November 21st, Saturday.
As winter approached, the air grew colder.
Waking up that morning, Sylveon stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, its ribbon gently brushing against the fogged glass.
"Sylveon?" It tilted its head, examining the dewdrops clinging to its feelers.
"Winter's here," Natsume explained, pulling on a white cashmere sweater. "Be careful not to catch a cold."
Nearby, the pleasantly plump Growlithe snoozed away, drooling in its sleep.
"Togepi doo-ee~ (◕‿◕✿)"
Togepi sat on the carpet, leaning against Growlithe's warm fur, wiggling its tiny fingers—
Flick!
A small Ember sparked to life at its fingertip. Togepi stared at the orange flame, eyes wide with delight.
"Playing with fire leads to bed-wetting!"
Like a worried parent, Natsume extinguished the flame and gave Togepi a stern lecture.
"Togepi doo-ee!" Grinning, Togepi raised its arms, demanding to be picked up.
"Alright, alright..."
As he lifted Togepi, Natsume glanced nervously at the fish tank.
"I can handle a little fire. No need for Water Gun."
The oppressive aura emanating from the tank immediately settled.
Natsume wiped his brow.
If Squirtle had intervened, the whole apartment would've been flooded.
"Gengar!"
In the living room, Gengar kicked over a cleaning robot and resumed scrubbing the floors.
Trying to steal my Substitute training? Not happening!
Natsume settled onto the couch, intending to cuddle Sylveon for a bit.
"Sylveon! (╬ Ò﹏Ó)"
But Sylveon resisted fiercely, leaving him no choice but to vent his frustrations by aggressively petting Growlithe instead.
"Growlithe~ o((⊙﹏⊙))o"
He pulled out his laptop to prepare next week's lesson plans and game proposals, drowsily working through the morning.
By noon, rustling sounds came from the master bedroom.
Natsume paused.
Right… Cynthia stayed over last night.
The door creaked open, revealing a disheveled Cynthia—pale, tired, and rubbing her messy blonde hair.
Dressed in her usual black trench coat with an elegant scarf and dark hair accessories, she was, by all definitions, flawlessly beautiful.
"Morning," she mumbled.
"It's noon!"
"Huh. Really?"
On the dining table, steaming black coffee and perfectly toasted bread awaited. As Natsume spread Sweet Honey on a slice for Sylveon, he asked:
"Heading back to Sinnoh today?"
"Mhm. Too much to handle. Won't be back in Kanto for a while."
Propping her chin on one hand, Cynthia stirred her coffee, gazing out the window pensively.
Natsume admired her profile. "Take it step by step. You'll get through it."
"Yeah."
Sunlight haloed her face as she smiled, golden hair cascading like silk.
...
With year-end approaching, leagues worldwide were bustling with tournament preparations.
As Sinnoh's Champion, Cynthia was swamped with meetings and paperwork.
She wouldn't return for a month.
At the doorway, she balanced on her heels and glanced back teasingly.
"Will you miss me?"
"Every day apart will feel like three years," Natsume said without hesitation.
"That's too smooth!"
"If honesty requires overthinking, life would be boring."
Cynthia studied him for a long moment before chuckling.
"I'm off."
"Stay safe!"
———
That afternoon, Gengar left for its coaching job at Saffron Gym.
Natsume stayed home, brushing Sylveon's fur while browsing online stores.
Winter called for warmer clothes—especially with Gengar's innate -5°C aura. Without layers, letting it hover behind him was unbearable.
Then, a promotion for winter pajamas caught his eye.
Chat Group:
[Natsume-sensei]: [Image] "Galarian Wooloo fleece pajamas! Group discounts available!"
The photo showed full-body Pokémon-themed sleepwear—Eevee, Pikachu, Gengar, and more.
Gold: "Natsume-sensei! How can you be this cheap?!"
Brock: "Budgeting ensures better Pokémon care!"
Green: "I've got a supplier! Buy through me!"
Misty: "Since when did Masters need group buys?!"
Is the chat broken…?
Ultimately, Brock bulk-ordered nine sets for his siblings.
Natsume got a Gengar set for himself and a Pikachu one for Gengar. For Growlithe and Togepi (whose sizes were unavailable), he settled on bunny ear headbands.
Sylveon, already blessed with long ears, received a Vanilla Whisker cat teaser.
Green: "Thank you for your patronage! ♪(^∇^)"*
???:* "Got extras? I'll take them."
Gold: "??? You've got issues!"
Silver: "Shut up. I'll deliver yours personally."
Gold: "NO ONE WANTS MATCHING PAJAMAS WITH YOU!!"
Meanwhile, Yellow blushed, hugging her Pikachu tightly.
Someday…
I want to wear matching clothes with Senior Red too!
———
Green's delivery arrived that evening.
Natsume eagerly unpacked the box, trying on the purple Gengar hoodie.
"Hmm… like this?"
Pulling the hood over his head, he marveled at his reflection.
"Feels like my bond with Gengar leveled up!"
A rotund "Pikachu" suddenly hopped out from the bedroom.
"Gengar!"
Lifting the hood revealed Gengar's trademark grin.
Growlithe and Togepi wobbled adorably in their bunny ears, while Sylveon sat primly on the couch, nose in the air—until a Vanilla Whisker dangled before it.
"Want to play?"
After much internal debate, Sylveon's ears flushed pink as it extended a paw.
"Sylveon~~"
So much for pride.
...
Late that night, the chat erupted.
Crystal uploaded a photo of Gold and Silver in matching pajamas, both looking mortified.
Gold: "DELETE THAT!"
Even the usually stoic Silver seemed shaken. "When was this taken?!"
Crystal: "While you two were arguing."
Gold: "I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE!"
Under Gold's protests, Crystal reluctantly retracted the image—
Natsume-sensei: "Darn, missed it!"
Sabrina: "I saved it."
Gold: "???"
[New photo added to group album]
Steven: [Well played.jpg]
Lorelei: "Hahaha! Too cute!"
Lance: "Never thought Silver had this side."
Silver massaged his temples.
The photo, oozing unintentional couple vibes, was now immortalized in the group album.
Chuckling, Natsume turned off his phone and climbed into bed, making room for Sylveon as it burrowed under the covers.
"Gengar, lights out."
"Gengar~"
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