Memories of Alamos Town flickered through her mind.

Months had passed in a blink, yet the echoes of space-time's distortion still lingered.

But… she wasn’t alone anymore.

"Garchomp…" Garchomp stood behind her, equally silent, equally resolute.

To protect my Trainer… I must grow stronger.

Even if it means challenging Legendary Pokémon.

Meanwhile, in the Pokémon Gardens,

the mood was… slightly different.

"You think this paltry offering is enough?!"

Darkrai shoveled Pokéblocks into its mouth, glass jar clutched tightly. "Dream on!"

Natsume grinned.

"Now that you mention it… there is something I wanted to discuss."

Darkrai froze.

A chill ran down its spine.

Last time I agreed to this guy’s "discussion," I got tricked into taking a beating from Arceus!

Logic screamed "REFUSE!"

But its paws kept scooping up Pokéblocks.

"Spit it out first!" Darkrai growled. "Let me hear it!"

"I want you… to work part-time as my café’s bodyguard."

"BODYGUARD?!" Darkrai’s eyes bulged.

"I know you won’t leave the Gardens," Natsume said smoothly. "But you can work days and return to rest at night."

As a Legendary-tier Darkrai, traveling between regions in hours was trivial.

With Sylveon and the Lunar Feather around, Darkrai wouldn’t disturb anyone.

And Natsume could provide it a new home.

Darkrai’s face darkened. It seriously considered hitting Natsume with Dark Void right then.

Do I LOOK like a Pokémon who does bodyguard gigs?!

Natsume upped the offer: "One truckload of Pokéblocks per month. Deal?"

Darkrai: "…"

Darkrai held up two fingers.

Double it.

Natsume laughed. "Done!"

Alamos Town’s Darkrai had never allowed itself to be caught—not even by Alicia.

What it valued most was "protection" and "bonds" with humans.

Seeing Darkrai’s crossed-arm silence, Natsume smiled.

I didn’t catch Darkrai. (×)

Darkrai became an employee! (✓)